“Over the past couple of decades, Paris has taken some reputational hits where tourists and visitors imply the city isn’t nearly as beautiful as it once was. I’m disinclined to agree. Paris still retains her magic.” – Old Sean
Return of the Rental
After an extended road trip through Europe, Thor and I finally arrived in Paris, our final stop on our journey.
After a long, gorgeous drive through the French countryside, Thor and I finally wheeled into Paris late at night, a thin mist of rain cloaking us. We met the usual struggle of urban populations in Europe; namely, there wasn’t a decent place to park anywhere.
We ended up looping the streets, checking maps online and downloading apps until we finally found a parking garage which operated more like an underground bunker.
Originally, Thor and I hoped to make one final road trip, driving out to Verdun. But we ultimately decided we’d had enough driving on our trip. We wanted to be done with car management in Europe. So instead, we planned to drop the vehicle off early the next morning.
So that night, we parked, gathered our bags, checked into the hotel, and made a point of finding a decent late-night Indian restaurant for some comfort food. Then, blessedly, we got some rest.
The Parisian Tourists
The following day, Thor and I dropped off our car, saying farewell to the compact, grey vehicle. We ate breakfast at our hotel, which was a lovely bonus to start our morning easily. It’s often difficult to find open breakfast places in Europe, especially since Thor and I usually got moving around seven AM or so. Having a hotel breakfast available sped things along nicely.
Most of our day would involve a long walking tour around the city. Paris is a brilliant city for walking. However, it might take some time, wide sidewalks plenty of small green spaces, and low buildings. Modern Paris was rebuilt in its current city-wide design by Georges-Eugène Haussmann, between 1853 and 1870. This operation was commissioned by French Emperor Napoleon III, the enduring nephew of the famed Napoleon Bonaparte of the Napoleonic Wars.
The redesign of Paris was a sensational upgrade for the people of the city. During planning periods, Napoleon III instructed Haussmann to bring air and light to the center of Paris. he also wished to architecturally unify the different neighborhoods with boulevards and to make Paris more beautiful.
The result was a drastic quality-of-life increase for Paris. The controversial renovations included the demolition of medieval neighborhoods which were overcrowded and disease-ridden, the creation of wide avenues, new parks and squares, the annexation of the sprawling suburbs surrounding Paris, and the vital construction of new sewers, fountains and aqueducts.
Another aspect of the design was inspired by the French Revolution. The original narrow streets of the city made it possible for barricades to be erected, essentially changing neighborhoods into fortified blocks. The far wider street designs made such cases of civil unrest more challenging, though France retained its long history of protests for the following centuries.
Needless to say, this made walking around Paris an enjoyable end note for our trip.
The Many Sights
Thor and I were staying in the Montparnasse neighborhood, making access to the rest of the city quite easy. The busy Montparnasse area has plenty of chain stores, crêperies, and historic bistros. Several unassuming sights in the area were frequented by authors like Hemingway.
Thor and I began our walk by wandering through the Montparnasse Cemetery and admiring the range of graves there. Next, we looped around the Fontaine des Quatre-Parties-du-Monde to reach the Jardin du Luxembourg.
The Luxembourg Garden is one of my favorite lounging and reading spots in the city. Specifically, I often liked to bring books to the Medici Fountain, where the tumble of water would drown out the general chatter of daily walkers. The gardens are ridiculously pretty, even in the late autumn, so Thor and I took our time walking through.
Next, we strode past the Odéon Theatre before we made our way past the Salvador Dali Sundial. We were specifically aiming for Île de la Cité, one of two natural islands in the Seine, in central Paris. During the 4th century, The island was the site of the fortress of the area governor for the Roman Empire. However, its modern claim to fame is due to the Notre Dame Cathedral.
On 15 April 2019, a massive fire destroyed the roof of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Thankfully, a large portion of the structure was saved and repairs began immediately. While there are still plenty of construction cranes and workers around the site, the building is nearing the end of its repairs. The Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is scheduled to reopen to the public on December 8th, 2024.
Aside from the cathedral, there are several other interesting structures decorating the island. The Sainte-Chapelle, the tiny Square du Vert-Galant, the Fontaine de la Vierge, and the Conciergerie Museum Site.
Thor and I enjoyed our morning listening to street musicians and watching pedestrians walk past. We crossed the river once more to reach the northern bank, marveling at the dirty water swirling below.
The Paris Olympics were earlier this year and, for some reason completely unknown to me, many of the swimming events took place in the Seine River. Predictably, multiple athletes became ill after swimming in the Seine River during the races and events. I know there were at least eight confirmed cases, but I assume the number is quite a bit higher.
Looking into that murky, brown swirl, I wasn’t surprised. The Seine doesn’t look especially fortifying. There isn’t much aquatic life and a plastic owl went floating past. Numerous ferries and river tours didn’t fill me with a sense of fantastic cleanliness either.
