When we finally got to Paris and made our first outing I realized that the information written in one of the booklets was correct. No, not the information about the height of the Eiffel Tower, but the one that advised me to get rid of the high-heeled shoes and to put on something more convenient. This idea struck me while exploring all the nooks and crannies of the Centre Pompidu terrace. What were we doing there? That’s simple. Dasha (that’s the name of my friend I went with by the way) and I were admiring the roofs of the Parisian houses. After the contemplation we wandered around, breathing the air of the Parisian streets until finally got hungry and had a heartily dinner in one of the cozy cafes. Dinner with wine of course. One can’t help drinking wine in Paris. It’s a pity of course that it’s impossible to taste all kinds of French wine. But one should strive for it. We tried hard.
The next day we went at Champs-Elysees. The opening scenes are really impressive I should say! Thinking what to do next we remembered that we paid for the water trip along the Seine which flows along the whole city. Our tickets were without dates so we decided to take advantage of it. Well…what can I say…that was one of the most impressive moments of the whole tour! Famous Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Latin Quarter…it was already dark. The city was charming in the shimmering light…romance. Sheer romance.
We ended up the magical evening by the visit to the Eiffel Tower, which is elegant and smart in the evening attire.
The third day we spent with our guide and the group of tourists we came with. A vast excursion, including Versailles. Well… The French kings knew how one should spend the money. A nice place to live. The photos we made there are wonderful. I like to go over them again and again.
In the evening Dasha’s dream came true. And don’t think that she dreamed of peace on the planet. My friend dreamed of visiting Moulin Rouge after she watched the film starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. The show is an eye-catcher, no doubt.
The fourth day was devoted to Montmartre. One of my friends is an artist. He says that’s an inspiring place for all creative people. We decided to check it. The atmosphere is undoubtedly particular. Bohemian I would say. Painters, musician everywhere…and the Sacre Coeur, the charming Basilica. We bought several paintings (they are expensive on Montmartre, but it’s important to know they are bought exactly there!). I bought a CD of a local musician, a book about the place and lots, lots of souvenirs!!!
The next day we attended Notre Dame. The cathedral is more than seven hundred years old. It was built in three stages and completed in 1250, after around 170 years of construction. This was when the early gothic architecture was at its height and it was felt that Paris should contain an impressive cathedral featuring innovations to emphasise its importance in relation to smaller towns. This is what we read in a booklet. But in fact we were interested in the building owing to Hugo’s story.
The next few days we went on different excursions. Shopping followed. We chose democratic brands, so we didn’t leave a fortune in the shops. But we had to buy additional bags to pack up our new things. And we couldn’t help visiting perfumer’s shops!!!
Summing it all up I can say that Paris is really charming, so do believe every single laudatory word about the city!!!
