With the realisation hitting me of being the only (slight exaggeration) person left in my friendship group not going to Europe this Winter, I feel a little lost. Travel has always been my ‘thing’, something I have strived to do every few months. It’s something I feel I need and want. The act of uncovering raw and untouched beauty in the world around me makes me happy. So since I am not going, I have begun to relive my past trip. And whoa the memories are flooding in thick and past.
There was one day in Paris, France that was almost magical. I have dreamed about Paris since I was a little kid, the allure of love and lights is always hard to resist, but for me there was also the culture, so poised and dignified, the champagne and fancy wine, the clothes and fashion, so elegant and classic. My friends and I had decided to wander around the city that day on foot, to really explore what Paris had to offer. It was my first day of being the ‘tour’ guide, but I can’t read maps to save my life so we found ourselves in this quaint little garden located god knows where. The air was so fresh and crisp, a slight chill to the weather but nice nonetheless, the grass was green and carpeted the ground making it soft underfoot, rows of perfectly planted flowers and small trees flourished under the soft kiss of the sun. Sunflowers bloomed from the earth, their yellow faces turned towards the sky, little white flowers shrouded the earth below, creating a splash of colour between the dark green leaves. There were orange flowers, red flowers and even purple and blue flowers. If fairies were to exist, they would be dancing along the stems and flitting from flower to flower. The faint lullaby of birds sung in the background and wooden seats sat at the end of each row forcing the people sitting to marvel at the rows of flowers. It was picture-perfect. Yet it was also an experience you don’t get in your ‘to-do-list’ of Europe, moments like these aren’t written into your Guide to Paris book, these are moments you get from exploring, from getting lost and seeing something new.
madeleinecurby 