Les Saisons Changent, mais Paris est Toujours Belle

Paris is truly an enchanting city to be in, regardless of the time of year. Winter here is usually damp, cold, wet and grey, but there is something romantic about the way the historic city’s buildings look caste in the shadows of winter afternoon light and something cozy and festive about the city. I saw snow for the first time here. Seeing it falling outside my window in the morning made my first winter wonderland a beautiful sight. The gardens were blanketed with a shiny coat of white.

I love the changing of seasons which doesn’t happen in San Diego, because it has basically the same weather year round. You definitely can’t find it snowing in January there.

When the weather is wet and cold most people want to stay inside close to a fire, but you can’t do that in Paris. There are so many great things to do indoors in this city: museums, cafes and cathedrals. Winter is a season that belongs to Parisians, which gives the city a different feel than in the summer months and can be a great opportunity to try to blend in and live like them!

Now that it’s April here spring has sprung! It’s gotten much warmer and I want to spend my days sitting by the many fountains throughout the city or strolling the big beautiful parks. The sight of new flowers and more consistent sunlight is very welcoming. There is so much to enjoy just walking the streets, such as street vendors along the Seine, farmers markets, and enjoying the thousand-year-old scenery.

The United States is such a young country compared to France. Just walking the streets of Paris is like walking through history. The architecture, cathedrals, and overall look of the city makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a time machine dating back to the 1700s.

As beautiful as San Diego is I can’t easily walk the streets like I can in Paris. I can’t find old churches to walk into and be amazed by. I can’t find cafes or pastry shops at every corner. I really enjoy waking up in Paris every morning to walk to the corner Boulangerie/ Patisserie and buy my daily baguette or pain au chocolat. I'm definitely going to miss this!!