Paris in the Rain

Is there a line from some old movie about loving Paris in rain?  Honestly, I don't watch old movies and there's a good chance I have that wrong. Regardless... I could have titled this post "2 Days in Paris" but it turns out that's the title of a movie I've never seen as well.

More to the point...last weekend I took the high-speed train to Paris for the weekend.  It takes just under 1.5 hours from my current location.  It rained the entire first day I was there but, as I've said many times, if you want to see Europe you'd better be prepared to see it in the rain.

I have a confession to make. I wanted to hate Paris.  I really did. When I went there 20-some years ago I didn't enjoy it at all. It was hot and dirty and smelly and the people were stereotypically rude.  So when I took my Grandmother there 2 years ago I was prepared to hate the city. I didn't hate it. In fact, I really liked it. I didn't want to, but I did. So much, in fact, that I took one of my last weekends here to go back. 

While I'm confessing...I have to come clean about my love of the Eiffel Tower. I don't want to love it. It's a tourist trap. It's the type of thing I would generally avoid. Some people swoon over a Manet or a Monet or a Picasso or a Garfunkel (points to those who get it), some people feel a Mozart or a Bach or a Chopin through their entire body.  Me?  Massive steel structures (bridges, towers...doesn't matter) take my breath away.  I literally found myself in the middle of the street with a bus coming straight at me (not slowing down a bit) staring up at Her Majesty completely oblivious to said bus.  At one point, I'm pretty sure I was drooling.  I feel honored to be in the presence of of the Tower and I stand there, rain or not, trying to absorb as much of her essence as I can. 

 

  

I love it so much, in fact, that I forced myself to go back at night (despite being completely exhausted) in the pouring rain just to see her lit up.

 

I saw more in my 2 days there but I really felt like the Tower deserved a post of her own.