Paris and stuff

I went to Paris this weekend. This is unusual, in that I don't normally do things involving lots of money or going overseas. It was really great. So I've posted the results of ruminations (see what I did there?) on my time in Paris. It includes the thoughts I have for the tour I'm taking in January, so if it seems somewhat disjointed, that's why.

In other news, I finished my read-through of Act 1 scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice, as I mentioned in the last post. It's all rough, first-draft stuff but I thought I'd follow up with that.

Now, Paris:

Day 1

First thing first: Our bus driver is crazy. I think it's normal for the people to drive like that, but he seriously just trundles this 3 ton bus around like he's the only one on the road. It's hilarious.

Our tour director is incredibly fluent. She has an accent, but it isn't bad or distracting. It's one of those French accents that's more of a shading than anything else.

As for the flight, it was really cold. I know I slept a lot--I'm tired but not as tired as I feared I'd be--but I had a hard time keeping under the blanket. I think the cold woke me up more than the discomfort, though I had that, too.

I picked up Euros at a little shack. It cost over $80 to pull in 50 Euros. I hope that's enough for the trip, because I don't want to have to buy more.

The sky is steel-cast and though it's cold, it's not biting...yet. I'm hopeful that it stays mild, since I accidentally left my coat behind at Salt Lake. I may or may not get it back.

Some of the things to keep in mind:

·         Sometimes there is a disparity between flights, so there could be as much as two hours waiting at the airport.

·         Sleeping on the local clock is important, so the first day is hard and you should be aware of it

·         They have little shanty spots with satellite dishes poking out of the detritus--which has been thrown on top of the homes like attics. So there are homes with garbage (bags of it, old bicycles, and more) that are packed together. Then, like periscopes, the satellite dishes show up.

·         It is best to have layers and avail yourself of every potty opportunity.

·         It is 2 Euros a day for bus driver and 2 for the guide.

o   I need to check to see if our British tour director will accept dollars as well as pounds

The motorcycle drivers are insane. They don't have to be in their own lanes, so they can go down the dotted lines. It makes sense, but it would be nerve wracking to drive here. Seriously.

The buildings are old and new--stuff you can tell is hundreds of years old next to new buildings made in the last century.

You can see why the Parisian government would rather have the Nazis occupy than fight them in their city; there is much to cherish here.

The Louvre was the second palace of the kings of France. The first is nearby. When Louis XIV moved from Louvre to Versailles (about 18 miles out from Paris), it was a step up in terms of size and scope...and that's saying something. (In the palace of kings--the first palace--there is the place where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned before being guillotined. I took a picture of the actual spot.)

The Louvre itself is enormous. We spent about two and a half hours in there and saw maybe an eighth of the things to see. We walked through leisurely but, since the placards were all in French (I didn't notice the translation placards until later), we couldn't sit and learn what each piece was. I took a hundred pictures or so of the different pieces.

The Cathedral of Notre Dame was incredibly beautiful. It took over 120 years to build, and it shows. The stonework and façade are beyond reproach, though much of it was destroyed during the Revolution. The 19th century saw its restoration--and a lot of other French monuments.

Taking the Metro and RER is not as simple as our TD made it sound. Part of it is that there is so much cloud cover that I have completely lost my sense of direction. I don't know which way is which with this misty rain and consistently gray skies. Anyway, the public transportation is definitely efficient. If you miss one train, you have to wait about two minutes before another one shows up. As a group, we kept things together pretty well so there weren't any problems with that. Wandering through Paris, it was surprising to see how cramped the streets were. In Utah, we're used to pioneer-style sprawl; here, people are all on top of each other all of the time and you just get used to it.

Day 2

I can't decide if I made the wrong choice by sitting by myself and typing notes or chatting with the people who are on the tour. Then again, what I overhear is about Black Friday and children, so maybe I did make the right choice.

The TD talked a bit about the way the 'cradle to grave', high taxed, progressive system works here. The government gives a stipend to parents for having kids. There is day-care/preschool given starting at age 3 (with age 6 being required starting time). Kids go to school from 8:30 to 4:30 (with Wednesdays off until age 12) and go six weeks before taking a 15 day holiday. They go from 2 September until 2 July. They're debating if the students are being worked too hard and if they should change to an 8:30 to 3:30 day. Adults have 5 weeks paid vacation a year and maternity is 3 months.

Graffiti and cigarettes are everywhere. On the Metro, the RER, and just on buildings. It's both sad and kind of cool (that's always my feeling toward graffiti, at least). I should say that the old, historical buildings and monuments are well preserved. The cigarettes seed the gutters. People take cigarette breaks in the stereotypical French way--lounging against things, chatting and looking disdainful, the smoke curling insouciantly around their fingertips.  

