“To know Paris is to know a great deal.” – Henry Miller
“There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who has lived in it differs from that of any other.” – Ernest Hemingway
While I can’t say I “know” Paris anywhere near like a local or an expat writer like Miller or Hemingway, I feel very fortunate this is my fourth visit to the city. April 1997, June 2005, November/December 2016, and now September 2019. Everytime I come to Paris I fall more in love with the place.
This time it was 3 full days (4 nights) of admiring gorgeous architecture & charming streets, enjoying wonderful restaurants & cafes, and lots of long, rambling walks. On my last visit to Paris less than 3 years ago, J’Nell and I had a very detailed itinerary and we covered lot of sights in 2 weeks. This time around going inside churches, museums, or major attractions were not high on our list.
We went to one museum (to see Monet’s epic Water Lilly murals at Musée de l’Orangerie), and did make our way up to the top of the Eiffel Tower (we couldn’t not do that). And of course we viewed many of the iconic spots in the city on our long walks as we continue to prepare for our upcoming Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage. In 3 days (according to Fitbit) we did almost 75,000 steps and 36 miles.
I had a moment of clarity on our first night walking down from the Bastille district (we stayed at the Moxy there) through the Marais to the Seine, and it stayed with me the whole time in Paris. There just isn’t a better city anywhere in the world. I remember telling someone my thoughts on Paris after getting back from my 2016 visit and they wanted to know why I felt that way. It was hard to put into words back then, and I feel the same now.
Paris is more than its stunning architecture, interesting history, and rich culture. Its the feeling it gives you not only when you’re there, but long after you’ve gone. If you’ve never been, I hope you get to Paris soon. And if you have, I would love for you to leave a comment about your favorite moments there.
To close out this post as we make our way to St. Jean Pied de Port (the start of the Camino), here’s some photos that hopefully show why Paris, as Hemingway famously said, is a moveable feast ….
Lost in the Fog 
Awesome pics! We are following along here at the Aston, can’t wait to see more!
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Thanks! Glad you are following along on the trip! We did 16 miles yesterday over the mountains and will be posting about it soon. Hope all is well in Waikiki!
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I’ve just started reading your blogs, Michael, but I’m already taken aback by the pictures! I hope someday to visit Paris!
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Thanks, Marife! Hope you, Brandon, and everyone at the Ambassador are doing well!!
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Oh, Paris… Color me jealous. It has been YEARS since I was last there. On my last trip to Europe in 2019, I went with two friends, Erich and Ricki. I think Erich had been to Germany as a kid and briefly to London for work years later, but Ricki had never gone before. Both had their dream stops for the trip. Ricki really wanted to do London. So, for her, London became stop No. 1. Erich wanted to go to Florence—which became stop No. 2. They both wanted to go to Rome–stop No. 3. ALL of that was a big rerun for me. There were so many other places I wanted to explore–but I figured there’d be other times and I would accommodate my friends. Ricki was particularly scarred of being in Italy and not knowing the language. I assured her we’d have no problem–but, until she was there and saw for herself, she was freaked. I had two caveats for the trip. I had never been to and always wanted to see Pompeii and Herculaneum. So, we spent 2 days out of the trip going there and along the Amalfi Coast. I also more or less bailed out on London (where they speak English–so Ricki would not be so panicked) and went to Russia for a few days (leaving my friends behind). I would return to London with a few days to spare before we left for Florence. I really, really wanted to do a day trip to Paris via the Chunnel. Erich had never been and wanted to go too. Then, for whatever reason, we didn’t go. A week or so later, we were in Rome (?) and news of the fire at Notre Dame reached us. Oh man… I could have kicked myself for not going. (There were also some tiki bars I discovered were there! ARGH!) Another time, perhaps? That doesn’t look like it will be happening for me. Oh well. C’est la vie.
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That’s great you went to the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, and Russia on that trip … I’ve never been to any of those places and they are all on my list to visit!
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