Spring in Paris

Here in Queensland we have been sweltering through the warmest Autumn for many years.  The days are still hot and humid and it feels more like February than April. Thankfully the nights are cooler or I think I would cry! 

But while we dream of cooler temperatures, jeans, shirts with sleeves and actually being able to enjoy a hot cup of tea, it's SPRING in Europe.  Lately I've been spending lots of time lying under the fan and browsing my favourite photographers on Instagram and dreaming of springtime in Paris where the flowers are in bloom.

If I was in Paris right now, this is what I would be doing:

Taking the escalators to the roof of the Galleries Lafayette to have a glass of wine at the bar and look out at the chimney tops of Paris.  I'm sure it's not fun to live with chimneys that have to be cleaned, but I romanticise them just the same.  If I was lucky enough to be there in July, I might also be able to pick up a bargain in Galleries Lafayette's annual sale.

Panting my way up the 280 stairs to the top of the Arch du Triomphe to look down onto the Champs Elysees. The climb is brutal (although it's fun to stop and take a photo of the endlessly winding staircase below you) but the view is so worth it.  The whole of Paris is there before you.

Walking along the banks of the Seine towards Notre Dame.  As the morning lengthens, the booksellers open their riverside stalls.  There is always so much happening along the river that there is lots to look at.

After a morning of walking, the best thing you can do is stop off in a charming café for a reviving Noisette (the French version of a Macchiato). It costs a little more to sit outside, but it's the best place to rest tired feet and watch the world go by.

And it wouldn't be a visit to Paris if I didn't wander past the city's most famous landmark, surrounded by blooms of spring.

There are so many things I love about this city that this just doesn't scratch the surface, but the beauty of this place is that you find something new every time you visit. Hopefully next spring will see me packing my bags for another adventure.

 

Paris, I love you!