Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Paris :: Wednesday March 9

We got into Paris and our bodies punished us for the excessive amount of luggage we seem to be travelling with. And I was shocked at all the military men walking around with machine guns.

Stayed with Dave's friends and lovely hosts Greg and Agnes, who graciously spoke their best english with me. Over the years, my french has become increasingly weaker but I would find myself following along with the french and understanding things and then wanting to give myself some kind of internal high five. In the end, Greg & Agnes went away for a few days and we had the whole apartment to ourselves... Incredible.

Walking around Paris, I feel like a kid in a candy store. Or like I've been locked in an orphanage all my life and I'm seeing the outside world in all its splendour for the very first time. I remember visiting there in the past and how in awe I was how everything -- like really, almost everything -- was beautiful. So much CARE put into the buildings, the iron work, the overall attention to every little detail in the city. And how it simply becomes part of the lifestyle if you live there. I'm always going on about this study I heard about, saying that you can get used to anything 6 months after it's introduced to your life. So I suppose I would understand if you almost didn't see it after walking around for a while. But with fresh eyes, that city is the dazzling and beautiful and a feast for the eyes. Breathtaking.

Dave's been patient with me, being a megatourist and learning the ropes with my new camera. And I hope I have done some justice to the beauty that is so deeply embedded into this magnificent city.

Of the areas we explored, my most favourite was La Marais. Beautiful architecture that has stood the test of time, building after building, iron work that looks inspired and delicate and ornate and gorgeous. Endless examples of the most beautiful handpainted signs. Signs that appear to have been done many years ago but are just so timeless and exude a classiness you can't fake. Beauty is just so engrained into the fabric of this city. We wandered for a few hours, me taking pictures, Dave wishing he had a bigger stomach for all the food he wanted to relive after living there for so long, after we ate a gorgeous lunch at a little café called Les Philosophes, outside, in typical parisian fashion. Doesn't it look delicious? It was every bit as good as it looks.




Paris, c'est cool.

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