An evening in Paris is a glittering landscape of monument-lined boulevards, flea markets, museums, bistros and boutiques. These are now amalgamated by a new hub of artists’ corners, creative wine bars, and design shops. Whilst some may feel that Paris is a disappointing and an ageing old lady in the afternoon, the same lady transforms into a diva during the evening when the lights illuminate the once upon a time wonder of the world Eiffel Tower.
Experience the Eurostar
Whilst frequent flights operate from London Heathrow to Paris-Charles De Gaulle, hopping on to the Eurostar and crossing the English Chanel is an experience in itself. Operating from London’s Kings Cross St. Pancras, the train takes you to Paris Gare du Nord with ticket prices starting from as cheap as £50 per person.
A city for romantics
The city that professes love across every lock on the bridge is home to Arc de Triomphe guarding the glamorous avenue des Champs-Élysées. It guards the Notre Dame cathedral which also hosts the point zero. Myth has it that when one stands in the middle of the circular point zero and wishes for something then it may come true. Some also believe that all distances from that point are measured equally and if you step on that circle then you are bound to return to the city.
But besides Notre Dame, is Montmarte and Basilique du Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart Basilica), a trek on the hillside and a place of pilgrimage for romantics as well as the religious. This place is particularly enchanting during the evening when it paints the city in hues of rose gold sunsets that bleed into the illuminating lights of the city’s downtown. If you are a romantic wanting to lounge to some blues, then this might be the perfect spot to spend the evening at.
If you happen to be an art connoisseur, then you can also admire works by the painter Delacroix in the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay or the much renowned Mona Lisa at these museums.
But if one is travelling to the city during Spring, then perhaps, one may want to spring down to Jardin du Luxembourg. Napoléon dedicated the 23 gracefully laid-out hectares of the Luxembourg Gardens to the children of Paris. Dozens of varieties of apples grow in the orchards in the gardens’ south, while bees have produced honey in the nearby Rucher du Luxembourg since the 19th century. This city wafts with art almost in every corner. The 1977-opened Centre Pompidou brings together galleries and cutting-edge exhibitions, hands-on workshops, dance performances, cinemas and other entertainment venues, with street performers and fountains outside. The Musée National d’Art Moderne, France’s national collection of art dating from 1905 onwards, is its main draw.
But if you enjoy morbid humour then perhaps, you might want to skip to the Les Catacombes. The skull- and bone-lined underground tunnels are perhaps, the city’s most macabre sight.
Paris is one of the world's great art repositories, is at the forefront of international trends, with Parisian fashion highlighting the emerging and established designer boutiques and flagship haute couture houses. And apart from Renoir, Rodin, Picasso, Monet, Manet, Dalí and Van Gogh, Paris also boasts of Parisian cheese.
