Paris Travel Notes: My Encounter with Romance

In the winter of 2012, I took a seven-hour drive from Munich to Paris.

 

Suddenly I remembered what my history teacher said about the Franco-Prussian War. Looking at the dark sky behind a curtain, I couldn't imagine that this seemingly peaceful land had such a history.

 

It was seventeen days with a tour group. I visited seven countries in the European Union, and I still recall that Paris.

 

That romantic Paris.

 

As soon as I got off the bus, I was dazzled. It was completely different from the serious style of Germany. Paris was full of "romantic" atmosphere. The blonde girls on the street were full of enthusiasm and conveyed goodwill to us tourists from foreign countries.

 

[We were accompanied by a Chinese tour guide and a local tour guide]

 

The sister who was traveling with us spoke fluent English and chatted with our French tour guide. I just listened to some vague information. Suddenly, I saw him turn around and say in broken Chinese: "Welcome to Paris, all Chinese friends." ”

 

 

We went to the famous Eiffel Tower that night. The magnificent lights shone on the tall tower, and the shining blue-grey shimmered under the night. There were occasionally a few pigeons scattered around in the square, completely unafraid of people and in a trance. I seem to have seen its past prosperity.

 

It was the first time in my life that I saw such enthusiastic foreign friends. There were many men and women in strange clothes just below the Eiffel Tower, beckoning everyone to take photos, but I later learned that there was a fee.

Later I learned that in many places, especially in Rome, if you need to take photos, you must pay attention to whether there are additional charges for taking photos.

 

Didn't sleep that night.

 

 

It was already eleven o'clock local time when we arrived at the Champs-Élysées with the car. On the brightly lit broad avenue, a group of people were walking in groups, and small flakes of snow fell one after another on their bodies and hair. I saw a row of exquisite desserts in the transparent window next to them, among which the macarons alone were already very expensive.

 

 

The most wonderful buildings in the area are the Arc de Triomphe — Champs Elysees — the Louvre. These are three points and one line, but I didn’t pay attention to them when I just passed by.

 

 

Halfway through, you will see the majestic gate. Napoleon once returned triumphantly below it, so it is called the "Arch de Triomphe".

 

However, the middle part is surrounded, probably to prevent tourists from causing chaos, so you can walk around as you like.

There are also people in front of the door like those under the Eiffel Tower, taking photos with tourists to earn tips.

 

If you are willing to climb up the stairs, it will take about ten minutes. There is also an elevator you can take to overlook the night view of Paris.

 

[There are a lot of people during the peak tourist season, so it would be better if you can line up as early as possible. 】

 

I lay down early after going back. The pain of jet lag was greater than I thought. The moonlight stayed with me until four o'clock local time.

 

The tour guide asked us to leave a tip on the bedside in the morning, about ten euros.

 

Western waiters and even restaurants have to tip, but the Chinese restaurant we went to.

 

The tour guide helped us prepare all the tips while eating local specialties.

 

[Many countries in the West have the habit of tipping, even in Southeast Asia, Thailand, Singapore, etc., because the salary of those servants is indeed very low, and they live on the tips given by the guests. 】

 

At seven o'clock we were already on the bus bound for the Louvre.

 

The drive is not very far, but we always pass by the Rhine River.

 

I thought the Louvre would look the same as what it looked like in newspapers and online, but when it really came to my eyes, I was suddenly stunned.

 

 

As a large palace, it is normal to have many exits and entrances, and they still retain the characteristics of door guards.

The popular characteristics in Europe in that century were tall heads, handsome young men, but I don’t know why they reminded me of Berlin girls. [Tickets are more than 200 RMB per person, including Chinese explanation, she is a French girl. 】

 

The most famous glass dormitory, where the two sides signed the Defeat Agreement twice during the Prussian War, was bustling with people, looking at the beds of King Louis of the past, listening to the Parisian girls speaking standard Mandarin, and once again lamenting the development of the times.

 

French aristocrats often had afternoon tea outside in the garden beside the huge fountain. The luxurious aristocratic life was beyond my reach, but when I stood in this palace that had weathered the storm but was still magnificent, I felt a sense of tranquility in my heart.

 

This is the case with everything. No matter how grand and glorious it was at the time, now there are only objects from the past left to prove its existence. Time has passed, and only countless passers-by who have come in a hurry can remember them.

 

When no one in this world remembers your existence, you are truly dead.

Compared to these behemoths, aren’t we just passers-by?

 

There is a saying called “France has cheese, Germany has sausage.”

 

There are actually ten kinds of French cheese available to tourists. When I woke up in the morning and looked at the sunny weather outside the window and the scattered snow on the ground, I felt a little sad that my last trip to Paris was about to end.

 

The French have a very deep research on cheese, and they are very particular about the smell time and process.

 

Maybe I was the only one who ate it with macarons. The French call them "girl's breasts". Firstly, the description is very attractive, and secondly, they are fascinating.

 

There are various flavors, but because my friends in the group thought they were too sweet, I ordered them all.

In a famous romantic city, it is also very beautiful to taste the local food and feel their culture.

 

At that time, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris had not yet caught fire. Since I was studying, I have been curious about what is unique about this Notre Dame Cathedral with the bell ringer and the beautiful girl. They are all typical European sculptures. The Virgin embraces Jesus and holds hope.

 

The flickering candlelight in the church reflects the faces of all kinds of people, looking at the simple marble and ceramic tiles with a sense of time. There is an endless flow of people of all kinds, but this church still stands here.

 

Flowers and trees, everything in the world is a gift of time. After years of polishing, they are always dealing with all kinds of new faces.

 

Before we left, we took a cruise on the Rhine River. In fact, in my opinion, it was no different from other cruise ships. But looking at the blond boys and girls opposite, I still felt a bit exotic.

 

Perhaps it was because there were so many people. It seemed like we had been sitting on that big boat for a long time, looking at the blue sky and white clouds. The sand gulls passed by, leaving only a trace.

 

I sat quietly on the return plane. This was just my first encounter with Paris. I didn’t take away the roses and perfume, but I left Paris deep in my heart.

 

The return trip is different from the place we went to. It takes more than ten hours. The flight meals are also special foods prepared by local airlines. After returning home, I was jet-lagged and it took about four days to recover.