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
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