What To Do on Your Seventh Trip to Paris

On my fourth trip to Paris (back in college), I kind of hit a rut. I had seen all the main sites, I had visited all the famous museums. I had gone back to my favorite spots multiple times (though Sacre Couer never grows old). I had even taken the metro all the way out to La Défense and had an icecream cone under the towering monstrosity of an arch. I was - I hate to admit it - bored of Paris.

But then something wonderful happened: I dug another layer down and started rediscovering the city I thought I had so thoroughly "done." (I am indebted to my Irish aunts and the Rue Oberkampf for helping me over the hump back in January 2007.) Thus I can happily report that my seventh trip to Paris a few weeks ago was my best ever.

Of course the glorious spring weather didn't hurt. But since I'm a sucker for novelty, much of my pleasure was derived from seeing new sides of the same city. To wit:

Paris recycles

Saturday morning in St. Germain-de-Pres.

Pictures!

Jeff has conveniently posted some public albums of our European travels up through the end of the year, including the picture we had meant to attach to our Happy New Year's email (oops). Enjoy!

My favorite place in Paris

My favorite place in Paris is Sacre Couer. I do not claim originality, nor will I make excuses. It just is, and has been going back at least ten years. There's something about the carnival aspect at the bottom, the winding touristy streets of Montmarte, the ample supply of crepes, the bright carousel (which our four-year-old friend actually got to ride - lucky kid!). That's stage 1 of the Sacre Couer experience.

Stage 2 is the meandering walk up through the gardens, a process that feels vaguely like a mini-pilgrimage. Amelie nicely captured the whimsy and charm of Steps 1 and 2. Step 3 (really a half step, or a resting point) is posing for a picture at the top, with Paris spread out below. If only I had access to all my pictures, I could create a montage of photos taken against an always overcast sky with Paris an indiscernible grey behind me. But it always feels special at the time.

Step 4 is walking through the basilica itself. That's a very personal experience, but I will risk saying this much: it's one of the very few places in the world where I can always feel the peace of god. It is, to me, a special place. If you know what I mean, and know of other such places, please be kind enough to share them with me.

Street food, French edition

We were in Paris with our friends a few weekends ago, and Jeff took my favorite picture of the trip: crepes being made on a street near our apartment in the Latin Quarter on a cold November evening. The four-year-old with us was mesmerized.