Monuments, Food and Romance
In summer, we spent a few days exploring the city of Paris. We didn’t get to travel into the French countryside and instead stayed at the heart of Paris, a stone’s throw away from the Eiffel Tower. That location is a sea of activity and the bonus is the beautifully lit up Eiffel Tower at night, not quite the Burj Khalifa, but a lovely backdrop to the city.
The thing that struck me the most about Paris was its historical nature. Unlike Dubai where virtually every landmark is new (most of modern Dubai did not exist 20 years ago) in Paris, at every corner and every turn, there was a building constructed two hundred or three hundred years ago, and each building had its own story.
I must confess that I did not pay a lot of attention to the tour guide, but the impression I was left with is that most of the buildings, and the design of the city, served a purpose all those years ago and to this date. And despite the years, decades and centuries rolling by, these building have stood the test of time and continue to exist today. There is always the official story, the big picture but, the little details that come together to make the big story are lost in time. I wonder what interesting stories the walls would tell, if only they could speak?
There were historical government buildings, cathedrals, bridges and monuments. To a historian or someone who enjoys history, Paris is a dream come true. To architects who are amazed at feats of those who constructed centuries ago, Paris is also a dream come true. For those who appreciate art and artistic inspiration of old, the Louvre is a must visit, if not just to see the Mona Lisa. The food we ate never let us down, especially the pastries, which were delicious.
You will note that up to now, there has been no mention of Paris as being the most romantic city in the world. If I’m honest, I didn’t see this in the city. Perhaps it was the distraction of the numerous tourists or maybe I may have spent more time in awe of the buildings than thinking of romance. However, the moment I did feel the romantic vibe of Paris was when we took a river boat tour of the Seine. From the boat you could see many couples seated along the banks with nothing more than a picnic basket, bottle and a light snack. Simple. No distractions. That, to me, was romantic. I feel that we sometimes get so lost in pageantry and materialism that we forget that the most romantic thing in this world is the time spent gazing into each other’s eyes and having a conversation, not taking pictures of the venue or the occasion.
The food in Paris was amazing; we searched for Paris’ best mille feuille, a journey that took us to the Montmartre district, where we stumbled upon the most amazing croissants we had ever tasted, and then back to the centre of the city. The most enjoyable meal we shared was not on the high street or some fancy restaurant, it was in a simple café in the corner of the back of beyond of nowhere, which served the most delicious pepper steak we have ever tasted. We certainly did not expect to visit Paris and leave thinking that this was the steak capital of the world!
I liked Paris; it was historical, it had the tourist side and yet, there was the simple romantic side which made it such a heart-warming visit and, the delicious food was just the icing on the cake.
Oh, and did I mention, the shopping??!!!
