Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Beginning Paris -- Tell Me About THE FIRST TIME YOU SAW THE E.T.

Yes, dear readers, we did make it to France despite the volcano and strikes and all that wanted to hinder us.  More on that in a later post.

Today I want to write about something very cool that I did yesterday.  My friends are taking their 8-year-old daughter to Paris for her first time.  They asked me to come over to their house to tell her about what she would see and help get her excited about the trip.  (Are these great parents/friends or what -- giving me a chance to talk about one of the things I love best to their adorable little girl).

So I went over with a Paris picture book and a Paris magnet.  We talked  about all the wonderful things she would see.  This little girl, Belle, sat with rapt attention.  She did not act one bit bored.  She even got a sculpture that she had made to compare it to those of Rodin, when I was telling her about the Rodin Museum.   I told her about this blog, and she is going to send me some entries as a guest blogger -- Paris from a Kid's Perspective.  How cool is that?

But one thing I told her was this:  "For the rest of your life, you will tell other people about the first time you saw Paris.  You will say 'I was eight-years-old and with my mom and dad.'  How lucky you are to have so many years to remember that first time!
And you will always remember the first time you saw the Eiffel Tower. "

I do, don't you?  My hub and I had flown to Paris on Christmas Night.  The flight was a blast.  The movie  White Christmas with Bing Crosby was the feature (before individual sets) and the whole plane, including the crew, sang along to that lovely song.

We landed on a grey December 26.  I was humming "I Love Paris in the Winter When It Drizzles."  As our cab driver drove us to our hotel (Hôtel Lenox on Rue de Université) he crossed the Seine -- and there it was -- just as I knew it would look in my dreams, but this time it was for real.  I have seen the ET many, many times since, but I will always remember that first time. 

How about you?  What was your first time?  If you have not had that first time yet, how would you like it to be ?  (Don't hold back -- go for it!) 




7 comments:

Megan said...

we came over to france for two weeks, I met his friends in family in the south, then we went up to Paris by TGV for an interview he had. We were walking through Paris at around dusk, and we saw the Pantheon, then I turned around and saw it through some buildings. It was a really pretty evening, the sky all pink and purple.

Annette (Liquid French blog) said...

How beautiful to see it at sunset like that!

Anonymous said...

Did you ever hear the famous story about when the father of a famous actress
(I believe gwyneth paltrow) took her to paris for the first time as a young girl?

Apparently, as they were standing at some famous spot (perhaps a bridge over
the Seine) - he said "My dear Gwyneth, do you know why I brought you here?"

She replied "no daddy why?"

"So for the rest of your life you can say you were in Paris with at least
one man who loved you unconditionally..."

piddleandpurr said...

My first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower was one of the most memorable moments of my life -- there I was in the presence of the most recognizable 'icon' in the world. One, which as a little girl, swept me into a land of daydreams and wishes I never thought would materialize. As awestruck as I was, I did not allow the moment to pass without feeling so very blessed to be there with a beloved friend who afforded me that extraordinary experience. I don't think I shall ever have another moment quite like the one I had that day in Paris!

Emmalemma said...

We were on our way to Scotland, with a layover in Paris. The plane out was delayed, so we took the train to Paris with only four hours to spare. We had no maps, just got off the train near Notre Dame and walked around. We took a ferris wheel ride, and from the top, could see the ET! And vowed to come back and really spend some time in that beautiful city.

Karin B (Looking for Ballast) said...

Ah I finally make it here. :) Good to see a post again, and what delightful stories everyone has to tell! I love the one about Gwyneth and her dad - seems like I have read that story before and yes, it was her story to tell as far as I remember. How sweet that is.

I went for the first time almost a year after arriving in Paris to live. I thought it was too "cliché" so I avoided it. I realized once I saw it that it was actually a very impressive structure and I got a thrill walking underneath it and feeling its immense size.

I could not wait to take my son there when he visited a couple of weeks later. I had the best time with him, picnicking on the Champs de Mars. Sharing the experience with my son was the best time yet. I'm so glad I got to share that day with him. I will remember it always!

talesfromagarden said...

My first time was when my niece lived in Paris for 6 months and my best friend and I visited in August 1987! I left a husband and three children at home and braved a flight with Air France for 2 and a half hours from Cork airport! (not a good flyer but it was PARIS!) Paris held a magical dream for me since I had studied french history in secondary school in Ireland,there was just something that drew me to everything french!
Well my first thought of Paris was getting the bus from the airport to Avenue Carnot to meet my neice and getting off the bus to greet her and seeing the Arc de Triomphe a few feet away! Breathless for a moment!!!
We spent a fabulous five days seeing all the major sights and I returned to Cork to visit my five yr. old daughter (eldest) in the local hospital having fallen off a not too high wall in my in-laws house and broken her elbow! I arrived in Cork on a Sun. evening and did not see home until the following Tuesday because I spent the few days at my daughters bedside feeling SO GUILTY for having spent FIVE DAYS away from home in six years of marriage!