Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to go to Paris. It was for this reason that my recent trip to France, where I spent a total of four weeks in the capital, seemed like years in the making. I was excited beyond belief to finally be making my dream a reality, but I also had a few doubts. What if Paris wouldn't be what I imagined it to be? What if it didn't live up to the perfect image I had cultivated in my mind?
I very quickly learned that I had nothing to worry about at all. Paris really is unreal and seems like a whole other world, especially coming from Australia. Everywhere you walk there is art. I could have happily spent hours just wandering the streets with no destination in mind, studying every building, every balcony and every piece of carved stone. A particular moment that stands out in my mind was the last Sunday I spent walking along the Seine. There's simply nothing quite like it. With a heavy heart, I wished that I could somehow capture the feeling of that moment. The crispness in the air, the afternoon sun shining its beam over aging facades and seeing Pont Neuf in all it's glory.
When I told friends and family that I intended to spend four weeks in Paris, a great many of them seemed perplexed as to why I would choose to dedicate the majority of my trip to one area. I''m so glad that I did. Paris is not a city that should be seen in one or two days, or even a week. While I thoroughly enjoyed visiting all the popular tourist attractions, Paris is so much more than the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Ladurée. The magic of Paris is la vie quotidienne, the artisan pâtisseries, the hole in the wall cafes, the lesser known museums, the bookshops, hidden rues, markets, the friendly civilians, the musicians who play on the metro and so much more that cannot be put into words; that certain je ne sais pas.
Ugh, this sounds amazing. I can't wait to hear more about your trip. This passage alone has inspired me to go.
I feel those same doubts, I've only travelled to a few different countries and I never had any expectations or built up ideas for those. Europe is different. Sometimes I feel like we are just waiting for one another, and then I get so scared I won't actually like it. I think you are very right about the longer trip, though. I'm a more slow-paced person in general, but I know people have gone to Paris for 3-5 days, and when they tell me 'about' the city I realise I know more about it just from pictures and reading!
I can't wait to hear more from you about Paris. x
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