Clever Paris

The one thing I find I appreciate the most when I am traveling - whether it be to work, exploring the city, or in Paris - is clever people doing things just to amaze and delight others. The creators of such projects do them in the knowledge that they benefit nothing tangible from their labor; but they know that they may be sharing a smile... And it is here that creativity truly lies.

Parisians, though my last trip let me to believe otherwise, are also victims of garbage tv...

tasteless promotions...

arrogant, yet passionate, nationalistic pride...

and images that stick with one for a lifetime, even if they only stalked in the bowels of the city.

Paris, how you never cease to amaze me

Even a continent and numerous time zones away, I still find reminders of home. These two, par example, could be spot on representations of my roommates, though in essence and not in appearance as neither appears to be Hispanic.

But really what catches my eye here in the City of Lights is how the ordinary is quite extraordinary.

A building covered in growth and life resides in a usual spot next to the sidewalk as all the other buildings do...

 

a simple possibly stolen Egyptian monument is nice to look at,

but gains so much more cool when it is discovered that it helps to tell time as well.

And while great feats of strength and balance occur at every level of the city,

it is the sings simply French that make Paris unique all on its own.

**NOTE: if anyone may know why the French qwerty keyboard is only slightly different I would LOVE to know. I only assume it is because it is French, and therefore the French must do things their own way - even if it may not have sense to the rest of the world**

 

If you hqve ever used q french keyboqrd you zould soon reqliwe hoz vqstly different it is, even though there qre only q fez keys thqt qre out of plqce, so to speqk: It took ,e q solid " ,inutes to find zhere the qpostrophy zqs locqted:::

I also discovered the predecessor to Air France...

and was reminded that Paris is a town that makes everything feel sexy.

Even the cars here share kisses...

Perhaps the most comforting thing to discover here is that though I may sometimes think it, I am clearly not the only one in the world with Paris on his mind...

Forgetting the norms...

The first two trips I took, the first to India and the Second to London and Paris, I had made reservations for my first two nights abroad. I did so as even though i prefer to travel and explore by the seat of my pants I was totally out of my element to begin both trips. So by having reservations to stay, if even for a few nights, it allowed me the piece of mind to begin my journeys with an ease of mind.

But since I was returning to Paris and somewhat familiar with the city I decided against making reservations. I figured it as simply as I would be able to find something, and since I had stayed at three different hostels the last time I knew where and how much I would be able to find lodging.

After glancing at hostelworld.com to get an idea on pricing I discovered that two of the three hostels - Hotel Caulaincourt and Aloha - were still as expensive (relative of course) as they had been in the summertime, each about 30 euros. But alas! my favourite hostel, the 3 ducks, was showing beds available (to my surprise) at 18-23 euros per night.

When I walked up to the hostel I immediately understood why there were so few reservations made...  

Though my trip didn't start out quite as I had envisioned it, a quaint cafe (as all seem to be in Paris) calmed my nerves and reminded me that everything was going to be ok.

The raw beauty of the city also helped to inspire an inner calm and remind me that Paris is quite magnificent, even when you don't have a place to lay your head figured out.

Somewhere along the way I passed by this treasure, and in my ignorance I wanted to poke my head inside and ask exactly what it was that was offered there. 

Ultimately I decided not to, fearing that I would not be able to deal with the likely disappointment that they do not serve fries poutine...

Ever curious how French Paris is?...

... Paris is so French that even it's windows have mustaches...

...it's automatic doors are elegant and sleek...

...and it is perhaps the only place in the world where Indiana is considered chic.

Yet Parisiennes also keep a focus upon that which is perhaps most important:

 

The city is also quite aptly nicknamed, as even construction equipment is dressed to fit in with the city of lights.

... for everything else in the city reminds just how magical the city of lights is.

So I sat to have my favourite dinner: a bottle of wine, baguette and cheese. All I really needed to do was open my eyes to the beauty I am immersed in...

return to the home of my heart

At British Airways, like many airlines, employees earn flight benefits after six months of service to the company. My DOJ (Date of Joining) way May 7th, 2012, making my benefits kick in on November 7th. But since everything in the company runs on Zulu (London) time, I gained access to flights at 7pm on Nov 6th. What that translated to is that I got to see the sun rise this morning over the Atlantic ocean.

Upon arriving in Paris, one of the first things that I encountered was a modern impression. It was a stark reminder of someone special back home, and gave me an immediate new twist on a city I am just beginning to know...

But of course - as it always is - it was the first time that I espied mon p'tit chou (the Eiffel Tower)) that my heart truly fluttered and reminded me that yes, I was indeed in Paris!

One of the neat things about returning to a city rather than being introduced to a city is that things become to become familiar. From Paris to the Moon introduced me to this establishment, but it was seeing it with my own eyes and recognizing it that made the city truly set in. It also fostered the feeling of knowing, that somehow recognizing something without actualy knowing it makes it that much more warm...

I was also treated with this wonderful truc, yet another reminder that though I thought - naively of course - that I knew all the city that indeed Paris is ony beginning to open up to me.

And of course my night ended with my little cabbage in the best garden of Paris.

And though I do not know that this is where I belong, It was a feather found that reinforced my love for this city.

I am beyond lucky to be becoming a dreamer.