wanderlust: montmartre

It's strange to think that I can visit Paris and say, "oh, I saw that last year." When I visited the City of Lights with David last year, we did as many touristy things as we could (i.e. Versailles the first day, 5 museums the next). This time it was different.

Serendipity introduced me to Vanessa-- David's older sister's friend that she'd met in Ireland a few years back. When I found myself with a month to travel and no place to stay, Vanessa welcomed me into her home and we wandered through Paris together.

Our first stop was Montmartre- the area that David and I stayed in last year but that we hardly got to know. Instead of rushing off to do as many touristy things as possible, Vanessa and I took leisurely walks and ate a lot of crepes.

The first time around, I didn't think that Paris lived up to the hype around it. Sure, it had some pretty old buildings, a tower, and a lot of good bread. This time, I felt differently. I think Paris is most beautiful when you're not rushing to cross items off a "to do" list. To me, it's most enjoyable while people-watching, eating slowly, and sharing good company.

8 comments:

CyPinGirlAugust 31, 2011 at 2:01 PM
i visited paris 3 years ago with my sister! i loved it! but we only had like 5 days to do all the touristy things and barely had time to just relax and enjoy the city. i really look forward to my next visit which will last at least 2 weeks!

cypingirl,
xxx
UnknownAugust 31, 2011 at 2:50 PM
This is so true! I studied in Paris for a month when I was in college, and I still didn't feel like I got to see everything. I hate hearing people say that they don't like Paris (or any city, for that matter) when they've only been there a few days. It's impossible to make an opinion like that if you haven't really seen the city! So I'm glad that you got to go back and really see it for what it is :)

xoxo,
Joelle
AnonymousAugust 31, 2011 at 4:22 PM
wow, the buildings there are really pretty, and the food looks delicious!
jackieAugust 31, 2011 at 5:40 PM
i feel like any place is like that- better enjoyed slowly with some good people and some good food. glad you had a good time :)
Jessi @ Life: The Epic JourneyAugust 31, 2011 at 8:02 PM
I love Paris~ Personally, I thought that it DID live up to the "dream", but then, we just strolled along while we were there. I loved the streets so much that I couldn't bear to go inside. We went to the Louvre for about 2 hrs, but that was it. The most touristy thing that we did was go up Arc de Triomphe, such a gorgeous view!
AllisonAugust 31, 2011 at 8:03 PM
I definitely agree! I went to France a couple years back, and the best days were the ones we slowly enjoyed with the family, instead of just rushing around trying to hit as many places on our "to see" list as we could! Lovely pictures. :)
AnonymousAugust 31, 2011 at 11:36 PM
Nutella crepes and a Yorkie? This is like my favorite post ever.
AprilSeptember 1, 2011 at 8:02 AM
When I went to Paris, my friend and I did the tourist-y things, but we did them s-l-o-w-l-y, and it was wonderful. I love Paris.