We all know about Paris in April and Paris in the Springtime, but Paris in the Winter? Does anyone go then? Well, I can only speak for myself, but the first visit I made to Paris was in February, over Valentine's Day. It all sounded very romantic until I was on top of the Eiffel Tower with only a very thin leather jacket, and then I started to think maybe we should have put our trip off a couple of months. We had the city to ourselves, went to all the great museums and restaurants, and once we dressed appropriately, we had a fantastic time. The second time I visited Paris was in May, and I was so excited to be there in the warmer weather, but I learned all too fast that the warmer weather meant the tourists, and with them came lines to see the Mona Lisa, annoying street vendors, and people EVERYWHERE. Nothing like the intimate glimpse of Paris we had in the winter. So, in my opinion, those of us lucky enough to go on the BYU Study Abroad to Paris in Winter 2010 are among the luckiest Parisian travellers in the world: we get Paris all to ourselves for a couple of months, and then, we get to experience it in the Springtime (along with everyone else).
Truly the best of both worlds.
