O Is for Ooh-La-La (and P is for Paris)

Ooh-La-La! We're in Paris

If I was to choose my favorite city, besides New York where I've lived for almost fifty years, there is no question that it's Paris. I fell in love with Paris in 1958 when I went to see the movie, "Gigi." I had little comprehension of the theme of Gigi, which was not appropriate for an eight year old, but I loved the music, the clothes, and above all I loved the look of Paris. I started to study French four years later and part of our study included learning about the geography of France, especially Paris. What began so casually at the movies became a life-long relationship with beautiful Paris. 

In French, Ooh-la-la literally means "Oh, there." But it can mean so much more, both negative and positive -- Oh my, Oh boy or simply, Wow! My first trip to Paris was in 1966 and my most recent was last April. Over the years there have been eight trips between those two trips. I've had the good fortune to stay in a number of different neighborhoods and become more familiar with my favorite city. 

One of my all-time favorite views

One of my favorite places in Paris is the Cathedral of Notre Dame, on an island in the River Seine. Unfortunately it wasn't open to visitors when I was there last year, as it was still under (re)construction from the 2019 fire. Happily it reopened in December and, though I have no set plans, I'd love a return visit to see this landmark.

The Cradle by Berthe Morisot

Another favorite part of a visit to Paris is visiting museums. Yes, there are museums in New York, but Paris is a treasure trove. I had a wonderful visit at the Louvre -- Ooh-la-la! -- but also loved my visit to the Musee d'Orsay, home of the Impressionist paintings. The museum was once a train station that became a wonderful place to display an extraordinary collection of Nineteenth century paintings.

Besides the landmarks and museums, I love just wandering the streets of Paris. When I say wandering, it's not exactly wandering. I generally have a destination, but I like to leave a lot of time to get where I'm going and just enjoy what may be down the street and around the corner.  This quiet corner was around the corner from my hotel last year and it was a total surprise for me. The building on the left is the Church of Saint-Sulpice, which dates from 1646. To the right of the church is a lovely and quiet plaza, which was a perfect place to people watch and edit my pictures of Paris. Ooh-la-la, what a treat!

But it's not all walking and museums. There's cafe au lait and croissants and cafes everywhere, and more than a few called me in. For most of my stay last year I had a small kitchen and my breakfast was close to my usual menu of yogurt and cereal. But lunch was my big meal out and most days included a snack stop at a cafe. 

My cafe lunch after a visit to the Louvre

As much as I love Paris we have to say adieu and go on to our next A to Z Blogging stop half-way around the world. Our next stop on our world tour is "Q," and it's the site of one of my favorite travel adventures. Please join us to meet a beloved travel buddy. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care.