This trip had been planned long before my most recent excursions. A friend of mine from home is studying architecture in Spain for the semester, and I had agreed to meet him up in his favorite city by far in Europe, Paris. And after a rough time two years ago in Paris, Stephanie was also all for second chances. Highly motivated and with all of the luck was on our side, we scored first class train tickets for less than second class!
Jorge had arrived a day before us. (In Spain, they have an extended Easter Break). To our delightful surprise, we exited our cabin and there he was. Smiling. I am not going to deny that I was a tad bit startled at his preciseness, but his warm embrace was a piece of home I had missed. With the night crawling in, we found the flat that we rented from AirBnB. Our hosts, Benjamin and Lucy were also architects, so it was thrilling to see Jorge connect with them the way he did. We unloaded and went to a small, cozy bar to catch up and plan the days to come.
The next day, we had the luxury of a kitchen and self-prepared lunch. Living all-together was a joy in itself. The kitchen was tiny, so we had to make every move count. And of course, the couple's vintage record player completed the aura. We took on the first day with a visit to Montmarte. There, we took delight in Sacre Coeur, a mid-day pub stop, and several great laughs. It was astonishing the amount of artists that wanted to paint Stephiee and I-and their promotions were ridiculous. It was all fun and games. Taking advantage of the fact that it was Friday, we visited the Louvre that evening. It…was…so…much to take in! It reminded me a lot of the Vatican Museums. Your visual field becomes overwhelmed by the many art pieces competing for your attention, but it was fruitful nevertheless. I'd have to say that this day was my favorite. We took a night stroll down Champs-Élysées and caught glance of an amazing street show! The moment Jorge and I heard Comptine d'un autre été, we looked at each other and smiled. It's one of our favorites. We walked to the Arc of Triomphe. And geez. It was so impressive. I've seen quite a few arcs by now and that was, without a doubt, my favorite. Taking advantage of our late night, we walked to the Eiffel and took joy in that as well. Paris is definitely a city that has its hidden treasures. In spite of the holiday at hand, we hunted down quite a few. Walking was the best way to do so. To end the day, we went to an artsy club and danced the night away. Jorge swirled me endlessly to the beat of the Salsa music. It was a blast.
And the day after. I'd like to say that I firmly believe in the metaphoric comparison of life to a roller coaster. My personality and moods undergo extremities. Some days (most days), I have a vibrant, outgoing attitude. However, peaceful days are also a necessity. I started the day in a rather tranquil mood. Careless, even. To the point where our carelessness combined resulted in us leaving the flat without taking the keys. Sacrifice is always fair. Stephanie and I took it upon ourselves to gain entry to our apartment. Jorge visited architecture hot spots, and we planned on meeting up with him when we solved the problem. It was a long, upsetting day. Benjamin literally did everything that was in his reach to get us spare keys, and when he finally did, it was glorious. It's easy to look back now and laugh, but at that moment, it seemed as if we'd have no place to sleep for the night! Eeek!
Easter took a turn for the better! We attended mass in Notre Dame, did some more walking along the Seine River, inhaled the Parisian atmosphere, took a few intuitive turns as directed by me (I will take credit!), and ended up in truly charming places. This is where I mention my delight in travel. There are far too many things I plan for myself, but when I travel, I like to be easy-going. I take a hint from my chest and follow through to places I would have never found on a map! With that said, dinner resulted in the BEST French-inspired American burgers ever. Words could never suffice. Afterwards, our climb to the Eiffel was also awesome. We truly saved the best for last! It twinkled three times amidst our endeavor.
I will say Stephanie was one of my favorite parts of this trip. Together and in laughter, we made it through a shady moment. I am so glad her overall trip to Paris was better this time. As for Jorge, it was great to rejoice in familiarity as well. He's one of the greatest guys I have the pleasure of knowing, and traveling with him was a joy. The three of us together contributed to a time well-spent in Paris!
Love them.
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