Paris is the most beautiful city I have seen so far in Europe, and although it is difficult to explain it in words, because certain things you have to live and feel them, I will try to explain all the reasons why I fell in love with this city as soon as I set foot in it.
The lifestyle....
Paris is a great metropolis, yet it gives you the impression of being a small town. Everyone has a relaxed rhythm, the city looks very vibible, and it has remained on a human scale. Everyone takes a break to have breakfast calmly (how to do otherwise, with the wonders of pastry that are in France!), to have lunch to sit on the Seine, to observe a street artist. Despite the multiculturalism of every metropolis, Paris has remained authentic, preserving its quintessentially French corners, its typical, albeit expensive, restaurants its identity.
It's extremely romantic
Anything about Paris is romantic, it's a poem. Its buildings, its bridges, a river cruise, its alleys, croissants... Everything is perfect, harmonious. You can sit in a park watching what's around you and get lost in a whirlwind of emotions. It happened to me often, to stop to look at a detail, whether it was the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, no matter, I always found perfection, in everything I looked at. I don't need to list what there is to visit in Paris, because the list is long and I would answer that every neighborhood, every corner is to visit because it gives a bit of magic. Let's take the Eiffel Tower. It is just a simple monument in iron, yet it is extraordinary, not surprisingly it is the most photographed building in the world. Because it is put there, in a special, magnificent context, and gives color and magic to the background. It enchants you, really. He's enchanted me a lot. Think of the Louvre. It is a world-famous museum, it contains priceless works, in fact it is one of a few museums that I have visited, since usually we are not interested in museums. Anyway, if you don't have the time or desire to get into it, it's a work of art even just the building outside, with the Pyramid, which was not well-liked but that eventually became the symbol, and it's really beautiful. Are we talking about the basilica of the Sacred Heart? So candid, so perfect, placed up there on the cuckoo. Lovely. And Notre Dame? One of the most famous churches in the world!
Food
I love French cooking. I love their juxtaposition of flavors, I love how they cook meat, I love the harmony and accuracy of their dishes, typical of their being. I have been to France many times and have always eaten well everywhere. And then we want to talk about the French pastry? Breakfast in France is a mystical experience! Paris is an expensive city, it is true. To eat you have to be careful, because you really risk spending a fortune. Fortunately we always managed, apart from a few evenings where we wanted to overdo it to pamper ourselves. Definitely to eat I mark the Latin neighborhood, but be careful because it also has flaws. One of which is that it is really too touristy, and so it takes luck because you can incur absurd prices. It's also not easy to walk around the neighborhood and look at the various restaurants to choose one, without being perpetually dogged, called, stopped by restaurateurs who are outside to hook people up. This is very annoying. We however found a great restaurant, unfortunately do not know the name because there they are all stuck and you go inside a little random, according to the menu written out that inspires you the most. We ate great, the inevitable duck (in France is everywhere!) with cassis for me, and snails for Roberto, another typical dish French. The waiter was very nice, he spoke a few words of Italian with a strong Roman accent, who knows who taught him! The bill wasn't too big. In Montmartre, another neighborhood that I love, we ate at Chez Marie, we loved it, it refreshed us after the long walk and the steps to get to the basilica, and even there we spent little eating a nice big dish with meat and side dishes. Last night we pampered each other and chose to dine at Le Hide, a fine dining restaurant. It has no exaggerated prices, but higher than those we have faced on other days, and it is very elegant. Finally, the part I prefer in Paris....the bakeries! I ate so many croissants for breakfast during our stay, they were all good, but there is a place I carry in my heart, and it is the Angelina pastry shop. It costs a little more, but it's worth every penny. It has any kind of dessert you can think of, and in addition to being delicious, they are also works of art to see. We took the croissants, inevitable, and a lemon cake for me, and for Roberto a caramel eclair, sweet French typical. A delight!
Versailles
A description of Versailles, the most famous (and golden) palace in the world! I was so intrigued and I wanted to visit it so much. Unlike many other people, including perhaps Roberto, it did not disappoint me. Versailles is exaggerated, yes, it is so. It represents the personality of Louis XIV, a megalomaniac character, and represents it perfectly. It must be exaggerated. Everyone told me there's too much gold everywhere. Outside it's gold-filled, it's true, but it's not strop, in my opinion. The main facade has managed to find a balance between marble and golden contours, and it is beautiful. True, I preferred Schonbrunn, in Vienna, because I am for majestic things in their simplicity, but I can not say that I did not like Versailles. The interior is... equally exaggerated! Gold everywhere, gliding in every corner. The king's chamber is the emblem of all the exaggeration, I can't describe it, it must be seen. Inside the palace is the famous Hall of Mirrors, which I loved. It is immense and very lavish, a beautiful ceremonial hall. You feel overwhelmed by the glitzyness inside. The good old King Louis knew how to do with luxury. The gardens we did not visit them, they are a separate ticket, more expensive, we only glimpsed them, but they also looked wonderful.
Other magnificent things to do or see in Paris? The Moulin Rouge, if you go out in the evening, which certainly has even more effect than during the day. It's the red light district, with night and burlesque clubs, but it's a quiet area and it's beautiful. Go and see the wall of love, it's really nice, it's a wall with "I love you" written in all the languages of the world, it's not far from the Moulin Rouge. Take a ride on the legendary Bateau Mouche, the most famous boat in Paris, which will take you on a cruise on the Seine and you will see all the most beautiful places in Paris from another angle. Admire the Eiffel Tower in the evening, when it lights up, it becomes literally shiny and full of glitter and makes light plays. It will enchant you and you will understand that you are in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I hope I have convinced you to visit Paris, if you have never seen it, and I hope I have passed on to you how much I love it! Soon I'll be back.....
wayne
Jan 3, 2023 at 23:04
I agree with the romantic feel of Paris, it is very magical and alluring.