In the suburbs of Paris, they have a commuter train but the train tracks have grass underneath. Like, nicely manicured grass. I don't know how they do it, but it's really nice looking.

Freeways are congested (we drove during rush hour which, apparently, is every hour) but people just drive on and get to where they're going. They must spend a fortune on brakes here, since they fly until they have to stop. The roads themselves are somewhat baffling, and a lot of the hard and fast rules in America are seen more like guidelines. People won't wait for an opening; they'll make one.

Public transit is mostly trains--the Metro and RER work for inside of Paris, while el-trains and other commuter ones criss-cross the outskirts. A couple million commuters make it in and out of the city every day, so the roads, bridges, tunnels, and trains all have to work really effectively. There aren't a lot of buses; instead, they will walk from Metro station to station.

The French are still politically active; one hospital (?) I saw had all sorts of protest signs hanging on the outside, decrying...something.

Versailles was unbelievable. That's a cliché, but I can't really think of something better now. My jaw dropped--and other clichés. Look, it was really impressive, okay? Wandering through the immense rooms was breathtaking and the endless gardens were probably more impressive during the summer. So, yeah, the building was worth the trip, but the grounds were a little less impressive. It's only because we're here in November; during the summer it must be incredible.

We stopped for just a few minutes before Napoleon's tomb (we didn't get to go in) and the Eiffel Tower. One word on each: Napoleon's tomb is gilded and impressive and somewhat ostentatious. Heck, most of the monuments are. Apparently, they're almost all 19th century renovations done by Napoleon III in order to make the city more accessible--and to cut down on rebellions. So, a lot of the stuff that's built is all in the Romanesque mode that Napoleon Bonaparte preferred. We saw the Arc d'Triumph and I videoed our spin around it, as well as catching some of the flame of the Unknown Soldier. That was sobering.

As for the Eiffel Tower, we got a few shots from the dramatic point of view that's on a raised plaza. Here's the thing, though: There's a famous picture of Hitler standing in front of the Tower. I took a picture of the exact spot, and it was really weird to think that I've now stood in the same place as Adolf Hitler. The Tower wasn't liked when it was built for the 200th anniversary since the French Revolution, and it was only supposed to be there until 1909, but it became really useful as a radio tower. By the time the Great War came, it had really shown its usefulness and the city had grown to appreciate it. Now it's synonymous with Paris and France. So it's really permanent now.

After Versailles, we were given free time to get dinner and explore Paris on our own. I was a little apprehensive about not doing something structured, so I went ahead and paid for the optional Tower and Boat on the Seine tour. I can't remember the name of the skyscraper, but it's one of the few in the city (Paris has a law that nothing can be built over 6 stories; it's draconian, but it makes a difference on the skyline). It also has the fastest elevator in Europe; it took less than one minute to go up 59 stories or so.

The weather was cloudy and rainy, so the pictures are more of a city wreathed in fog than anything distinct, but it was still cool. We then, as a group of about six or seven, headed onto the Metro (by ourselves! How grown up!) and drifted to the Latin Quarter. I loved the narrow streets that were laid originally by the medieval Parisians, especially as so much had changed under Napoleon III. I could see how a few pieces of brick, bed, and other furniture could really slow down an attack, as happens in Hugo's novel.

We found a random place, sat down, and I ate onion soup, pasta with salmon, and one of the best flans I've ever eaten. We hurried from dinner to the meeting place at the New Bridge where our Boat Tour met. After trolling up and down the Seine, seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up from the river, as well as the backside of Notre Dame (and catching a glimpse of the T-Rex on the waterfront), I decided to go with the group that was going to hoof it back to the Latin Quarter.

Once there, the club that one person wanted to enter was asking 14 Euros as a cover pay--way too much for some jazz I didn't really want to hear. As we stood around deliberating, a door opened up the alleyway and smoke poured out. A large Parisian stood, muscly and wearing a mask as club music thumped out. I could just discern dancing amidst the smoke and tinted windows. It looked like one of those crazy Parisian parties that are glamorized in the movies.

Since we didn't want to go to the jazz club, we drifted until I saw the Shakespeare and Company store, which--surprisingly--was still open. I got some photos, went inside, and resisted spending way too much on a book (one in English, of course, but one bought in Pairs) and then went with the others back to the Metro.

The RER (the main transit for extra-Paris destinations) kicked us off a stop early. One of the French teachers in the train suddenly jolted upright when she heard an announcement. A local started shoving her bags out, the teacher asked some questions, and we all got out. Apparently, the train wasn't going to our stop after all. We got on the next without a problem.

