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Buildings of Paris 2

I just realized that every time I visit a place, I land up taking a zillion photos of the architecture, design and symmetry of the buildings and neighborhoods. If I visit a place again, I make it a point to revisit some of the neighborhoods I previously visited, to keep the memory alive. This time, the only neighborhood I could revisit was Chatillon, where my sister was previously living and which I had walked around a lot in last year. It was surreal. Seasons had changed, foliage had shrunk, everything felt damp from the incessant drizzling, but the magic remained.

I landed up walking an average of 15k steps every day for more than week. I was able to discover churches, parks, gardens, commercial centers/shopping malls, quiet residential areas, quiet lanes filled with quaint art galleries, busy tourist areas, small lanes that open to main roads along the river Seine - but I probably would have only seen 1/10th of the city of Paris.

Some of the areas that I got to walk by this time - Montparnasse, the Latin quarters, St Germain des Pres, Chatelet, Faubourg St Germain, Montrouge, and of course, in and around arrondissement 1 and 7.
I also sat by the river and read, every now and then a gust of wind would blow, and I would adjust my scarf around me.




I've heard so often that Paris is the romantic city, and I always thought of this as a love between couples. But I now wonder, I think it's more than romance. Love for one's city, to walk the same lanes every day, with your dog, cat, friend, lover. Love for the centuries old buildings, an architecture and a soul that you just can't ignore. 

While in Paris, a friend asked me if Dubai had a soul. I think yes, having lived here for so long the city grows on you. For a first timer, someone who spends only a couple of days and views only glass, steel and concrete, the soul will not be evident. But in Paris, even for someone who has only a long layover in Paris and decides to walk an hour along literally any route, the soul could be felt - buildings 200-300 years old standing poised in neighborhoods filled with similar buildings, churches dating back to the 17th century and some universities even older.

Even the newer buildings built in the last few decades blend right in, not changing a thing.






The iconic Louis Vuitton building, this was right by the Seine.

I bought some real cute souvenirs from here, not the usual magnets.





So many perfect bricks and chimneys.


The rain added a very interesting backdrop to the already beautiful architecture, it all looked like a scene out of a 60s movie, with little color. But then you see a Yamaha motorcycle whooshing by, and you're brought back to the present.

That pink building.


As you go walking, every time you think, ah this is good spot for a groceries store, you will find one - most likely a franprix. Every corner in every neighborhood.




As you go towards the periphery of Paris, the buildings with their lovely-to-walk in lanes give way to homes and charming narrow lanes with tiny almost indiscreet gardens. The view of these rooftops in the forefront with the backdrop of taller buildings captures the city well in my eyes.

Nature in Paris in February

To experience the same city in different seasons is a lovely experience. Even though I'm not a fan of winter, I spent a little over a week in Paris in February of 2024. It was overcast, drizzling, raining, windy and all of this while being between 5 and 10 degrees, a stark contrast from last year when I visited in July and then in September - both those times, the weather was very warm and welcoming.

But nature was still bountiful. Shades of green and brown and grey made the palette beautiful.




Sometimes, I could see early signs of spring, plants trying their best to push out a new flower.






Nature is truly amazing, earth's natural make-up. 





In some places, the foliage was so lovely, I had to make a mental note to come back to the exact same spot in spring.

Buildings of Barcelona

Barcelona was a very interesting experience for me because I'd heard so much about the city but also because I can talk A2 level Spanish. To be able to understand road signs, menus, boards and advertisements felt special, especially after French and Dutch signs seemed alien to me. The experience is on another level when you can immerse in the local language. 

I enjoyed walking the streets - the popular ones and the non-so-popular ones. The smaller lanes and the inner parallel streets. The more I walked the more I wanted to walk. Every perpendicular by-lane was such a lovely walking tour in itself. The city had a lot of tourists, but you could easily distinguish tourists from the natives. Natives spoke and laughed with one another, walked their dogs and generally walked slowly - they did not seem to be in a rush.

I walked around Sagrada Familia, the church was undergoing some construction, but that did not take away one bit of the marvel I felt. The architecture was so intricate - and I have a special place in my heart for buildings so old.




The city is nestled between the sea on one side and the hills on the other. And when you search for the city on Google, unlike most other cities, instead of an encyclopedia page with details of the population and geography and weather, it is FC Barcelona's match schedule that pops up. 


I love cities that have such a green cover, that even in busy areas, the ratio of house:tree is 1:1 or maybe more.


I liked how buildings - old and new - were so close to each other. The neighborhood of Eixample was mostly built in the 19th and 20th century - with residential buildings refurbished every once in a while.

That rubber plant - it looks so happy.

On another clear day, I walked from La Pedrera-Casa Milà to Casa Batlló - and every once in a while, slowed down just to take in everything around me. Architect Gaudi was surely a creative genius. The vision required to convert what would have been an ordinary building to a work of haunting beauty. I stepped into the 'Casa del Libre' - house of books and was left enchanted. The smell of new books along with the the store being crowded, gave me hope that perhaps, reading is not dying.

La Pedrera Casa-Mila


Casa Battlo - needs no description.

I continued to walk around the area - if you see the map, you'll find a lot of tiny lanes crossing each other in neat squares. Of the picture below, I imagined, yet again (these thoughts enter my mind almost in every city) - how the real estate market works here. I would guess these buildings, given their proximity to important historic landmarks and high-end boutiques (near Carrer de Casanova) - it turns out a 3 bed would go for a about 1.3m Euros (I used idealista).



On another warm day, I walked around the gothic quarters of Barcelona. We walked past the beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar and stopped every few minutes to buy a pastry (Pastisseria Hofmann) or tiny gifts (Gemma - Artesania i Ceràmica Popular). Walking around the 'El Born' neighborhood was a lovely experience, with it's narrow lanes and many eateries.





I would love to go back to the city - repeat the trail I have done if I can remember it all. And maybe, with some luck and planning, I would like to stay at an apartment near Paseo de Gracia. As 2023 closes, I am so grateful that I got to visit so many beautiful places this year. My first time to Europe, meeting new people, trying out some amazing food and reading some fabulous books!