Disclosure – guest post in collaboration with Localgrapher
Rod and Marie had been married for over 50 years and had enjoyed many trips together when they were younger. Both in their late 60s, the couple knew that their days of backpacking adventures were over, but they still wanted to have one more big trip together to celebrate their relationship and the years they shared.
The True Beauty of Paris
While they had traveled to many places in Europe, they had never made it to Paris, so they decided to plan a week-long summer vacation to the capital of France. Marie had the idea to look at photography vacation packages so they could have some professional photos of this special trip together.
“Rod and I are both helpless photographers,” Marie said, laughing. “The pictures always turn out blurry or unfocused and you can’t even tell what it was supposed to be! We didn’t care so much when we were younger, but now looking back I wish we did have some better pictures from our first trips.”
They decided to do the photo shoot in Paris on the first day of their trip. The photographer from Localgrapher said that they could meet by the Eiffel Tower, the most iconic landmark of Paris. Thankfully, the weather was good, with clear sunny skies perfect for the photographs.
After taking some pictures with the Eiffel Tower, the photographer suggested that for the rest of the photo shoot they walk around the city to get some more natural pictures. Marie and Rod liked the idea, since it would also mean that they could explore some of the city with a local and maybe get some tips about places to visit.
“I liked the posed photographs by the Eiffel Tower, but the other pictures just walking around the city were really special too. We didn’t even realize usually when the photographer was talking the pictures, so they turned out really natural and relaxed. It was great to have our photographer point out some different local cafés and shops along the way that we might enjoy visiting,” Marie explained.
“The pictures weren’t just for us, they were for our kids and now our grandkids too,” Rod added. “We’re getting older, and of course it’s nice to have some photos of the trip, but I really wanted these pictures for our family to enjoy too. We just became grandparents, and we wanted these pictures to show our grandkids our adventures together.”
For the rest of their vacation, Marie and Rod enjoyed the other attractions of Paris. Both art lovers, they spent a whole day at the Louvre Museum and another day at the Musée d’Orsay. The final day of their vacation, they took a cruise on the Seine River to see the city from a different perspective.
“It was the perfect way to end our vacation,” Marie said. “We felt like we had accomplished a lot, getting the photographs with the photographer in Paris and seeing the museums we had always dreamed of visiting. The cruise was so nice and relaxing, we could just sit and enjoy the scenery.”
“I just kept being amazed that we were actually there together in Paris,” Rod said, laughing. “We might be getting on in years, but that didn’t stop us from going. Sure, it was different than our backpacking days, but it was an adventure all the same, and one I’ll never forget.”
Images used with permission
