How could we describe the ‘City of Love’ as the ‘City of Tears’? But that’s what it was for us.
Paris in autumn is beautiful; the warm autumn breeze and balmy sunshine, the vibrant colours holding on to the trees as long as they can, the noisy streets alive with gay laughter everywhere as locals and tourists enjoy life with loved ones. And the smell of food, oh my gosh! Paris truly is a magnificent city and is known to many as the ‘City of Love’.
We were there for one reason. Ever since she was a little poppet our Grace wanted to visit Paris, in fact, she has always been Paris mad! Everything in her world had to be Paris; her duvet cover, the pictures on her walls, her pink poodle birthday party, her “Artists desk” – even the mention of French bread for lunch sent her singing “Ohh-la-la’s” around the house. You can imagine our little girl’s excitement as we arrived in Paris. We had high hopes that our visit would deliver everything in her dreams. And yet Paris was, to us, a “City of Tears’.
Don’t be alarmed, nothing bad happened and Paris exceeded Grace’s hopes many, many times over. Before I explain why Kathy and I spent 3 days wiping our eyes let me try and paint a picture of Grace. As parents Kathy and I were ecstatic with the continual excitement in our little girl’s face as she bounced from experience to experience.
I wish you could have seen her face when she first saw the Eiffel Tower, she jumped up and down (literally) for at least 10 minutes, much to her brothers embarrassment! Tears welled in her eyes (okay, mine too) as we saw it in all its glory, sparkling away at night lit up like a beacon of joy against the black of night, 20,000 lights twinkling like stars casting their light on our awestruck faces.
Even when we saw it the next day in daylight, the big metal monstrosity that it is, the jumping started again and she was beside herself with excitement. All day she kept saying to Kathy:
“Mum, I can’t believe I’m in Paris”
“Mum, I can’t believe I have touched the REAL Eiffel Tower”
“Mum, I can’t believe I am standing in front of the Louvre”
“Mum, I can’t believe I have seen the Mona Lisa”
“Mum, I can’t believe we are walking down a street in Paris”
“Mum, I can’t believe I am having dinner in Paris”
“Mum, I can’t believe I am looking at a cannon in Paris”
“Mum, I can’t believe………”
And to me (who did a few classes of French at high school):
“Daddy, how do you say……..”
“Daddy, how do you say……..”
“Daddy, how do you say……..”
“Daddy, how do you say……..”
ALL DAY!
Yes Folks, this seriously went on all day at any and everything we did and saw.
… here ends the preview… grab the book to read more….
