The City of Love?

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Paris, "the city of love". It conjours images of wonderful and romantic goings-on... I don't know much about Paris. I went there to get some new climbing shoes and maybe have a bit of a look around. I will outline Paris in a nutshell and give a few key lessons to go with it.

My arrival in Paris was a first introduction to an underground transport system.

First Lesson: Keep hold of your ticket. If you don't have a ticket to leave at your end station, you may be unlucky enough to receive a 45 Euro fine! (Fortunately, it is a common enough error for first timers and if you go to the 'secret' underground office on Ligne 4 at the Les Halles station, they will happily refund your money...)

Out of the underground and into the streets of Paris city in search of a Pain au Chocolat, the classic french breakfast food. The first thing that hit me was the cold.

Lesson 2: Paris is cold, take some warm clothes!

As Murphy's law suggests, it was little surprise that we eventually found what we wanted after a little under an hours walk at a spot not far from where we began. Walking in the streets, one is confronted on nearly every corner by some building of historic or aesthetic significance. With fuel in the belly it was time to see what Paris had to offer. Vieu Au Campeur, first port of call, is an enormous climbing shop with a large range of high-performance footwear. To get there, you simply cross the Seine River, walk by Notre Dame cathedral, turn left at some old ruined palace and Voila, you're there.

Lesson 3: Be prepared to wait! Getting through almost any checkout line in France can take a long, long time.

By the time I am through, I have gone from 'hungry' to 'my stomach is eating me from the inside out'. Outside the store, I get stuck into the food. Just as I am about to lay my teeth into a large Saucisson, three heavily armed police approach, slow and give me a good looking-over. They have been on high alert for any kind of antisocial behaviour since a recent breakout of riots in the city. Apparently wearing sandals and socks and eating Saucisson in the street fits the bill! I grin, say "bon apetit" and chomp in. They seem to accept that it is in fact my lunch and not a weapon that I am about to start a riot with.

Lesson 4: Learn to ignore officials with big, big guns. They are everywhere.

If the streets seemed quiet earlier in the day, it was because they were saving up for the late afternoon when the area around the Opera became a sea of manic human biomass.

Lesson 5: Learn how to move with crowds. Late in the day, pedestrian traffic was so dense that people were employed to blow whistles and clear roadways so that cars could leave their car-parks.

It seemed that the only rules that were obeyed were those relating to critical mass movements. Cars move until the buildup of people is enough that the crowd will spill onto the raods...

I saw the Eiffel tower, went to the Louvre and Notre Dame, passed by Bastille and observed much carnage around Gare de Lyon and Plimmson shopping area. Paris is a beautiful city filled with a strange and wonderful mix of peoples... And love?
... I think that's probably just the best way to stay warm!

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Comments

[bobbie]

good
I enjoyed both the text and the great photos.

[AnnaAdventuring]

Great blog - beautiful photo of the Louvre!