paris
What is it with this city? I mean she’s pretentious, aloof, arrogant yet devastatingly, unforgivingly beautiful. She seduces you then spurns your advances. Flatters your ego then shatters your confidence. Tantalises the senses and then leaves you numb. A city of beautiful paradoxes. In short, one of my favourite places in the world.
It was the first time Miss GreenEyes had been to Paris, at least since she was nine when she visited with her family. We met at Dublin airport; me coasting in from home on my day off, her chewing her nails, struggling in the notorious Friday afternoon traffic. I met her at check-in. Mercifully instead of being a nervous wreck after spending all day in the hospital, trying to get everything done before she left and crawling across town in her car, Miss GreenEyes was giddy as a schoolgirl…seriously.
It was generous of her really, it gave me an opportunity to pretend I was the world-weary traveller (sans hand luggage, weekend bag only), accompanying my naive young companion. It truly wasn’t until we climbed (late) out of George V metro into the warm embrace of the Champs Elysees, a few blocks from the hotel that I too became…well…giddy…I think it may have been the beginnings of a middle ear infection.
The hotel was suitably beautiful, the staff kind enough to indulge my poor french by actually restraining themselves from immediately switching into English and importantly Miss GreenEyes adored it. In the character of big cities, we managed to have a midnight feast of Italian and a bottle of vin blanc (God I love the language) and retired back to our room to ‘rest up’ for a big weekend.
Normally I don’t like doing too many touristy things when I travel, preferring to just wander aimlessly down intriguing looking streets or alleys. Although with the relatively short time and Miss GreenEyes’ desire to look around we chose to promenade around the big sights of the city. The weather was stunning and by the time we made it to The Louvre, we closeted ourselves away in the museum for some culture, air-conditioning and the potential for some nookie in the oft ignored (and lets face it not really interesting) Islamic pottery section. Nothing against Islamic pottery, it’s just that I think it’s shit. Not to mention it is far from the Mona Lisa, so there aren’t many people there.
Refreshed by the ‘culture’, another bottle of wine and some comfort food near Les Halles we retired to the banks of the Seine, basked in the late afternoon sun, ensconced in the comforting sound of French conversations, surrounded by picnics of baffling splendour. Dinner another bottle of wine and some late-night cocktails led us into a drunken and somewhat circuitous trip back to the hotel.
Why is it that schoolboy/schoolgirl french never prepares you for the little curve-balls of reality?
It’s never as simple as ‘continue straight ahead and take the third on the left…
Rather it’s more like, ‘Ummm, no I don’t know why we are going through a tunnel.’
‘Do you know the French word for tunnel..?’
‘No, neither do I.’
‘Oh look the Eiffel Tower is doing the sparkly thing!’
‘Hang on I recognise that building…no the other nice one…isn’t that near that place along from the restaurant that let us in last night?’
(insert drunken sigh of relief…it might have been a belch, I was in no fit state to really tell) ‘Ah sure it’ll be grand, we’re on Ave. Georges V; sorted.’
‘Merci monsieur, au revoir.’
Stumble.
Giggle from Miss GreenEyes.
Brief struggle with beautiful iron door of the hotel.
‘Bonsoir monsieur.’ (To the impeccably dressed man behind the antique reception desk)
Made it into the wood panelled lift in one piece and not too much poorer.
Nice one.
I’ll spare you the details of the rest of the trip. Suffice to say we saw much of the city (mostly from the top of the Eiffel Tower), drank enormous amounts of wine, ate beautiful food, managed to get sunburned in places I haven’t been in a while, purchased some Pierre Herme delicacies and a beautiful handbag for Miss GreenEyes. We loved every minute.
She may be a hard city on occasion, she may have a bad reputation amongst some tourists, but she rewards effort; she massages the soul and romances the heart.
Thank goodness we’ll always have Paris…
yey- i’ve been waiting to hear how that went for weeks! glad you adored it- i’ve never been a fan of Paris but it is a romantic city! so things are on the up for you ar MissGreenEyes then?
It sounds like a great trip – gorgeous hotel!
Mrs Albion and I should really go back, but our next stop looks like being Barcelona in June. (She’s got the small matter of crossing the Atlas Mountains on foot the week before – for charity.)
Paris has its moments, and we really did have a great time.
Things with Miss GreenEyes are going well (i.e. no more snooping in my mobile phone inbox), however, we are both very aware that I am going, she is staying and neither of us want to do ‘the long distance thing’.
Not trying to sound overly glib, but at the moment we are just enjoying each other’s company…
Sounds good. Enjoy it while you can.
Maybe she’ll visit Australia next – it’s an Irish right of passage, is it not.
I can’t and won’t hear a bad word about Paris, ok, it smells quite bad, esecially on a hot day like today, and ok the French can be a tiny bit rude, but where else can you see such beautiful sights, eat such delicious foods and drink such tasty wine???? Dr Ben, I am glad you had a great time!
x
GAT,
I think it’s clear with the affection in my writing that I truly adore Paris. Also, we found the French people to be lovely. I think it’s because I always attempted to speak in French, usually with some success, a couple of times with some blushing and swearing. She truly is one of my favourite cities and I’m inordinately jealous that you live there!
Dr Ben