paris la vie

wonder | wander | women are lucky to have been to some of the world's iconic cities: Rome, New York, London, Paris. These are cities we have seen in art and media, read about it in books, and otherwise have heard about our whole life. 

The Eiffel Tower over the Seine

There are so many travelogues, artbooks and photo essays about Paris: its landmarks and architecture, the golden light and the River Seine with its glamorous bridges. We snap away with our phones because we can't help wanting our own record of these famous sights, but it isn't the photos we take that are special, but the memories. Every picture we take here is only for ourselves. 

Aunt and cousin at the Arc du Triomphe du Carrousel
at the Louvre

We've seen the Eiffel Tower a few times now. Parisians say it is unavoidable in the city, and they say it proudly these days; several years ago it was de rigeur to complain of seeing the iconic tower everywhere. Now citizens as well as tourists enjoy the view, especially since no other buildings over seven stories are allowed in the center of Paris.

The Tower's immense legs frame the Place de la Concorde, also home to the Luxor Obelisk given to France by Egypt. This plaza was famous - or rather, notorious - for being a place of execution during the French Revolution. Now it's clean, sunny and photogenic, not just a tourist spot but a gathering place for locals to celebrate victories or hold public events.

Last visit we made sure to visit the Tuileries and the Orangerie. This time we couldn't fit everything in, but we were able to take this picture of the Tuileries at dusk. Someday we'll visit these legendary gardens again.

The Grand Palais was built as an exhibition hall, first opened for the Universal Exposition in 1900. This fragile-looking glass and steel structure has survived world wars, smoke damage, deterioration, and a proposed demolition by the pioneer Modernist architect, Le Corbusier.

Nowhere is Paris so mysterious and magical as it is at sunset. Summer in Europe means the sun sets after dinner, something we could not imagine in our tropical country. Every evening after an incredible meal, we would all walk home along the darkening Seine, while the sunset drenched the gilded city of the Sun King with even more gold.

As the sun set late, so the lights came on much later than we expected. Somehow the time on our watches and phones seemed so late for the lights coming on along the Champs-Elysees. Still, it seemed suited to the Parisian lifestyle, where people seemed to roam, dance or relax according to their own internal clocks.

We lingered on the Pont de la Concorde until 10pm, waiting for the lights of the Eiffel Tower to turn on with all the other tourists. Finally the tower lit up with golden spotlights and the sparkling illuminations that show every hour. The crowd cheered and snapped away, and so did we. It might seem like a cliche, but maybe the joy of Paris is that it always feels new to the person who sees it.