La Tour Eiffel
Anyone who knows me knows that I adore New York City greatly. I find it a cultural institution that represents so much that is the spirit of America and it is a place that you have to fight tooth and nail to find boredom in. I've always dreamed of living in New York and one day I hope to live that dream. I had always heard that Paris is very much the New York of Europe and so it had been on my bucket list for as long as I had first set foot in midtown Manhattan and also seen Le Ballon Rouge as a teenager. Paris is a city, much like New York, that has everything. If you are looking for food, fashion or the arts in general you will rarely be disappointed by anything other than your devices. My first trip to Paris was nothing short of an affirmation of my love for the great cities, and a confirmation of the importance for the great cultures that exist within.
The Louvre and I.M. Pei's entrance
We chose to take the train so that we could see the countryside on the way up from the southern coast and this proved to be a great decision. Not only are you able to see the diversity of the countryside, but occasionally you will literally see a true castle hidden in the forest on the hills. I've traveled by train between Raleigh, Durham and Charlotte and enjoyed it greatly and this was a similarly rewarding experience for anyone who appreciates the countryside that you might miss traveling on a highway or interstate. One of my favorite films in the past few years was In Transit which unfortunately was Albert Maysles last production. It focused on traveling by train in America on the famous Empire Builder circuit from Chicago to the West coast and the various stories carried, and shared, by it's many passengers. As romantic and desirable as that idea was, I have to say that the train from Antibes to Paris was dead silent. When I say that you could hear a pin drop I'm not kidding. When the man sitting in front of me dozed off and snored loudly you'd have thought someone had broken a glass with the response received from the report. I'd brought a few books to read and was looking forward to relishing in the sights, but it wasn't ideal that my partner and I felt compelled to whisper when we saw something exciting out of the window. This is not unusual on many trains here and since I do value silence when appropriate I'll refrain from complaining too much.
Chan and I's mark on the Pont de Arts
When we first arrived we met up with our host who gave us a brief tour of our quarters. We were staying in an apartment that was built in the 1840's as a maids quarters and had been refashioned recently into a more chic living situation. It really was a sight to see, with a beautiful interior and an even more stunning view of the city. We went on to explore the city a bit and had a wonderful dinner at an up and coming restaurant that showcased incredible oysters from Utah beach, perfectly cured local ham with hazelnuts and the most tender roasted duck breast. After we let the hostess know where we had traveled from she informed us that she was actually planning to move to Nice as soon as she and her husband were able, and recommended the best local spots in Antibes for Pissaladiere. The next day we explored, most aimlessly, looking for the best spots in town for food and settled on Ramen because, you know, heaven. We then walked down the length of the Seine looking at various landmarks until we found the famous love bridge at Pont de Arts. As is tradition we bought our lock and wrote our names, and professed our love, and then after fastening it to the bridge we threw the keys into the river.
Pigeons at the Louvre
Of course we had to make our way to the Eiffel tower because you cannot spend a moment in Paris without visiting such a wonderful piece of architecture. I was luckily also reading an American suspense novel about a nefarious group in Paris that made me a bit of an expert on the history of the tower which made it all the more impressive. After fighting off swarms of locals trying to tie bracelets on our wrists for free (in other words 5 to 20 euros) we took the metro to dinner. We ate at Bistrot Paul Bert which has become a bit of an attraction for english-speakers as much as a must eat for all in Paris. Personally I had my sights set on a perfect Filet au Poivre and I was not disappointed in the slightest. We also had a Carpaccio of Red Mullet, a pastry with Sweetbreads in cream sauce, and roasted Rabbit in Mustard sauce. The restaurant is arguably a must for tourists, but still remains true to the most famous of French dishes and shouldn't be passed up for anyone who wants that experience with a staff geared towards English speakers.
Scenes from a protest
For me art museums are like a second home, they are both welcoming, and enlightening, and I can't visit a new city without indulging. With that in mind we couldn't pass up a visit to the Louvre which houses the Mona Lisa of course, but also many of the paintings I had read about or seen through my education and always dreamed of experiencing in person. When we got to the Louvre at first there was a protest outside and I managed to take a few pictures of the wonderful people assembled and that alone was a special experience. Inside we feasted over Vermeer, Titien and of course Da Vinci, but also a great selection of Egyptian antiquities. You could spend a week in that museum and not scratch the surface, but I was happy for the moments I got to spend there before we eventually boarded the train to head home. One last bonus was that in preparation for the film festival in Cannes they had a special exhibit in the train station looking at the films of Scorcese and the incredible cinematography of his, and Tarantino's, usual collaborator Robert Richardson which was a real treat. Paris far exceeded my expectations for such a great city, but more than that, it reminded me of the exceptional power of the great cities of the world. I was set to visit Rome in just a few days and it primed me for another experience equally as satisfying, but there is something about Paris that will stick with me forever. As Audrey Hepburn said in Sabrina, 'Paris is always a good idea.'