Regardless, Thor and I continued onwards, stopping for a beer before visiting Tour Saint-Jacques and 59 Rivoli.
59 Rivoli is an old favorite visitor site of mine. The wonderful little artist squat always has quality works within, making it a preferable place to visit. The fact that there’s no mandatory entrance charge is also appreciated. Once done at the little shop, Thor and I walked along the river for hours, gradually taking in the sites.
Our tour took us past the Hôtel de Ville, the Île Saint-Louis, the Arab World Institute, the Outdoor Sculpture Museum, the Batobus Station, the Galerie de Paléontologie et d’Anatomie Comparée and Rue Crémieux.
After which, Thor and I pivoted in the opposite direction by Metro to visit the true hallmarks of Paris. Under an overcast sky, we visited the outer zone of the Louvre Museum, the Louvre Pyramid, the Tuileries Garden, the Bassin Octogonal, the Place de la Concorde, the grounds of the Esplanade des Invalides and finally, of course, the Eiffel Tower.
Feet starting to ache somewhat, Thor and I made one last walking foray heading uphill. We next passed Pont d’Iéna, the Place du Trocadero, Thomas Jefferson Square and the fantastic Arc de Triomphe.
That essentially summed up our walking day in Paris. We were pleased to get back to the hotel for a bit of rest after scuffing so much rubber off the soles of our shoes.
A Case for Enduring Beauty
Many people suggest that Paris has begun to lose its famed beauty, becoming more noisy, overcrowded, overly-touristic, and polluted. But, by and large, I still think Paris is a wonderfully beautiful city.
The endless number of museums and riverside rest areas are very much appreciated. The food outside of the tourist zones is still high quality and lovely. The layout of the city is lovely. Bear in mind, the vast majority of Paris is purely residential. The city has never served another purpose such as industrial production or military purposes. It’s fair to say much of the city is designed with the service of Parisians in mind.
Additionally, Paris does well highlighting its own beauty. Many streets are aligned with national monuments, giving glimpses of beauty everywhere in the city. Paris is also designed on a human size-scale since the majority of its buildings are lower than 5 stories. As a result, most of the city is more a collection of charming villages than endless lines of towering superstructures. Much of these designs were meant to be visually appealing, as the French place a high value on aesthetic beauty culturally. Paris is under strict urban regulations: notably, the facades of each building are similar with linear continuity down the rows. Building styles are noticeably uniform across neighborhoods.
I think there’s still plenty of gorgeous merit to just walking around the city.
Sacred Views
The following day, Thor and I ate breakfast before taking the metro far north. We intended to visit the Montmartre District, specifically to visit the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre.
Sacré-Cœur (Sacred Heart) is one of my favorite locations in Paris. It hosts amazing views over the city and has numerous, steep walking paths I generally appreciate.
As always, Thor and I started out uphill walk at Square Louise Michel.
One of the rather humorous things to happen during this trip comes from the rather frequent number of people asking us for directions. I’m not sure what in our bearing makes it look like we know where we’re going, but we’ve been stopped multiple times on this trip with people hoping to clarification.
It happened to us again on the way to Sacré-Cœur.
When we finally arrived at the base of the staircase of Sacré-Cœur, I warned Thor to be wary of scammers. There are a bunch floating around the area and the scam is annoyingly simple.
Generally, a man from an African nation comes up and asks where a person is from. Then they offer a hand-woven bracelet made from colorful string as a “symbol of friendship” between your two countries. They tie the bracelet on and immediately demand twenty to fifty euros for it, trying to pressure tourists into a major currency loss. Generally, the band is tied in a knot which can’t be undone.
I hate the scam because it’s dumb. Dumb scams frustrate me to no end for a lack of creativity and effort. And I strongly believe the people who instigate them are the scum of the Earth.
So when a couple of guys saying “hey buddy, what’s up?” Thor and I walked around them. Until one thought it would be nice to lay a hand on me, trying to stop me from continuing. Or maybe making a pickpocket play.
“Don’t touch me,” I snarled, putting real spittle behind the words. “Get your hands off me.”
It might seem overkill rude and there are certain countries where such tactics of disrespect might be dangerous. But France isn’t one of them, and a proper outrage tends to get people to back off. Thor and I had to dodge another group of insistent folks further up the staircase, although they were more interested in having us sign a petition.
Sacré-Cœur itself is gorgeous and worth the walk. There are heaping fences crammed with “love-locks” clipped onto every possible post. Clever salesmen unfolded blankets, selling more of the locks for others.
Ironically, clipping a love lock onto a public structure to show enduring love comes with a shelf life. Most structures aren’t capable of perpetually supporting an extra several-hundred pounds of metal for years at a time. I know that civil servants need to come by once in a while to snap off the locks so the love-lock process can start all over again.
