Paris o Paris

Spontaneously went to Paris a few weeks ago with Viv and Beck but I was too lazy to post anything. It is a lovely city, very charming indeed and I'll go as far to say that the myth of rude Parisians is unproven. Perhaps they have improved their friendliness towards those ignorant holiday-makers (that kept on visiting their much beloved city, no wonder they are cranky)? Or because they are laughing at my pidgin French? Anyway I had memorable memories there. I had the opportunity to visit heaps of tourist destinations but also some really cool venues, you name it: Colette, Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Pompidou, the gigantic Louis Vuitton, Fauchon, etc. I walk, and I walk, and I walk, can’t say that I waste any of my precious time there. So far I really like the Saint Germain and Marais area, rather flocked with foreigners these days but still very refreshing compare to my usual haunts in the Netherlands. I can’t really say that I experience the atmosphere of the city because I only spent around 5 days there, however I am definitely returning there.

Fascinatingly, I must say that the famous metro stations are often smelly with human’ urines. There are quite a number of tramps too. I was really surprised because it is so clean here in the Netherlands and you can rarely spot a hobo here, but Paris (/France) is way bigger. Ooo and there was this drunk in the metro that touched my cheek and insisting on saying konichiwa and ni hao, gosh wish that I wasn’t so shocked that I can deck him or give him the finger. Anyway apart from that, I have never seen so many good looking people per square metre! They are très chic but they smoke like chimney too. This one of the good thing that I love about Europe, it is so diverse: the laid back Spaniard, the glamorous Italian, the funky Brits, and the experimental Scandinavians. I admit that I spent most of my time hanging around the centre area (left bank mostly) so I can’t really conclude it, but I must insist that the French has perfected the art of looking chic, always the understated groomed looks. Enviable indeed, perhaps when I’m older and less experimental I will do it their way.