How to romance Paris

23 February 2021

Love
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Friendly disclaimer! We want to be as accurate as possible, but given these challenging times, we urge you to recheck that the venues are open when you decide to travel.

 

Once voted the sexiest language in the world, the French phrase for I love you – Je t’aime – is the enduring magic of Paris and its special flavor of romance. With our list of love, you’ll soon be swooning with love for all things Parisienne!

‘I love you’ wall (Le mur des je t’aime)

How many ways can you say I love you? Try 311 different languages, including all 192 languages of the United Nations. The I Love You Wall at Jehan-Rictus Square includes these words in every major language, and the rarer ones – like Navajo, Inuit, Bambara and Esperanto.

This piece of wall art was created by two artists Frédéric Baron and Claire Kito, who collected translations of the phrase from embassies, neighbours and others to prepare this location – as a rendezvous for lovers and a lasting monument to this powerful human sentiment. It is covered in 612 blue tiles, and spans 416 square feet. Join the dots with broken red hearts, which can be reassembled!

 

The wall is open to the public free of charge.The closest subway station is Abbesses.

By  Etienne Girardet/Unsplash
By Etienne Girardet/Unsplash

Love yourself on a Paris photo shoot

Forget selfies – get the real deal! Become your own model while professional Parisian photographers take great pictures of you around iconic backgrounds. Feel like a star as you explore Paris, posing with a photographer-guide on a photo shoot at the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, or the Eiffel Tower, Ile Saint-Louis and other gorgeous locations as the backdrop.

 

And how about some hidden places that are Instagram-worthy too and that avoid the crowds? Paris is utterly photogenic at every turn and corner!

By  Mark de Jong/ Unsplash
By Mark de Jong/ Unsplash

Love on the streets with a Paris photography walk

Prefer to shoot pictures of Paris on your camera? Learn something new, and capture great moments on this 2-hour photography walking tour in Paris. Whether you’re a beginner or a serious amateur, you’ll pick up plenty of artistic and technical pointers, put your DSLR or a camera phone to exceptional use, with a professional photographer. Get tips on technique, exposure, lighting, and composition while you stroll through some of Paris’ iconic neighborhoods like Marais, Montmartre, the Latin Quarter. Play with light on a nighttime tour around the Louvre and Left Bank.

 

If you take the winter tour, you’ll gain deeper insight into the settings for best exposures in the shadows and highlights, to enjoy night time photography with great results!.

By Sebastian Gabriel/ Unsplash
By Sebastian Gabriel/ Unsplash

The love of movies at La Cinémathèque Française

Stars in your eyes! Immerse yourself in the sparkling history and technology of film – from its infancy through its Hollywood glory days and into the modern age. Walk into La Cinematheque Francaise located at 51 Rue de Bercy.  It’s a museum built by the renowned architect Frank Gehry, that houses magic lanterns, cameras, iconic costumes, props, movie posters and cult objects. You’ll get a slice of all your classic film clips on display, and an on-site theater screens several films daily from its massive archives.

 

Among the exhibits are Mrs. Bates’s head from the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Psycho, the robot from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and a camera that belonged to the Lumiéres brothers!   

 

Unravelog tip: Look out for the temporary exhibits that often feature a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a particular film.

Locations of love right out of cinema

So you were charmed by Emily in Paris on Netflix, and French Kiss, Amélie and The Devil Wears Prada – all of them, the essence of Paris, idealised in so many films.  They echo the constant fascination with fashion, art, jewellery, and glamour – in Paris the style capital of the world.

 

Explore Montmartre, the Parisian neighborhood adored by filmmakers, movie stars, locals and tourists alike. Feel the romance of the Moulin Rouge, where Christian and Satine fell in love in the 2001 film. Discover scenes from Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris’ with a stroll around the Sacré Coeur Basilica. Drop in at Café des 2 Moulins, featured in ‘Amelie.’ Those magical locations that brought so many stories to life, and now you get to make your own…

By lale22/Flickr
By lale22/Flickr

For the love of great cuisine

Romance is incomplete without good food and drink.  Bring on your appetite because Paris’s 40,000 restaurants and illustrious gastronomic history make it a top destination for the hearty romantic.

 

Food is at its best when it is done with the locals! Make your way to the Marché d’Aligre, a lively and authentic outdoor Parisian market  You can get to the action on the food through a personalized guided tour at the Marché d’Aligre. Enjoy tastings ranging from tapenade to cheese, oysters, wine, coffee, a wonderful mix of sweet bites and savory snacks that have been carefully curated by your personalized guide who lets you in on the inside tips on some of the best places to eat in Paris! Combine traditionally elegant or cosy restaurants with the backdrop of romantic architecture, or better still, a dinner for 2 on a cruise at night – that’s as enchanting as Paris.

By Carsten Sprotte/Flickr
By Carsten Sprotte/Flickr

Drink in love with French wine

Romance gets heady, relaxed and subtle, when your understanding of French wine is taken to another level. Enjoy a guided wine and champagne tasting tour in an atmospheric wine cellar in the Ô Chateau* – a beautifully renovated wine cellar in Paris’ city center, not far from the Louvre Museum. In the course of a memorable evening, filled with crackling conversation and knowledge, you can get to sample different wines including Bordeaux, Sancerre, Rhone and Champagne. Learn how to read a French wine label and how to correctly taste wines. It’s a great way to deepen your cultural knowledge and taste some fantastic French wines with an accompaniment of cheese, chacuterie or cured meats to savour while you sip.

 

Your expert, sommelier will entertain you with stories – and lets you in on how Champagne is made and what makes it so special. Santé!

By  Kamala Saraswathi/ Unsplash
By Kamala Saraswathi/ Unsplash

It is amply proven, therefore, that Paris leaves no stone unturned to charm its guests. For an intrepid traveller, this city is a treasure trove of sensory experiences that can leave one gushing for more. Check out the itinerary to unravel Paris in a more wholesome way.

Unravelled by: ShuPri

Writer-poet-explorer, lover of quirk, design, doodles, fonts, animation, jazz, travel, yoga. Her book ‘Whimsical Brew’ is a concoction of humorous, illustrated verses from a process involving quirks of design and serendipitous mistakes.

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