Postcards from... Paris

As one of Europe's best-known cities, I had some reservations about visiting Paris. I was worried that I wouldn't see the Paris of the movies, and that I would fail to be charmed by the City of Light. But, as I was flying home for Christmas anyway, I figured I may as well route through Paris and spend a few days seeing the sights before getting the Eurostar back to London. I hadn't banked on it being quite so cold though. I was used to living in Portugal where low temperatures meant 10°C (50°F). In Paris it was -6°C (21°F).

Most of my memories of Paris revolve around being absolutely freezing, and being stuck with company I would not have chosen in the form of an awful colleague and her sullen sister. But as with everywhere I go, I was determined to find at least one or two redeeming points. And I was going to record these things photographically so I would have something to look back on one day...


A winter wonderland in Place d'Italie

The biggest attraction for visitors to Paris, myself included, would have to be the iconic Eiffel Tower. And despite the cold and the horrid company, I found myself getting childishly excited as we drew closer. The fact that it was shrouded in mist just added to its beauty. As my unwelcome companions marched stoically on, I hung back trying to capture this ghostly apparition...


First glimpse of the Eiffel Tower



Getting closer...



View from across the Seine

Another must was walking down the Champs-Élysées, mainly so we could see the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile. One of the city's most famous sights, it honours those who fought and died for France during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic War. In the cold December light it looked anything but triumphant. In fact, I thought it rather sad and forlorn.

The rather forlorn Arc de Triomphe

Having accidentally-on-purposely lost my companions in The Louvre, I was free to explore. It was just a shame it was so cold. Still, keen to make the most of my freedom, I wandered through the snowy Jardin des Tuileries towards Place de la Concorde.

Statue of Theseus and the Minotaur



Place de la Concorde with a ghostly Eiffel Tower in the background



The view from Les Tuileries looking back towards Place de la Concorde



Snowy dog

Once described as "a history book in its own right", La Cathédrale de Notre Dame has seen funerals, marriages, conversions and coronations among other things. To this day it remains one of the main symbols of the city and a must-see for any visitor to Paris. Construction began in 1163, and the cathedral was finally completed over one hundred years later in 1272. It was one of the first buildings in the world to use flying buttresses (arched exterior supports), although these were not in the original plan.


A wintery Notre Dame

Detail on one of the arches

From Notre Dame our wanderings took us to Palais de Luxembourg. The palace was originally built between 1615 and 1630 as a royal residence for Marie de Médicis, mother of King Louis XIII of France. In 1750, it became a museum. The Musée du Luxembourg was the first French museum to be opened to the public, who could see paintings by Rubens (from the Royal Collection), da Vinci, Raphael, Van Dyck and Rembrandt among others. All the works of art were subsequently transferred to the Louvre.

The palace and former museum became a prison during the French Revolution (1789-99), and in 1799 it became the first residence of Napolean Bonaparte as First Consul of the French Republic.


A splash of colour at Palais de Luxembourg

Our final stop was visiting the Montmartre area of the city. The Sacré Coeur was disappointingly grey against the flat skies. In a bid to rid myself of my companions (yet again), I sneaked off and climbed the 300 steps to the tower. Between the cloud and the mist, I could see no further than the building itself but I enjoyed trying to capture the details.

View from the dome

Close up of one of the gargoyles

Back on the ground (and reunited with my companions), I was keen to see the café made famous by the film Amélie. Try as we might, we couldn't find it. Eventually, we stopped someone and asked for directions in pidgin French and they pointed us in the right direction. Without further ado, we went inside, found a table and ordered some hot drinks.

Straight out of a movie

We stayed in the café for as long as we reasonably could. We were waiting for it to get dark before we went to see the final place on our itinerary – Moulin Rouge. By now it was lit up in all its tacky glory. We stood and took photos until we could bear the cold no longer and then we headed back to the hostel, happy that we had seen what we had come for.

The warm glow of the Moulin Rouge

Between the inclement weather and the unwelcome company, Paris turned out to be something of a disappointment. And that made me sad. There I was in one of the most famous cities in the world and I was distinctly underwhelmed. However, I think Paris probably deserves a second chance so I hope to revisit it in the not-too-distant future. I won't be going in winter though. Or with company.