AlignBetween goes to Paris
I'm at Notre Dame!
Back in May, John and I traveled to Europe for an incredible 10 days of sightseeing, riding trains, driving tiny cars, wining and dining our way through two countries, and…shooting photos of everything in sight. Originally we planned to head straight for Tuscany…but after much fussing with flight times and dates, it just made perfect sense to extend what was supposed to be just a layover at Charles de Gualle, into a whirlwind weekend stay in Paris. We selected a hotel directly across from the Louvre and just a brisk walk to Jardin des Tuileries, knowing that with such a quick stay, we were better off in a more “touristy” and central area.
John aka @redvoid looking stylish at our first coffee & breakfast in Paris.
We arrived early in the morning, and while we waited for the hotel staff to ready our room, we naturally headed straight to a sidewalk cafe for breakfast and coffee, followed by a photo-taking adventure of the First Arrondissement, the geographical “center” of Paris.
There were just a couple of things we had on our agenda for Saturday and Sunday…I love to play things by ear and a little more spontaneously, John will systematically map out all possibilities and lock them into his iPhone for on-the-spot reference and guidance. We travel quite well together, and this balance of styles usually creates a rewarding, sometimes pleasantly surprising experience. The point, for us, is to always remain open, but still have some sort of plan. What definitely emerged for us as priorities were food, wine, architecture and of course, photography.
I’ll share just a couple of highlights and thoughts, then we’ll get to the real point of this post…my Paris photo gallery (skip down to gallery if the anticipation is too much). We loved how every cafe’s storefront is lined with chairs and tables facing the sidewalk and street for people-watching – this is a city set up perfectly for one of my favorite pastimes. Throughout the weekend, I paused and appreciated so many colorful and ornate doors and door knobs…really…I mentioned to John I could create an entire art exhibit around just this theme.
Because every yogi does yoga poses in famous and beautiful places while travelling 
The hotel room? Oh yes, very small. But this you must accept with the territory. Besides, who’s spending time in their hotel room? It’s Paris! After a long day of walking preceded by the coach-cramped transcontinental flight (no sleep in between), I did manage to squeeze in some yoga and downward dogs of the “oh my God I SO need some yoga” variety. There was just enough space in the entryway between the bathroom and bed. But as you can see here…I absolutely had to get down with some balancing pose attempts in the Tuileries. This Dancer may or may not have been after some champagne (grin)…we had lots to fit in.
On our self-designed sightseeing and architectural tour, we hit Montmarte to see Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica. There was a lot of weekend leisurely activity and just a general happy sensation in the cool spring air. An impromptu jazz band was playing in the adjacent park, while kids ran around just being kids. We happened upon some street performers singing and belting it out for whoever would stop to listen. On the large sloping grassy hill and steps leading up to the entrance of the cathedral, people of all kinds gathered in couples and groups to just enjoy the afternoon. Actually, looking back, it seemed there was a mix of tourists but there was also a very local feel about the place, like all the neighborhood folks had come outside to socialize and play with the rest of us.
Notre Dame in Springtime. Beautiful.
I have to say I thought Notre Dame de Paris, widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, was absolutely stunningly beautiful. On a sunny day, with dreamy blue skies and wispy clouds providing the perfect backdrop, the sheer grandiosity and magnitude of its architecture was shining bright. We unleashed our Canon and Nikon DSLR’s with an exuberant flurry, changing filters and lenses, and setting up for some HDR photos as well.
But don’t think this was all about daytime fun and no nightlife. For those of you that know us, you can nod your heads approvingly because although we only had one night to “party”, we found
Dancer Pose during the day, Dancing with John at night
out where the good music and young hipsters were. (Thanks to John’s research). It didn’t take long before we were mid-center dancefloor at Rex, shakin’ our you know whats. How were we feeling? Well, just look at this last and final shot from the iPhone taken exactly a half-second before it died. We found out later we were the victims of a surprise Parisian photo bomb. (Awesome!)
Finally, I wanted to share one fine dining destination that was spectacular. A little place called Le Coupe Chou, an experience of a restaurant that has been restored to a 17th century-esque interior, located off a discrete side street in the Latin Quarter, 5th Arrrondissement. I don’t have a photo…however this table , while not exactly where we sat, looks just like our spot by the entrance. The restaurant opened in 1962, and the building itself has a rich history dating back centuries. We highly advise you to check this one out!
I’m so excited to share my Paris photos with you. Some of the subjects will definitely make it into future art on canvas works. I’d also love to know: Do you think it’s worth it to spend just TWO DAYS of your trip canvasing a big international city, or would you rather spend that time in one destination? Did you ever have “the best trip ever” because you spontaneously dropped in on a unplanned destination? Watch the slideshow, think about it, then let me know what you think!
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