Dazed in Paris

Inside Notre Dame
see all photos »

After our sleepless/restless 11- hour flight from San Francisco, we simply dropped off the luggages and set off to the first tourist attraction in Paris. I was lucky to arrive in Paris with no maps or any plans at all. Someone was waiting to show us around. We left it all to Laurence, a student in this beautiful city and who served as our official Paris tour guide. With round circles around my eyes and with my  balance a bit off, I shrugged off any concerns of us needing rest. I was ready for Paris right then and there and so, we hopped on the Metro and got off at Gare MONTPARNASSE.  Outside the station stood Tour Montparnasse, the lone skyscraper in the city and tallest skyscraper in France. Took the elevator to the 54th Floor and then walked up a few flight of stairs to the terrace. It was col and very windy. The overcast made the cityscape look gloomy and lifeless. As it started to drizzle, I walked back down to the 54th a bit disheartened. Five minutes later, the sun came out from behind the clouds and brightly shone on this radiant city. I climbed the stairs back to  see the icons of all time emerge from the dark shadows - I spotted t he Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Sacre Coeur, etc.

Montparnasse!
see all photos »

Next stop - Notre Dame Cathedral. Of course, we walked by the River Seine. The water can be best described as murky and chocolatey brown (not as rich brown as Willy Wonka's, of course). But this does not make it any less romantic for lovers and hopeless romantics alike. You can find them all there strolling by the Seine like time has stopped for them. Well, after all, I am in the MOST ROMANTIC CITY in the WORLD.

I lighted a candle inside majestic Notre Dame. As a gazed up to admire the arches and columns, I had crazy thoughts running in my head. As holy as the candelit church seemed to be, I had an animated vision in my head of Quasimodo swinging from one column to another. My sensible self fought this weird cartoonlike thoughts of Quasimodo crossed with Tarzan swinging inside the church. It would be impossible as there were no tree branches to even swing from. I reminded myself to admire the Gothic architecture instead.