PARIS - the city of love...

 This phrase is a "catchphrase" all over the world. Nomen est omen or just an empty phrase? We had to find out! And so we set off full of expectations – to the city of love. We, that's our daughter, my mom, and me. We decided to explore a new city every year and chose Paris this year.

 

I usually feel uncomfortable in cities. I find short trips there interesting, but I'm also happy when the time is up. I was surprised I felt in good hands from the first moment. Paris was the first city that seemed like something other than a city to me. Arriving at our accommodation, we realized that the term "clean" is an elastic one. Our grandmother commented matter-of-factly: "the French are like that, at the time of Louis XVI, they didn't wash themselves, only powdered!" Yes, then, take it easy!

 

We found a beautiful "lieu de petit-déjeuner" on the first morning near our accommodation. How do the French bake these incomparable croissants... one of life's great mysteries. A first panoramic view also left a picture of the "Arc de Triomphe" – Bonjour á Paris! Even if it is a tedious ritual, it is one of the best ways to get a first, comprehensive overview of the city – the "hop-on-hop-off bus." And in Paris, with the actual "wow" factor. From the Arc de Triomphe through beautiful streets with massive old buildings, impressive bridges, and many green islands directly to the Eiffel Tower, immediately past the Louvre, through the noble areas around the Opera and the Hotel Ritz, crossing the underpass, where Lady Diana died in a tragic traffic accident. Our grandmother heard all this with the only in-ear headphones we had gotten hold of to pass everything on loudly to us one-to-one.

Maybe a few other guests on the bus were happy with us... The circle closed on the famous "Champs-Elysee" at the Arc of Triumph. We left our bus, deeply impressed by the vast scenery of this city. We have booked an afternoon trip to the Eiffel Tower, so let's go! Our grandmother wanted to "take everything with her" on this trip. So also the trip to the Eiffel Tower – despite extreme fear of heights! The first leg with the lift was very relaxed as we positioned her in the middle of the crowd and didn't look her outside. However, the test was not long in coming. At the "middle station," we had to change the lift and how they're led on a narrow path directly along the parapet. Of course, the bar to the top did not impress our grandmother's fear of heights. Now the courage was gone! In the second lift, she stood before us, pale as chalk and with mortal fear. The employee accompanying the ride gave her a knowing and encouraging look. It said: "Only courage, you can do it!" And indeed, once at the top, she gathered all the remaining courage and circled the top viewing platform with us. A breathtaking view of the whole city awaited us as a reward. The crowning glory of this eventful day was a "romantic boat trip on the Seine at sunset." A mild summer evening, like from a picture book, with carefree sounds from the speaker, two cool bartenders, and the first French champagne for our daughter, provided the unique "summer vibe" in Paris! Flanked by a small motorboat with a group of young, celebrating people on board, we were carried across the Seine by our dreams.

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Paris could actually also have the addition "City of Music." At the metro stations, in the metro, on the streets, everywhere, you were accompanied by the sounds of different music styles throughout the city. I will always remember one experience. In the metro, a musician played romantic ballads and collected money in a small cup. He was able to get hold of a few coins, but it wasn't much. Next to us stood a homeless man, all his belongings in a bag. When the musician left the metro, he gave half of his income to the homeless man. Touched by this gesture, I spontaneously handed the old man a 10-euro note. He left the metro at the same station as us. As we were pushed by the crowd towards the exit, I could still see out of my eye that the man was standing at the side and reverently folding the note to the size of a stamp to hide it somewhere on his body. I would like to know his life story. I'd like to make his days easier with the money.

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At that exact moment, we were spat out on the surface of the metro, and the bright daylight tore me out of my thoughts. Welcome to the district "Montmartre" - we felt more transported to the island of Nassau. Over a wildly gesticulating crowd of deep black people was the whiff of piracy. Overwhelmed by an unconscious need for security, we tried to escape this mixture as quickly as possible. We arrived in a quieter alley and oriented because we wanted to go where all tourists were drawn: to the church Sacre Coeur de Montmartre. We had instinctively taken the right path, or in other words: all roads lead to the Sacre Coeur! After an infinite number of steps, we finally reached our destination. Lined with countless tourists, it stood there, a magnificent white building that radiated a grandeur and elegance that immediately captivated you. And once again stood on the stairs a black man, who, with his guitar and a passionately sung "Somewhere over the rainbow," made the situation a magical experience. I would have liked to ask him about his life story... We let the crowd drift across the square, enjoyed the view of the city, and made our way back down to the other end. Clouds of smoke wafted through the small, artistically inspired alleys. Arriving in front of the metro station, the secret was revealed, it smelled very intensely of roasted or rather burnt almonds. So everything was ok in the metro, and we made our way home. Because for the evening we had planned something extraordinary. You have to make a reservation very early to have dinner at the legendary "Coco" next to the Paris Opera. As it befits a girls' trip to Paris, we didn't want to leave anything to chance in terms of beauty for this evening! Living space in Paris is expensive and limited, which meant that the "bathroom" in our accommodation, half a square meter in size, did not allow us to take care of your hair in front of the mirror. And so we made each other beautiful – we felt like at the star hairdresser! In our chic dresses and perfectly styled, we attracted the attention of the Parisian men's world on the way to the metro. Some might perceive it as sexual harassment, but we consider it a compliment. The evening at Coco kept its promises! A professional team of waiters who, despite all professionalism, were very warm – probably they felt that we really enjoyed this evening, unlike many other restaurant guests, with every fiber of our body – the romantic ambiance and a perfect meal made this evening very special.

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For our last morning in the city of love, we had planned a jogging round from the Eiffel Tower along the Seine to the Louvre. "Early in the morning" at 9 o'clock in Paris, only the ambitious are on the road. The rest is known to end the previous evening. A city of early risers looks different! Of course, we also had to visit the Instagram photo spot, the "Rue de la Universite," with a sensational view of the Eiffel Tower. Where a cheerful, colorful crowd cavorts during the day, we were still all alone at this time and could shoot our photos as we pleased. Arriving at the Louvre, one of the countless "lieu de petit-dé jeuner" and the legendary French croissants were already waiting for us as a reward! 

 

Now it was time to say goodbye. And? Nomen est Omen? The encouraging look in the elevator, the musician who shares his little income with the homeless man, the passionate singer at the Sacre Coeur. It's not the city. It's the people who really make Paris the city of love!