| Page Views: 3,827 Last Visit to Paris: August, 2005 | A city to feel, smell, touch, taste... to see by Norali - last update: Aug 24, 2007 |
| For any reason, elegant Camélia is Paris to me |
For la Ville des Lumières being so “impressive”, that “beautiful”, so “cosmopolitan”, that “huge”, it would be difficult for tourists to not like her.
She has so much to offer:
- her history for history buffs who want to be impressed;
- her museums for some art lovers and lovers in general to experience, to love, to see;
- her architecture for hedonists to see, to touch;
- her elegance (hers but not always her inhabitants’), for who can compare her to the many other “great cosmopolitan cities” of the world, to experience, to be touched with;
- her shopping areas for both young and aged fashionistas, businessmen (and women!) who happen to be here and make a point to buy their favourite designer pieces “in” and “from” Paris, for those with classical elegance, for the edgy trendsetters to touch (that silk, this lainage, this airy texture of a moisturizer, this creamy stuff for the chest…), to see (ah! how this lady tied her scarf. How this another one wears her jeans troués. With a blazer? stilettos ? bike boots? A pearl necklace ? a cashmere top ? all combinations are very possible if sported wear with style. Ah! the right length that flatters some thighs, some legs, some hips.. anything, the Parisians know how to work on themselves), to smell (the Parisian outlets know how to convey an identity smell to their shops… could experience a shop hopping thanks to this, as a kid in the 80s), to feel;
- her Tour and her Champs for who would like to see them RL, a curiosity that had been nurtured by Hollywood;
- her Palais de Versailles for the many of the above;
- her food for all of us. Not the Turkish delis that sell pitta, not MDs, not Chinese-Vietnamese-Cambodge euro-cheapo stuffs, French food is also to be found in Paris. Could be a simple sandwicherie, a 20-E-menu restaurant, some café, some bistro, some brasserie or… why not… a grande brasserie or a grand restaurant.
All of that brought to you on a plate ! And you'd be crazy to not live it up there. In those Parisian streets, in those faubourgs, passing in front of a restaurant at 11am.. to smell this odour, shop hopping... to smell those distinctive fragrances, lingering near a boulangerie that exudes warmth, freshly baked bread.
Her charms are very obvious. And you… seduced, I’m sure.
Now, her “grands boulevards” are unknown to the many of us although we, as visitors, may have walked in here and there. I’ve never gone to the theatres in Paris.
Her hidden spots are not for us to see (per se, hidden!).
Not all her villages we use nor intend to visit. What about les Batignolles ? the Parisian marina? l’Arsenal? Parc Montsouris? And the many others ?
Not her inhabitants we all intend to talk to. Not that they don’t speak English as overheard for so many years, many do… rather you’re in a big city where none talks to anyone… rather that tourists are, like monuments, in touristy areas where few locals would be seen.
Now, do you know where Parisian “chales”, “bourges”, “racailles” use to flock in for work, after work, before work ? I don’t.
Do you know where to find “le Mur des Je t’aime”? It’s somewhere in Paris, in one of her arrondissements... and... somewhere in this page.
My word for you: GO AND RETURN TO PARIS !
Yes, Paris has so much to offer but little we, visitors, can grab within a few-week-stint. Multiply those stints, browse the many areas of the city, take time to enjoy simple things... with all your senses!
AND ... Whenever you visit Paris in summer and it's really hot, skip the touristy areas, skirt the canals, enjoy Parisian parklife... at late afternoon, you would enjoy the terrasse of a good brasserie, people-watching, chilling, savouring strawberries, blackberries, suncurrant and raspberries... so refreshing.
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| Lived in Canal St-Martin area for 1.5 months in 85 |
|  | Souvenirs, souvenirs...
[March 2004: We all know Paris... Most of us love it. As signs of evidence, the tons of Paris pages built here on VT. I don't know whether this Paris page would be that particular but one thing is sure, it is mine.
Well, let me tell you about "my" Paris as General tips... then here and there some more specific tips.
