April in Paris

I lived in France when I was 17, spent a year a small town called Brive as an exchange student.  I learned to speak the language, understand nuances of French culture and discover a new-found independence.  It was a long difficult year and I struggled with loneliness and my teenage insecurities did not make living in a myriad of French households easy.  Now I return with my family, pulling the stubborn French words from the recesses of my brain, skills shelved for 25 years. I am no longer the anxious young adult and Paris is no longer a judgemental scene of beautiful people, my personal prism has expanded and softened, and this city and culture welcome us with open arms.

We stayed in a cute apartment in Montmarte, perfect for walking around and taking the Metro to everything.  We found a boulangerie and went there daily for croissants and pain au chocolats.  Having a  working kitchen is a gift and the groceries purchased at the local supermarket are of an exceptional quality, the cost being equivalent to US prices, although bread and cheese are less expensive.  The local French people value good fresh food and this quality is reflected in every grocery store we entered.  The cost of dining out was prohibitive, however we cooked amazing meals at our apartment, accompanied by wonderful French red wine, our experience was complete.

Aside from the luxury of drinking the tap water and fitted sheets, we really noticed the different sounds of Paris compared to Sri Lanka.  The developing world is chaotic and complex, but animals and humans live together in both urban and country settings.  We are used to hearing the sounds of birds and insects, watching lizards and spiders as the scale the walls, going to sleep with the chorus of dog barking and waking up to the Rooster serenade.  Gone are the stray dogs and cows roaming the street, missing are the errant deer and goats grazing in the parks, absent are the families of monkeys along the roof tops.  In contrast, there is not an animal presence here aside from leashed dogs being walked and pigeons in the parks near the garbage cans.  People are the dominant life form and they are abundant.  Cork did point out that Paris is not the tropics!

It amazes me how intact Paris is, in fact all of France cherishes their history and culture and strive to keep all the buildings, monuments and parks in good repair and these buildings are used daily.  It is like walking through a museum that is never-ending.  The amount of money, human power and ingenuity that it took to create the bridges and palaces that grace this country is impressive.  It is quite interesting to have traveled through the countries where France was the dominant colonial power;  Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.  The legacy of French influence and culture in these countries is much more muddied.  I cannot help connect the wealthy grandeur that is the landscape of Paris with the historical colonization of SE Asia that was often bloody and cruel.  Of course France is not unique in this respect, it just more present in my mind.

 

 

We were doing Paris on the cheap.  That meant walking everwhere or taking the Metro.  We ate our meals at home and packed our lunch daily.  We did visit the popular sights, but enjoyed them from outside.  We did go to a cafe twice, getting drinks only, and even then we did not leave for under $20.  It is an expensive town, but there are many parks and sights one can enjoy for free.  Since we were only there for four days, our schedules were packed and we would arrive home at the end of the day weary and tired, not used to our days being so jam packed.

 

There is a huge police presence in Paris.  We have not heard as many police sirens in a city as we did in Paris.  On our walks through the neighborhood, especially through the more diverse area, rich with immigrant life, there was a palpable tension you could feel.  Having just arrived from the developing world, we were comfortable and familiar with the sounds of different languages, smells of spicy foods and not a white person in sight.  However, the difference was the amount of armed police and militia, standing ready, finger on the trigger.  We witnessed numerous incidents where the police were arresting people and it made the issues of immigration, the huge influx of people to this nation in addition to the numerous terrorist attacks within this country very real.  I felt danger but it was hard to differentiate the source of the fear.  In our travels we have only engaged with nice people, genuine and caring, and ironically Paris was the first city that made me feel weary and enforced me to be hypervigilant of my surroundings.

The Jardin de Luxembourg is an immense sprawling park that is beautiful and manicured.  Used heavily by Parisians, many were picnicking with families or sunning themselves in one of the numerous metal chairs there for patrons.  I have noticed that the French people seem to be very good at relaxing and engaging.  The culture is in opposition to the smart screen isolation that is present elsewhere.  There were no signs for WIFI at cafes, people alone were reading books or just sitting there gazing outward, observing life.  Smoking cigarettes is still very popular, and sitting alone with a glass of wine or espresso at a cafe with a cigarette in hand was a common sight.  The French seem to excel at just being.

We did explore the Musee des Arts Metiers, a museum that shows inventions and tools and highlights innovation over the centuries.  It is a beautiful space filled with the results of human capacity for creative genius.

We did have a slight drama right before our departure.  While waiting for our ride to the airport, Jack locked himself in the small airbnb bathroom.  There were signs that clearly stated do not lock it as it is broken.  However, since the cleaning lady was there, he was feeling shy.  The door did not open.  The owner, Jez, had to come, confusion and comedy of errors continued.  We struggled to open the door for 35 minutes, Jez swearing with frustration.  I thought we were going to have to break the door down.  Luckily the elderly woman next door came home and had a wrench, and we were able to pry the lock open. Laughter, relief and tears ensued.  It was quite the dramatic exit but it had a happy ending and we were able to leave on time.  We had a memorable visit to Paris, and now back to the North America… Mexico.