Prime Stages Of Parisian Delights

This independent traveler and his wife play many roles in satisfying their enjoyment of the present. Returning to Paris, this week, we found ample opportunity to practice this multifaceted philosophy. We would first indulge our senses in intellectual, culinary, and artistic delight in a city that honors its illustrious past so well. Concurrently, tests of our sporting mind would enable us to traverse great distances through spacious parksides and winding riverfront to stay in shape. Feeling less challenged, at times, Paris finally represented the opportunity to slow down in life to rest and watch the autumn season unfold.

Having a close friend visit us in Paris this week brought excitement as she decided to accompany us on our itinerary. In fact, her infectious travel energy would inspire us to play tour guide in spite of our jet lagged fatigue. We would thus enjoy introducing her to the bohemian heights of Sacre Couer, the “Impressionistic” paintings of Musée d’Orsay, as well as the Baroque wonders of Versailles Palace.

We love to walk in Paris when we can, as attested by our accumulated total of over 22 miles hiking distance in merely four days. Following the intricate maze of mass transit stations each day became our biggest source of exercise So many steps to ascend and descend amidst bustling, commuter passage would challenge our cardiovascular fitness on this adventure .

“Impressionistic” landscapes envisioned for us a more relaxed kind of Paris. Such masters as Monet, Renoir, or Pissarro would paint scenes of pastoral beauty, reminding us to make time to seek serenity in nature there. Thus, we would find such inner peace on this Paris visit by strolling aimlessly along the Seine River and Luxembourg Gardens this week. Finding a quiet bench to sit, on occasion, we could savor the autumn season of falling leaves and cool breezes then.

Standing silently under the Eiffel Tower one starry night, we gazed in awe at this great symbol of Parisian pride. In this moment, our emotions stirred to truly appreciate this iconic symbol of liberty. We thus certainly intend to make good use of this freedom to travel as far as we can and for as long as we can in the future.