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The Beauty of Paris at Night
We sat on the steps leading from the Eiffel Tower down to the Seine, surrounded by people of all ages — some walking up and down, others sitting on the edges of the steps or the ledge behind the large platform between staircases. The violinist became more emphatic as he strummed out Imagine Dragons’ “Believer.” I watched a little boy climb the stairs and drop a coin into the black canvas bag the violinist had set in front of his violin case.
After soaking in the music for nearly an hour, we made our way down the second set of steps and over to the first ticket booth. The sun sets late in Paris in June. To capture the views of the city at night, we ordered two tickets for the 9:30 pm boat cruise.
Though the air was cool, the top level of the boat offered the best views. We floated down the Seine, under a bridge, past palaces and museums — the sky still bright above the Roman numerals on the clock of the Musée d’Orsay at 9:45 pm. The Notre Dame loomed on our left — scaffolds crisscrossing behind a massive red and white crane. Restoration from the fire wasn’t due to finish until December.
On our way back to the dock, bridges stood out like charcoal drawings against a pale orange…
