I love Paris in the springtime…

… and all the time!

I was just back in Paris for a long weekend. It’s a city I’ve adored ever since I was a girl and first visited it, falling hopelessly in love with the City of Lights.

Since then, I’ve been back many times – including a long-ago semester abroad living with a fabulous Parisian family in Montparnasse – and on each visit it’s like falling in love again.

I love the food, I love the wine. I adore sitting in a café and watching the world go by. I’m happy as I wander the street markets, listening to French spoken all around me and getting the chance to practice again myself. The architecture, the monuments, the museums, the bridges spanning the Seine are all just the icing on the cake. There’s always something new to explore and old favorites to go back and visit.

Whenever I’m in Paris, I walk for kilometers and kilometers and this trip was no exception. Since my children were along on this trip, this also meant many, many playground-stops. I was happy to discover one right in my beloved Place des Vosges.

Like me, my children enjoy seeing cities from up on high, so we saw Paris from the roof of Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower, opting for the stairs to the second level at the latter rather than the endless lines for the elevator to the top. If you go, book on-line well in advance.

I love the Louvre and the Orsay and all the other marvelous smaller museums in Paris, but this time we also took in a more kid-friendly museum: the Palais de la découverte, just around the corner from the Grand Palais. My children loved it and had a great time trying out all the scientific experiments.

When I was younger, I was so certain I would live in Paris, but my Italian husband eventually led me to Rome. Today, I feel more affinity with the Italians after years of living here. Yet, while the Eternal City may have replaced Paris as my favorite city, the City of Lights comes in a pretty close second.

After all, how can a girl ever forget her first love?

7 Comments

  1. ledrakenoir on April 17, 2012 at 7:25 am

    Know it well, the excitement of being a tourist in Paris – I end up going and going, when I’m in town and lets the lovely light shine on – sit on the steps of Sacre Ceur and enjoy the view over the city – it’s wonderful… 😉

  2. kimberlysullivan on April 17, 2012 at 4:41 pm

    Thanks for the comment! Always glad to hear from another Parisophile. I agree it’s one of those places that keeps calling you back.

  3. Chantel Rhondeau on April 18, 2012 at 5:27 pm

    Sounds like you had a great trip. It is my dream to one day visit Paris. However, I want to go to Hawaii first 😉 I love the ocean so much. Still, I want to explore the Louvre!

  4. kimberlysullivan on April 19, 2012 at 6:46 am

    You’ll love it, Chantel! And yes, the Louvre is a must.

  5. Melinda Dozier on April 19, 2012 at 6:35 pm

    Ah, Paris! Thanks for sharing your pics and adventures with children. Love that you saw playgrounds in Paris. That would be a fun book to write! I lived in Paris for a month when I was 15 and studied French for 8 years! I always thought I would marry a Parisian who would be a baker and of course make me “pan du chocolate” every day. LOL! But then I met my husband who is from Central America, learned Spansih and forgot all my French. Oh well. Keep sharing your trips so I can dream of going again.

  6. kimberlysullivan on April 20, 2012 at 6:52 am

    Fantastic, Melinda! Oooh, that was a good plan… daily supplies of pain au chocolat and fresh baguettes. Why didn’t I think of that, too? Next life, maybe. : )

  7. […] For other tips about panoramic views from cathedral bell towers, see my earlier posts on climbing Geneva’s St. Pierre’s bell tower and Hamburg’s St. Michaelis tower. And see my earlier post on Paris. […]

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