Last Saturday my family and I ventured to Paris, as a 16th birthday treat to me. I can't really comprehend how lucky I feel to have gone last week, six days later and I would have been affected by the terrorist attacks on Friday the 13th, which were utterly horrendous. I have thought long and hard about what this post's purpose will be, I had previously planned to make a photo diary of my trip until the attacks struck. After sleeping on the thought, I've realised that Paris is still the beautiful city I saw last week, and its beauty should be encouraged. I refuse to alter my memories because of some sickening individuals, Paris is a fabulous city which didn't deserve any of the terrors that it received on Friday.
As of last week, I had never taken the Eurostar, so this was a whole new experience in itself. I am still unable to get my head around how you can travel from London to Paris in under two hours, which in fact flew by as I found looking out at the French countryside fascinating.
We stayed in an exceptionally beautiful hotel, called La Demeure. My parents surprised me by booking a cinema suite, however as we were only in Paris for 20 hours, the film consumption was minimal. All the same, I would recommend this hotel; everything was immaculate and felt a lot more expensive than it actually was.
Paris is a city full of memorable views, every building screams uniqueness. Walking along the Seine gave me an insight of Paris' beauty and the little things I'd never notice without visiting. For example, how fascinating it is that Notre Dame itself is built on an island on the Seine. The weather was a factor which impacted how much I enjoyed the city, the first photo on the second row shows a pharmacy sign alerting people of the 22 degrees heat which surrounded us- crazy for November!
What would a trip to Paris be without shopping? It simply wouldn't be a trip to Paris! We trekked for well over an hour to Galeries Lafayette (I would recommend the Metro, especially if you are stupid enough to wear heels like me). I must say that the long walk was incredibly worth it, I have never set foot in such a exquisite shopping centre. Sorry Selfridge's, but your window displays simply do not compare to the French! The only thing I failed to realise was that everything within the walls of the paradise were exceptionally expensive, so it was no surprise when I ended up purchasing only one make up item (expect a review very soon).
To end the perfect day, we explored the city from another angle: up the Eiffel Tower. This attraction itself is astounding, nothing can quite compare. What's more is that when we reached level two, we were presented with the sincere enjoyment of watching a man propose to his girlfriend, which was rewarded with surrounding smiles and applauses.
I would like to reiterate my sorrows for any unlucky individuals who were involved with the terrorist attacks on Friday. My heart goes out to the city, and I pray that such asinine acts refrain from happening again. Paris is not a city which deserves barbaric violence, it's rightful traits should remain at beauty and romance.
Mankind must put and end to war before war puts and end to mankind. #prayforparis
