Bonjour Paris! Part 1

 DAY 2: NEVER OUT OF STYLE – PARIS, FRANCE

It was a beautiful spring morning when we had arrived in Paris. The sun was slowly but surely beginning to peak out from behind the grey, ominous clouds that cast shade and cool winds upon the city; the warm air was now starting to sweep across the narrow streets. After dropping off the fifty or so luggage at the hotel, we were well on our way. I continuously looked around in amazement at everything we passed, and when I looked up, all I could see was the swirly blue sky, something that I wasn’t used to seeing as it was practically still winter in Montreal when we left. The rivers, ponds, lakes and canals were not covered with a layer of icy cream snow, however flowed graciously under the warm rays of the sun. We walked by the Gare de Lyon and what a sight it was! From the detail of every wall and window to the minute carvings on each door handle, it reminded me of a gorgeous palace that stood tall and far, was this really a train station?

On our way to Champs Elysees, we passed several little quaint bakery shops and let me tell you, they were impressive. Wall racks were loaded with daily fresh breads and treats that had burst a butter-sugar-cream taste all over the walls of my cheeks after tastefully nibbling on them. Biting into one of these indulgent delicacies not only left me craving for more, however reminded me of those old summer picnics, the ones we used to have as a family. I remember the times that I sat on the silky green grass as the wind raced through my long blond hair and I bit on a croissant, of course, not as good as the ones in Paris. The first bite of any French pastry starts off with a light butter crunch that sticks and stays in the crevices of your teeth, but wait, the pleasure doesn’t stop there, like hidden ores buried in vast mountains, these pastries hold the most magnificent of ingredients! After a hard crunchy bite come the soft, inside fillings that glide along the cilia of your tongue and race through your body. Oh, the Patisseries in Paris are such a delight, if only we had them in Montreal.

As we approached Champs Elysees, all I saw were trees. There were perhaps twenty different types of perfectly trimmed trees that stood tall and wide. The flimsy branches that flew in the warm April breeze made this city look even more beautiful than it was. It surprised me, but Paris is really big on beautifying the city with nature. Along Champs Elysees were several amazingly colourful gardens. I didn’t really take the time to stop and look, however I can guarantee anybody that every single color of the rainbow were represented with lovely flower beds. As we walked further up the street, towards the Arc de Triomph, the street became wider and a swarm of cars suddenly flushed along the concrete streets. The smell of freshly baked baguettes continued to overwhelm my nostrils with joy, I loved it!

The sidewalk had just widened and my friends and I were now walking along the Paris shopping strip. We past colourful terraces with red and white-striped umbrellas, massive French fashion shops, persistent street vendors and of course, the very talented street performers. I did enter a few shops, but after looking at some of the prices, I laughed and ran out as quickly as possible, scared I would damage or break something and have to pay for it. Although the clothes in Paris were simply amazing and filled with style and flamboyance (after all, Paris is the fashion capital of the world), the prices were just too high for me.

            We had finally arrived at the famous Arc de Triomph. We read up on the history a little bit, however were not able to go up as it cost a ridiculous amount of money and we simply did not have the time. From the way it glows in front of the bright yellow sky, to the way each and every carving represents something extremely important, I was overwhelmed with amazement. Of course, I pulled out my ‘petite’, red digital camera to take some nice snap shots of this memorable monument facing the wide street lined with shops and vendors. As we walked back to our meeting spot, we came across a few more parks with boys who were playing soccer on the thick lime green grass. In Paris, the grass was much thicker and “hardier” than back home in Montreal. The Japanese-pink and lilac trees lined the parks and surrounded small fountains that threw water up in the air in every direction.

Later that day, we made our way to Champs de Mars to go up the famous Eiffel tower, of course. Making our way there, we stopped by the Rivière Seine for some lovely pictures. As I stared into the distance, I could see the water, flowing elegantly towards the shining sun. The trees along the river swayed back and forth as if they were performing a dance in the wind for us. The bridges in the distance were also impressive. They weren’t the “normal”, concrete bridges, however had designs, colors and sometimes even pure gold which added to the beauty of the scenery. The only thing that bothered me were the tourists who were navigating their way in the streets with their maps open and cameras undulating on their wrists as they took long strides on the large and wonderfully clean sidewalks while, they too, appreciated the gorgeous scenery.

The Eiffel tower- a monument that makes Paris what it is! It is the Queen of Paris as “she” stands tall, overlooking and protecting the city from any harm. Although it is just a combination of metal stuck together, its sturdy legs that stand tall off the ground along with its entire solid body attracts and lures tourists worldwide. “She” even glows brighter than the brightest star in our atmosphere, circling Paris and keeping a close eye on this city of love at night. As we approached this massive monument, my heart began to pound-harder and harder, after all, I am afraid of heights. We approached the Southbound leg, one of the four, and stood in extended line, filled with tourists from the four corners of this planet, all here to see her majesty, the Eiffel Tower. The smiles of other people were contagious and although I was afraid, the chuckles and laughs of others made it hard not to cherish the moment with a smile from cheek to cheek. We crawled into the elevator like animals into a cage, and began our ascent to the crown. The higher we went, the more I approached the metal, sweaty handlebar at the back. Getting off the elevator was the hardest part, because a massive gust of wind knocked me off to the side, my heart pounded hard. Now, because the Eiffel Tower has both a gated part and a non gated section, I felt much more safe and I slowly but firmly made my way across the black, copper-smelling floor to the edge – what a beautiful sight. From the colorful roofs of the thousands of houses, to the sight of every important monument in the city, to the view of the flowing Rivière Seine, to the green spaces that made it seem as if someone had placed a large piece of ruffled, green tissue paper over Paris, to the people below who resembled a swarming group of ants about to attack the city, oh, the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower was simply stunning and jaw dropping. I can’t imagine this city without this unique piece of history. It would be like the city of Toronto without the CN Tower, or the city of New York without the Empire State Building or the city of Rome without the Coliseum, it just couldn’t be done.

As the sun set and darkness reigned over the land, our group of fifty went to have a small supper at the restaurant of our choice and went off to bed to prepare for tomorrow. I must say that the first day was not only extremely eye opening, however also very impressive. Before going to bed I stared out to the well-lit Gare de Lyon, watched the colourful pigeons soar in the wind and sat to just enjoy the smell, the taste, the feel and the charm of Paris, France, finally realizing that I was thousands of miles away from home, away from my family, away from the land of “eh’s”, and instead, in paradise.