Oooh La La!

Ok, so I can't tell you how long I have wanted to go to Paris. Being a photographer, and one that photographs love, it's like the holy grail. Desiree was there before we met and was so exited to go back. Unfortunately we had less than a day there to walk her streets and see the sites that make Paris the city of love. We found something while we were there; if you want to see the essence of Paris, get out of the taxi, out of the subway, away from the touristy spots and go for a walk.
We walked the same cobblestone pathways along the river as generations of Parisians. We saw the huge rusted rings that held the ropes that kept boats docked tightly. We put our hands in the deep grooves the rings made in the stones from hundreds of years of wear from boats tied to them moving back and forth up and down with the river.
We watched couples, the young ones with the fiery passion of young love, sitting on the steps along the river, kissing like it was their fist time.
We also watched the older couples, slowly walking along the river, hand in hand, glancing at those younger couples and smiling at each other with that quiet understanding that years of that deep love brings.
We sat in the park under the statues of Greek gods and famous artists watching young children pushing their boats across a fountain as the raindrops fell, hitting the water like little toy cannon balls attacking the little boats.
Though we did only have the briefest of time there, I think we were able to see and feel the essence of Paris.

I am so excited for our next trip, whenever that might be.