First: I'm not an expert on Paris. I've been there only twice in my life. But as anybody who has ever been to Paris will tell you, it leaves an indelible impression on you.
While Rome is earthy and ancient, Paris is lofty and grand.
While New York is loud and crowded, Paris is soft-spoken and expansive.
Paris (rather stereotypically, I know) is like Coco Chanel, reclining on her settee, smoking a cigarette and wearing multiple strands of pearls. Effortlessly chic.
One day in Paris, I took a ride on the gigantic ferris wheel (Roue de Paris) in the Place de la Concorde, along with three other friends who were fully outfitted with cameras and gear. As the ride went round and round, we were all changing lenses, loading and unloading film, aiming our cameras in every direction. It was a comical sight, this photographic frenzy! Instead of just sitting back and enjoying the ride, we were taking full advantage of the stunning aerial views of the city, snapping away like paparazzi on steroids.
Because here's the thing: Paris is a multifaceted jewel. It changes from every angle, and you feel lucky just to capture a few flashes of its magnificence.
The photograph below is one that I've had framed in my home since 2001, and it's the first image that comes to my mind when I think of Paris. (Well, maybe right after the Eiffel Tower.)
This is the Monument à la République, rising out of the bustling traffic in central Paris. I remember the exact moment when I snapped it. I was in Paris for the wedding of two good friends, and a big bunch of us who had flown over the Atlantic for the event were bumbling around the city with our cameras--typical tourists! But this dramatic statue stopped me right in my tracks. (In fact, it was a close shave not getting plowed down by a taxi as I took the picture!) I loved how that big, billowing cloud so beautifully framed this strong and victorious woman.
It wasn't until later that I found out the story behind the statue. Without getting too "high school history teacher" on you (because my goodness, I'm so far from that), I'll just say that before the French Revolution, public statues were typically Greek or Roman gods and goddesses--lofty heroes and heroines, standing for unattainable ideals. But this statue was created to represent an "ordinary" French woman of the time--called "Marianne" after a popular name of the era. She represents the people of France and their values: Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood.
Quite simply, she represents the freedom and spirit of the French people.
So that's what I've been thinking about this past week, when the news from across the Atlantic became too much to bear. Paris is--and always will remain--beautiful, magnificent, but most of all, free.
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