Thor and I did our loop of Sacré-Cœur, watching live musicians before heading to check out the other parts of the neighborhood. We took a long, slow loop past Parc Marcel Bleustein Blanchet dit Parc de la Turlure, Musée de Montmartre, Maison de Berlioz, Square Roland Dorgelès, Cabaret Au Lapin Agile, Buste de Dalida, Place Émile Goudeau, a lovely church called Église Saint-Jean de Montmartre, and the Wall of I Love You.
At this point, we hopped onto another train and made our way south.
The Ever-Heights of Churches
By sheer chance, the next play Thor and I stopped was Église de La Madeleine.
Again, again and again, the churches of Europe stun to an almost impossible degree. We whispered inside, marveling at the architecture, the artwork, the design and features. Église de La Madeleine’s exterior is a striking example of Neoclassical architecture inspired by a Roman temple. The building features 52 towering Corinthian columns, intricately decorated bronze doors depicting the Ten Commandments, and an impressive high altar showcasing Charles Marochetti’s statue of Mary Magdalene ascending to heaven. Today, the church serves as a venue for religious ceremonies and classical concerts.
Once we had made the usual reverence sounds regarding the church, Thor and I crossed the street to try samples at Patrick Roger, one of the chocolatier shops of Paris. Parisian chocolate is excellent, as always. But I’ve always preferred the samples I could get in the Netherlands.
Before heading home, Thor and I made yet another tourism stop. On this occasion, we explored the massive grounds of Hôtel des Invalides, walking through museum sections, passing the nearby garden spaces and exploring the free courtyard areas.
Thor and I briefly considered visiting The Tomb of Napoleon, but our energy and funds were scraping low once more.
One of these days, I’ll visit Paris and make that a priority visit.
Collective Wine
Our final stop of the day wasn’t a tourist destination at all, but instead a wine shop. Thor and I went into a regular store and quickly purchased a whopping thirty bottles of wine for the flight home.
Thor would later buy a suitcase to carry all of our beverages.
Bless France and her cheap, excellent-quality wines.
The Grand Gardens
The next day, Thor and I intended to go visit Versailles. We started our day by trying to visit the Catacombs of Paris, something I was especially excited for due to Halloween in the US lurking around the corner.
Sadly, the online site was down. And though Thor and I arrived well before opening time, the place was still booked up.
That’s another location I’ve missed. Someday in the future, I’ll return to Paris and finally experience the catacombs firsthand.
But until then Thor and I prepared to take a journey to Versailles. We headed toward the main station and zoomed across the countryside to the famed royal palace. Opulence was immediate, with long lines snaking back from the door. Since Thor and I had a couple of hours to kill before our reservation, we made a few stops.
First, we found our breakfast at the lovely Boulangerie L’Epi du Roi, a surprisingly excellent walk-in bakery. We seated ourselves at a nearby park to feast.
The rest of our time was spent exploring the impossibly stately Gardens of Versailles. Generally, I like to wax poetic about the gardens. But this was my third visit to them, so I’ll leave my previous posts to relay my impressions.
Press of People
Finally, it was time to get into the Palace of Versailles. I admit, those opulent gates and impressive walls were imposing. But if there’s anything that can take the shine off wonder, it’s crushing crowds.
Versailles, sadly, takes on too many people to make it enjoyable. The entire walk through the palace was more of a shuffle. Rooms widened but then went into hallway chokepoints. I found the process rather vexing and wearying, despite the impressive features within.
And the features within were phenomenal. Artwork abounded. There were vast heavens painted on the ceilings, horse-and-knight suits of armor, endless master portraits, incredibly decadent rooms, marble statues, overlooks of the gardens, the hall of mirrors, an internal cathedral, gilded artworks, framed horse paintings sprinting and more beauty than the human eye can readily capture at once.
That being said, I was ready to get out of the crowds almost as soon as I’d arrived. If I ever return to Versailles, I’ll only do so if I’m part of the first tour group and I can surf ahead of the crowd’s wave.
Flyby
Thor and I returned to our hotel and finished packing for the evening. We soon headed to the airport for a long fly home, bracing against the rotation of the planet. The flight home, sadly, was rather cramped.
The couple in front of us leaned back as far as they could the entire time. Repeated requests to move up didn’t help anything for more than an hour or so before our seat-buddies leaned back again.
As such, Thor and I spent the vast majority of our time hanging out with a lovely French girl named Capucine. She was on her way to visit LA and had similar issues with her fellow passengers. We spent the whole time chatting with her, blocking flight attendants from the center hallway.
But finally, we reached the United States, eventually reaching DFW where home awaited.
That concludes my most recent travel stage of life, a tour of Europe by road. Next up, I’ll be flying to Asia for a wedding.
So until then,
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written October 24th, 2024
Attractions in Paris
