A Brief Repose in Paris

I had a nice night in Paris before I headed back to the States for Christmas via CDG. I stayed at St. Christopher’s Hostel in the 19^th arrondissement located on the Bassin de la Villette. The hostel is recently renovated and therefore it was very easy to have a pleasant experience at 29 euros for an 8-person dorm.
 

After I checked in, I ended up walking along the Rue de Crimée in search of some dinner. There’s a lot of non-French cuisine along that street heading East: kebab shops, Asian restaurants and even what appeared to be Mediterranean pizza and sandwich place which is trendy in Chicago. I bought my favorite sweet, crème caramel, at a small grocery store then backtracked to a boulangerie to buy a 2 euro slice of pizza and a tiny bûche de noël (translation: Christmas log, a traditional Christmas cake in the shape of a log decorated with plastic holiday figurines squished into the icing). Who says Paris can’t be affordable? 

I had a nice chat with the owners of the boulangerie. They joked around with me and asked me where I was from. I always really like having this type of nice small talk with strangers when I travel. We are social creatures, us human beings. 

I took the pizza and bûchette back to the hostel and after I finished eating, pondered what to do next. I could spend my time at the hostel internet café or at the hostel’s bar, Belushi’s, and mingle with fellow Anglophones. The hostel was packed to my surprise. I didn’t think many young people would choose to go to Paris in December. It’s not dreadfully cold in the city in December, but daylight is limited which can be unfortunate.  

It was really weird being around so many Anglophones who by far didn’t speak a lick of French. I kind of got snobby and pretended not to be a native English speaker. In the 8 person dorm I was staying in I said, “Bon soir!’ to one girl who just looked at me and looked down. A look I know all to well as I do it myself often when I don’t understand what a French person has just said to me. At one point I had to go back to the room and retrieve my card-key and when one of the girls opened the door for me I explained in French that I had forgotten my room key. Snarky, yes. Do I regret it, non. It was nice to remember and revel in the fact that, hey I do know French, even if I’m still learning and trying to become fluent.

I decided to meander the streets and possibly go to a café rather than mingle with Anglophones at the hostel. I was in Paris! I wanted to soak it in even if it was dark, even if I was alone, even if I was in lesser known quartier. There really is not much in the 19^th… it’s calm and by far residential. I started out by walking the arched bridge over the canal which gave a spectacular view of the surrounding neighborhood a few times and then wandering towards an old church to admire the architecture and Latin words etched on the façade. 

Next, I walked the whole of the Quai de la Seine, a walkway along one side of the Bassin de la Villette and it was just great. The sky was filled with stars, a few puffy clouds floated by in the wind and the water reflected all the different lights of the city. I felt at peace.

Not wanting to go back to the hostel after I had walked along one full side of the Bassin de la Villette, I went on the other side, the Quai de la Loire, and walked on that side, wanting to breathe in Paris as much as I could.

Paris, Je T'aime

Following excerpt written from a Parisien café from my molskein cahier

There have already been several times when I have been flustered while speaking French. You know how they say you can smell fear? well you can also smell a flustered foreigner butchering the French language. Right now I'm sitting in a café/brasserie in Montparnasse in the 14e arrondissement. I'm staring up at the lone gratte-ciel skyscraper in Montparnasse waiting for my friend's train to arrive from Bruxelles. My impressions of Paris have so far been positive. My train got in from Tours à 15h30 and I've been walking around for the past 5 hours. While crossing a street I glanced over my shoulder and saw the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was incredible incroyable.  I just kept staring at it and thought - wow I'm really in Paris, aren't I? I began walking towards it hoping it was maybe close enough that I could get a good view without getting lost. On the way I stopped by a confisserie and bought French candies and the proprietor even gave me a free framboise bon-bon because I waited  longtemps while the guy in before me stocked up on sweets. I was as giddy as a child in the shop looking at all the different candies that I have never seen in the U.S. and the fancy paper that wrapped them. I also stopped at a 19th century cathedral as my pursuit of the Eiffel Tower became a lost cause and lit a candle for my parents as is becoming customary for me to do as I visit many old churches in France. I love going to old cathedrals and seeing the different types of architecture and art. This particular church had one of the most beautiful artistic works I have ever seen. It was a white statue of the Mary under who billowing carved stone clouds eneveloped her and her traditional globe and snake motif. From her paintings of gold sunrays spread out. This work of art stood in an enclave where several pews stood so that people could gaze at her and prayer to her for guidance and assistance.

*more to come!