I studied French as a language for close to seven years. Even if I don’t remember a spot of it now. The book that was used in school (and probably still is) was a generally defunct 1950s publication fondly called Mauger Bleu. The book was written by a man named Mauger and was blue in colour. Now, Mauger Bleu was about a happy family of four – a man, his wife, one boy and one girl. In every chapter, you were supposed to learn about some aspect of French lifestyle. And thus be introduced to French and France. It was peppered with names like Pierre, Jean, Paul, Marie and what not. Everyone in France was pearly white. And everyone ate three proper meals.
Yet, curiosity about Paris and France dogged me. So when we went to Paris for a four day trip, I also wanted to unlearn whatever Mauger Bleu had taught me. Paris is beautiful, no doubt. But Paris is also dirty. It perhaps (even if I couldn’t see it) is fashionable, but more than fashion, it is that overwhelming sense of history and European-ness that invades you.
We got to Paris on Eurostar. Unlike getting out from an airport, which gives you the comfort of a ride into a city, in which time, you adjust yourself to various things, we were bumped right out at Gare Du Nord. Our first sight of Paris wasn’t a fashionable woman in pencil heels. (Yes, hit me on the head for expecting that, okay?), but beggars. Women in long skirts, holding up placards that said that they were victims of Bosnian-Serbian conflict, and had no money.
But Paris is beautiful. And I could say it over and over again.
As first timers in Paris, we were clearly overwhelmed by the sheer number of must-dos. Lists – places to go to, restaurants to visit, streets to walk, buildings to photograph, heights to scale, spots to admire, bridges to stand over. We possibly overdid it. But we’re glad we did. Because every bit of that city should have been admired. Bewilderingly unpronouncable names aside, it was easy to get to various places provided the street map was handy.
While I’ll try and write about the places we went to – the most exhilarating was climbing the spiral staircase with 400 odd steps at the Notre Dame cathedral to get to the Bell Tower, and being right there when the bell rang. Incredible views of Paris gleamed at us from below. Gruesome, pensive chimeras to keep us company.
Posted on April 10th, 2007 by Neha Viswanathan
Filed under: Cities, Photographs, Sri, Travel
As a one-time resident of that beautiful city, I must thank you for this post. Brought back some great memories. Did you visit Centre Pompidou? Musée d’Orsay? Musée Rodin?
Maybe you have forgotten how to spell train stations in ‘la langue française’, but I haven’t: the station you got out at would be ‘Gare du Nord’ ;-)
[...] ‘Pundit Neha went to Paris, and all we get is a short post with a couple of pictures (she promises to tell us more about her visit in future posts, though): As first timers in Paris, [...]
Abi: There was so much more to see. But we had to cross off some of the “must-do”s first. Really wanted to go to Musée d’Orsay – but that didn’t quite work out this time.
I blame the proximity of the keys D and E on the keyboard. (Still very tired from the trip.) That much French, even I hopefully recall! :)
if i’ve said it once, i shall say it again, I thought the Eiffel Tower is highly overrated (ppl call it blasphemy when i say that,bah!) n totally fell in love with Notre Dame (blame it on those cute chimerical gargoyles ) :)
Thanks for the post! Brought back a lot of memories. We spent a whole week in Paris and still didn’t cover half the must-dos. I guess the city has way too many things to offer. You are going to go there again to cover the rest of must-dos? I so envy you folks living in Europe! You can hop on a train and go to France or Italy whenever you feel like!
Chimera, I agree that Eiffel tower is very overrated. It’s just a gigantic structure and I don’t see anything artistic about it. But did you see it at night when it’s all lighted up? The view is breathtaking. That’s the best part of Eiffel.
I see that Paris is still not pedestrian enough for people to think it’s too obvious a case when they say “I’ve been there”. So, it must be good and all that.
hey! i remember that text book. they were always travelling – that family.
and cliched as it sounds – i love paris.
Good to hear from you again, Neha. Paris sounds gorgeous. Hope you manage to see more of it soon. I love the gargoyles!
