Sunrise in Paris — Capital Citizenne

There's a saying that there's nothing more cliche in photography than a sunrise or sunset. While that may be true, a sunrise photo session earlier this week made for an efficient use of an increasingly rare (hooray) bout of insomnia. The first half of this year, insomnia and I were well acquainted. Far too well acquainted for my taste (one of the may reasons for this grand adventure). Earlier this week though, I found myself wide awake at about half past four. After a brief period of studying the inside of my eyelids and begging for sleep to return, I decided that I actually felt fairly refreshed and should make the most of the morning.

I quickly scanned the internet to learn I had an hour before sunrise, threw on some running clothes, grabbed my camera and headed for the Seine.

While it is usually an activity I reserve for when I travel west (due to the time difference), I absolutely love getting up early in a new place and watching the city wake up and come to life.

Maybe it is because I'm really a morning person at heart, but I think there is something kind of magical about seeing a city's street lights turn off, having done their work for another day.

On the walk back, the once-empty sidewalks were full of people making their way to work, shops were opening, and cafes were serving their first customers. I made my way back to my neighborhood and grabbed a croissant and a coffee and sat on a bench by the Canal St. Martin, enjoying a bit more of early morning Paris...before retreating to my apartment for a quick nap!