Une semaine d’après...

I’ve already been in Paris for a week, and so much has happened! I started my stage at Air Liquide on Monday, but I haven’t let that stop me from taking as much time as I can to explore the city in ways that no tourist could.

Take for example how I spent last Saturday. I was lucky enough to make friends with many Colombians who had been living in the city for over a year, and who knew a thing or two about the Parisian lifestyle and how to go beyond the typical tourist traps. Rather than visit the ordinary Paris hot spots (which I have three months to discover anyway), we decided to wake up early and meet in the centre of town at Geppetto’s, where we rented our own bicycles for the day! The vélos themselves took some getting used to though; they’ve got an odd shape that makes them look better suited for old ladies on a lazy Sunday joyride. Still, with gears, making our way through the small slopes in the city wasn’t too difficult, and it was quite thrilling to ride in traffic as the Parisians do!

I really couldn’t say where we went though, all I know is we biked across the entire city, criss-crossing through a maze of narrow streets and massive turnabouts, amidst cafés, brasseries, bistros, shops, parks, and bustling crowds. It was a gorgeous ride, and it was hard to keep concentrated on the road with so much eye candy. We eventually biked out of Paris and travelled over 20km to the Chateau Versailles, where we stopped for a Turkish lunch, Frisbee, and a quick peek at the overly lavish palace. After relaxing with some beer and Paris’ famous “macarons” (delicious, colourful, and like no baked good I’ve ever seen before), we biked a different route back to the rental store.

Of course, we couldn’t just end the day there. We headed to the Franprix grocery store to buy baguettes, white wine, blue cheese and brie, and walked to the banks of La Seine, the river that cuts through Paris. We lounged by the water with our delicious picnic, a past time cherished by many Parisians, while not so well known to tourists. We ate as we stared at the tour boats floating by and took in the sight of the stunning Notre Dame de Paris cathedral across the river as the sun slowly set. This was without a doubt my favourite day so far.

The next day was no less busy. Unfortunately my new friends had previous plans, so I headed out on my own to discover some of the most well known museums of Paris. However, visiting the Louvre an hour after opening when it has free admission (on the first Sunday of each month) was definitely not a good plan. While I finally got to see the Louvre’s royal exterior and inspiring glass pyramid in its centre, I also witnessed the longest queue I had ever seen in my life. It ran from the pyramid around the interior courtyard, out to a second courtyard, and out into the street. It would have taken hours to get in, let alone to wait even longer to see the famous art works, such as the famed Mona Lisa.

So instead I walked across La Seine to the Musée d’Orsay, where I only waited an hour to get inside. This museum houses some of the world’s most well known works from the 1800’s and early 1900’s, including romantic, impressionist, post-impressionist, realism, and contemporary artworks. While I’m not at all an art fanatic, I still had a very enriching experience gazing at the works of Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, and countless others. Now that was what I call a culture shock!

With some hours of sunlight left, I headed to the Tuileries gardens and the l’Orangerie, which literally used to be an orangery until it was converted into a museum housing more famous art including massive oil paintings with Monet’s water lilies and some of Picasso’s work. Again, very impressive and I really enjoyed it. Afterward I spent the rest of the evening strolling through the gardens and the streets north of La Seine, eventually finding my way to the Église Saint Eustache, Les Halles mall, and finally to my final museum of the day, the Pompidou modern art museum. Really bizarre stuff in that one, I’ll admit. Creepy videos, psychedelic displays, art with political messages, and a beautiful rooftop view of Paris and the Eiffel Tower at sunset were only some of the things to be seen at this popular institution. Quite an ugly building though.

Today after work I went walking on the Champs-Élysées for the first time, and it did not disappoint! I’ll post more about it later, as well as about my job and life on campus at the Cité.

Until then, à bientôt!

Sean

There's something about Paris...

There’s something about Paris that always mystifies you, wherever you go. It could be the stunning and vastly diverse architecture that never fails to leave you in awe and reminds you that you are very far from home. Or perhaps the landscape and the world renown symbols throughout Paris that all visitors flock to see. Or maybe it’s the food and the Parisian joie de vivre. Or maybe it’s just the really cheap but excellent wine.

At any rate, after only 3 days here in Paris, I know that I love it.

The plane ride, while certainly shorter than my massively draining trek to and from Australia, was decent. Air Canada actually surprised me by serving me edible food. Unfortunately, I couldn’t sleep at all on the plane, which left me feeling some jetlag up until yesterday.

Arrival was smooth at first; a guy in a suit with an Air Liquide sign escorted me to his taxi and brought me to my residence, Cité Universitaire Internationale de Paris. After that, I was pretty much on my own to find my key and then my house, the Maison du Portugal (funny coincidence!). It was apparently a holiday that day, which for some reason is called “Ascension”, apparently for the same religious reason as Easter Monday, even though they celebrate both. I don’t get it. Anyhow, turned out that no staff was available, everything was closed, and only a few security personnel were around to ask for help. Tough luck, and it was a little frustrating.

The residence itself is gorgeous. There’s about 40 different houses scattered on campus, each representing a different country with its own unique architecture. Some are really stunning, and I hope to post some photos soon. There’s also many parks, sports fields, and green spaces everywhere on campus. Jogging seems to be a major part of French culture, there are people working up a sweat EVERYWHERE. I guess that’s how they work off the calories from all the food!

After finally settling in, with no information, no metro pass, and no internet, I was at a loss for what to do. So I decided to explore the campus, and was fortunate to make friends with an awesome girl from Colombia who had come to visit her sister on campus. We ended up spending the day walking the streets of the 14e arrondissement and buying some groceries and necessities. We even watched a large group perform capoeira, an amazing Brazilian dance and martial art. Oh, and we played Frisbee, too! It was one hell of an action-packed day!

The next day everyone was back at work, so luckily I was able to get all the info I needed, including my new free metro pass that I could use to travel anywhere in Paris. Jetlag got the best of me though. I unintentionally slept through the entire afternoon, when I had planned to go exploring the city. Not a big deal though, when I woke up I headed straight for the nearby RER station (train) and made my way to Quai d’Orsay and La Seine. I then trekked through the streets, searching for the first Paris icon I absolutely had to see: the Eiffel Tower.

It really is spectacular, and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s way bigger than I thought it would be in real life, and it looks structurally complex. I guess my only complaint is the number of tourists and souvenir salesmen all over the place. They take away some of the charm, but I guess that’s true for most of the tourist hotspots in Paris. It is the world’s most touristed city after all!

Well, this is to be continued, since I’ve got to go to bed. My short vacation has come to an end, as of tomorrow, I’ll be starting my first day as an Engineering Intern at Air Liquide!

Some quick things I’ve noticed about France:
- The French know immediately when they’re speaking to someone foreign. You can’t fool them. Don’t bother trying.
- The Parisians aren’t all that rude or snobby at all, despite the stereotype. Well, that’s mostly true.
- Yes, they do carry baguettes around. I see it everywhere.
- I’d heard that Paris smells, and not in the good way. I guess it depends where you are. It smells fabulous near any boulangerie, patisserie, or restaurant. But you often get a whiff of something that isn’t particularly pleasant, especially in some metro stations. It’s like a mix of urine, sewage, and fish. But it really isn’t all that bad.
- There are way too many tourists in the busy areas, and it’s a little annoying.

I’ll post again soon!

Cheers,

Sean