It made me want to cry. I was a France virgin up until March this year, but when a close friend spent a year studying in Paris I couldn't resist booking a flight and heading over there. I was excited, don't get me wrong, but as soon as I arrived I fell.in.love.
I've been to some amazing places - Sydney, the Cape Verde Islands, Canada...but none of these places captivated me in the same way that gay Paris did. Perhaps it was the company - my friend acted as an amazing tour guide, taking us to all the best tourist spots as well as cute bars and cafes that only true Parisienne would ever know about.
We spent hours walking all over the city, visiting the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, the Sacre Coeur, Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame. I'm not usually one for sightseeing but I was stunned by everything - walking into the Notre Dame took my breath away, as did standing underneath the Eiffel Tower.
And, on a different note, having had an amazing night in a nightclub on the Champs Elysees, walking to a taxi waiting outside Louis Vuitton with only the stars and the beams from the Eiffel Tower for light was just the epitome of chic.
But my favourite moment was climbing the hundreds of steps up the Arc de Triomphe at night, hands shoved into fists in my pockets, the cold whipping my face.
When we reached the top I felt like my legs were going to give way, but as we stood at the edge of the wall looking over the whole of the city gleaming beneath me, I felt goosepimples spread from head to toe. We waited until 9 o'clock on the dot when the Eiffel Tower lit up, flashing and sparkling over the whole of Paris and it felt like nothing and no one existed.
I'd had a fairly rubbish few weeks for various reasons but at that moment I felt completely content. And, every time I feel stressed or worried or upset, I look back over the photos and remember those emotions. I just cannot wait to go back one day :)
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