Paris in Springtime

In all my dreams never did I expect to be walking the narrow streets of Paris this spring.  The air was full of new life; the trees were just budding with fresh leaves. There was still a chill in the air and the streets were wet because of the mist that was falling.  I was people watching as always, running around with their black umbrellas, everyone trying to keep out of the rain, but still trying to see the sights or hiding under awnings of the cafes to keep dry.

I had my hood up on my hoodie, didn’t want to bother with the umbrella, the wind was blowing too hard and I’d seen too many inside out umbrellas that morning. Besides, I was busy with my camera, trying to get that perfect photo of Notre Dame and those wonderful gargoyles.  They were just so many, I walked all around the cathedral thinking, I’d love to go inside, but the queue was all around the building.  Studying the outside, however, occupied my thoughts and I really didn’t care or mind the rain. I was absorbed in the majesty of the building and the architecture.

Suddenly, he was there, “Would you like to see the best part of the cathedral?”, he said in a slight accent and rich deep tone of voice.  I looked up out of my camera lens into a face smiling at me with sparkling brown eyes, with a glint of gold.

• Feature Photo: Notre Dame, Paris, France. April 2016. Photography by Candace Stauber