Hunchbacking at Notre Dame

Our last stop of our first afternoon in Paris was Notre Dame. Like the rest of the city's embarrassing treasure trove of architecturally-stunning, detail-rich buildings, this beautiful gothic-style cathedral, completed in 1345, was gorgeous.

The long line-up to get in moved quickly - but gave us enough time to admire the razor-sharp exterior details - from the rose window to the sculptures. The inside was just as beautiful, with its tall ceilings, lovely cross vaults and stained-glass windows.



Ma and I lit a candle each and said a prayer for Pa. Minutes later, a late-afternoon mass started and the priests were greeted with papparazi-like flashing cameras as they marched in a single row onto the stage.

By this time, we were all pretty damn fucking exhausted - having been up for 34 hours and jetlagged. I started to lurch and drag my feet like Victor Hugo's famed fictional hunchback. After grabbing satisfyingly greasy food at a Chinese restaurant, we crashed in bed at 8:30 for a long-awaited 12-hour slumber.

Kicking off Parisian arc in triumph spirit

We hopped on the Metro subway from Charles de Gaulle Airport to our apartment hotel. Andrew and I always like to take public transit in a foreign country, because aside from being a cheaper way of travelling, it allows us to quickly immerse ourselves into the city and its people.

After checking in at 1pm - and despite being up for almost 30 hours and feeling the luggage under our eyes gravitate towards the floor - we headed out to start exploring the city of lights. After all, if it's anything us gays love to do, it's to pack as much in as we can.

Our first stop was L'Arc de Triomphe. We took the Metro - the easiest and cheapest way to get around Paris. The Arc was our first encounter with Paris' stunning architecture and we were quite impressed by this early 19th century creation - commissioned by Napoleon, to honour those who fought for France, in particular, the Napoleonic Wars.

Located in the heart of Place De L'Etoile and standing 150 feet tall - with several avenues branching out from it, like the spikes of a star - it is an arc to trump all arcs. We ventured to the top - all 284 steps of its skinny spiral staircase - and took in our first of undoubtedly many more panoramas of Paris. Beautiful.

Standing atop the Arc, I enjoyed getting a high-level view of the city. What I loved instantly about Paris were the old buildings; their beautifully-detailed architecture and character-filled French windows and balconeys told me instantly why so many people come to and fall in love with this city.

Family trip

I still remember it well. I was only 10. The bedroom door opened. Pa and Ma woke Sa and I - who shared a room in our tiny 2-room apartment - up. Pa could barely contain his glee: he got 5 out of the 6 numbers in Lotto 6/49.

A few moments later, we sat around the breakfast table, excitedly dreaming about the possibilities. Then Pa and Ma said they'd like to do a family trip to Ottawa. Later that day, we discovered 5/6 numbers did not equate millions; but rather $1,500.

I don't know what cracks me up more to this day: thinking we were millionaires or deciding that - out of every single thing to do in the world with our imagined millions - we'd go to Ottawa.

Sadly, since coming together as a family to Canada in April 1989, we had never travelled as a family again. It was a dream of Ma's to travel together again, before Pa passed away in September 2008.

And in less than 24 hours, that dream will become a reality as Ma, Andrew and I travel together to Paris for a 5-day stay, followed by a weekend soujourn to Zurich. Sa can't join us - but I'm ever hopeful this will be the first of many such trips - and will include Sa and Andrew's family - in the years ahead.

I hope this trip is filled with joy, laughter, pleasant surprises, good weather, adventure, good food and relaxation. Honest to God, I can barely contain my excitement!