“Paris is Always a Good Idea.” – Audrey Hepburn
I’ve never been to Paris. Well technically, when I did a road trip along the French Riviera a few years ago, we flew in and started our journey in Paris. I didn’t see a whole lot more than the Paris airport though because we left for Bordeaux upon landing. So I consider it my first time in the city of love. I’ve heard the good (“it’s so beautiful, so romantic”) and the bad (“it’s overrated, overrun with tourists and smells of pee everywhere”) so I thought it was time to see it for myself. While I wanted to save Paris perhaps for my honeymoon, the practical side of me took over – it’s a hop, skip and jump away from London, so it made sense to pop over.
Verdict? A mix of both the good and the bad. It is a beautiful city, blessed with a rich history and culture and with the most gorgeous architecture. The River Seine running through it just adds to its beauty and charm.
It does however smell of pee in quite a few places, and while I found the locals along the French Riviera to be friendly and lovely, sadly, not all my encounters with the French in Paris on this trip were as pleasant. That kind of killed it a little.
The friends who were in London with us hated Paris. I didn’t hate it, but I can’t say it’s my favourite city either, especially after the charms of London.
I did have a magical moment, although it wasn’t on the streets of Paris. We were in our room, it was just before midnight, I had just stepped out of the shower to hear my man excitedly asking me to go to the window. He had surprised me with a room that had an Eiffel Tower view. My love and I shared a moment with the Eiffel Tower in all its glittering, sparkling glory.
London post soon!