French Connection: A tourist in Paris

This was the day in Paris that we decided we were going to be ultimate tourists and see the big 4: The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, The Arc de Triomphe and The Love Lock Bridge. This would be my chance to collect the iconic pieces of Paris, so that I could put together everything this city means to me. I can't say I was prepared for the ways that this day in Paris would change me, but I can somehow put it into words.

I was wide awake at about 5am, and I could actually feel my heart beating faster than usual. At this point I had only had a taste of Paris, and now was the day to drink it all in. Our small group of travelling compainions decided to leave bright and early to see as much as the hours would allow. We started off our Parisian adventure the best way we knew how- we took a taxi to the Champs-Elysees (pronounces shanzer leezay, isn't French so romantic!). 

The Champs-Elysees is one of the most famous streets in the world, situated along nearly 2 kilometers of central Paris. This was where we browsed the colour-coordinated shops (even the McDonald's sign was the signature white and grey) and took in the prominence of the luxurious restaurants. The smells of the different French patisseries with their inviting glass displays were making all our stomachs ache with hunger, so we stopped at one of the more low-key cafe's, and ordered a cappuccino and a pastry of our choice (a chocolate croissant for me).

Sitting down at a small table with a view of the opulence outside, I finally let it all sink in- I am in Paris, eating a French croissant and sipping on coffee on the Champs-Elysees. It was unbelievable, for loss of a better word.

The Official sign on the Champs-Elysees Street

The Champs-Elysees ends at the Arc de Triomphe-which we walked all the way to. We realised at this point that taxi's were unnecessary and expensive, and we were prepared to walk to each place thereafter (it is possible in Paris but not for the faint-hearted). I stood among loud hoots in peak traffic to capture a photo of myself standing directly in front of it, and it was so worth the anxiety. 

There is a roundabout around the entire monument, so you have to walk underground through a tunnel to get to it (so Middle-ages, I loved it). I only found this out whilst in Paris, but the Arc de Triomphe was erected in honour of those who died during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. The names of these soldiers are engraved on the walls of the monument, and the sheer intricacy of the artwork around it is magnificent.

Then it was the moment I had been waiting for for so long... The Eiffel tower. Isn't it so profound that one building can epitomize an entire city, inspire poetry and become a symbol of architectural magnificence? The buzzing excitement we all had to go up The Eiffel Tower was heightened by the short queue as we were warned to come early. Thank goodness I'm not afraid of heights because the views from so high up were phenomenal.

Our energy soon waned once we got half way so we decided to take the lift right to the top, and I'm glad we did because it meant we experienced the tower at every angle. When we took in the city of Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower, it was then were I felt true respect. The entire city is incredibly symmetrical, with perfectly kept gardens and matching buildings. Every part of what I saw seemed to be so deeply thought-out and planned, like chapters of a well-written novel. A little part of me changed up there that day.

Then it was on to The Musee de Louvre. If you are as huge a fan of Dan Brown's 'Da Vinci Code' as I am, then you would understand my excitement for finally being able to experience the most intimidating and overwhelming museum in the world. From the moment I walked in, I figured out that we would have to carefully choose a section of the museum to look at, because we could not comprehend the actual size and volume of the place.

We chose the section where 'The Mona Lisa' was situated, because we simply had to see it with our own eyes. As we walked into the room where 'The Mona Lisa' was, I was already prepared for the fact that it is small and slightly disappointing, despite the huge crowd of people around it trying to get a decent shot. I  wasn't phased because I had interests of my own- my favourite painting was exactly opposite 'The Mona Lisa'. 'The Wedding Feast at Cana' by Pablo Veronese is not only the most beautiful oil painting I have ever laid eyes on, it is also the biggest painting in The Louvre. If time was on our side that day, I could have spend a good few hours taking it all in. Among the other must-see pieces were of course 'Liberty Leading the People' by Eugene Delacroix, and 'Virgin on the Rocks' by Da Vinci.

Image from thatartistwoman.org

The Love Lock Bridge was the last stretch of our adventure, and my oh my do I wish we had done some extra research in terms of where The Love Lock Bridge actually was. We walked and walked, and nearly lost all hope until we finally spotted the gleaming bridge full of locks. It was like I was in a movie walking along the bridge adorned with locks of the names of lovers, and a French busker playing an accordion. I was single at the time, but I would be lying if I said I didn't wish for someone special in the foreseeable future as I threw my own key in the Seine River below (I got my wish!).

I never knew it would be possible to fall in love with a city in every possible way. It has still, however, remained unrequited love because Paris has this way of being magnificently infinite to any human.The best I can do is share my memories. x