Love In The City Of Light

I dare you to argue with this statement: Paris is the most romantic city in the world.

In Thirza Vallois’ latest book “Romantic Paris,” she says that after years of observation, she still has no answer as to why. And because there simply is no answer, “There lies the beauty of the enigma.”

While it is often said that “Paris is for lovers,” I disagree. I think “love is for Paris.” So, let me clarify.

Parisians are passionate about Paris and just about everything else life offers…fine wines, smelly cheeses, harmonious architecture, sparkling lights, rich chocolate, strong coffee, silky scarves, red roses, luxurious furs, masterful art and stolen kisses. This passion is absolutely everywhere you turn. And it comes from the deepest chamber of the Parisian’s heart.

I think it’s this passion that we envy most and why we fall so deeply in love with this city, like no other. I think it’s why we fall so easily in love while we’re in this city, too. So, that even when we are single and “alone,” we’re never really lonely, because we are always having this passionate affair with the city, if not with a lover.

In Paris, not a day goes by that you don’t see lovers openly affectionate with one another…of all ages, of all persuasions. And you’re never made to feel embarrassed to be the observer or “voyeur.” In fact, it’s just the opposite. Passionate moments such as those are openly enjoyed by everyone around, perhaps sometimes envied, but never offended.

If you’re single in the City of Light, Paris is your Lover. If you have a Lover in the City of Romance, Paris is your Light.

In “Romantic Paris,” Vallois quote Louis Aragon:

C’est de ce Paris-là que j’ai fait mes poèmes…
et
Jai plus écrit de toi Paris que de moi-même:
Et plus que de vieillir
Souffert d’être sans toi

It’s out of Paris, that Paris, that I have carved my poems…
and
I have written more about you, Paris, than about myself:
And more than from aging,
I have suffered from being without you.

A la prochaine…

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
E-mail: [email protected]

P.S. Thirza Vallois will be speaking at the Working and Living in France Conference starting next Friday and giving her renowned Grand Tour of Paris on Sunday, October 26th. See more about “Romantic Paris“

* Further resources:

* Foreigners can borrow up to 80% on a home loan. Find out how easy it is.

* Two wheels can see the sights of Paris faster and better than two feet.

* There are just a few seats left…