Friday, March 23, 2012

It's not fair...Paris that is...

I%26#39;m sitting in a waiting room at the Medical Centre, minding my own business, when someone mentions Paris, and there I go again; lost in memories of that amazing place. We%26#39;ve travelled the world, and always had fun. But our trip to Paris last fall lingers like no other and I%26#39;m obsessed with the idea of going back. Only the slightest fear that it can%26#39;t possibly be as special as it was, that somehow a return trip will destroy this feeling. But go I must. What is it about Paris?




|||



Is this the opening entry of a chain story?




|||



so... go. that%26#39;s what the rest of us are doing.



don%26#39;t over-romanticize it, just plan for having fun and wandering... you%26#39;ll be fine. (as fine as an addict can be).




|||



WAe are going on our 3rd trip in March to celebrate our anniversary. Of course our kids are mad because we took them last time and they all loved Paris too. But, this trip is just for us. I bought my tickets last night and have the apartment lined up so 5 more weeks and we are off!




|||



I think the more you go to Paris, the more you like it. It%26#39;s so wonderful become more familiar with the lay of the land, to wander through neighborhoods you don%26#39;t know or revisit those you do, not to feel compelled to do the sights but just to be in Paris, etc. etc. What makes it such a great city? Maybe it%26#39;s Paris%26#39;s devotion to its history and to the primacy of culture, its great food, its human scale, the Seine as a focal point tying the city together, and much more. Go again and again!




|||



Being French I am proud and overjoyed that you guys are so crazy about Paris but aren%26#39;t you all romanticizing it a bit way too much? isn%26#39;t Paris attraction for you mainly due to the fact that you aren%26#39;t fluent enough in French and therefore whatever local say in their funny accent (French people born outside Paris find the Parisian accent weird and vice versa) sounds exotic and romantic while all I hear is their bitching about the neighbours or some other petty thing. Really there is no difference between Paris and London. Both towns value history, both have great monuments, fascinating streets, unique stores etc. etc. Surely walking long the Thames is just as romantic as walking along the Seine? London to me is also seeing Joan Collins and Princess Diana (not at the same time!) up close on the street while they were shopping..




|||



I do understand the French and still love Paris! Of course the flaws of any city are easier to overlook if you don%26#39;t have to deal with the hassles of daily life the way residents do. Maybe a huge chunk of the allure is the very fact of being on vacation!




|||



well, remember we had to revolt from the British and the French helped us out, so.... of course, we have a residual fondness for Paris and France! ;)




|||



No one is ever the same after Paris. After our first day trip over from London a few years ago, we are returning in late April for our 4th time. Can you believe it, we even have an active account at the Opera National de Paris--likely the only one from our small town in Kansas.....Go you must is correct.





oprah44




|||



Ok, here goes mine....





I%26#39;m going through some old papers when I run across a ticket stub for the RER. So of course, I start dreaming away about Paris..





Don%26#39;t feel too alone Tim, were all on the same page.




|||



I find that there are no comparisons between London and Paris except that English is not the mother tongue of the inhabitants of either Paris or London and both have rivers running through them.





London is a sprawling megalopolis while Paris is so much more like a collection of small towns with a common transit system. When you look out over Paris from the tower it becomes immediately clear that the bulk of the city is only 6 stories tall.

No comments:

Post a Comment