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PARIS
It is impossible not to fall in love with Paris. The
city's people are stylish and flirtatious, its
architecture seductive, its restaurants and nightlife
devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and its streets are
scattered with dreams.
There is no 'best time' to visit Paris; in every season
the city is always alive. Summer days are spent lazing
on the banks of the Seine, sipping coffee at a sidewalk
café, or idling in one of the city's many gardens or
forests. In autumn afternoons the brisk walk from the
Eiffel Tower through the Parc du Champ de Mars and up to
the glittering Champs Elysées is accompanied with a
carpet of leaves crunching underfoot. Winter nights
induce a warm glow ice-skating in the outdoor rink at
the Hotel de Ville, and in spring the passions of
performers fill the air outside the Pompidou Centre and
the nose is tickled with the subtle scents of flowering
gardens.
There is an otherworldliness to this city, where beauty
and elegance are favoured over purpose and practicality.
Centuries of urban development have the appearance of
having being mastered by a single hand with a strong
sense of balance, contrast and aesthetics. The views
from the Eiffel Tower or Sacré Coeur reveal hundreds of
iconic attractions for the snapshot visitor, but the
best way to see this city is by tucking your map back in
your pocket and allowing yourself to get lost on its
streets and avenues, discovering the city for yourself.
However long you spend in Paris, on departure you will
know you are sure to return. |
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