Parisian Impressions

A few years ago when I used to write web content for an e-commerce business, my old boss, when questioned about the presentation and description of our products would often use the phrase, “Perception is reality”. It wasn’t until I began taking counseling courses in my graduate program when I started to think about that phrase more. “Perception is reality”. Think about it.

The question I began asking myself was, whose perception are we talking about here? The truth, however slight, is that we all hold different perceptions. Thus, we all gain something different from the same experience; i.e reading a book, looking at art, shopping on a website, travelling to a different country.

I think this is extremely relevant in the blogging community, especially travel writing. As writers and travelers, we all bring something different to the table as far as experiences goes. If this is your first time reading my blog I encourage you to go back and pick out an article or two from previous travels. This is my fourth and most extended juncture (just under the 3 month visa period) travelling Europe and the UK, and by the end of this trip I will have seen and spent at least a few days in roughly a third of all the countries on this continent. My hope is my  perceived experience will help support your own or give you insight into wherever you are or plan on going.

Handstands for Paris

So where am I now, and where I’m I going? Currently, I’m sitting on a bus in the midst of a nine hour journey to Stuttgart, Germany from Paris. This twenty five euro bus trip beat any plane ticket or attempted hitch hiking adventure I could have conjured up. It may be long, but it’s not uncomfortable and it’s a direct route. The bus system in Europe along with hitchhiking shorter routes will be my primary means of travel throughout this trip, which will ultimately take me to Istanbul, Turkey, followed by a quick plane jaunt to Ireland and possibly Denmark before returning home.

 I spent the first week of this trip in the heart of Paris in three different hostels and a friend’s house just outside the city. I’ve talked about expectations before on this blog, and again I experienced a new letdown, or the “grand Paris scheme” as I like to call it. This is something that was planted in my head from high school French class; or the idea that Paris is this immaculate city with everyone milling about in Parisian hats and turtlenecks, happily willing to engage with you in any number of languages. To be blunt, Paris is just a lot dirtier, busier and less charming then you think. Kind of like that stranger you just met from the newest social media dating app. They never really turn out exactly how they look.

                While Paris wasn’t everything I had seen and heard from my high school and University textbooks, I still had an incredible time. I had the chance to meet people from all around the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Algeria, Morocco, Venezuela and Germany. Notable highlights included a rock show with a band from Tucson, Arizona, attending my first ever European soccer match, leading a yoga session under the Eiffel tower with my hostel mates, and spending an entire afternoon at a café drinking lattes and sketching.

                As there was so much going on in this city at once, I want to give you a quick version of my the  good, the bad and the ugly. Paris has a lot of unfortunate happenings, as most large cities do, and with large cities comes a variety of people, not all of which are honest or friendly. So without further ado, I give you my sparknotes version of travelling through Paris with an open heart and a secure wallet.

Perception

Reality

The Good

-The one truth that never wavered about France was its food. Absolutely spot on bagguettes, sandwhiches, fromages, wine, steak and frites, coffees, lattes and any fruit or vegetable you want is only a supermarche stop away. My very first night I went out with my Brazilian hostel mate and we ended up sitting next to a group of French students who had all just gotten back from a student exchange in St. Louis. Apparently they were eager to use their English with us because once they heard us speaking they immediately introduced themselves and persuaded us to try their escargot appetizer. Truly one of the most flavorful foods I have ever tasted in my life. Looks strange though, close your eyes.

-The next thing on the list for me was the architecture and layout. Simply stunning buildings and although they may be old and crumbling, in France they refer to this as elegant! The city also has a fun way of placing statues, gardens and random visual art sculptures all over the city. There are several parks that have the most incredible lookouts you’ve ever seen and while the metro system may be a little pricey at 1.80 euro one way, it is still a very simple and efficient line system once you get the hang of it.

