Les Promenades Paris

Paris is everything that you read, heard, seen in movies and yet more! It is the city that makes you fall in love and smile. Everywhere you look you see couples kissing, you see family strolling, you see kids running about, dogs walking the street as if they’re part of the human world, tourists taking photos– it’s a place where you can be on your own, with anyone and still c’est cool! It’s modern yet brings you back in time with it’s architecture. You take in the past and the present, it’s a wonderful mixture. You can easily find yourself being lost (engulfed?) in this city. No wonder it’s everyone’s favorite city in the world!

One is artificially charged being in here. You can walk forever and your legs will never complain. I crossed 3~4 arrondissement today and could have kept on going! Ok, so we stopped for espressos a few, but such is Paris life, non? When I first talked about planning to come to Paris, my Parisian friends told me not to plan too much. They said that Paris is not just a city to see, but one to experience as well. It is not about the Louvre or the Eiffel, but to “just BE there and take it all in.” And how true these words are.

I clicked my camera every 2 second that I feel like I should be taking a video so as not to miss a thing. Every corner, every nook, every junction lead you somewhere monumental and glorious or quaint and charming. They didn’t forget anything as they have monument for everything and everyone on every occassion. Opening a big old door in the middle of the city could lead you to a surprisingly beautiful jardin française. The architecture is fantastic. They are so elaborate and excessive with details that I could only shook my head in awe. The building structures are soo grand and soo many that my we think these French must went wild crazy building during the 16th-17th centuries. I also wonder how long it took to built 1. They didn’t have high power drillers, back hoes, concrete pumps, tower cranes… and yet they built so many and all are so gorgeous! Even those buildings that never get to be featured in the travel guides are so beautiful.

And about the people, maybe because of the stories I’ve heard that I expected them to be rude and unfriendly, but on the contrary, I find them nice and amical. They’re helpful in the stores (except for that incident in Lafayette, who was not even French), they’re nice to you in the metro, they hold the door for you, so, they don’t stop and ask how do you do, but nobody do that in Manila anyway, non?

Sunday being a typical “Mall Day” at home, it’s a little bit odd to find everything close in this big city. If you hadn’t plan to be in a museum or stay at home, you just better head to Champ Elysées where at least half the stores are open to shopping addicts, or someone looking for something to do. I´m not really in shopping mode as I really just have a carry-on bag with me. But it’s a historical avenue for strolling where in 1800, women used to come here and show off their most fashionable clothes. And today, it’s the avenue where you find one big brand after another, plus the cafés.

It didn’t rain the day before so I didn’t bring my umbrella today, which of course is a sure-fire way to start one! Fortunately it caught me while I was very near a bus stop where I took shelter, could be better if I was near the Grand Palais! I got off the metro station of Champ Elysées and walked towards the Arc de Triomphe. I’ve gotten so used to walking but I was feeling a bit tired from the day before as I crossed 3 arrondissement, hehe. So I lazily stroll and just take in the grandeur of this path. A lot of the shops are not open but still there are lots of people walking about and hanging at cafes. It was really chilly after the rain so mostly people stayed inside the restaurant, not anymore at the terrasse, plus it’s wet. But the coolest thing is, you can still smoke inside! Though I was told that by next year, a law will be implemented to make Paris like the rest of the world,”no smoking inside”. They say that I visited just at the right time. Lol.

I was looking for the building of LV, half worried that I may have missed it and have to walk back, I was a bit tired, had to take a “pause café”, but finally found it near the end of the street. If you plan to go there directly, should get off the metro of Charles V instead. I’m also getting the hang of this metro thingy, and the café life, feeling tres parisienne ;)

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