GoSparky!: Paris, France (11th in a series)

SPARKY’S BLOG

2-17-2013

Paris, France

Paris!

Today is a special day as we travel to Paris, “the city of light” by TGV (fast train). I was truly absorbed by the technology of the TGV and how the process in which the speed increased over the first few kilometers of our trip. The train must first navigate out of the urban setting of a heavily populated area like Lyon for safety sake.

Leaving Lyon for Paris on the TGV!

You first notice the speed increase just a little bit while entering a more rural area and once you feel the tracks become smoother as though they changed from steel to rubber is when the real change in speed occurs. It is somewhat mesmerizing as you see trees, houses and cows streak by as quickly as a blink of an eye…tremendous stuff.

After a couple of hours our train begins to enter an industrial zone and very shortly after that I see the Eiffel Tower way off in the distance sprouting over smaller buildings like a young tree sapling struggling to grow tall and strong. For the first time – I’m speechless…..

Taken from afar as we approached Paris

This very time in my life a swell of historical significance, importance, struggle and culture overpowers me to an irresistible yearning of wanting to see it all. Alas, this was not to be on this trip as there wouldn’t be enough time but the momentary crushing blow of realizing this was immediately replaced with awe-inspiring feelings of what was to come.

This city is wrought with splendor (a bridge adornment)

The tremendous place in history that Paris holds cannot be denied and I’m not sure if everyone really understands what the soil means that they will be walking on today. I do, and I’m very grateful to be given this chance. I worked my butt off just for the opportunity to be here and I’m now reaping the rewards of numerous sleepless nights before taking or giving a test, practical or presentation. I wasn’t going to miss this trip or this city for anything. Now that I’m here – I don’t quite know how to act or enjoy myself. I’m just suffering from the substance of a city like Paris that is now before me. Soon enough I get my traveling legs back and we’re on our way to the River Seine for a fantastical boat ride.

Aboard our vessel to escape into the city

A cruise down the Seine on the famous Bateaux Mouches

This may be the best way to see just how spectacular Paris is because commerce used to be trafficked down this river and ,subsequently, so too has the infrastructure that’s been built here to accommodate this watery business. Building after building represents the birth of a great city (good and bad). We pass customs for point of entry, jails for the naughty, monuments of worship (Notre Dame), shrines to past leaders and a very infamous portal that saw millions of Jewish folks extracted from their homeland and sent to their demise in concentration camps during World War II. This sight (which is now somewhat shunned by the French has steel bars preventing outsiders from entering) gave me great pause and forced me to reflect on my freedom as an American. We are very, very lucky and tremendously fortunate to live in the United States.

Imagine this view on your way to work every day - I can!

I knew that this boat ride would be taking us to the banks that are a stone’s throw from the Eiffel Tower. With each encroaching inch, foot and meter getting closer and closer; I begin to notice that the tourists start to stand and favor one side of the boat for viewing and picture-taking purposes. The tower is a wondrous sight to behold and quite gigantic. My camera struggled to capture the grandiose nature that is she.

The Grande Dame

I WILL get back here someday and rise to the top and bask in the true glory that is Paris. Until then old girl farewell and Au revoir, I shall return.

Notre Dame de Paris

I wish I could write more fitting expressions and articulate in a manner more appropriate to what Notre Dame means to Paris and the world for that matter but we weren’t given much time to spend here and I don’t need to make this log a book even though it kind of already is.

The lines were small and quick to get in

Opulence mixed with efficiency occupies the interior

Knowing what I do about Notre Dame de Paris which means “Our lady of Paris” is a Roman Catholic cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris and contains the “official” chair of the arch-bishop of Paris. The cathedral also has a treasury that houses a reliquary with the purported Crown of Thorns. Notre Dame de Paris is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in France and in Europe eschewing earlier Romanesque architecture.

It is quite lovely and super important as it is much more than a monument or piece of art because it is still in use today for all the things it was built for in the 1100’s and 1200’s.

The famous Champs Elysees with the Arc of Triumph in view

Okay, this avenue is very long and a haven for shoppers but for a guy like me who was not able to savor an afternoon on its famous sidewalk or venture into one of its many bistros, brasseries and patisseries for culinary delights; this was another adventure that I must revisit.

The shopping scene here is nasty, I use the word nasty because there are too many folks milling about just coming to an abrupt stop and standing in your way like they’re meant to be impeding your progress.

The Champs Elysee

I’m a person who likes to get where he’s going and met this typical French (Michel’s words not mine) phenomenon with total disdain. This Champs Elysees experience is the only dour one that I will encounter while in Paris. I’m a bit of a romantic and long to return for coffee and croissants at a quaint place to sit and watch the frenetic pace of Parisians passing by all the while savoring the style and culture that surround me.

A "light" moment in the traffic

A funny thing happened on the way ……

We were told of the numerous encumbrances and negative aspects when traveling in a group in a major city so heavily populated like Paris. With that being said we still suffered lagging group members and problems on the “Metro”.

The Paris Metro

The “Metro” is, of course, the underground subway system in Paris that connects the city making it seem small. I believe it is very efficient and super convenient but….. The but comes from our naiveté or just a disregard that bad things won’t happen to us but they did or almost did.

We were a very large target and probably looked upon as “stupid” Americans ripe for the picking (literally!). One area of our group was portioned off by a couple of little expert pick-pockets. They were two immaculately dressed girls - one creating a diversion by stepping on the toes of my comrades and the other being Janie-on-the-spot by attempting to pluck valuables from another student’s bag.

Cramped quarters - at best

Fortunately for us a nice Parisian fellow stopped the minor crime by slapping away the girls hand and giving her a tongue lashing. He would take her to the authorities for punishment and this made our group feel relieved, however, he then bestowed an angrily delivered message that we “Americans” need to pay better attention when riding the Metro. Okay, message heard….Geeze you can’t escape just a wee bit of prejudice. That being said we as a group deserved to be scolded as well.

I had a blast riding on the Metro - seems like a song should be written about it eh?

It was this previous scolding that had us more on guard because 3 stops later as we were all piling into a Metro train is when I felt a tugging on my wallet pocket. I immediately slapped at this area and secured my wallet with my free hand. I wasn't able to turn around in time to see this person’s face as we were all packed like sardines in a can. When I did manage to around (as the train pulled away) I saw the back of man’s head scurrying away foiled by my awareness from our earlier incident.

E. Dehillerin

This cooking store has been in existence since 1820 and supplies the great chefs of Paris with their cooking wares. It is one of the oldest restaurant supply houses in all of the world and its pretty cool to be able to pick up a rolling pin for my sister and myself.

The venerable house of culinary goodies!

I will entertain thoughts of baking in a sleepy romantic boulangerie (bakery/bread maker) every time I use it. Most students are finding fantastic savings as they are able to buy in bulk and take advantage of Europe’s ailing economy only to understand that they don’t have a lot of room in their luggage for such culinary souvenirs.