The City of Love turned on the charm for my last three days despite patches of rain here and there.
Paris was a city I was 50-50 about. Friends of mine who had been there before had said they weren't too bothered by Paris, that the locals weren't interested in anything but cups of coffee and looking tres chic.
Buoyed by such positive news, I connected up with an old friend Chris and fellow mate April. Chris and April are both travelling Europe after working in a small English bar for a few months. Chris was one of the first friends I made in Auckland having arrived in the city some seven years ago.
The fact wasn't lost on I either of us. Seven years after rooming with each other in a hostel for a year, we were seen travelling throughout the French capital together.
Earlier in the day, I arrived at Beauvais Airport, an airport some 80km out from Paris. With he rain pouring I ran to the nearest bus, where people were queuing to get on board. I got on board and noticed something was up - I was the only person under the age of 30 and who wasn't wearing a suit.
As it turns out the bus I had hopped on to was one bound for the nearby Beauvais conference centre, where a large agriculture expo was taking place. Not an ideal start and a continuation of the silly situations I found myself in within this country I had high hopes for.
After persuading the driver, who was finishing her shift, to drive me back to the airport, I made it to Paris some 65 minutes later. A quick check of the hotel saw me arrive at the ibis hotel in Montmartre. The wrong ibis hotel in Montmartre.
More public transport confusion eventually led me to the ibis budget hotel, where I met up with April and Chris. A long day but a good day - I was in the city of love.
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A new morning and a fresh start to my first full day in Paris. Chris, April and I set off on a sightseeing tour that included the Louvre, the Moulin Rouge and other extravagant buildings. What an amazing history Paris has, I thought. This, maybe even moreso than Prague, felt like what Europe should feel like.
C and A hopped off at the Louvre while I kicked on to the Eiffel Tower, an amazing structure that was built in 1887. I had seen so many pictures of the structure that I was prepared for some underwhelming thoughts.
I shouldn't have worried. As the clouds cleared and the crowds sifted through, I was left stunned by the whole area. The fountains, grass areas, the full complement. Superb.
The Notre Dame was amazing, too. Having grabbed a crepe from a side stall I was starting to get the idea that France was better than the incidents I had experienced prior. That France really was a romanticist's dream.
Walking along the Seine was nice, with all of the paintings, retro posters and French books all on sale only adding to the French mystique.
By night time we had decided to chill and grab some dinner down the road. One and a half days in and I was proper happy with Paris. But I had only just scratched the surface.
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On Thursday I decided to chill solo as I let the realisation set in that I had one more night in Paris and indeed one more night in Europe. My trip was coming to an end, and in true Matiu fashion I set aside a an hour or so to let the reality of leaving another European destination sink in.
I rejoined Chris and April on the Pont des Artes, a wooden bridge that has so many love locks on it that parts of the wire netting had collapsed under the strain of the locks.
After a nice lunch, Chris, April and I bought locks. Chris and April are just friends and their padlock pointed to that - 'besties forever', it read.
I don't know why I bought one, looking back on it. Maybe it was because it was something to do, something for the bucket list. Nevertheless, I did.
I scribbled 'Matiu loves TBC' on mine before I threw two of the three keys into the Seine, the idea being that whenever I return with the love of my life I will find the lock, unlock it and then write her name on the lock and cross out TBC. That'd be awesome I reckon.
From there we hit the Sacre Coeur, which I would rate as one of my top three sites I have visited on the trip. Such a large scale and so beautifully ornate on the inside, the cathedral stood out. It also gave us a panoramic view of the city as the sun set.
I won't go too much further into my last night in Paris, but it'll be one that will stick with me for a while. Here's hoping it's the same for my two henchmen.
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I checked out from the pad and headed out to the airport ready to head home. Sitting on the train and watching the Parisian skyline disappear was like waving away to my European journey.
People have asked me when I will be back on this beautiful continent. At first I was sceptical - the financials, logistics and stress were energy sapping and I wasn't sure if I could deal with it all again so soon. Twenty years, I thought, that's when I'll most likely return.
But now, after spending a month in Europe, I return to New Zealand knowing a thirst has been quenched, but one that will no doubt return soon. So to all my European mates who knows, I could be back before you know it!
But for now I sit content at Charles de Gaulle airport knowing I am on my way home soon. I've danced in a reggaeton club and relaxed on some of the best beaches in Mallorca, ordered all food in French within Paris and walked the Cinque Terre in Italy. I don't have a favourite moment, but those who read my Mallorca post may know one that could seal top spot.
And so to my friends and those I met on my travels. Thank you Libor, Lucie, Irena, Vladimir, Irka, Monika, Sara, Kristin, Sebastian, Sam, Kate, Maddie, Allie, Katie, Tommy, Baru, Karin, Tereza, Kamila, Chris and April. Thank you all for sharing your time with me and helping me to have a month long experience many in New Zealand dream of.
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