Paris: La Fin

After having done my business with Notre-Dame de Paris -- my feet tired from the four-hour walking tour that started at the bus station at Porte Maillot -- I was now looking to set my sights on the grand Avenue des Champs-Élysées: the penultimate stop on this seven-and-a-hour Parisian tour.

Champs-Élysées, according to Wikipedia, is "widely regarded to be one of the most recognizable avenues in the world." When I arrived at the eastern tip of the busy boulevard, I was surprised at how wide, how busy and how colorful it was. It reminded me a little bit of Cebu City's own Osmeña Boulevard, albeit much more expansive and -- from the looks of it -- much more expensive.

I remember -- as I was strolling on the northern side of the avenue -- being amazed at all the lights that emanated from all the night signs from the shops, restaurants and theaters. I think, somewhere deep inside, I felt a little bit like Ewan McGregor's wide-eyed character, Christian (from the film Moulin Rouge): filled with awe and fascination of finally being in the French capital's famous avenue. It was just such a pity that I didn't have the wisdom then to make plans to stay longer in Paris so I could have visited other locales like Montmarte, where the actual Moulin Rouge sits close by.

Nevertheless, the few minutes I spent walking and gawking while on Champs-Élysées was an experience that I believe I've rehearsed and repeated a lot in my mind in my yesteryears. The actual experience of it I can only describe as magical.

Finally, the last tour stop on this trip was looming on the horizon in front of me: the Arc de Triomphe. It was already about ten o'clock at night when I reached the western tip of the Champs-Élysées, where the arc stands majestically, but there were still quite a few tourists taking pictures with and of the monument. This part of Paris reminded me again of something from my hometown of Cebu: the roundabout. The arc is situated in the midst of a huge roundabout, which made it a bit tricky for me to get a picture with it (I didn't want to get hit by a speeding automobile while trying to take a selfie).

I have but one 'decent' selfie with the arc as evidence of my presence there. As with my memories of this night tour of Paris, some of my photos really do not do justice to the City of Lights and Love. However, I believe I have witnessed, experienced, sampled and took in just enough of Parisian night life to whet my travel taste buds for another go: a much longer and more satisfying incursion next time.

Paris was one of my dream travel destinations for as long as I can remember. It still is... and even more so now that I've been there and done that.

Precisely seven hours and a half.

Approximately 14 kilometers.

Ecstatically piqued.

Totally appreciated.

Gratefully enjoyed.

"Dans une grande âme tout est grand."

Blaise Pascal

- FIN -