Paris is supposed to evoke certain feelings, especially if you’ve had nice memories of it, or associate it with romance a la Bogart and Bergman in Casablanca where they’ll “always have Paris“. Wonderful romantic movie that you should watch with someone you love.
I’m fortunate enough to have visited it a number of times, over different durations, at different times of the year, and come back with quite different impressions every time. On this trip, it’s probably the first time I’ve experienced like quite a full spectrum of the senses - from the sublime to the grimy.
The recent riots (thank goodness I was not there) are a disturbing reminder that all is not well there but it is still a wonderful place to visit for the most part.
 |
| Outside the Gare du Nord with a flying pig?:) |
I arrive around two in the afternoon, walking to the hotel from the train station at Gare du Nord. It didn’t take long as I deliberately chose a hotel near the station - I had to catch another train to Rotterdam a couple of days later. The train is my favourite way of getting to Paris, though it is often not the cheapest. But you avoid the hassle of air travel - no need to get to the airport early, the quicker security checks (there are checks on the Eurostar but less stringent) and you are right in the heart of the city on arrival.
 |
| Hotel L'Aqueduct. Modest hotel that, as the old joke goes, has much to be modest about. |
It is in a quiet section of the city and the streets are not that clean, the sidewalks have fallen into a state of some disrepair and there are potholes in many places. The hotel is tiny as I showed in the video I shared. And for more than €300 a night! (Though I think it's just the peak summer price) Still it is clean, though the walls are thin and I’m very near the elevators which makes it noisy.
After checking in, I went back to the reception and asked for recommendations for lunch. The hotel reception recommended a nearby pizzeria but I needed something more substantial and appetizing. And why eat pizza in France? Maybe she thought I was American:) I walked around, looked at a couple of places (sushi, kebab - these seem to be universally available in Europe) and finally decided on a little bistro place as it seemed to have quite a few locals dining there which is always a good sign. The owner was sitting outside doing some admin stuff and did not really look up to ask me to patronise the joint. Which is a good sign in some ways I suppose. It meant that it was unlikely to be a tourist trap.
 |
| This was a huge portion of veal. I hardly touched the pasta. |
The next day was a free day and I spent the entire day just rambling around. Lunch was at a poke bowl chain place and it was really good. I've never had one before I think but it is very similar to a don isn't it? Anyway this was quite a good combination of salmon, mango etc. which was very refreshing on a hot day. Again there were a number of locals and it's good that people seem to like eating healthy. The staff were I think South American. You can see similar trends in London where service staff are less and less likely to be locals. Brexit was I think partly a reaction to this. Primal feelings about race and ethnicity will always come to the fore when times are not good. The focus almost always shifts to someone who is "not one of us". Though ironically, Brexit did not result in locals taking over such jobs, at least not in a big way and this is where many big cities have the same issue. As affluence grows, expectations rise and locals don't want such jobs - there is a tipping point after which such jobs are associated with low wage foreigners, even if the economy tanks and jobs become scarce. People would rather complain than lower themselves to take on such work.
Some of the more interesting sights from the day's exploration. I walked about 20 km in all! Started off at 10 plus and got back to the hotel around 9pm?
 |
The interior of Galeries Lafayette which I love
|
 |
| It was difficult to resist grabbing one of these pastries! This was at the food hall of Galeries Lafayette |
It was hot and I saw many people queuing for this inside Galeries Lafayette and I just had to try one for myself! It was pretty good, especially with all the pistachios. Then Mummy reminded me about Berthillon, the famous ice cream place in Paris and convinced me that if I walked there, I could afford to have another ice cream with all the calories burnt! Debated it for a while and since it was still early, I decided to do it. Used Citymapper to navigate and as I neared the destination which necessitated crossing the Seinne, I saw this just after the bridge! Cafe Berthillon. There were people queuing and though the directions indicated that the ice cream place was actually still some distance away, I thought maybe this is another branch or small outlet - they were selling it at a kiosk just outside the cafe. |
|
 |
This is a yuzu sherbet and it was perfect for a nice summer day.
|
But there was a nagging thought in my head that maybe this wasn't the correct place. So I continued following the Citymapper app directions and it led me to the correct place!
Important to pay attention to details. The ice cream place is just Berthillon, not Cafe Berthillon! The staff at Berthillon confirmed the two places are not connected. But you have to give props to the cafe. They used the same font as well on their signboard. And their location was quite strategic and it just makes sense to 'catch' people who cross the river. And of course, pay attention to Citymapper! I ordered two scoops - I had worked for it! Chocolate and bitter cocoa. Heavenly. Might just be one of the best ice cream I have had.
That day also happened to be the summer solstice and there was a music festival going on. Performances were taking place all over the city and I came across some of them.
This was my absolute favourite performance. Just such a warm and lovely voice that carried in the still evening air - it was a little muggy but I had my yuzu sherbet while watching it. And the tune is just a beguiling seductive little ditty and it will be one of my favourite memories of Paris.
