The City Of Self-Love: Paris

I really do believe that Paris is one of the most perfect cities in the world. The history, art, culture, there are unlimited things to experience. Having been a few times now, each time has been very different, and I have had the ability to see more and more every time.

Last summer I was on my way to Croatia with a friend and she had never been to Paris and so we decided to do a couple of days layover to explore the city. Having a colleague who is a local in the city, he agreed to take us around on a walking tour of Paris. This walking tour was incredible because we were seeing it from a local’s perspective and not a tourist opportunity to be on a bus with 100 other people. We walked down back roads and came around nooks and crannies that offered us sites that unless you knew where the heck you were, you would have felt very misplaced.

Walking into the Louvre from behind and seeing the majestic open space that typically you view from the road looking in. Luxembourg gardens coming in the back way and walking through the gardens in a different direction changes your vantage point.

My friend had the time of her life and was able to see everything that I love about this city.

Viewing the historic Notre-Dame, walking along this Seine to experiencing the Eiffel Tower but not just the Eiffel Tower, the Eiffel Tower at night with its fabulous light show. Being able to walk the streets like a local and have a conversation about the history that makes Paris so unique was the best part.

So many movies have been filmed in this city and I love that when you turn around sometimes, you are transported to scenes in movies. I am always taken to the Four Seasons Hotel George V; the first time I was in Paris I was with a dear friend of mine who is enamored with the movie French Kiss. In this movie Meg Ryan arrives in Paris to the Four Seasons Hotel George V, to find that the love of her life is with someone else. In fact, my friend was so thrilled to be in the lobby of this hotel she did not hesitate to approach the desk clerk and grill him on lines from the movie. He found her quite entertaining and gave her a takeaway gift as a memento.

There is the beautiful Arc de Triomphe at the end of the stunning Champs- Elysees, and this is a day well spent. You can spend your day walking along the Champs- Elysees, stopping to have a coffee or perhaps a glass of wine with some cheese and bread…. taking in the sights of the people, the tourists who are in awe and of course enjoying just being on the famed roadway.

Museums are abundant here, as mentioned the Louvre where you can visit the famed Leonardo da Vinci exhibition and of course the Mona Lisa. There is also, Musee d’Orsay where you can view works of Renoir, Denis, and many famous others.

Taking a trip out to the incredible Palace of Versailles is a must see but as with any museum, do not attempt to go without a VIP skip the line pass. It houses the Palace, the Trianon Palace and of course the estate of Marie Antionette. It truly is a spectacular sight and do your best with your photos to try and do it justice. The glamour and history are hard to describe and capture.

My dream has always been to spend a month in the summer with my family renting an apartment and just living in the spectacular city of Paris. I still plan to do it. Isn’t this just the most perfect street?