I have only been there once and was probably too young to really care about all the historical information the tour guide was feeding our brains with. I was in a country foreign to me and I was interested in absorbing the aesthetics more than the facts. I would rather have roamed around the city, sat by the cafe, took pictures, and people watched.
Before I've stepped foot in Paris, the only thing I associated it with is probably the Eiffel Tower. If you asked me then, I would have probably described the French as beret-and-striped-shirt-wearing people who prefer their wine red. But ask me again and I will tell you that the best thing about this deemed romantic city is not the famous tower nor the people's fashion sense.
It's that little cafe just around the corner. It's the aroma of that cup of strong espresso you can smell blocks away. And it's that French music being played in the background by an accordionist, sans the beret and striped shirt.
This is what will make you fall in love with Paris.
This is how I will always remember Paris.
Of all the places I've been to, it will always be the city I fell in love with. And even though I don't get to experience Paris everyday, I'm glad to know that it only takes one song to take me back down memory lane.
I recently bought the CD Paris, one of the the numerous titles of Putumayo's, whose vast collection features practically every city famously known for its music (New Orleans Jazz, Mississippi Blues, Samba Bossa Nova, et cetera).
Putumayo CD's transport you to other worlds. Hit play and surely you would feel like you have travelled thousands of miles and you're basking in another man's culture. Only cheaper.
Whenever I listen to Paris and French Cafe (my first Putumayo purchase), it's as if I'm back in France and I'm imagining myself sipping my cup of cafe au lait.
It really is true what they say about the nostalgic effect of music.
So do what I do on those days you long for the mystery and excitement of a foreign country: Pour yourself a hot cup of coffee. Insert that Putumayo disc in your player. Sit back and relax.
It may not be as good as the real thing, but it sure does come close. :)
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