/the city of light? love?

Why is Paris called the City of Light? Two reasons. First, it was among the first European cities to use gas street lamps back in the 1860s, making it literally a City of Light. But also because earlier, in the 18th century, Paris was essentially a hub during the Age of Enlightenment. So metaphorically light; with enlightened minds.

Why is it called the City of Love? While most people seem to agree that it’s a mix of the city’s aesthetic beauty, the abundance of romantic restaurants, and the magical settings we’ve seen so many times in movies, a friend who has been living there for almost a decade now told me that it’s because of how much Parisians love the city. So much so, that during the ‘war’, they evacuated their homes to avoid bombing on the city they hold so dear. Yes, the French Romanticism art movement flourished here, the Bohemian writers of Montmartre wrote about tortured lovers, and there is even a Wall of Love, but I believe there is more to it than that.

I admit that the “main” attraction, the Eiffel Tower, was almost at the bottom of the experiences list that I wanted to have in Paris but the view from the top and its sparkling at night did eventually improve its rapport a bit, not as the ubiquitous overly romantic insignia it is, but as a statement piece that stands tall in the middle of the city, unchallenged, unabashed, unwavering, unfeigned, and untrammeled. So I decided to show it to the world through my lens.