Falling in Love with Paris

Oh Paris, the city of love :) As cliché as that sounds, I was actually pleasantly surprised to discover during my time in Paris that there truly is an air of romance permeating the city that gives it its trademark nickname. It isn’t a blatantly obvious ambiance, it’s more something that you’ll start to see all around you once you start looking for it. However, because Paris is so beautiful and magical and iconic, it is also one of the most visited cities in the world. As such, the city felt very touristy and full of so many people. In many ways, this crowded, commercialized feeling detracted from the otherwise romantic atmosphere. It then became a challenge and an adventure to find and savor the beauty of Paris.

The lingering sunset from the Arc de Triomph

Having already been to Paris before, another challenge I faced during our few days in France was trying to still find the novelty in an experience that wasn’t novel. Something that helped me to do this was trying to experience sites I’d already seen in ways that I hadn’t before. Take the Arc de Triomph, for instance. I’d seen it before, walked up the Champs-Élysées, and taken a picture in front of the arc. But this time around, I made it a point to go up to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, something I hadn’t done previously. We decided to climb up at night to see the city all lit up. This was a stellar decision on our part, especially because the memory of that night’s sunset was still lingering in the sky, painting it with delightful pinks, blues, and oranges. That moment, standing up on top of the Arc de Triomphe, drinking in the beauty of seeing Paris in a new light, was probably one of my favorites from the entire trip.

Isn't Paris so beautiful at night??

Ali and me in front of the Palace of Versailles

Another way that I chose to experience a different side of Paris was opting to spend most of my time at the Palace of Versailles in the gardens rather than the palace itself. I hadn’t realized just how vast those gardens were! We rented bikes for a little while and explored the gardens in that way, which was a lot of fun. We took some cute pictures along the way as well! As beautiful as the gardens were, it was really the feeling there on those grounds that captured my heart. There was an air of blissful relaxation, almost as if the gardens were an escape from the rest of the world. And even though the place was pretty packed with tourists and the cafes there made me feel like I was in Disneyland, it didn’t feel touristy and commercialized. It just felt happy :) Especially while we were riding bikes and relaxing by the water, I felt so at home and in love with that beautiful place. I was even able to pull out my sketchbook for a bit and do a quick sketch.

Happy Emily in a happy place :)

Isn't Lilia so dang cute?!

Me, Ali, Lilia, and Christian in a PACKED lift going up to the top of the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower. Easily the most iconic structure in all of Paris. Going up to the top of the tower, however, perfectly captured that struggle between the romantic and the “touristification.” By some miracle, we timed our ascent perfectly with the sunset. We made it up to the very top of the Eiffel Tower just as the sun was setting, bathing the city in a beautifully warm light. As anyone who knows me can attest, watching the sunset is one of my absolute favorite things. So I was pretty stoked out of my mind to be able to watch the sunset from the top of the Eiffel Tower. It’s a little difficult to get more romantic than that! Once we finally got to the top of the tower, we stepped out into what felt like a sardine can of humans. Clearly, we weren’t the only ones who thought it’d be fun to watch the sunset from the Eiffel Tower. As much as I don’t love feeling like I’m trapped in an enclosed space with a lot of other people, I was still able to savor the delicacy of the sunset and the warmth of the moment. I can still remember seeing the little golden sun slowly slipping below the horizon, taking my heart with it.

I think Paris looks a bit like a paper town from this high up...

The four of us again, at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower (before we went up to the top).

Caught the Eiffel Tower with a little sparkle ;)

After we had had our fill of seeing Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower, we hurried down the lifts, so we would be able to sit on the lawn just below the tower to watch it light up and sparkle. I have to admit, sitting there at the base of the glowing Eiffel Tower, watching it sparkle, was probably my favorite moment of the trip. It was probably the most touristy thing we could have done while in Paris, but somehow it didn’t feel touristy at all. To me, it simply felt like an utterly romantic culminating experience to a magical few days in Paris. I was even grateful for the hundreds of other tourists sitting with us on the grass. Their presence, the feeling of so many people feeling the same wonder and awe, enhanced the experience in a way that can’t quite be described in words. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent in Paris, and I was grateful to have been able to see past the potentially more negative, touristy aspects of it and embrace the beautiful, more romantic side of the city. Paris will forever hold a piece of my heart! :)

A great view of Paris from Sacré-Cœur!

-Em