It was Christmas morning and Paris was not our destination, but it was where we were. The passage was less money to travel on a holiday and cheaper still with a many-hour layover. These were the days before our son and the idea of saving a few bucks in exchange for extra hours in an airport was a no-brainer. We took a train knowing we had to be back at the airport a few hours later. This was the background to my first visit to Paris. Our flight put us in the city with the sunrise. Outside it was cold and windy, but it was clear and sunny. Between the temperature, the date, and the hour, Paris opened to me as a metropolis with no people. We rushed from one photo opportunity to the next famous location, rarely crossing with a dog walker or solitary wanderer. It is possible to argue this city has done more to teach the world to love life than any other. That morning our thoughts were full of that view and somehow this rare perspective of its dehumanized streets made the museum-like setting that much more beautiful. That strange morning Paris overwhelmed my high expectations. It was a place of beauty. Are you among the lucky who have met France’s capital?
