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Thursday, February 14, 2013

A Parisian Photo Essay: Valentine Special

In line with the current (fake) holiday, I have put together a collection of my favorite photos from Paris. It is Valentines Day after all - and is Paris not one of the most romantic cities in the world?

However, if you are expecting photos of lovers holding hands or couples kissing underneath the Eiffel Tower, then you better Alt + F4 this business now... I've never been a fan of the typical cheesy lovey dovey lalala with hearts and flowers and crap. I just think Paris is romantic in a less obvious sense. Sure it has the lights, and the tower, but it also has hidden enchantments, intrigue in the darkness, and subtle charm.

That's what I think anyway. :) Here they are... My fave photos from my trips to Paris.
May it inspire you to visit... for what was it that Audrey Hepburn (and my travel buddy, Karen) always said?

Indeed!
Ah yes... Paris is always a good idea. :)



An accordionist playing "La Vie En Rose"to a couple on the table next to ours.  Eduardo - the guy in black - sang along enthusiastically while he played (yes we became friends with them during dinner). It was amazing :)


A little boy having too much fun with gigantic bubbles! A man was selling  these huge  bubble blower things in front of a museum, and the little boy drew the crowd in. 

I remember just getting off the Metro when my friend, Karen, and I saw this. We were trying to find Champs Elysees and stumbled upon this little mound full of flowers. 


Ah. Monmartre. Possibly my favorite area in Paris. We were fortunate enough to have a local Parisian take us around Monmartre at night, and I just thought that the cafe's and galleries along the cobblestone streets was absolutely entrancing. It gave me a feeling of nostalgia, like I completely understood Owen Wilson's character in Midnight in Paris.

I never went inside the Moulin Rouge, but I don't regret it. Standing outside the  iconic red windmill at the foot of Monmartre was enough to make me happy. 


When you catch Paris on a beautiful sunny day in the tail end of winter (which is when this photo was taken), it's hard not to appreciate little things like sunbathing in front of the fountain at The Louvre. How cute are these two dudes? :)


I don't remember what street this was... but I do remember turning a corner, seeing this street, and going - "Wow". There was something about the contrast of the bluest blue sky with the vibrant colors of the building, including the trash cans that would catch anyone's attention. Beautiful...

Is there anything more awesome and romantic than a pastry shop in Paris?  Have you never tasted anything so .. so  sumptuous??? <3


A class picture of a bunch of Italian 4th graders in front  of the Eiffel Tower.  And if this wasn't already cute enough, instead of saying, "Cheese" - they were asked to say, "Spaghettiiiiiiii". Come onnnn!!! :) Too sweet!

And just to prove to you all that my heart is not made of stone, I end my photo essay with a photo of the Love Lock Bridge in Paris. So the ritual is, "sweethearts" bolt a padlock to this bridge and throw away the key to symbolize their "everlasting love". (Ulk) Personally, I think it's a waste of a perfectly good padlock - but a lot of couples buy into it. In fact I've probably seen about 5 love lock bridges all over Europe the last time I went on a tour. I just thought this was a pretty good photo because I managed to snap just as a couple was walking by... good shadows too :)


Voila, everyone! Bonne Saint Valentin!



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Hi There! Have we met before? You look familiar! Those shoes look great on you, by the way! I’m Eartha and I recently decided to quit my job to travel the worrrrld! Join me in my adventures by checking back on my blog, and leaving me a comment or two!

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