So you may be thinking "Tom...you were in France 2 months ago, we don't care," or "Dang Tom, you are lazy and slow, but write away because I am going to read it anyway." To the latter, thank you. To the first, my only advice is to stop reading here, but please click on some ads on the way out.
So, for my first full day in Paris I did what anyone would do, walk around and be utterly amazed at its beauty. Paris has always been on my list of cities to visit, not because I had a deep desire to see it, but merely because it is one of the worlds great cities. This trip changed all of that. I finally understood why it is one of the great cities. It is grand, beautiful, elegant and classy, while at the same time having a local, artsy almost grungy feel. In two simple words Paris is uniquely magnificent.
I could do nothing else but just wander random, average streets and still feel like I have visited a completely new world. It is a crazy thing when the average is breath taking. So many cities are beautiful and amazing, but Paris is just so different. In other cities you can see where the first plan for the city started, the design. But then you can see how a new idea or designer came in and started to reshape it. Still beautiful, but you can view it in chunks of time periods or designers. But Paris is so different. It looks like in the start one person put down a master plan for the city and no one ever broke from it. That doesn't mean the style doesn't change or alter with time periods or the type of district it is, but it feels that the original planner designed the city to do exactly that. Every brush stroke painted, every new building built, regardless of whom did them, was just fulfilling the original master plan. And what brings the entire city together? The Eiffel tower right in the middle. Like a shinning beacon providing a guiding light to the middle of the majestic city.
I started my day walking from where I was staying to the city center. Down different streets and alleys. I passed right by the Moulin Rouge and through the art district. One of the things I immediately knew I liked about the city was that blocks were themed by store. I walked down an entire street dedicated to selling musical instruments. One for books, etc. In other cities you spread out stores, but here they condensed them into single streets. There is a unique fun to it that overwhelms my business sense wanting to correct them on it from a sales strategy.
I eventually make it down to the city center, after passing the Opera House, some amazing churches, and a Greek looking temple which I will assume is very famous by is sheer size and location. The city center is incredible. You have two Egyptian obelisks next to matching fountains while thousands of cars drive by. To one direction you have a park that ends in the Louve, to the other the famous long street ending in the arch and to another direction you see the Eiffel Tower just sitting in the distance.
I walk down the long street to the arch. I don't want to pay to go up it, so I just walk around and take the typical tourist photos. I continue down my path, now heading to the Eiffel tower. Along the way I find a bakery and enjoy some actual "french bread." It lives up to its name. The best bread I have ever eaten was in fact, in Paris.
I pass the Iranian Embassy, something I have never seen before. It is the only one on the street with police in front of it (I wonder why....oh yeah...). Finally I reach the Eiffel Tower. I take a series of photos and then decide to climb it. Climbing the stairs is both cheaper and less waiting. After a tiring walk I get to the first floor and it has a good view of the city, but nothing great. I decide to go to the second floor. About equal distance walking, but much better view. Now, I won't lie - at least right now - I haven't met someone who I told I walked both flights to that wasn't impressed and surprised.
Once there you can pay extra to take an elevator to the very top. Thinking it is worth it since I am here, I go for it. The view is amazing and if you visit, worth paying extra for. You can see the entire city and far past it. I spend an hour or so at the top just looking around the city and then looking again. I reflect, think and appreciate. I can do nothing but feel thankful that I am there right then seeing what I am seeing. If you ever here my complain about life, slap me and remind me of that single moment. I have no right to complain about anything in life, but appreciate.
After this I take the long walk home. I could go on and on about the buildings I saw, the places I visited, but there are so many. Every building I walked past feels like it deserves mention, but this post is long enough as is.
No comments:
Post a Comment