Montparnasse

March 13, 2017 – Paris

This is the first time my wife and I have returned somewhere in our travels together. Ok, that’s not entirely true, but ruling out Philadelphia and Pittsburgh for football game trips, it’s true. Not only did we return to Paris, but we consciously returned to Montparnasse, the 14th arrondissement.

There is a very comforting feeling returning here. Our first visit in 2009 was a great one, and we loved the slightly out of the way, definitely not overly touristy, authentic Montparnasse. Returning here eight years later, not much has changed. Such is the way with great neighbourhoods. Boulangerie, fromagerie, wine merchants, restaurants, gorgeous parks – all still here. And all as lovely as eight years ago.

Being back here in Paris, not even twenty four hours after arriving, I’m comforted. I don’t feel a rush to get out to see the sights – we did all of that the last time here. This visit, I’m envisioning a much slower pace. Lingering in cafes, strolling streets and parks just for exploration. Simple stuff really.

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As my wife and I were traveling back from Paris yesterday, while waiting for our connecting flight in Toronto, we spoke about how good it was to be back in Canada. For as much as I love to travel, I have always relished the feeling when my feet are planted back on Canadian soil. That being said, if there’s one place that could entice me to pack up and move, it would be France.

Two weeks ago after landing in Paris, even through the fog of jet lag, I knew instantly we were going to be in for a great trip. We spent about half of the trip in and around Paris based out of the 14th arrondissement where we had stayed back in 2009. The other half, we stayed in Lyon, a first for us. For the Paris part of the trip, we defiantly ignored the locations we visited on our first trip there – no Louvre, no Arc de Triomphe, and no Eiffel Tower except one distant view when we were exploring the Père Lachaise cemetery off in the distant 20th arrondissement. Instead, we lingered over drinks taking advantage of the spring warmth on outdoor patios, ate at cozy neighbourhood restaurants, and explored some quieter areas of the city.