Paris part 2: of Starbucks and staircases

[Qubert]

So, day 2 arrives and we find ourselves coffee deprived and on the move. To the advice of every Youtube travel blogger on the planet, I bought my tickets to the Louvre in advance for 9am since at any other time apparently the only art I'll be witnessing is "Sea of standees wasting their day". So, after a 6am RER ride I need coffee....but where is coffee? It's not on the Rue de Opera I can tell you that much. Not on a sunday at least. Starbucks to the rescue? Anyway, no worries when you wander aimlessly and end up accidently in places like Place Vendome or in front of the Palais Gardner. Paris loves seeing you get lost.

The staircase part comes from the fact that apparently maps lie. The louvre gives you a handy guide in every language on the planet that fails to mention that in order to get from one wing to the next one must go up, then down, then back up, then do the hustle, then turn right and go across the hall to get to a room that is obstensibly right next door. No bother, when the art in your establishment is this georgous you can make people do cartwheels if you want to.

(For the record, I *love* the Louvre and would go back in a heartbeat).

Enough talking. Pics or it didn't happen:







































Modesty

















Next, it's on to the 17th arrondissment. I wanted to explore some of the lesser known areas of Paris and the 17th isn't really mentioned as much. Definetly a posh yet vibrant area especally around Parc Morceau and Porte de Clichy:



















I capped off my day at La Defense. I was impressed with how many people were hanging out at what to my understanding is basically Paris's Canary Wharf which is to say office-world. I actually quite liked the modernist architecture since it offers such a striking juxtaposition to the overall aesthetic of Greater Paris







As a bonus, I took two photos around where I was staying. I stayed in a town called Serris which is next to Val d' Europe shopping centre. It seemed like American suburbia with a French accent but I found it to be quite charming in certain respects:

[Coldrsx]

https://au-lapin-agile.com/en/accueil-english/

[EastSideHBG]

Lovely!

[Crawford]

Someone is visiting EuroDisney or DisneyParis, or whatever they now call it.

There's a big mall at La Defense (I think the largest in France), so that could be driving some of the activity.

The Louvre is amazing and absolutely worth visiting, but IMO Musée d'Orsay is much better. Louve is a must-see, at least once, but like Vatican Museum and Uffizi, it's kind of a PITA with the crowds, lines, and difficult layout. Musée d'Orsay is a dream and I try and visit every time I'm in Paris.

[LAsam]

Originally Posted by Crawford

The Louvre is amazing and absolutely worth visiting, but IMO Musée d'Orsay is much better. Louve is a must-see, at least once, but like Vatican Museum and Uffizi, it's kind of a PITA with the crowds, lines, and difficult layout. Musée d'Orsay is a dream and I try and visit every time I'm in Paris.

Agree 100%, especially if impressionism is of interest to you.

Thanks for the photo threads Qubert! Visited Paris back in October 2019 and absolutely loved it. Never went up to La Defense though... didn't even really think of it as a tourist attraction. Stayed the Le Marais neighborhood which was charming.

[kool maudit]

The funny thing about Paris is that we North Americans are vaguely socialized to expect a kind of Quebec, or maybe a Venice, but it's a lot more like New York.

[Qubert]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

The funny thing about Paris is that we North Americans are vaguely socialized to expect a kind of Quebec, or maybe a Venice, but it's a lot more like New York.

I definetly wasn't expecting Venice, which has become a museum city at this point. I knew that Quebec was an analog that would only go so far seeing how as a culture Metropolitan France and Quebec have been seperated for 350 years.

Paris feels like a huge city, but in a horizontal sense. In terms of human and built density it doesn't envelop you like New York or an Asian city. Everything is much more human scaled and intimate, which is probably part of why it's so popular. New York is sensory overload and hyper-aggressive. Paris is smooth and gives you time to let the flavor sit on the palate.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

The funny thing about Paris is that we North Americans are vaguely socialized to expect a kind of Quebec, or maybe a Venice, but it's a lot more like New York.

NY-London are usually the cross-pond comparatives, but I find NY-Paris to have much stronger physical and sensory similarities. Both are very gritty, intense urban experiences.

The NY-London is a bit lazier, more the default due to language and empire-succession (and, since Thatcher, finance). At street level they feel quite different. I think the cultural norms are a bit closer with NY-Paris too.

[Qubert]

Originally Posted by Crawford

NY-London are usually the cross-pond comparatives, but I find NY-Paris to have much stronger physical and sensory similarities. Both are very gritty, intense urban experiences.

The NY-London is a bit lazier, more the default due to language and empire-succession (and, since Thatcher, finance). At street level they feel quite different. I think the cultural norms are a bit closer with NY-Paris too.

Parisiens aren't as hyper agressive as NYers, nor is it as openly multi-cultural. Paris is thoroughly French, with African/Arab/East Asian serving as undertones/flavor notes. London and NY clearly view themselves as cities of the world, not of their respective countries.

Paris can be gritty, but mostly outside the pheriphque. I did walk around Aubervillers but did not take photos as the vibe seemed it would not be appreciated. Urban intensity that I'll give you, although NYC is still much more in your face.

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by Qubert

I did walk around Aubervillers but did not take photos as the vibe seemed it would not be appreciated.

Uhh, yeah, don't take pictures in suburbs that appear rough or unsafe to you.
Some rude dumb people may find it offensive and beat you up in the street.
Vaut mieux pas tenter le diable, as they say here.

[geomorph]

Did security at the Louvre search you for soup cans?