paris

Posted on Tuesday, 16 March 2010

Taking a RyanAir flight from Barcelona means you need to make it to Girona first. A 2 hour long bus ride brings you to the rural airport where RyanAir flights depart from. Friday, I woke up, packed and started my adventure to Paris. My flight left France at 8pm. I landed outside of Paris at the RyanAir airport there – BVA around 9pm. Once again, I got on another long bus ride to get into the city. The bus was filled with French speakers and I was immediately intimidated by the fact that I knew absolutely no one around me and had no idea what was being said so I let my need for dreams overcome me and fell asleep.

An hour and a half later, we were dropped off in a parking lot on the outskirts of Paris. I called my friend Cameron, who has been living and studying in Paris since August and told him I had arrived. He told me to get on the metro and which stop to go to where he would meet me. I did just that and met up with Cameron and his friend Chloe at a metro stop in the 1^st. I had no idea what being in the 1^st meant but as we walked down two streets towards her apartment I could immediately tell we were in a sophisticated part of town. Chloe pointed out amazing stores with magnificent window displays lit up despite the darkness of the night. We walked into a beautiful courtyard with an Italian restaurant, a huge circular fountain and ivy all over the walls. After going up two floors of stairs, we entered the apartment. To say it is well decorated is an understatement. Every single thing in the apartment seemed to have a story behind it and a history of it’s own. Cameron’s friends all greeted me with a bonjour and a kiss on both cheeks. We spent Friday night in their beautiful apartment talking and drinking wine.

Saturday, I got to explore the city. We walked around the whole day – only used the metro once. Went to the Arc de Triomph where fabulously dressed Veterans were participating in a ceremony beneath the majestic structure. The contrast between their tasseled primary colored uniforms and the immense size of the white marble was beautiful and moving. The Eiffel Tower certainly lived up to its popularity, its stature is unbeatable and it lit up right as we got there. The pungent smell of incense in a church is something I treasure and I have never felt as intense of a connection with that smell before entering Notre Dame. We explored the Latin Quarter and St Germaine. After tons of walking, we took a slight break at the Louvre where I was greeted by hundreds of pieces that finally came alive in person. My first day in Paris was beyond moving. The French dress for the runway with the perfect amount of discretion. Every single building is meticulously preserved in its original charm. The streets are saturated with the smells of sugary sweet crepes. Dogs follow their owners without the need of a leash and cats creep around corners waiting for any scrape of French bread. Saturday night, we went to another fabulous apartment and then out to some bars and clubs. All of Cameron’s friends were so interesting and welcoming – an eclectic mix of Parisians, Americans and Moroccans.

Sunday, we walked to the top of Montmartre to see Sacre Couer. Tears came to my eyes as I entered the church. I have never seen something more beautiful in my life and will never ever forget it. The view from outside of the church is astounding. The true ambiance of Paris is felt from atop the mountain as men walk around attempting to draw caricatures of couples and a young man beautifully plays the trumpet without any stage fright. Monday, I spent the day alone and had the best day I think I have ever spent with myself. Although I had my heavy bag in tow the entire time, I walked for hours. I strolled along the Seine, eating clementines and soaking in my surroundings. I literally just wandered the city the entire day, stumbling upon tiny enchanting stores and windows, admiring everything around me. As my stomach started grumbling, I bought myself a cheap yet deliciously fresh salad to go and searched for an empty bench to eat on but instead, I found myself at the Luxembourg Gardens. I found an empty chair and snuggled into my jacket as I ate my salad. I sat there for 3 hours, soaking everything in. Old couples strolled by hand in hand, a young girl practiced her ballet, tourists passed through and businessmen marched on with determined faces. I love Paris so much; no city has ever given me the feeling it does. While boarding my flight, I realized that I hadn’t eaten a croissant nor did I eat any French bread – guess that means I have to go back……