Butterflies in Paris

If you mention City of Lights (Ville Lumière) almost everyone will know that you are talking about Paris. According to Wikipedia that name was given to the French city by the Londoners who were fascinated by the magnificent lighting of Paris during the years 1830. The inventor of gas lighting, Philippe Lebon, developed his invention in Paris and apparently did a good promotion job.

The second theory is that in the XVIII century criminality increased in the dark streets of Paris and the mayor of Paris asked its inhabitants to put candles and oil lamps on their window sills to lighten the entire city. And that was the moment Paris got its nickname.

I have another theory. Paris is the town that puts so many sparkles into lovers’ eyes that you could light up the entire city. Not sure what exactly it is, but that city can turn the bluntest “down to earth person” into a romantic.

Everyone having experienced a long-term relationship knows that after some years of living together, the practical things try to take the upper hand  and romance risks to get lost over the years. Daily life can be a bitch and tries to suffocate the butterflies in your belly and some work is needed to keep them alive.

So I went to Paris on a butterfly revival weekend with my “media naranja”, my “better half”. And things started badly. Our train was cancelled…some electrical poles had been torn down. After hours of waiting, we were wondering if going back home would not be an option. But we resisted. We were given a sad sandwich as a compensation for the trouble and were transported by a bus  to the next town from where the trains were still running. After finally arriving in Paris at 1 am and sharing one of the few cabs with some fellow train passengers we finally made it to our hotel.

Things started to look a lot better. The most perfect hotel, a 4*, in a great location…for a more than reasonable price thanks to this special hotel site (you chose your hotel category, its location and then you decide if the proposed price suits your budget…and you will only know the hotel name after paying – I like surprises, so this system works well for me).

Dead tired after a long day and with the hotel room very, very inviting to stay in, our groaning stomachs (thanks to the lousy sandwich) got us finally moving. After a drink in a bar with live music, we had a lovely meal in one of the typical Parisian restaurants.

We used to live in Paris for a few years, but it was some time ago and we had almost forgotten all it offers. A real restaurant serving a nice meal at 3 am in the morning…what a treat. And a walk through the streets of Paris at night holding hands, my man singing to me (seriously, don’t get jealous, but that’s the kind of things he does when taken away from the daily stress) …

There is no need to plan a lot ahead for your days in Paris, if you just want to enjoy time together and go with the flow. Paris puts nice sights on your path whatever way you look. It is all just there in front, but if the basics are not enough for you and you want more, museums, theatre shows, restaurants, biking tours…you name it, you’ll get it.

We kept it simple, the sun spoiled us, which was a welcome surprise at the beginning of December. There was one real tourist thing we did. My love had promised me this for years and we never got around to do it before:
A tour on the Bateaux Mouches (mouche stands for fly, the insect). Paris and its sights seen from the boat on the Seine, a romantic activity.

The whole Paris trip could not have been more perfect and the butterflies fully recovered in no time.

Check out my pictures and don’t hesitate to contact me if you need some tips about Paris.

Related articles

• Pour l’amour de Paris (onequalitythefinest.com)
• La Ville De L’Amour (travelwithturner.wordpress.com)