By Ikechukwu Amaechi
Time was when the refrain, “See Paris and die,” reflected the global view that Paris, the capital city of France, was so magnificent that once you have seen it, you can happily die, having experienced the apogee of life’s splendour. It was a refrain that also echoed the Italian saying “Vedi Napoli e poi muori” – “see Naples and die.”
That was an expression used at a time Paris was the ultimate tourist destination, a place so extraordinarily beautiful that life afterward might feel incomplete. And make no mistake about it: Paris is still an iconic city. Its art, architecture, cuisine and, indeed, atmosphere still make it an alluring and charming city. But the French capital is no longer the “End of Discussion” as Nigerian car enthusiasts branded the Honda Accord 2006 model a couple of decades back.
