I love Paris in the springtime, I love Paris in the fall...

I love Paris in the summer, when it sizzles. I love Paris in the winter, when it drizzles.

Sorry, got carried away. In case you didn't figure it out by now, I am in PARIS!!! No, not Paris, Texas. The one and only Paris, France. And oh does it feel wonderful to be back. Its like an old friend. Always welcoming, always friendly, always happy. Always the same and yet different everytime I come to visit.  I make no qualms about how much I love it here. It has always been, and will always be one of my favorite places in the world.

Yesterday, I had to say goodbye to the mountains. I didn't want to leave. But I had definitely had my fill of the mountains. So that wonderful mountain-girl feeling should last me a while. (I have no idea what that means either, just go with it.) I got on the train to Frankfurt (5 hour ride) and I realized about 1/2 way there that I forgot my macbook charger in the hotel room. Everyone say it with me now "FUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKK!". Yup, it was bad. How e'er, due to some macbook drama during my 1st few days in Germany, I remembered that there is an Apple Store in Frankfurt. WOO HOO! Not woo hoo, we weren't pulling into Frankfurt until 8ish on saturday night and Sundays EVERYTHING is closed. So I called up one of my roomies in Weimar and had her check out the times for me. Luckily, they closed @ 9. Ok, don't panic. I didn't. So, I got off the train, stored my luggage in the lockers (GOD BLESS THOSE LOCKERS! We need those in the US) and ran the .8 miles of streets to get there. Thankfully, I got there and they were SO NICE!!!! OMG!  God Bless you Apple! Talk about fantastic service all over the world. I will never ever ever buy a PC again.

Anyway, this morning I woke up from my hotel in Frankfurt for the night. I couldn't work out a schedule where I could take the train directly to the airport and fly out. The schedule just didn't work. So, overnight in Frankfurt.  Woke up, ate breakfast and off to the airport!

Paris is only an hour away. 50 mins by plane, actually! And dirt cheap if you book early enough! I got to the airport, got a visitor's pass and hopped on the train to the city. Took about an hour. It was overcrowded. Sundays tend to be like that. But I got to Pigalle and realized where I was. In Monmartre. Which is where the "real" Paris is. All the red light district areas and tiny hotels and crazy people. However, at the same time, its sort of Posh. Its very safe at night now. My hotel is literally 2 blocks down from Moulin Rouge. :)  Its very artsy. Monmartre is known for its inspiring corners and alleys. Picasso loved it here.

My hotel is tiny, and kind of gross and exactly what you expect the "real" Paris to be like. No frills. And I love it. I don't know why, but I do. I mean, its TINY. I'm not exaggerating. Its fantastic. The front desk has 2 "house" cats that sit at the desk the whole day. Just lazing about. I love fluffy kitties! I already want to take one home with me! Its more of a hotel actually. Which is fine. The bathroom is miniscule and there is like 1 tiny shower for 20 people. That will be interesting. But again, I don't care! I love it!

So to re-acclimate myself with the city, and since it was getting kind of dark out, I went to the first place that I could think of that would look nice at night.  La Tour Eiffel. God, its magnificent. It just is. There were TONS of tourists. Which I found interesting. I was here a few years ago during the fall and there weren't 1/2 as many people as there were today. Maybe cuz it is a weekend? I'm not sure. But I slogged my way through the tourists, found a creperie and sat down on the ground in the park. This was interesting because I've never seen the grass in the park open for the public to meander on before. I loved it. People sitting, sharing wine, admiring the view. Seeing people's faces when they see the tower is entertaining. I can appreciate the awe. It is incredible.

Love is everywhere here. Its everywhere you look. In every person, in every sight to see. Its called the city of love for a reason. It is infectious and delicious. And kind of bittersweet.

Paris is special. And I don't mean special ed. There is just something about it. It is difficult to describe. Its unlike anywhere else in the world. I guess you can say that about most places, but everytime I come here I get a warm homey feeling that makes it different. A sense of belonging. I don't really know why people hate the French people. In my travels, I have found the Germans to be fare more gruff and the Italians to be far more rude. The French can actually be quite warm, if you don't act like a moron, that is. I mean, we all hate it when tourists don't speak our language. I know I do! Anyway, this city is incredible. There is beauty everywhere you look. The history of this place is intriguing. We don't have this sort of history in America. That is true for all of Europe, really.

I love it here. I really do. I was a little apprehensive about coming here due to financial things and things at home in the US. But I know now that it was absolutely the right thing to do. I needed it. Its good for the soul. I can't wait to re-discover Paris. :)