Features > General > The Magic of Paris
A city with an almost mythic image, the city of light, love, and leisure conjures up dreams of romantic walks along the Seine, delicious food in charming cafes, the elegance and mystery of centuries long-gone. While Paris's many nooks and crannies can take years or even decades to fully explore, here are five moments, foods, streets, sights, and “aspects” of Paris to help encapsulate its magic.
1) Cafes at a Sidewalk Cafe
They may be expensive – in Parisian cafes, you're paying for real estate, not food – but the afternoon coffees sipped on cafe-terraces throughout Paris are the staple of the Parisian experience. The Parisian tradition of intellectual conversation, heated philosophical discussion, and “flanerie” (urban people-watching) all comes down to the Paris that passes you by – or sits alongside you – as you consume that single cup of coffee. Expect to pay 2 euro for a plain expresso and 4 for a “cafe creme,” with steamed milk.
2) The Panorama from Sacre Coeur
The confectionary opulence of Sacre Coeur is of course a sight not to be mist, but the view from the top of the Butte Montmartre is a destination in and of itself. This hilltop vista shows you the best of Paris: the sloping elegant buildings of the Right Bank, the winding streets of the Marais, the Seine below, the spires of Notre Dame and that iron tower – the Tour Eiffel. Take the funicular up the hill, or wander Montmartre's picturesque streets.
3) Walking On the Seine Riverbank
It's romantic and cliche, but essentially timeless. The cobblestoned paths along the Seine river are a perfect place to walk, talk, hold hands, and watch the riverboats go by. Perhaps stop at a traiteur – a takeout place – to buy a roast chicken, or some bread and cheese, for a riverside picnic: an option as inexpensive as it is scenic.
4) The Luxembourg Gardens
These gorgeous manicured gardens in the Sixth Arrondissement represent the ideal in Parisian elegance: geometric floral-beds, subtle color arrangements, and placid manmade ponds. There is also a playground and marionette show for the children, as well as some of the best crepes in Paris at the garden's outdoor cafe La Buvette des Marionnettes, named for its proximity to the marionette theatre.
5) “Bonjour, Madame”
Formality and courtly elegance are still at the heart of the French social system. When you enter a shop or restaurant, expect to be greeted with “Bonjour (or Bonsoir), Monsieur/Madam/Mademoiselle,” and to be address with the formal pronoun “vous,” rather than the more informal “tu.” (The verb is “vousvoyer”) Lest the intricacies of the French social code prove more daunting than those of Versailles, however, just remember – as long as you offer a “Bonjour/Bonsoir Monsieur/Madame/Mademoiselle” of your own, you can't go too far wrong.)
By Tara Isabella Burton
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