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Writer's pictureEyomy Etogawa

The city of love (day II)

I woke up the next day in a nicely scented room, the smell of Paris. Maybe that was too much but I woke up in good mood. A good night sleep and a nice breakfast can not not fix anything. I was still kinda tired from the day before so I requested to have the breakfast served to my room. Well why not, as when I opened the curtains I had a lovely veranda with the most exquisite view you could lay your eyes on.

I sat down with my breakfast over my schedule for the day which I tried to fit as much as possible, which after the first day I know it wasn't humanly possible, but that aside I was so looking up to my tonight treat.

Since the first day was busy with the most famous Parisian landmarks, I decided to explore the famous gems and have a slightly relaxed day.

I decided to take the metro which didn't turn out to be a very bad experience specially that this was my first time ever. I had to walk a little from a place to place and I changed the metro lines twice.


My first stop for the day Le Jardin Du Luxembourg.

I didn't know that a place in the world could have such beautiful gardens and I didn't know how much I needed to go there as much as I felt at that moment. Walking around, sitting on the chairs from time to time, enjoying the view, the lake, the flowerbeds, the model sailboats, the fountains and sometimes the people. I had a very chill our morning, here check the beauty of the garden yourself. (A small side note, while exploring in this link use the white arrows to wander around, don't click on the blue arrow,it takes you to another place).

I took my sweet time there, there was even someone playing a villon somewhere in the garden, searching for him with just the sound was like walking in a maze.

The thought of my next destination was amusing to me, I was heading to a mosque.

Another taxi, it wasn't that far, less than 10 minutes ride. The beauty of the churches in this city made me doubt the existence of any equally beautiful mosques(or the existence of any at all). It wasn't as ancient as the churches but that didn't take away any of its magic. The Grande Mosquée De Paris was built between the 18-19 hundreds and entering there was epic. Roaming around the marvelous gardens and the colorful corridors, walking into the library, the rooms and the prayer hall and of course I wouldn't let this special opportunity slip through my fingers. I had to do my prayer there. There was that question again, what's with this city and ceilings?!

Everywhere, this mosque had me looking all around myself, from the greenery to the illusion of walking on the water, between fountains to the beautiful tapestries on the walls, the details on the columns and ceilings.

After all of those walks I was starving and thirsty. I thought that my trip there was brought to its' end when I was hit by the fact of the existence of a bath aka Hammam, spa, massage, restaurant, and a tea house. Mesdames et Messieurs, Ladies and Gentlemen, that was my treat before my treat. Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared at all for the Hammam experience so I had to sadly pass on that but no way I was searching for somewhere else for tea and lunch.

My lunch took me somewhere else, suddenly I was in Morocco and another sudden thing I was hit with, the mosque architecture might also be Moroccan and indeed it was.

Now that my morning and early afternoon journey sadly came to its end, I headed back to my hotel for a shower and a dramatic change of outfit for my long waited treat.

I knew I had to pack something extra nice for some reason. I didn't know back then that I'd be going to watch a ballet show at the one and the only Palais Garnier Opéra National De Paris,,, uuuuh what a treat.

What could possibly be more perfect than that, I was going to go on a tour in the palace before the show, I really hoped that the high heels that I was wearing wouldn't get in the way as I was so determent to enjoy every second of my visit there.

The Opera tour, epic? That word doesn't even describe how it was lovely, charming and dreamy as much or even more than every thing I saw up until this point and the show didn't even start.

The place there,, let me get lost in your love. The art,,, the ceiling is from somewhere else outside of our world, the very very fine details sent shiver down my spine, it was as if I was looking from 100 floors high building feeling (and from that moment, that was an official feeling). It felt like the costumes behind the glasses were alive and moving, I could see them dancing. I was emotionally exhausted and the show hadn't even started, or rather I hadn't entered the main hall yet. But before heading to there where the show was held I had to visit the museum and boy oh boy, after my little visit I couldn't wait to see the show. The museum/ library wasn't disappointing at all and there was a gift ship at its end but that was something for after the show.

The ballet show I chose to attend was 'ROMEO AND JULIET', surprised?

Of course not! What a fair maiden would watch in The City Of Love much more perfect than that!

The balcony seats were more than tempting and my determination to enjoy every last bit of that made me make my decision. I was swayed, fired, emotional, heated and was on the verge of tearing up (maybe some tears escaped but no one noticed).

I love this play for a special reason (thanks to someone specific) and seeing it with ballet, without words made me much more emotional.

That day wasn't as busy as the first day but I enjoyed every second of it as much, maybe even more than the first one.

See you on my third and last day of the trip.




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