The group peeled away from me about 3 blocks from home and I walked the last bit alone. It was uneventful, since I was in a fairly safe place of the suburbs. Gayle, of course, would've freaked out if she knew I did it.

I got back to the hotel, texted Gayle, and went to sleep.

Day Three:

The beginning of the day was spent on training. I have a bunch of notes and such, so I'm not going to throw anything down here. It went until lunch.

With the rest of the day available, we took the RER and Metro toward the catacombs. The line wrapped around the block, and one of the attendants told us (in English) that we wouldn't be getting in; they closed too soon. Two of our group decided to stay on the off chance they could get in. (When we met up with them later, it turned out that they had, in fact, made the tour.)

My idea to visit the Pantheon, a secular necropolis and the tomb of famous Parisians, was agreed upon and we started to wander northwards until we reached it. We found a church with some stunning stonework (as most buildings are there) and snapped some photos before continuing on.

Walking through the narrow streets filled with markets, scooters, people, and the occasional car, was really fun. My legs must be getting stronger, because all of the walking wasn't too strenuous for me. I enjoyed the walk.

Once we arrived at the Pantheon, it cost 10 Euros (about $15) and I wandered around. I'd heard that the toilets were few and far between and you had to buy the right to use one. This was never really a problem, as a lot of the stops were technically paid (by EF Tours), and in other cases, like this one, I wasn't buying a toilet use--I was paying to see the monument. Still, after going to the bathroom in a crypt holding bones of Enlightenment philosophers and great novelists (including Dumas and Hugo), I was much more comfortable looking at all of the statues of naked people. Seriously. I guess the 18th and 19th centuries saw the people of France infected with some disease that made all of their clothes really hard to keep on their bodies. Oh, and it was colder in the main part of the Pantheon than in the crypts underneath. Go figure, right?

Pantheon done, we wandered toward the Luxemburg Gardens for a few minutes until the police kicked everyone out. It was large, tastefully enhanced with benches and statues, and overall very pretty. I can only imagine what it was like during the summer.

Tired, we decided to take the Metro to the restaurant in downtown (I guess?) Paris. It was the first time I bought tickets for myself, and it was easy--I simply put the machine into English. With ticket in hand, I boarded with the rest of my group. We found our way without incident and an extra hour. Wandering around the shopping district, we saw the peculiar rental bikes (first half-hour is free!) stacked on their computer-controlled racks, and a lot of kitschy paraphernalia set at exorbitant prices.

Unsure of what else to do, we drifted until we saw a tower. This bad boy was actually part of a cathedral during the renovation. Unfortunately for the cathedral, it was in the way of the new street, so the architects had it torn down. The tower, however, was fine, so the architects didn't have it demolished. It points to the Parisian sky, silent and lonely.

Spotting another impressive building ("It's the Louvre," I said. "Any building that looks impressive is probably the Louvre. That thing takes up, like, 18 square blocks.") in the distance, we headed there. A man was about to dance in the square in front of the building to some Michael Jackson music, but he decided against it. So I have eight seconds of footage, it seems of a guy about to dance who never does. Anyway, the building was impressive, even by Parisian standards. I recognized it from the documentary on the French Revolution that I show in class. We went up to the guards to ask what building it was. Before we could say anything, one man said curtly, "No visits."

"We just want to know what building this is," said one of the guys in our group, Jared.

"City hall," said the guard.

Holy crap. That thing is more impressive than most any building in our whole state, to say nothing of the idea that it's the city hall!

We returned in time for dinner, which was a wafer-like pizza with different delicious toppings. It was really tasty. They had a number of cups of wine already to go, but since I and about six others on the tour don't drink, a lot of the wine went untasted. Anyway, we chatted about a number of different topics, but most of them revolved around how to improve, modify, or tweak our schools. It was interesting to hear the arguments (non-aggressive, of course) about different ways of having a school run. It was quite fascinating, actually.

With dinner over, my roommate and fellow Utahn headed toward some of the other places that Jared had seen last night when he wandered through Paris by himself. We walked up to a basilica which we quietly entered while others were praying. Jared was constantly hustled by peddlers--they looked Haitian to me--throughout the town. I found some stuff in a random shop to buy for Gayle and the kids (a scarf, beret, and miniature Eiffel Tower), then we headed back to the Metro to travel to the Arc d'Triomphe.

We hoped to climb the stairs to the top, but it wasn't meant to be; they closed the stairway about 15 minutes before we showed up. Instead, we took pictures in front of the immense arch that Napoleon had had constructed. He would march through it when victorious in conquering more of Europe. Hitler would do the same a century later, and then Charles de Gaulle would likewise march through it after the liberation of Paris in 1945. Nowadays, they have an annual parade from the Arc down toward the city center (where the guillotine sat, once upon a frightful time) on 14 July, Bastille Day.