Paris is beautiful and offcourse a romantic city but now as much as we thought (Read & saw in pictures).
With similar time pressures, I chose the Musee d’Orsay over the Louvre because (or so I was told) one needs at least 3 days to appreciate the Louvre. No regrets. I remember sitting on the fllor and looking up at two large half-finished Toulose-Lautrecs.
And the feeling of ..awe? disbelief? to be in a room full of Monets.
The by-lanes you mention in your next post, I walked them, I loved them. And the pet market that appears on Sundays near Notre Dame. And a little boulangerie where an old lady pressed some black bread upon me. And the ‘King of Crepes’. And a gorgeous grey-eyed girl in a cafe, talking to the Hunchback.
Next time – Montmartre for a whole day, perhaps?
J.A.P.
I was in Paris last week en route to a conference. Just stayed there for a day, finished my work and came back to India, without seeing any of the must-sees and without doing any of the must-dos. You see, I don’t have time for all that! And what is there to see anyway..
Heh heh, a new kind of snobbery is fast taking over in Bangalore! ;)
Ok Ok, before I’m ripped apart, I wish I had more time so that I could look around.. okay? :)
Neha, I see you went to the top sections of Notre Dame! (Ok I read the text after I saw the pic :p).. BTW Chimera I felt Notre Dame was highly overrated. :).. I absolutely loved Sacre Cour though..
Did like Eiffel though.. its humungous structure does overwhelm you!
Neha, it’s so easy for you to just step into a train and land at Paris! Am wondering how come you didnt do it in all this time :p. Hey BTW do visit Finland too, you wouldnt regret it :). Now’s the season to be there BTW.
I demand you make this sri person’s IP public.
Hah! I studied from the Mauger Blue as well. Of course then I studied at Alliance Francaise so my French was actually functional when I went to Paris….
I don’t know, for me Paris will always be the best city in the world. I spent two weeks there and there’s just so much to see and do and so much happening! And you just need to look behind the touristy bits and the French – romantic cliches to see a whole different side to it. I agree with you when you say its beautiful and dirty – but that’s whats nice about it.
And thge Eifel Tower is ugly. Even the Parisians think so…but its still hard not to be taken in by it at night when the lights come on :)
Chimera: Well the Eiffel Tower has its own charm. All that metal lighting up at night . It somehow seemed to completely change character at night. I loved the chimeras at Notre Dame. I think I went all the way to the top just to see them clearly.
Twisted DNA: Yeah yeah. But even hopping on the train requires time no? We hope to go to more places in Europe this year. A second trip to Paris unfortunately, will have to wait. And wait, don’t let anyone in the UK hear you say that it’s in Europe!
Nilu: Yes, it’s very good and all that. :)
desiwitch: Anyone who has ever been subjected to that book is unlikely to forget it I think! It was also such a perfect family. With such perfect habits.
dipali: It was gorgeous! I don’t know what about the gargoyles is so appealing!
Paavani: Paris is beautiful, but I think this imposition of romance is a serious business for many! I dealt with that in another post.
J. Alfred Prufrock: Yes, I wish we’d chosen the Musée d’Orsay. But we didn’t regret even the visit to Louvre, even if brief. The Louvre as a building – by itself – has so much to offer. I think the best part about Paris was the smaller lanes. Perhaps another time..
sri: Very fancy! Going to Paris for a conference and all? Or are you trying to just say that we’re jobless cows!
Twilight Fairy: I absolutely loved going to the tower at Notre Dame. It was one of the highlights for us. Perhaps for the history student and literature lover in me, the Notre Dame had a whole different aspect?
Szerelem: At the AF – we read out of Nouveau sans frontières. I can still read and comprehend French – but hearing it being spoken that fast and attempting comprehension is a whole different ballgame! Paris is beautiful yes, but its dirt makes it seem more alive. More thriving even..
Neither.. just could not resist making that snob statement and irritate Nilu a bit ;)
Hint: What did the fox say when he could not jump to get the grapes? What did sri say when he did not have enough time to see Paris?