Hello,
My name is Elsa and tonight I will take you on a walk through the magical city of Paris.
But before we begin,
Make sure to get under your bed covers,
Fluff your pillow,
Lay comfortably your feet falling apart,
Your arms resting by your sides and when you're ready,
Let your eyes gently close.
Let's begin by taking a slow,
Deep in-breath through your nose and as you exhale through the mouth,
Feel the sense of letting go.
Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth,
Feeling a wave of relaxation.
With each breath,
Allow your chest to relax,
Your heart to slow down and your body to sink deeper and deeper into your mattress.
Let's begin tonight's sleep story.
Our story begins at the Luxembourg Gardens in the center of the City of Lights.
As you walk through the ornate gates of the garden,
The noise and bustle of the city slowly dissipate.
Strolling down the park's sandy lane,
The majestic rotunda of the Panthéon,
Beaming in classic splendor,
Disappears in the trees behind you.
As you walk,
You can hear the leaves softly crackling under your feet,
The treetops swaying gently in the warm breeze,
The smell of rain from the day before on the lush green grass.
A night breeze comes through the park,
Gently caressing your face,
Creating circles of golden brown leaves floating in the sky.
As you reach the center of the garden,
The central pond and fountain come into view,
Renowned for its beautiful,
Colorful wooden sailboats.
Small groups stand playfully around the pond,
Delicately poking at the dreamy sailboats.
The sailboats move gently to the rhythm of the wind.
Surrounding the pond stand lofty marble statues of queens and illustrious women from bygone eras,
Placed in honor of Catherine de' Medici,
The patroness of the garden.
You walk between the statues,
Pondering their beauty.
A silent sense of community floats in the air between the people enjoying a moment of peace and calm,
Sitting on a chair reading a book,
Or chatting on a bench under a tree.
Planeurs are strutting through the gardens,
Admiring its variety of flora,
Including poppies,
Roses and petunia,
And peaceful observation.
The beauty of the roses is such that you approach and put your face in one,
Inhaling its beautiful scent.
As you continue your walk,
The sound of chirping birds blends with that of playing children.
The sound of play puts a gentle smile on your face and creates an immediate sense of calm and trust within you.
Every scene you come across is full of charm.
A sense of sweet hopefulness is in the air.
The scene offers a moment to breathe and clear all of your thoughts.
In the distance,
The steady rhythmic sound of tennis balls can be heard,
Almost lulling you into fatigue.
In the back,
You can hear an old circus sound,
And as you approach it,
A merry-go-round appears under a green circus tent,
Gently turning to the rhythm of music as children hold onto color-painted wooden horses.
The Luxembourg Palace,
With its proud Renaissance features,
Stands tall as it glimmers in the final golden sunrays,
Surrounded by tulips.
Those sunrays pierce the fountain's spurts,
Creating a hazy mist and shimmering golden ripples into the water.
A few clouds dance in the sky,
Coming together and drifting away.
As you pass by the Orangerie and step outside of the park,
You start walking down the Rue de Tournon,
A street lined with sumptuous Osmanian buildings,
Old bookstores,
And elegantly designed perfume stores.
You decide to turn in front of the Saint-Sulpice Church,
Where you can hear the soothing chimes of the church tower bells,
Which have lent their delicious sound to the neighborhood for centuries.
You are getting to the heart of Paris.
On the Rue Mabillon,
You pass a restaurant named L'Avent-Comptoir,
Filled with boisterous patrons having an evening meal on a heated terrace,
Sharing stories.
You turn right on Rue Bonaparte.
You've arrived on Boulevard Saint-Germain-des-Prés,
A landmark for the capital's mythical and acclaimed art and literary scene.
This spot has been an inspiration for writers,
Artists,
Philosophers,
And musicians for generations.
You continue to stroll towards the Seine River.
The street is long and narrow.
You pass De La Durée Café,
A primitive jewelry store,
A few art galleries,
Until you reach La Rue des Beaux-Arts,
With its illustrious fine arts school,
Which has trained generations of acclaimed artists.
At the end of Rue Bonaparte,
The dome of the Collège des Quatre Nations greets you in front of the Seine and the Pont des Arts,
Which takes you across to the right bank.
You can hear the faint sound of boats on the river.
And along the riverbanks,
Old booksellers that add their charm to the city.
As you walk across the bridge,
The sky imparts a deep pinkish hue,
And you hear an accordion playing a tune that you recognized instantly.
From the music,
To the shimmer in the eyes of fellow walker-bys,
To the wind whispering in your ears,
You are reminded that beauty and magic are instilled in everything around you.
Having crossed the Pont des Arts,
You leave the river behind you and walk through the spectacular classical entrance of the Louvre into the Cour Carrée.
As you arrive,
A succession of musicians appear in front of you.
A flute player,
A violinist,
An opera singer.
You are enamored by this beauty.
You continue through the main square of the Louvre.
Now that the darkness of the evening has set in,
The glass pyramids stand gleaming in the moonlight,
A miracle of beauty.
You look around at this palace,
Steeped in quiet grandeur.
You take a minute to absorb this splendor.
A shimmer of moonlight dances off the glass pyramid,
Creating rays of light that descend onto the staircase below.
Looking up,
You see an array of sculpted figures and a group of guardian angels that almost touch the sky.
Contemplating the reflecting light from the pyramid onto the courtyard,
You catch a glimpse of the dark sand river,
Glowing with reflections from the city lights.
You catch a whiff of scent from the lush nearby Tuileries garden,
Carried through the fresh night air.
You are ushered by your senses to sink completely and softly into a deep and majestic sleep.
I leave you now,
Have a good night.
