Landing at Parid CDG at 7am after a sleepless evening flight from Boston, I was anxious to see all that I could in the limited time that I had. I grabbed my luggage, met up with friends and we were on our way. After a jarring hour or more ride from the airport in morning traffic on the congested autoroute, we finally got to the city. My Parisian friends first brought me to the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur to survey the city from the Mont St. Michel, which was beautiful and uncharacteristically quiet and empty this early in the morning. There were no busloads of tourists and no panhandlers. We quietly sipped some much-needed espresso and enjoyed a croissant in a nearby cafe before leaving. Next it was off to a drive through down some of the Rive Droit's best-known streets, passing by the grand Opera and obelisk before driving down the Champs Elysees and around the Arc de Triomphe (so exciting to see for the first time, and I normally don't get very excited about these kinds of things).
We parked the car in the Chaillot and headed over to the Eiffel Tower, which was regrettably busy, even at this relatively early hour. We climbed the stairs and spent considerable time surveying the stunning view of the city from all of the platforms of this magnificent Tour. The Parisians I was with had never been to the Tower so this incredible experience was new for them as well. Next we were off to lunch-Cafe Marly at the Louvre. With an absolutely stunning location feet from I.M. Pei's pyramid, this chic cafe's somewhat hidden location behind the arches of the Louvre's Richileu Gallery allows it to be relaxing and at the same time exhilarating. We enjoyed a cool lunch of gezbacho and carpaccio (it was a VERY hot day) surrounded by many business and fashion types.
After another much-needed cup of espresso, we descended into the Louvre, taking in its famed Italian and Egyptian Galleries as well as some statue galleries. This museum is enormous, but well-worth a visit. We proceeded to the nearby Musee d'Orsay, which was more manageable and equally impressive. After a few hours in these museums, we drove to Ile de la Cite and parked the car. Rewarding ourselves for our grueling morning and afternoon schedule, we got ice cream at Maison Berthillon, which has, without a doubt, some of the best ice cream in the world. We walked slowly around the beautiful Ile de la Cite, taking in magnificent views of Paris. The Ile de la Cite itself is a sight to be seen and it has been called a "mini Paris." After this beautiful walk, we went to the Cathedral de Notre Dame, which had apparently recently been cleaned. Instead of its facade being dark and dirty as I had expected, it was a light tan color and glowed in the late afternoon sun. We walked all around the well-worn floors of the Cathedral and then proceeded back to the car.
My Parisians took me on a driving tour of the Rive Gauche, but I fell asleep soon after they showed me their apartment building near the Jardin de Luxembourg. I guess that two strong espressos were just not enough. Before I knew it, we had arrived at the small Orly Airport for the flight to Toulouse. My time in Paris was short, but the city made a lasting impression on me. I have heard it said that Paris makes people believe in the potential of humanity. If humans can build a city this beautiful, surely we can accomplish many things. However, even with all of its grandeur and beauty, the most impressive things about Paris are often the little things. The flowers in the window boxes of the beautiful old Haussmanian buildings of the Chaillot, the secret back road that you feel as if you discovered personally, or the beautiful woman eating lunch at the table next to you in the cafe are what you take away from this city. Paris is a different experience for everyone and there is something here for everyone to enjoy. The next time I come back to Paris, I will ensure that my stay is longer, even if it means missing a flight.