Enchanted in April... in Paris

They say Paris is for lovers and romance. They say it is for the young. And for the old, and for the free-spirited. They say Parisiennes are refined creatures. I arrived to Paris with all these preconceptions and more, and admittedly, rolled my eyes every time I heard someone remark: "Paris? I love Paris!"

Let me be clear: all of my expectations of Paris were true, but this city is much, much more. Paris, like seeing an old friend after a decade, suddenly took me by surprise and delight. Paris? I LOVE Paris.

Paris: Day 1

The French capital -- the centre -- is divided into 20 arrondisements (districts). Mary and I stayed in the 10th, République, which is just a little northwest of the river Seine. We had quite the journey into the city by 1) tiny Air France plane, 2) shuttle, 3) bus, 4) RER train into the city, 5) underground metro, and 6) by looking at our Lonely Planet map, we picked a station to stop at and in hot 80s weather (dressed in London clothes of jeans and jackets), lugged our suitcases a couple miles hunting our hotel located on some boulevard at some intersection somewhere in France.

But we arrived. And immediately went searching for food late Sunday afternoon. Our hotel is next to the Canal St. Martin, and it was brimming with life. Students sitting along the canal reading philosophy, pregnant mothers eating ice cream, older couples holding hands, friends, lovers, little girls riding bicycles singing Lady GaGa... all walks of life. We did have a classic "dumb American" moment while ravenously searching for an open café -- I hadn't eaten since 6:30 a.m.. We found a place where people were still eating and was relatively crowded, so we sat down only to wait for an hour --  faulting our lack of French and our waiter's busy-ness -- and after making the motion to eat, we soon discovered they had just stopped serving food. I was tempted to steal the non-eaten basket of crudites at our neighbor's table.

By the Canal St. Martin

The evening before flying to Paris, I had taken a one hour French lesson via YouTube and jotted down useful phrases. And that was a clever idea, if I say so myself. From one non-francophone to another, Mary said my French was quite good. To be fair there is this preconception that the French are snobby toward Americans especially those who don't speak French. And that intimidated me.

My Lonely Planet guide on France relayed (disclaimer: do not travel without one; Mary recommended Lonely Planet guides, and I've found them extremely useful, culturally respectful, and informative) that if you at least attempt to speak French, most Parisiennes will respond welcomingly. And that makes sense. Paris is the MOST visited city in the world. Who would want an American bursting into their café without as much as a Bonjour and speak English without trying? That's why we're sometimes considered loud and rude. We found that the French were hardly snobby and really quite lovely, so my advice if you're a non-Francophone -- say "Bonjour" or "Bonsoir," followed by a "Parlez-vous anglais?" and that shall take you far.

As another aside, French women have such a unique style from London women (who sport tights and flats and cut-off jeans and boots). Neither are better nor worse than the other, just very individually... European.

Following our piping hot afternoon lugging suitcases and searching for food along the river, Mary and I took a much needed nap. After I stopped by a bon bon stand en route to the hotel, of course. Then we headed to the Latin Quarter to meet one of Mary's friends for a drink at 9:30 p.m. Yes, this is Europe time.

Hôtel de Ville (circa 1246)

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

 Paris is magnificent at night. She is something else. Huge landmarks and old buildings with stunning and detailed architecture are illuminated at night, and simply takes your breath away. As we walked to the Latin Quarter, we passed Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, which was a beautiful sight. And then we crossed the bridge over the river Seine. The Latin Quarter is renown for its intellectual vibe, the students studying at the Sorbonne (dating back to the 13th century), bistros, and vibrant life. After meeting up with Mary's friend, we ate dinner around 10:45 p.m. or so then took a midnight stroll back to our hotel.

Vive La Paris!