After staring at the flame over the tomb of the unknown soldier, I realized--a little bit more--how conflicted I am at the sacrifice of people in the act of war. It was profound, but ineffable.

Time rolling by, we jumped the Metro again to head toward the Eiffel Tower. All of our diligence on learning the way it worked paid off--never once did we get lost. We took a number of transfers (four was our max, though when we did it I can't remember) before arriving a block or two away from the Tower.

I really had to pee at this point (you can read a few paragraphs up to see when I last needed to do that; it was hours before, that was) and so I used a "Star Trek toilet". Again, I'd heard that even the public restrooms required payment, but not these suckers. They had a small revolving door that automatically opened upon pressing the button. Then you stepped in, did your business, washed your hands, and pushed the button. It thanked you, you'd step out, and then the toilet would go on a rinse cycle. Seriously, it would wash itself, like a cat after its business is done. Then its light would flash on to let the next person know that they could use it. Far and away the most high futuristic part of the whole shebang.

Relieved, we moved on to the Tower and took a number of pictures at dynamic and interesting angles. Again, we arrived minutes too late to take the ride to the top. It saved me 14 Euros, which is quite a bit. Pictures done, Jared wanted to try one more time to get a scarf--the purpose of his entire shopping hunt the entire time he'd been out--so he crossed the street to check out another stand. Following, I saw a vendor making crepes hot and fresh. Wanting some hot chocolate but not seeing it on the menu, I ordered--what else was I to do with the coins of Euros in my pocket? DUDE! It was one of the most delicious crepes I've ever eaten. He'd poured it onto a round griddle, then rolled it into a circle with a small hand roller before flipping it from one skillet to the next to cook both sides. He layered melted Nutella on it and wrapped it up. Seriously. So good.

Time was gone. We had to return before we missed the last train out of Paris (which we thought was 12:00am, but no one was really sure). Using my last (expensive) ticket, we took a couple of Metro stops to the RER connector, then got on the train. It was fairly full--not as much as others we'd been on, much to my nose's displeasure--and took us where we needed to go. We arrived back at the hotel about 20 after midnight.

Day Four:

We got up early, showered, breakfasted, and went to climb on the bus. We arrived at the enormous Paris-de Gaulle airport and fought our way to the kiosks. It took about 40 minutes, I'd say, to get from boarding pass stations through security. I slept in the airport until boarding, then returned home.

Sorry, there isn't a lot here. The day was just traveling. What more do you want? Like, overall impressions or something? Okay, here:

Paris is really striking. I missed Gayle, though not as much as I have with other trips. Not having her there was sad, only because I knew it'd be so much better with her around. Still, the experience itself was really remarkable, even by myself, and I absolutely loved the ambiance. There's a controlled frenetic feeling in the city--it's hard to say what makes it feel that way. I'd think that it has to do with the soft-spoken way of the French mingled with the intense traffic. People are busy, extremely tech-focused, and very into smoking cigarettes. They aren't rude or polite--they're just people. They do take for granted the amazing stuff around them; this is to be expected, but it's still kind of sad.

The City of Lights is really dichotomous. It's surrounded by beautiful architecture, yet is graffitied beyond measure. It's meticulously maintained in certain areas, but bestrewn with cigarette butts and discarded Metro tickets in others. The cradle-to-grave mentality of governmental support so derided in conservative circles seems to work and work well for most people, yet homeless people dotted the city. The twenty-first century positively throbbed in the veins of the place, yet it held onto its medieval and Restoration roots. Despite all of this, it seems to have a very clear identity. It can respond to the times by acknowledging what's new, allowing it in a controlled way, and then rejecting that which is too chic to preserve amidst its history. I find it fascinating.

Would I like to return? Maybe. Never to live. I've visited some places and wished there were a way to make it a permanent part of my life. But not Paris. It's partly the language barrier; I'm tired of not understanding what people are saying or what's going on. I haven't felt this frustrated with language since the opening months of my mission. Of course I'd like to see some of the sights that I missed and take a little more time with what I have already seen. And, as I said before, I missed having Gayle by my side.

It was cold. Not unduly so, but enough for me to feel impatient at times at the waffling we would do between stops. By keeping moving and attending different areas, it really did help me to keep warm and not worry so much about the weather.

On the whole, it is really a remarkable place. I didn't fall in love with it, but I have nothing but positive memories and experiences as a result.

So, yeah. Paris. Very nice. 10/10.