Ah, the Paris Air Swing. Unfortunately, I was solo on this expedition (I say unfortunately because I knew my mother would never believe I actually went on it), but I did have the clear mindedness to snap this photo so I could look back and feel very proud of (predominately) overcoming my fear of heights.
Fear of heights? Come now, if I can take a ride on a swing that literally feels like it’s about to eject me out and beyond the skies of Paris, I can do anything. Though all I could think while we were going round and round in circles was, what a perfectly fine and suitable way to go (in the untimely event it was my time to depart). I couldn’t think of a more breathtaking sight to take in, should I leave this world.
Oh, la Cremerie. How I loved this charming store. It so looks like the quintessential local Parisian wine stop – lest you be fooled by the word cremerie, in which case, as some American tourists thought, it was a creamery store (good thing I was there to clue them in before they committed a major faux-pas – besides, what the hell is a creamery store anyway? Do we have these? Is this a very stupid question that I should feel embarrassed for posing?). It was a couple shops down from our hotel, also located on the Rue des Quatre Vents.
Who can’t not like a street name that translates to “the street of four winds”. This is partly how I chose our hotel (the other part was that it was literally the only one that wasn’t complet, i.e. full). And it met my requirement of being in the 6th Arondissement. I have a preference to the 6th – my personal favorite and suggestion for anyone visiting the City of Lights. Everything was within close walking distance. The bridges, gardens, churches … you name it, it’s right there.
La Porte de Mars. Aka, the Mars Gate. Or the Mars Door, as I called it, since “porte” really is “door”, not gate in French, but you know how languages translate … this was my highlight in Reims – okay, besides the cathedral, but let’s face it – I referred to everything as a highlight, amazing , incredible and breathtaking – if only I could have come up with more descriptive words in the English language to use. You can imagine how difficult the verbal section of the SAT was for me.
This dates back to the 3rd or 4th century and is said to have been erected by Remi in honor of Augustus (as in the first emperor of the Roman Empire – I say all this more for my benefit than yours – I can’t keep all the Caesars and rulers and gods and whatnots straight, they all blend into one historical name mesh in my mind). It was truly breathtaking – there I go again, still using my same old words – to witness such an architectural feat and to close my eyes and picture this gate as entering the Roman roads, and the gateway to Roman life. I have such a fascination with the Romans. Another great thing about this trip — it was such a melange of my French meet Roman past lives trip.
And here I am, saying: NFW, holy &^%$#@! &^*$. In total complete shock amazement. 