How does one capture the romantic spirit of Paris?

Having just left the beautiful city, there is a swirl of images creating an aura of the place around my head. Overwhelming artistry inundates every waking moment, from the intimate walkways of Montmartre, the opulence of the Palaces and Cathedrals, the sculptures and paintings of the Musee de Orsay and the Louvre, the colour of the artists work in the leafy squares to the symbolic height of the Eiffel Tower.

For me, though, having been in the presence of my love, the best way to capture Paris is in a kiss….

One of the features of civilisation is sufficient wealth to allow art to flourish, and typically what I observe is that art is about life. So much of making life worth living is in the valuing of being loved whenever it happens. And so many of the images of Paris were about sharing love, or the longing to. So the painting by Gustav Klimt of “The Kiss” reflects Paris to me so well. It has the majesty of the gold patterns, the intimacy of being held, and the beauty of composition.gustav-klimt-the-kiss-der-kuss

We were also blessed with seeing Rodin’s “Kiss” in the gardens near the Seine river. This sculpture has another character, that of strength and endurance, reflecting the history of the city.Der_kuss

Yeah, I know it sounds soppy, but nothing really beats sharing the beauty with someone you love, and when my love spontaneously and excitedly kissed me on the banks of the Seine it defined something I will treasure forever, my defining moment of Paris and romance. In the past I would look enviously at lovers kissing in a romantic setting, now I have an enduring memory of the most romantic location, with the soft touch of her lips on mine.

To kiss in Paris.

Ah la romance de Paris… Que c’est la meilleure joie dans la vie!