Edition #33 - Our first foray into France, to the capital, Paris, was a resounding success. I cannot remember ever having quite so much fun on a holiday.
I wrote up my first impressions of the trip here, and will be posting more on the long-term changes in my thinking because of the trip (it was philosophically heavy, so to speak) later.
For now, here are thirteen fantastic experiences we had while in Paris:
- Civility & Manners: I really don’t understand why people consider the French, and Parisians in particular, to be rude to Anglo tourists, or in general. We were treated with civility and kindness everywhere we spent, and no one made even the slightest fun of our pathetic attempts to speak French. Maybe I’ve only been to crap places elsewhere, but the Parisians get my vote for the nicest city-dwellers, hands down.
- Boulangeries: I love food in general, but bread holds a special place in my heart, so the bakeries of Paris were a special thing for me. More even than their wine or cheese, the French have raised baking to an art form. My only complaint is that I may never find (or be able to bake) such perfect breads outside of France.
- Parks:Being April, everything was in bloom, and everyone in Paris seemed to be determined to make the most of the excellent weather by spending as much time as possible in the parks that dot the city. We were quite happy to join in!
- Cafe Culture: Cafes were second only to parks in the amount of time we spent in them, watching the world go by, philosophizing, drinking coffee and wine, and generally lounging around. Ahhh…
- Couch Surfing: Despite a small language barrier, we were able to communicate well enough with our lovely host to discuss French (and American) politics, which seems to be the second most loved indoor sport in France, the other requiring a bed…
- Friday night on Rue Mouffetard: At night, and especially on the weekends, this tiny medieval street in the center of the Latin Quarter becomes something of an informal U.N. of students, backpackers and other assorted freaks. From drinking Burgundy by the bottle in The Mayflower to strolling the thronged side streets, this was easily the most vibrant bit of the trip.
- Chein: No one loves their dogs (or has more of them) than the Parisians. For a confirmed dog-lover like myself, the dog-watching was as good, or better, than the people watching.
- République et Bastille: Between these two squares is some of the best people watching (both local and tourist) that we found anywhere in Paris. Particularly fun was the informal skateboard and inline skate park that sprung up in the square at Bastille.
- Jardins du Trocadéro: West across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower lies this smallish park around the Palais de Chaillot, affording some of the best views of the Tower to be found anywhere in Paris.
- Toute en Miette: Two friends of our host, Fabrice and Julie, were playing a gig at a bar called Caylus. What transpired was one of the high points of our trip. Playing to a packed house, they roused the audience into clapping along, singing with them and generally having a good time. We were taken right into the fold, and even invited to an afterparty.
- The Weather: Could we have had better weather? Sunny, mild, blue skies all week. Neener neener neener…
- Jardins du Luxembourg: A beautiful park with chairs in addition to the standard green benches, places to play chess, and lawns that are out of bounds to all but toddlers.
- le Metropolitain: “Europe’s least offensive public transport” was a joy to use;on time, fast, and easily navigated. Woo hoo!
These are the ramblings of 
I am jealous, pure and simple. Would love to be someplace (anyplace) cosmopolitan drinking wine in a cafe. Would even consider coffee. What great opportunities you have had.
I don’t consider them “opportunities” as that implies something for nothing, or something I “get” that other people do not. They are the result of my priorities. My wife and I have organized our lives in such a way as to be able to do certain things (vacation in Paris among them) by not doing certain other things (having any debt, owning a car, going out to eat very often).
I was SO glad to see #1 on this list. I have a couple theories about that. First, when American soldiers went into German-occupied France in WWII, they found it a miserable, broken-down, unhappy place. Ever since then, they’ve passed down to newer generations of Americans that French people are “rude” and “dirty” without taking into consideration that any people in that situation would be impoverished and traumatized. Next, English-speaking people go to France and just assume everyone will speak English. If French-speaking people don’t understand them, they get loud and rude, as though those not understanding are simply deaf. Lots of times, French people DO speak English, but they won’t do so with you if you’re being a jerk about it. Not only that, but France is chock-full of immigrants, and many of them have barely mastered communicating easily in French, let alone in English. People who try to speak even the tiniest bit of French will be very graciously welcomed.
I have been having a discussion with a couple of friends as to why English-speaking people seem to have such a chip on their shoulder about the inhabitants of non-English speaking countries. So far, the consensus seems to be:
1) English-speaking people (particularly Americans, Australians and Kiwis) tend to not deal with people who speak another language on a regular basis, and so have no frame of reference for being on either side of the situation. Canadians and Brits are ever so slightly better off in this regard, but not by much.
2) Tourists from almost anywhere carry boatloads of cultural assumptions around with them when they travel. Not being able to communicate with those around you tends to point out these cultural assumptions, an uncomfortable situation for those not used to it, or those who don’t realize that they make such assumptions.
3) Americans in particular (and Brits it seems) seem to think that they are doing the country they visit a favor by bringing their dollars (or pounds) to spend, resulting in a bizarre sort of entitlement effect to their behavior. They do not understand that tourists are always tourists, and no one really likes dealing with tourists at all, anywhere, regardless of what money they have to spend or what language they speak.
4) English speaking tourists of all nationalities seem to be less interested in the culture of where they visit than the ’sights to be seen’. The city of Paris and all the Parisians in it are nothing more than obstacles that must be navigated on your way to the Louvre…
5) Tourists usually fail to realize that their presence in most situations is a disruption of the normal flow of things, and the way to be treated nicely is to strive to minimize the disruption they cause. Do not stand in front of the pastry case for five minutes scrutinizing every delectable in it - the counter staff and those behind you will both be annoyed. Do not demand wait staff explain every thing on the menu to you simply because you cannot read it, and do not demand an English speaking server. I can chalk much of the pleasant experience in Paris we had in cafes and restaurants up to my basic command of ‘kitchen French’ and the fact that both of us have toiled in the service industry and have no interest in treating restaurant staff as servants.
Oh yes, about the cultural assumptions thing, another problem is that French people simply don’t smile as often as Americans do. Not that they’re not HAPPY, they just don’t use smiles as social greetings.
And yes, that entitlement thing is a big problem.