"Paris" Paris by muse_chik

Paris. It's one of those cities you hear about your entire life- and when you finally get to see it- it's hard to comprehend actually being there.

I've travelled to Paris three times now- and each visit was a different experience from the last. My first trip to Paris was not as I had expected. From all that I had read, seen in movies, heard about, I expected Paris to be a magical city. I was a bit disapointed when I arrived, but in time came to appreciate the real Paris.

My second trip to Paris was marked by the start of the war in Iraq. While there was some level of concern for safety, it was by no means enough to keep us from going out and exploring. A friend and I met some wonderful wonderful people in Paris- and I had a great time exploring the different shopping venues. :)

It was very interesting to see the Parisian perspective on the war from a front-seat vantage point, as opposed to on the couch in front of the TV at home.

My latest trip to Paris came in the days before Christmas, and for the first time, without any native speakers or people to 'guide me' through the city.

Instead- it was MY turn to play guide to my two friends who had flown out from Alaska to join me on my travels. Neither had been to Paris before, and it was up to me to show them the sights.

My views of Paris and Parisians changed dramatically once I was out amongst the crowds, speaking with them directly and finding my own way around.

I loved it.

Don and I, leaning against a sign for support

Paris is a much larger city than I had anticipated-
unlike Rome, walking from site to site is incredibly time consuming.
Thanks to the kindness of a metro worker, we managed to get metro tickets to include all of the key sites.

Our first night, however, we arrived in Paris exhausted and already disoriented after leaving London early that morning.

Determined not to waste any time, we marched on in the general direction of the Eiffle tower, guided only by the large structure in the distance. A very long hour later, we were there. Happy and tired.

It seems so long ago...
At age 18, my second visit to Paris on a school trip.
And here we all sit... after much shopping and wandering.