Paris: The City of Love and Positive Reflection

Paris as a city has been so romanticized throughout all of my very few experiences with it. The Eiffel Tower and French Stereotypes were the basis of my understanding of Paris up until Art History my freshman year of College, where I learned more about how important Paris was to culture. It was very easy to see how new trends could start, and I am very sure that I saw what I will be seeing, clothing, hair and makeup trend wise, in the U.S. in the near future.

I knew that Paris was the City of Love, and that was no joke. Without exaggeration, the very first thing that happened as soon as we got into the elevator at the Metro after the drive from Bayeux, was the two other couples that joined the elevator immediately, as if on cue, both began to passionately make out and rub their bodies together. I was in abosolute shock, and I am sure I was amusing to my professors and Conor. I apologize for the sensory details, but I could go on since this was the mildest of the many more public displays of affection that everyone got to see throughout the days in Paris. The Metro was overwhelming for the senses, if not for the strong smells or the sheer amount of people, on almost every ride on the metro, it was hard not to hear other people sucking on each other’s tongues. (Again, I apologize, but I can phrase it in no other way that accurately portrays it). Everywhere on every corner or even in the middle of walking paths there would be people deeply impassioned with each other’s company.  At times, it was amazing how bold these couples got, and it also made me wonder if America is just very prude. I’m comfortable with this idea so far.

The Invalides Courtyard and Armee Museum was very humbling in historical significance. I did my presentation on the courtyard and nazi occupation in Paris, and it did not take a lot of thought to figure out why the building would have been occupied. The museum was full of battles I had not heard much about before because it had no relevance to American troops, so I don’t have to wonder why I had never heard about them. That was very interesting to see, as well as how the French would include themselves in things I had not known they were involved in before. They had a very large WWI exhibit,  and that makes perfect sense, seeing how devastated France was by it.

There was also a lot of French troops from their imperial colonies, which was very enlightening to see how they justified it. America had not had these experiences with World War II, having to make sure that their colonies that they’ve imperialized stay loyal to a cause that has little relevance to them to make sure that they are willing to die for it or be punished. There was nothing I could find in the museum to see how successful the attempts to control their colonies were, and what would be done if these people did not cooperate with their French commanders.

France is very unapologetic about their history.  They do not blatantly state any wrong doing, but try to focus on making sure their positive involvement is known. I cannot tell if this is out of pride and self preservation, or out of a more positive mentality that may exist in the French populace. I expected there to be some sort of apologetic stances on collaboration and the French population themselves deporting the Jews within their country, but that was nowhere to be seen by me.

Another thing that I had noticed about Parisian museums that I did not really see elsewhere was that they seemed to have more accommodations for older generations, such as more ergonomic handles on doors and on bathroom stalls. I wonder if it could be because of a larger number of survivors from this time period coming to visit the Shoah Museum. I was very impressed and glad to see this, since little things like an easily maneuverable lock on a bathroom stall can make such a difference on someone who may be limited in their independence.
“Assertive new Judaism” was a phrase that stood out to me in one of the boards of text in the immediate beginning of the Shoah Museum. I had wondered why people had been so threatened by a culture that ended up requiring golden stars to be sewn visibly onto these people’s clothing so that they could stand out. It’s hard not to generalize, but people as a whole seem to be threatened by things that are new and different, and after reading this board I could see what the logic was behind the French reception of these new Jewish immigrants. It still does not make a lot of sense to me, but I am from a different country and have been raised in a very different time (fortunately).

Henri Bergson, a man who had a personal account described on the boards, said that he would have converted to Catholic if not seen “several years led preparation for the formidable wave of anti-Semitism”. He said this because he “wanted to stay among the people who tomorrow will be persecuted”. I am not entirely sure how to interpret this, but I admire his steadfast nature to defend his people he affiliates himself with.

Something else new I hadn’t seen before this museum was that “In sole cases, men refused to participate (Josefow) and were not disciplined, thus proving that refusal was possible”. I do not know if this was always the case that refusal did not meet harsh and swift punishment for the execution of prisoners or captives, but it is hard to believe that people that were not pressed with a severe punishment would do something so horrific. It was also claimed that “No official written order found for extermination of Jews”, only a decree that a final solution be made. This was very interesting to me, and was left unsubstantiated, so I will look into this in the future.

Overall, I really enjoyed Paris. The atmosphere was much more relaxed than I expected,  and the people I interacted with were much more patient than in Bayeux.  They did make fun of is for being Americans, but in a kind and joking way that was inquisitive. Paris was the most culturally different so far. A lot ate outside,  and tables had the chairs side by side instead of across each other,  and they faced out towards the street. I wasn’t sure if this was cultural or if it was more for conserving space on the sidewalk. Instead of seeming like isolated dates, these people eating were more like partners partaking in the city around them.

The City of Love was indeed the City of Love. When I wasn’t scarring myself by looking over to couples that were going too far, adoration for loved ones could be seen in other ways. Aged couples eating together smiling that things unknown to everyone around them but themselves, and seemed just as in love with each other as the young couples nearest them. It was a truly beautiful thing to see, and not something I have seen so much anywhere else. I would return to Paris again if not just to feel this powerful atmosphere again because of how positive of an impact it would leave. One could not help smiling when you’d see how much love (not just physical) was around.

       I visited the Louve, the Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame. It all felt very surreal, and even looking back at pictures it still is hard to believe I was there.

 

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I ate traditional food and got to experience ordering meals without having any idea what I was about to eat. Almost everything that I ate was incredible, especially the foreign foods. The only time that this risky gamble of ordering “blind” backfired was with the foie gras. Don’t ever eat it. It’s goose-paste. Even if it’s on pretty toast and your comrades call it “fancy- feast” because of its uncanny resemblance to cat food. I ate the whole thing, and trust me on this, I am all for new experiences, but I would not recommend this to anyone. I had to use a baguette to scrape it off of the roof of my mouth. Spare yourselves, and go with that pasta that looks good instead.

 

 

I had a croissant every day and a baguette for almost every breakfast and never got tired of it. I absolutely loved all of the pigeons and the dogs that I saw on a daily basis, and smiled every time I saw one. Between this and all of the beautiful sights and love I saw around  me, there was very few times I wasn’t smiling to the point my face hurt.

I got my fill of Paris, and would love to return in the future.