Paris is Always a Good Idea

So says Audrey Hepburn in the movie "Sabrina." While I am not about to question her winning declaration, I do think that the question, "Why Paris?" merits some thought. Out of all the cities in the world, why did Paris capture my fancy?
To answer this question, I thought I'd draw on memories from my first visit to Paris, the summer after my junior year of high school. And I may just include a few snippets from my adjective-laden travel journal.

Things I'm Excited About (in no particular order)

1. Art - I'm no art guru, but years of being hauled from museum to museum by an art-crazy mama have made me eager to acquire a deeper appreciation for the genre.

2. Not needing this to navigate the city. Those of you who know how often I got lost in Charlotte this summer may laugh, but I am quite determined.

3. Daydreaming in parks like this.

4. Exploring, exploring, exploring! I shall venture to say that my love for walking rivals that of Elizabeth Bennet...

5. Being less like this crowd in front of La Jaconde. Hitting the major sites is fine, but I hope to form a more intimate relationship with sweet Paris than I ever could in three days.

Which means keeping an eye out for a lot more of this.



6. Figuring out these sweet rides.

7. The churches. They intrigue me. My high school thoughts on Notre Dame:

    "I endeavoured to imagine worshipping in such a structure. Was it reserved for the rich, or did the soiled foot of a peasant girl ever steal through its chambers? Did she gaze about her in awe - overcome, humbled, and a bit frightened? Did she tremble as she sensed God's presence flowing through the solemn statues about her? When she returned to her musty hut, did she feel as though she had left God far behind, stowed away in the magnificent box?"

Upon learning that the gargoyles on the outside of the church are to ward off evil spirits, I wrote, "What will an evil spirit find in these wretched creatures besides sympathy and even kinship?"

"I felt that I had ascended into a cloud of rubies and sapphires..."

8. But at the end of the day...just Paris.

"Ah, Paris! Almost instantly, I fell in love. I must admit that, thanks to the host of people who have warned me that the city is dirty and the Parisians cold, I had armed myself for disappointment. I soon gave in to sheer delight. While NYC's face is speckled with dull concrete boxes, Paris is full of little buildings glossed over by elegant stonework and spotted with cheery flowers. There seem to be many parks as well, with delicious tea roses in full bloom, among a splattering of other flowers."