Flipping through the enormous and spectacular 15th anniversary issue of InStyle Magazine (Sept/2009) I was thrilled to see a short write up on five reasons Marc Jacobs loves Paris. His ideas were simple but it was clear he truly loves Paris and knows the city well. He mentioned things like window shopping, not having to rush, and the cliches like cancan boots and the music of Edith Piaf. It got me thinking that it would be fun to try to do the same for my love of Paris - finding my top five reasons for adoring the city. So here goes:
1) Parisians still appreciate the idea of quality versus quantity. You can find the very best of the best at a best of the best price and I am not just talking about how the rich live. In Paris even the most average income can afford some of the finer things in life. Do a bit of research to find the latest best baguette winner and you will have the most delicious bread you have ever tasted for under a $1.50. Order a cup of cafe creme at a local bistro and you will get a coffee that is far above Starbuck's quality for a much more reasonable price. Parisians take pride in what they create and luckily you are often the one to benefit with each purchase you make in the city of lights.
2) In the travels that I have done so far, Paris is hands down the most glorious city in the world for a walk. Paris is not just the Eiffel Tower, The Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre, she is a city that is made up of quaint neighborhoods and historic corners. You can walk every inch of the 20 arrondisements (neighborhoods) that make up Paris and you will never be at a lack for amazing things. The diversity is truly surprising and the pockets of foreign cultures within the city limits was one of the things that charmed me most when I moved to Paris twelve and a half years ago.
3) A sense of creativity is alive everywhere. Of course Paris is known for its fashion, food and art but the creativity does not end there. Parisians just seem to know that they can get away with creating outside of the box and so they do. Everything from TV commercials, to magazines to city parks seems to sing of individuality and uniqueness. This creativity seems to have a spill over effect and when you are in Paris you too somehow begin to see things with a new perspective, with new possibilities.
4) I must agree with Marc Jacobs on the cliche ideas. The boats that cruise the River Seine, the street vendors with their charming green boxed selling areas, the smell of crepes cooking on nearly every street corner, walking home with baguette and a bottle of wine in hand...these are all typical images we associate with Paris but they are so much a part of life here that it would be a shame to pass them over.
5) Paris is my second home. Though the United States will always be home to me. Paris has welcomed me in with open arms. There have been challenges along the way but each step has helped me to test myself and to grow in the process. This amazing city has allowed me to blossom into someone that I am not sure I could have become had I stayed on safe and known territory. For that I will always be grateful.
If you have not visited Paris yet, make it a goal to do it in your lifetime. When you do go, don't just go on the tourist route but allow yourself a few days to wander the streets and to taste the life of a true Parisian. I promise you it will open your eyes not only to a Paris you probably didn't know but to a you that you may not have known as well.
To your Fabulously Spirited Style,
- Dawn Z Bournand www.fabulouslysuccessful.com
Click here to read more of Dawn's posts.
I couldn't agree more! Can't wait to take my kids someday as well! Thanks for a taste of Parisian life. Bonjlur!
Posted by: Shawn Becklund | September 11, 2009 at 11:21 AM