Paris Reconsidered

We spent a little time in Paris our last trip to France. We are starting to love not having a connection in Europe, to fly to a city near where we want to end up and then get there by land. There are a lot of great things to say about that, but there is an issue with the end, where you need to be at least nearby to fly out. Last time we had a lovely late lunch just north of the Perigord, and then we arrived in the evening to stay at an airport hotel, which was fine, but definitely the least lovely part of the trip. This past time we spent two nights in Paris, and that was much better.

I had done all the classic Paris things when we were there with our kids. We saw the Eiffel Tower, went though the Louvre, climbed to the top of the I had done all the classic Paris things when we were there with our kids. We saw the Eiffel Tower, went though the Louvre, climbed to the top of the Arc se Triomphe. We had even done things that perhaps were less classic, like Napoleon's tomb and the catacombs. None of that sold me. This time, in addition to spectacular food, which really, you can get almost anywhere in France, it was the city itself. First of all, like my adopted home town, a river runs through it. The majestic River Seine winds its way through the heart of the city and its banks are a proven pathway to explore Paris on foot. The history of Paris is uniquely tied to the river, as it is one of the oldest trade routes navigated through the centuries by migrating tribes, Romans, and Vikings. The bridges themselves are beautiful to behold. Then there is walking about. Paris is actually quite easy to navigate. We can thank the visionary Georges-Eugène Haussmann for this, as it was his responsibility to reorganize and renovate the city; a huge task that started in 1853 and ended in 1870. Because of his ordered grand scheme, there are twenty arrondissements and you can always tell which one you’re in because most street signs clearly indicate the number. Public transit is a breeze, and overall, while I am not going to spend much time here, I would do the same next trip, a pause in the city of light before heading home.