-One thing the city also has in spades is diversity. People from all around the world will come to live or study in Paris, and the diverse atmosphere as far as the shops and different restaurants go really benefit from this. As I said earlier, even the tourism brings a diverse population of travelers from near and far, which is quite interesting, especially if you enjoy people watching and getting to know different cultures.

-While most of the French are pretty modest about their top flight in soccer, Ligue 1, it’s relevant to note that Paris’ city team, Paris Saint-Germaine, has come in first place each of the last four years. Their dominance makes Paris a true stronghold in French futbol. Their current dominance is due in great effort to forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored 154 goals in his 179 games with the club. I had the great fortune of witnessing his final home game the one weekend I was there. Strangely enough, he announced he would be leaving the club just the day before that match. Luckily enough, I purchased my ticket a week before. There wasn’t an empty seat in the house and the atmosphere was nothing short of electric.

Parque Des Princes

-The fourth and final category I want to elaborate on in this section is simply, the love. Whether it’s a psychological thing or not, Paris is named the city of love for a reason. I saw three different wedding parties strutting around the city and several couples walking around for their wedding photo shoot. While there wasn’t nearly as many displays of affection as Spain, the city still has its fair share of lovers.

The Bad

-The most notable downside I found, something someone whose never been to Paris would still understand, is the inherent fast paced environment a city of that size creates. People are on the go, all the time. The only time people stop, and this is no exaggeration, is to have a expresso or latte at the café. It’s common knowledge that Europeans smoke a lot more tobacco then us, so compound this with Paris and you get a city running on nicotine and caffeine. Maybe your in a friendly mood and looking to shoot a smile at a stranger on the street? Good luck. Most people are too busy to even acknowledge your existence. But that’s cool, once you manage to find your way to the hostel or your friend’s apartment you will most definitely find some friendly faces there.

Grey Roaches

Pigeons in my soup

Pigeons in my hair

Pigeons are everywhere

The pigeons don’t care

Feed the pigeons if you dare

-Along with the pigeons, the rogue street vendors of Paris selling chinsy souvenirs are absolute pests. They will not let you leave any of the dozens of prime attractions without buying an Eiffel tower keychain or a miniature Eiffel tower statue. I bought a keychain and wore it on my jacket zipper for the sole reason maybe then I wouldn’t be bothered. They will still bother you. Not until you try to sell them something of yours will you be spared a sales pitch. These guys, who hail mostly from Senegal and other African countries (no stereotyping here, I chatted with a few), may actually be more annoying then pigeons. If pigeons could talk they would take the crown, but they can’t, so they don’t.

-While I may have gotten a little unlucky with the majority of my week stay being cloudy, windy and rainy, this is what I got, and have no other choice but to list it in the bad. The many locals I spoke with mentioned how Paris actually gets some of the worst weather in the country, and if you go much more south or west you are bound to find sunnier days with clear skies. There is also an interesting myth that the sheer size and metallic structure of the Eiffel tower has a tendency to attract storms. Scientists have apparently debunked this myth, but my trip definitely made me a potential believer.

-“Etre au courant des pick pockets” Translation: Be aware of pick pockets. You’ll hear this just about every other metro stop right before you’re about to mind the gap. The gypsies (common name for the majority of pick pockets who flood to Paris from Eastern Europe) in France are real, and they want your money. I’ve heard way too many horror stories to count, and my basic ritual became switching my wallet from my back to my front pocket when entering the overcrowded metro. My thinking: if the gypsies can somehow manage to snag my wallet from my front pocket then A., I’m ether way to dumb or drunk to care, or B., They are way too skilled to be pick pocketing and deserve whatever minimal euro I have on me. The smartest and most full proof means of avoiding gypsy encounters is to wear a fanny pack type deal under your shirt and against your body. For some, the peace of mind outweighs the uncomfortable feeling of having nylon strapped across your stomach. I rocked my wallet, tried to be smart and I got spared. Keep your money close and your passport even closer.

