When I think about Paris, my heart always gets a little weak inside as this beautiful capital of France has captured my heart ever since I was a child. I even had a Paris-scrapbook when I was eight! I can honestly say that my entire life, I have had a bit of a crush on this city… the city of lights… my beloved Paris…

I love how the Seine makes its way through the town,  the many bridges connecting left and right bank.

I enjoy a walk in the Jardins des Tuilieries, right from the Place de la Concored up until the Louvre… or vice versa… whatever!

I’ve got a soft spot for the Marais and its fab Place des Vosges.

I’m delighted by the Canal Saint-Martin and its surrounding streets.

I adore the grands boulevards, the Champs Elysées with its many stores, the view from the roof terrace of les Galeries Lafayette, especially at sunset…

I like the ‘joie de vivre’ and the ‘je ne sais quoi’ attitude of the Parisians…

I’m enchanted by the Eiffel Tower and how it lits up at night… the entire city is just one wondrous place to discover at night.

Well I guess it’s pretty clear by now that Paris has got a very special place in my heart.

But this morning, the city and the entire world woke up from a nightmare. And today when I think about Paris, my heart is weeping… It’s weeping for a city, its citizens and its many visitors… It’s weeping for these people who were having a relaxed Friday night… attending a concert, cheering at a football match, enjoying a nice meal in a restaurant.

People should have the right to be happy, care-free and loving, they should have the right to be joyful and cheerful on this Friday evening… but instead these cruelties leave people devastated, bitter and shattered… they leave people afraid, confused and insecure… these cruelties leave all of us completely and utterly heart-broken…

My heart goes out to all victims and their families, to all Parisians… my heart goes out to every single soul that is in any way affected by these inhumanities.

We are all hurt, every single one of us… we are all victims. And time may heal (most) wounds… we may pick up were we left off… but I cannot but think that on Friday 13th 2015, Paris has lost a bit of its joie de vivre and je ne sais quoi…

Love, Kathleen