Dreaming in French: Why I Want to Revisit Paris

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Why I want to "Go With Oh" to Paris

The deadline for the “Go With Oh” spring blogger competition just ended (but make sure you check out their Web site for continued competitions and awesome prizes!!!), but my entry lives on in blog format: the story of a trip that was and the dream of a trip to be…


Je veux aller á Paris parce que j’adore française.

Last summer, I met the renowned City of Light for the first time; however, she must have been asleep.

On a quick five-city-stop trip with my mom, a short vacation between two years of teaching English at a German grammar school, Paris was by far my most anticipated destination, but it also disappointed me the most.

We spent the majority of our measly five hours in the French capital being bussed around, listening to our tour guide Michelle’s adorable accented English highlighting the attractions as we whizzed by:

“See, l’Arc de Triomphe…”

“See, le Muéee d’Orsay…”

“See, la Tour Eiffel…”

Grey on Grey: Tourists crowd in front of the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris on a dreary June day.  

Unfortunately, by the time we were deposited in front of the venerable Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris, its courtyard crowded by a bevy of international tourists vying to feed the flocking pigeons or marvel at the grey gothic-inspired arches and flying buttresses, the sky had taken on a matching shade of colorlessness, foreshadowing the rain that would darken our remaining hour’s stay in a city known for luminescence.

Slowly shuffling through the expansive cathedral, I paused to photograph spiral candle stands glowing under the magnificent rose-shaped stained glass windows, the muted shafts and flickering tea lights the brightest sparks we would see that day.

The two large rose-shaped stained glass windows opposite each other inside the cathedral tell the complete  story of the Bible: one window represents the Old Testament, the other the New Testament.

Not having enough time to discover the true brilliance of Paris and being stuck centrally in the most heavily tourist-populated locales made for a mediocre encounter with the city Hemingway raved over in A Moveable Feast. At the Eifel Tower, my mom and I made a mad dash down the green, umbrellas extended, to capture a few shots with the world-famous icon before our bus departed.

Despite the dreary day, the undoubtedly majestic details of the buildings we did see left me speechless, but my muteness notwithstanding, an important element – even more important than the lack of light – was missing from my mini-trip to France: French.

Since I was a little girl, I dreamed of learning French, fascinated by its lilting liaisons and curvaceous script. Nonetheless, when I reached high school and signed up for my first foreign language, French was sadly not on the proffered elective list. So I settled for German – a decision that would lead me, down the road, to my living situation of the last two years, a tiny town nestled in Germany’s hilly Harz region.

Childhood dreams die hard, though, and I embraced the chance this year to learn with the same students I teach. Graciously, the French teacher at my school agreed to let me attend biweekly classes with the eighth grade (If only we were as enthusiastic about starting language study earlier in the US), practicing my Merci’s and building the foundations of language use.

Therefore, I would love to revisit Paris, immersing myself fully in the grand City of Light awake and at her best, living locally in an apartment, not only to explore undiscovered corners of the city – sidewalk cafés, sprawling gardens, endless fashion and art – but to personally encounter the magic of French, a language that’s captivated me from the beginning but has thus far eluded my grasp.

My 5-point wish list for Paris

1. Breakfast in a different bakery every day to sample Pain au Chocolat. I would describe the results of each day’s delectable buttery chocolate treat, picking my favorite at the end of the trip. (Without a doubt, I’d check out Au Levain d’Antan and Le Grenier à pain, winners of the 2011 and 2010 best baguette award, respectively).
2. After finishing my delectable breakfast, I’d buy a baguette to go and spiral through the Parisian arrondissements, stopping at the open-air food markets, perhaps the Marché Bastille in the 11^th Arrondissement on Thursday or Sunday or the Marché d’Aligre on Tuesday through Saturday morning, to test my French with the vendors and purchase fresh cheese and meats for an afternoon picnic.
3. A visit to Paris wouldn’t be complete without taking in some art. Since the impressionist painters always interested me the most, the Musée d’Orsay is at the top of my list, with its collection including works by Monet, Renoir, and Degas. Tickets for 18-25 year olds cost a very reasonable €6.50, or if I time my visit right, I could visit for free on the first Sunday of the month.
4. During my stay, I plan to sample the famous Parisian dish Duck Confit, perhaps at Bouillon Chartier, a historical and tastefully decorated French brasserie with reasonable prices and typical everyday French cuisine.
5. However kitschy my last item may sound, what better way to experience Paris’s luminescence then by ascending the Eiffel Tower at night to gaze over the expanse of twinkling lights. The Skip the Line Sunset Eiffel Tower Tour is rather pricey at €50, but experiencing the top in a small group not exceeding 20 people and avoiding the hours-long wait at the bottom may be worth the money.

Wet but determined, my mom and I used our 15-minute stop at the Eiffel Tower to run
far enough  down this path to capture a full view of the well-known landmark. We
may have been a few minutes late back to the bus, but at least we got our pictures!

Read other great entries for the “Go With Oh” spring blog competition by checking out their Pinterest page. Happy Traveling!