Why Paris is Special: Musings & A Hidden Yearning for More

My musings from Paris… I am left with a yearning to return.

Springtime in Paris

Start your day by visiting a boulangerie, choosing apple strudel pastries still warm from baking, and strong coffee. Breakfast perched on a bench in a park, surrounded by pink blossoms.

Creamy, sandstone apartments line the Boulevards and Ruesof Montmartre. Decorated with elegant Juliet balconies, whose curls and flourishes speak of a time before, when art was enough. A time when poets and artists frequented these streets and imbued them with the essence of their souls. Encouraged to let your gaze linger upwards, you spy a sliver of blue sky escorting you on your way.

Montmartre

Montmartre insists you climb her streets to the heady pinnacle of Sacre Coeur. Time your visit for sunset and, approach from the rear; you’ll be greeted with the domed minaret silhouetted against the sun.

Find yourself a seat in the tiny park, only a 2 minute walk westwards, away from the crowds, to give yourself a view towards the Eiffel Tower. She will be framed by the branches of the park’s tees. Experience the sun fading through a cornucopia of pink hues as the sun sinks. The chimneypot strewn rooftops and rooftop gardens encapsulate the perfect view of the Tower in the distance. As night falls, she is lit and sparkles with multi-faceted glittering lights. Feel her glitter and enjoy a magical, peaceful moment. Embrace the moment: this is Paris.

This is Paris…

Wander the tree-lined Boulevards, wander the tiny winding streets, wander and just be. Sit with coffee, sit with wine, sit with family or friends and absorb, by osmosis, the atmosphere. Eat all the food and don’t feel guilty. Paris is a feast for all the senses. Don’t deny yourself a taste.

“I had forgotten how gently time passes in Paris. As lively as the city is, there’s a stillness to it, a peace that lures you in. In Paris, with a glass of wine in your hand, you can just be.”

Kristin Hannah, the Nightingale

Santé-Chappelle

Visit Santé-Chappelle and soak in the light. It’s like stepping into an ancient living rainbow. I demand that all houses have a stained glass window to refract the light and create a magical ambience. http://www.sainte-chapelle.fr/en/

Monet’s Water Lilies

Monet’s Water Lilies. You think you know what to expect. You have see snippets and reproductions of the famous paintings for years. Nothing will prepare you for the reality. Vaster than you can have imagined, a horizon that curves into the distance, you are unable to take in all at once. Take a seat. Let your eyes wander at will, picking out detail after detail. Tiny elements that combine, to bond like an experiment in colour and light. Now, you begin to understand why these paintings are so revered. https://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/article/claude-monets-water-lilies

Les Atelieres Lumiere

Les Atelieres Luminere immersive art experience. Music and movement combine to enfold the visitor in a flow of images of the artists work. A powerful, surreal experience in this vast industrial landscape only broken by iron pillars and rivets. Be the painting, let the painting be you. https://www.atelier-lumieres.com/

Paris is a woman’s town, with flowers in her hair

Henry Van Dyke

Also… more of Paris

A tour bus, showing off Paris’ most loved.

Dali Exhibition to challenge your sense of reality. https://www.daliparis.com/

Art Decco entrances to Metro stations beckon you to enter.

The Grand Palais: a delight of glass and steel. https://www.grandpalais.fr/en/discover-grand-palais-0

Leaving Paris

Morning mist, hovering low in the bright morning sun. Tufts of white clouds decorate an azure sky. A flat green landscape grows out of the mist, broken only by groupings of Cypress’ drawing themselves upwards.

Au Revoir Paris.

What do you think about Paris? What are your favourite sites, place and things to do? Drop a comment below to let me know

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Enjoyed these musings? There are more…

Musings on Venice – my 1st solo trip: https://travelingerelax.com/musings-on-being-a-tourist-in-venice/