During our two short weeks in Paris, I was overwhelmed many times with a sense of good fortune.As we toured Musee D’Orsay gazing at what surely must be the world’s most breath-taking collection of Art Nouveau furnishings or staring dreamily at a Monet or a Sisley or a Pisarro; as we sunned ourselves in the garden on the former site of Les Halles; as we walked along the Seine in the rain; and as we gazed up at the Eiffel Tower every day, I felt so incredibly lucky to be alive and in Paris.
On a previous trip to Paris, we made an obligatory stop at the Eiffel Tower, not expecting to be dazzled. This time we allowed ourselves to be unabashedly enchanted by the ironwork behemoth. On warm nights we would head over about 9:30 and settle down on a bench in a raised clearing just above the lagoon on the north side of the tower. The area is private and sheltered and when you breathe deeply you inhale the bosky aroma of the nearby gardens.
We’d wait and watch and gasp at 10 p.m. when the lights came on. The crowd gasped too and cheered or applauded and it was like fireworks on July 4.It is Paris, the lady of many layers, flirting boldly with her admirers. Even the most world-weary traveler must surely turn into an bedazzled child when the tower flashes her lights.
I felt so lucky, even though I knew I'd made my own luck by stashing away every penny of my teaching earnings to make the trip. Still, I was blessed to have the opportunity.
To realize your good fortune is a heady feeling, as thrilling as the first sip of a new and complex wine or a meal al fresco on a balmy summer night.
And happiness, I am convinced, brings more happiness. Luck, I am certain, begets more luck.
25 comments:
Mimi, I feel really lucky that I got to travel from Australia to paris four times in my life . What a magic place ( and what a LONG flight!)
Can you imagine if they pulled down the Eiffel Tower like many wanted to? Big Mistake! LOL
LadyJicky, I cannot fathom why they even considered razing it! Paris without the tower? Mais non!
Sometimes, as we become more jaded travelers, we overlook the obvious joys of a place because we feel they are too "touristy." In truth, places or events often become tourist attractions because they really are worth seeing or experiencing. How nice that you found your own way to enjoy the Eiffel Tower -- and the rest of Paris, too.
I agree, Lydia. In the past, we were dead set against the touristy things. But I think there is room for them, along with the off-the-beaten track experiences.
Isn't that the truth! There's a reason places make it into the guide books. But lucky indeed is the person who finds there own time and place to experience the magic of a place. Paris is jam packed with that magic.
Oh, Tanna, I agree! And you never know where you will find the magic.
One day we walked through the 13th, then took a bus from Tolbiac to the area north of Auteuil. What a magical ride that was - through neighborhoods that never make it into the books. My husband says his favorite part of the whole trip was riding the buses.
Once again, Mimi, you have given us a rare glimpse of a Paris so very different from the ones we read about. Your photos are stunning. Wish I was there!
Cyn, some day when we are all rich and famous, we'll have to do a blogger's tour of Paris!
As many times as I've been to Paris, the sight of the Eiffel Tower momentarily takes my breath away the first time I see it again. Our apt. in March had the perfect view right from the balcony...the light show was amazing every night.
Since I don't believe in the word "luck" (I feel we do whatever we can to get to where we want to be) I feel extremely blessed and each time in Paris, I feel it even more so. So I understand your feelings.
Paris really is a special place. When I'm there, I always feel that the Eiffel tower is watching everything; it always seems to have its eye on me at the oddest moments.
Mary
www.ceresandbacchus.com
I'm in!!!
Terri, I think we pretty much make our own luck. Still, I do feel blessed in so many ways.
Mary, I felt the same way. One rainy day we walked from the Cluny to our apartment along the Seine. I told my husband the ET was like a big homing device. Who needs GPS when you have the ET to direct you, not to mention keep an eye on you.
Wouldn't a boggers week in Paris be fun, CF?
Mimi , I do not write a blog but I do read them - so - Can I come too? LOL
Paris wouldn't be Paris without the Eiffel Tower.
You had wonderful proximity to the tower from your apartment Mimi.
Riding the buses is a good way to see any city through the eyes of the locals, taking you off the beaten tracks.
Bloggers and blog readers! Sounds good to be, Lady Jicky.
Fi, I loved the buses last time we were in Paris and thought they were underused. It was a holiday weekend and that must have been the reason because this time they were very crowded.
Mimi, you did a great job describing how nothing prepares you for seeing the Eiffel in all its glory; after seeing it in a thousand photos and postcards, it was a goosebumpy thrill for me to see it 'in person' for the first time last year. I can't wait to return to Paris!
lpvintage, I know what you mean. I had tears in my eyes the first night we saw it flashing. I'd been there before, but not at night.
It is a wondrous sight! And I love the way Parisians love their city!
We drove right around it yesterday... seems sad, doesn't it - but home and dogs were waiting.
Oh, Mimi, I can tell you are already missing Paris~It must have been a wonderful evening when you took these beautiful photos.I agree with Lydia and mykitchen-finding places on your own and discovering things you did not intend to find~just getting off the beaten path and relaxing. Taking it all in "unhurried~"You know I visit often.... because I am "in love" with this city-that's it, pure and simple~every visit there is something new -mykitchen knows that magic, too.i can't wait until my next visit-wish we could meet over there sometime to enjoy a special moment or two togeter!
Oh, Katie, too bad! It is the most wonderful place on earth, I swear.
Jann, I am in love with Paris, too! Is this possible? To be in love with a city?
I love being UNDER the Eiffel Tower -- perhaps on previous visits you had focused more on going up it?
Ah, we never did, Betty. The lines were soooo long. My husband is impatient about these things. Next time. We are returning in the off season; maybe the lines will be shorter.
I would rather admire the tower with my feet flat on the ground !
You wouldn't get me up there, not for a million dollars ;)
I might go up. For a thrill. I do have a touch of vertigo...
There's just a lot to love about Paris: its art collections, its lovely cafes, its serene gardens, and THE Eiffel Tower that is a steelwork of everything heavenly and mesmerizing. No, it's more than just a steel tower. It is a monument of one of the greatest things in life. And the moment its lights are switched on at night leaves one lost in amazement.
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