My first visit of Paris was during summer holidays in 1984, with my parents.. A month and a half spent in this city, with some roadtrips in neighbouring areas. Second visit, summer holidays in 1985, similar duration as in previous visit, with my parents and- this time- my sisters.
Afterwards, there were many stays in Paris. One week here, some days there. Sometimes, even daytrips... Not that interesting from a sightseeing point of view but social obligations required me to attend meetings in Paris.
From the long stays during my teenhood, not that much knowledge I can fill my page with but great memories. After all, Parisian and other insider Vters have comprehensive pages about what to see, try, buy in Paris.
I think my first visit was the most defining and impressive one. Lots of discovery (metro, funiculaire), excitement (La Ménagerie du jardin des plantes s really for kids, I tell ya!), fascination... despite the fact that I've never dreamt of it... Maybe, I took it as granted? Maybe because my dad used to tell me that one day, he would bring us to Paris. Maybe because I knew it had to happen, I hadn't dreamt of Paris that much. Instead, I was expecting my trip *any an-dafy*, *An-dafy* means **abroad** in Malagasy...
It may have been Brussels, New York, London... but no, it was Paris. So, my Paris was mainly the Paris through the eyes of a child, a Malagasy girl who discovered Europe, France, Paris at same time. A real running off. Later on, the adult who used to live in Brussels went here about once a year but never the stays were as long as a fortnight though.]
Picture taken during a stay in Sep. 2004
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September 2004: Bassin de l'Arsenal, Canal-Saint-Martin and Les Batignolles - some days without La Seine, La Tour Eiffel & Champs Elys?es
[Update on Sep. 13: The Souvenirs,Souvenirs series is not even finished when I went experiencing Paris again: some days early September 2004. Went there with my parents so we didn't really need a guide for my parents having lived there for some years while studying. Still, when I asked to visit some places as Bassin de L'Arsenal & Canal Saint-Martin and Batignolles areas, they knew where those villages were but they hadn't actually browsed those areas. That's Paris: very big and made of many villages.
In Paris, villages exist but one has to fetch for them. We took the decision to avoid known places, exception of a little street that looks on Bassin de l'Arsenal. It is Rue de la Cerisaie. In 1985, my parents, my two sisters and me had stayed in an apartment there during our holidays. As strange as it may sound, the month and a half I lived in Rue de la Cerisaie, I saw only once a boat passing by. In fact, I lived very close to the Bassin but hadn't seen the other end of the Bassin. I didn't know then that Le Bassin was a marina. OK.. enough...
Bear with me, I'll update this Paris page gradually... when schedule permits. OK.... check the tips to know about my souvenirs of Paris (from the various stays in the City of Lights) & my recent trip early September. Tips referring to my visit in early September 2004 are written in blue, whilst the tips in red are part of the "Souvenirs Souvenirs" series.]
Now the challenge concerning this page would be to make those two Paris go along: the Paris of "Souvenirs Souvenirs" and the Paris of early September 2004. An interesting challenge...
[To know more of my visit in September 2004, check the BLUE tips in the **Off the beaten path** category, first. From there, you would be forwarded to other categories & tips]
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| Pros: | "Style, architecture, funiculaire, ice-cream, champagne, oursons" | | Cons: | "Parisian metro stinks... that's my only con..." |
Norali's Paris Travel Tips
 Comments for Norali about Paris | | | | |
Nemorino Fri Aug 24, 2007 08:16 UTC
Looks like Geo magazine gave you a good introduction to Paris. You have written interesting texts about your personal experiences there. Glad you like the traditional brasseries. | cosmicroy Fri Aug 17, 2007 00:01 UTC
What the hell is politics in a cafe got to do with this guide page. Boring ! | irisbe Mon Sep 25, 2006 19:13 UTC
LOL what you mean no pictures? :) don't tell me you forgot your camera! oh gross that hotel tip!!! | Geisha_Girl Thu Aug 24, 2006 19:34 UTC
French Vanilla !!!! ;-))) |
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