The Magic of Paris
When I first started out on my solo backpacking tour I promised myself that I would skip the places that I had previously visited as a teenager, but despite my intentions I found myself being strangely drawn back to Paris…
I first visited Paris when I was 15 years old on a high school trip. It was my first time leaving the United States and naturally I was excited to be going there. As soon as I stepped off the plane and onto the Paris streets, I fell in love with the city and everything that it had to offer. Not only did it remind me of home, but I felt so grown up. At that precise moment I knew that I was destined to spend my life travelling and exploring the world. Paris was the city that showed me that there is more out there than America and I knew in my heart that I had to explore the world.
I felt nostalgic as I walked down the cobbled streets. Every place that I visited, such as the Opera House and Jim Morrison's grave, all flooded my mind.
I knew I only had 2 days in the city so I focussed on the main things like going to see the Louvre. This place is so big that even if you were to look at everything there for just 3 minutes it could still take you 3 weeks. Me, I had a definite purpose in visiting. I had just finished reading the Da Vinci Code and I wanted to examine all of Leonardo Da Vincis’ works, except for the Mona Lisa. Once was all I needed for that ugly thang. So armed with the book I was off. And you know what? When you do look closely at the 'Last Supper' it is a woman sitting next to Jesus. Things you never notice until they are pointed out to you. But I didn't stay long. It was overcrowded given the popularity of the book, people were everywhere and they even had tours. I hate tours. Instead I wandered along the other wings losing myself in different eras of art.
If you only have time to visit two places in Paris, the Eiffel Tower should be your second destination. The first time round my high school group climbed the stairs, but this time I took the lazy route and rode the elevator. There was no way I was walking 930 feet. Perhaps I was cheap but certainly not crazy or young - I always say ‘Why walk when you can ride?’. Of course there was a line of people, but this is Europe, there is always a line. This was one of the most famous sights in the world, I could wait quietly for a while… When you get to the top, the view is breathtaking. You can see Paris for miles, couples hugging and kissing. Next time I'm coming here with a man!
The next day I just decided to take it easy. I strolled along the riverbank of the Latin Quarter. This area has long been known for being the centre of Parisian creativity and intelligentsia. This is the place visited by Ernest Hemmingway, F.Scott Fitzgerald and many other writers who visit for inspiration. And me being a writer, I had to go to one of those cafes, get myself a cup of tea and do some writing. After all, I hope that one day my name will be mentioned. Hopefully people will say, “That crazy girl from New Orleans, she wrote here”.
