We arrived in Paris in the late afternoon of May 22nd and quickly took to the city after getting into our hotel rooms and a brief introduction to the Metro. Within 5 hours of being in Paris, I had already walked through the Louvre and made it to a small café along the Seine for dinner and some light people watching. Later that night I began to think about why Paris, and not other romantic hotspots such as Venice or Rome, is called the City of Love? Is it because of the Eiffel Tower when it is gorgeously lit up at night or the long walks couples can do along the Seine River just as the sun begins to set? Or is it the fact that PDA is everywhere and it is actually socially acceptable to make out on the subways? Or is it simply that the food and atmosphere seem to be aphrodisiacs that bring out the romantic side of people? Honestly, after just 4 days of being in Paris, I think it’s a combination of everything here that makes Paris the City of Love.
The first time I stepped foot onto the subway, I saw a younger couple flirting with each other followed by a long make out session. I thought to myself that they must really like each other to heavily show affection in such a public place. But, then I realized that it is common to see such PDA in Europe and it started to make sense. Throughout my time in Paris, I saw many couples holding hands, make out in public, and also just stand and walk really close together, obviously showing affection to each other. This happened everywhere, but especially by the Eiffel Tower. I think the tower may have special couple powers because there were always couples under, on, and around the tower. We even saw couples take their wedding photos near the tower, which by no means would not be completely awesome, but it just fueled the fire in the City of Love department.
After spending a few days in Paris, I began to understand why Paris is the City of Love. The food, like bread, cheese, and chocolate along with the abundance of wine, and might I say cheap wine, all create a great feeling of romance within the city. The city also promotes love with romantic river cruises, selling flowers and wine in front of the Eiffel Tower, and even by selling condoms in the subway station. Hey, apparently 4 condoms for 2 euro is what works for Paris. It sounds expensive, but regardless, it’s the sheer fact that they are selling condoms in the subway stations. Not exactly romantic, but I believe it promotes a sexualized culture and some people confuse sex with romance.
Needless to say however, Paris has shown me that it has special powers that attract couples and love that simply cannot be repeated in other cities in the way that Paris does. It is a beautiful city, and one which I want to return, preferably with my boyfriend, fiancé, or husband because I think I would get a much different view of the city. I would be able to partake in the romantic atmosphere and may see it more as the City of Love than the city that was once liberated by the Allies in 1944.