Rogue vendors

The Ugly:

-The Gypsies get bumped down another level because there is a brash and morally embarrassing type of gypsy that is absolutely absurd. This is the petition wielding, ask for your signature and a donation in the name of deaf orphan children gypsy. Yeah, you might have to read that again. They lurk not only in the major tourist spots, but really anywhere crowds of people may be gathering to catch a taxi or wait in line for food. At the top of their ink faded, dirt covered computer paper is the title, “Association for deaf mute International children and orphans”. There is also a wheel chair handicap sign  in the left hand corner just in case you can’t read English and would like to understand why this shady looking human in a Bob Marley sweatshirt just approached you thrusting a pen. Even worse, they still won’t speak English well enough for you to understand anything about what this petition actually entails. Exploiting orphan children with special needs through a made up organization put’s these gypsies on the lowest rung of human evolution.

-I was in Paris in the month of May, by no means the hottest time of year in France, and I witnessed three different people passed out from exhaustion. One was lying in the gift shop of the Louvre museum, another was surrounded by a crowd of people in the middle of the cross walk just outside the Louvre, and it wasn’t clear if the last had just fallen off a bike, or was just walking, but this time they were lying on the side of the district 11 canal. Moral of the story, don’t just go to the Louvre because it’s a fancy name. For a young non-European traveler on a budget (Europeans under 26 get in for free) it’s actually rather expensive with a 15 euro entrance fee. I made the mistake of not researching the contents of the museum, and while the Louvre is the best in the world for historic sculptures, Egyptian artifacts and renaissance tapestry paintings, it fails pretty hard on impressionist paintings, as well as contemporary and modern art. For this, you would make out much better at Musse D’Orsey just across the sein (river).   Really, just drink lots of water no matter where you are in the world and you should avoid the fainting phenomenon.

-The last ugly side of France I want to discuss has to do with another form of con artistry. This is the cup and ball spinning, Mulan Rouge dwelling, con artist looking to offer you a bet you can’t refuse. Try and pick under which cup the soft fuzzy ball sits under after he rotates them around a bit with some flashy hand work. While it really isn’t difficult to pick where the ball lands, it is difficult to resist a payout of double whatever you are willing to bet. No matter what you bet, however, you’re guaranteed to lose. Those 50 and 100 euro bills that seem to be rapidly exchanging hands are just as fake as the hands that are exchanging them. The guy running the show has cronies planted in the crowd (usually good looking females) who get excited every time they win and will encourage you to play too. I swear even the smug looking dude advertising the subway sign on the corner is in on it. He smiled at me sheepishly when I told the ball and cup guy to stop conning people with his monopoly money. This was the third time I came across the fuzzy ball guy and confidence was brimming as I was with one of the only American friends I’ve made on this trip, a 6ft. something former football player for Rutgers University. This gypsy scam may not be as morally offensive as the one noted earlier, and it’s not worth confronting no matter how righteous you’re feeling, but it’s definitely worth being aware of.

The Epitome of Paris

With all that said I feel as though I should leave Paris on a good note, because in reality, no matter how you're perceiving things these days, it's definitely a city that will expand your mind. It will make you smile, it will make you cringe, it will make you dance, and it will make you run. Now that I'm currently in Vienna, Austria I'm missing Paris a little bit. I miss the fresh baguette sandwiches on every corner, and I miss the renaissance scenery. 

Since Paris I've been to  Zurich, Switzerland, but only stayed for a single full day due to the astronomical hostel and food costs. That city put Paris in a whole new light. I've also visited Munich since that time and I intend to write much more on Germany in the coming days. 

Finally, big love to all me friends and family back home. This is my first travel stint where  I genuinely miss many, many people. As for the new travel partners I've made on this journey and past trips, continue to explore not only the scenes you see, but what they leave you with. We give a part of ourselves every place we go, but we also take something with us. If you can figure out what that is, its a trip worth while no matter how much money you spend or how many dodgy people you meet.