by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: April 04, 2007   Last Updated: April 07, 2012

Paris really is the place to be in Spring. It's romantic, atmospheric and everything a person could want for that Spring break. Paris has a reputation to keep in the Springtime stakes, and by goodness it does it with style. A Spring break in Paris isn't expensive, especially for people that live in Europe, and I visit Paris every Spring, not seeking romance, but perhaps seeking that aspect of romantic sentimentalism that keeps me alive and loving my life. Streets filled with traffic don't seem the same as in other cities, because Paris made its streets wide and it's pavements and avenues so vast that you don't get that crowded in feeling that you do in cities elsewhere like London. What's the difference ?

The difference is that it is a city where you notice the sky, the daylight, and the architecture. In comparison, London fades into insignificance and really doesn't have that same feel. Having lived in London and visited Paris many times, the wideness of the avenues really does make a difference to the whole ambiance of Paris, and somehow the city people don't have that tired grey look that you see so much in London.

The street cafes are brimming with activity, and even if you are not active, people watching is amazing. Traditional Parisienne ladies dressed up to the nines, contrasted against the casual approach of the tourist. It's a metropolitan mixture that works.

Top that off with what Paris has to offer the tourist in the way of sites, and you really do have a Spring break to beat all others. A trip up the Eiffel Tower, a visit to the Louvre, Montmartre's proud domes in white against a blue sky, and the Arc de Triumph and Champs Elysees. The magnificent gardens that Paris offers are stunning, and visiting the Pierre Lechaise cemetery a delight, even though it sounds morbid. It really isn't. It is a hidden treasure trove of memories and famous names, in a park like environment of calm within the city.

Can you tell I love Paris? Does the enthusiasm come off the page towards you? It should. Paris in Spring is like life with air to breathe, coffee with cream. One is incomplete without the other, and the River Seine lies in the center of it all passing through and offering you views from the calm of a paniche (or river boat) and under bridges with old fashioned lanterns that light up the Spring evening.

Try it and you will never see Springtime in any other way.

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