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The perfect Paris moment

Share your perfect moment in the City of Lights...

After about in week in Paris I was out walking. I bought a crepe with nutella from a street vendor and I sat in a little park behind Notre Dame, watching the people. There was a large Italian family sorting through souvenirs and a pair of young lovers strolled by, hand in hand. I could hear a street performer playing something French sounding on the accordion. It started to rain a little and I moved on.

As I crossed the bridge between the two islands, I saw the accordion player - an older gentleman with silver hair and great craggy laugh lines. I stopped to listen for a while - to soak it all in.

After a few minutes a pretty brunette with a short bob haircut walked by and - without missing a beat - the musician launched into the theme from the movie Amelie.

So there I was, standing in the rain on a bridge in Paris, laughing like a madman. The other tourists looked at me like I was nuts, but when I looked over at the musician he shot me a huge grin and a wink. I dropped a few Euros into his tray and moved on.

That's when I fell in love with Paris.

A few days later I was going the same way and I saw the same accordion player. As I passed by he asked if I wanted to hear "my song".

Posted by
57 posts

Looking and my daughters and granddaughter's faces when we saw the lights go on and twinkle at the Eiffel Tower for the first time.

Walking through the Republic Metro to transfer trains and hearing two opera singers. Boy did they draw a crowd and with the acoustics it was magic.

Posted by
213 posts

Oh Man! I'm sitting here at breakfast with my husband reading him your post and we both are laughing (we love Amelie). What a perfect moment...here's mine. While my husband was off traveling the country on business I was left for a week in Paris (my first trip abroad). I had a perfect time in all the art museums (former art teacher with no family there to hurry me along); for some reason I remember being particularly moved by some Degas sketches in a small room at the d'Orsay. But my 'Paris Moment' came when my husband returned our last day. We walked to Invalides/War Museum and after being in there for hours I sat on bench to watch some clips of a particular battle in WWII. A very old French man (craggy lines) came and sat next to me to watch. I noticed him tearing up a little so I started a conversation with my 10 words of French. Luckily he spoke English and explained to me that he'd been there. Well I sat for a long time while he brought the battle to life for me-Perfect.

Posted by
2030 posts

Nathan, I had a similar experience on that bridge this past January -- only a jazz quartet was playing. Many people, including families with kids in strollers, stopped to listen. Then I went over to the park behind Notre Dame and watched kids play, old people sitting and talking, etc. I took several pictures of the people -- since taking pictures of "typical" Parisians is one of my hobbies -- it was such a nice scene, with not many tourists around. It's one of my favorite areas of the city.
PS Don't tell anyone about this!

Posted by
80 posts

After a delicious dinner at Chez Clement, my wife and I strolled along the Seine to the Pont Neuf, where we caught a river cruise just at twilight. All along the river the lights would flicker on. As we approached la Tour Eiffel, it started to rain lightly. The rain interacting with the setting sun produced not one, but two rainbows over the tower. I was able to get a few photos to remind us forever of our good fortune.

Posted by
80 posts

OR, arriving early on a Sunday at Sacre Coeur and hearing the choir practice. Awe-inspiring to say the least.

Posted by
6 posts

Taking a night cruise along the Seine on Bateaux Parisienne and seeing the full moon rise over Notre Dame.