Coming from jolly old England, we couldn't help but notice a melancholy mood in Paris. At the time of our visit, news stories spoke of Paris suburbs under seige from Northern African immigrants who were setting cars on fire at a frightening pace.
Apparently, a few hundred car fires per week are normal among this community in France, but it had escalated beyond that and drawn much closer to the city.
Since France had been the most vocal critic of U.S.-lead Iraq policy, they probably felt that their Muslim community should be happy to live in their beautiful country, but the result of their pacifism may be perceived weakness. This is not, however, a political blog, and I’m not sure the Muslim uprising alone darkened the mood in Paris.
Parisians seem to be longing for the past rather than embracing the future, holding on to subsist rather than striving to get ahead.
Still, the city remains one of the most beautiful in the world, with many wonderful sites to see. Besides visiting obvious landmarks like the Louvre, Notre Dame, Musee d'Orsay, Arc de La Defence and the Eiffel Tower, simply strolling the streets past the art stands, boulangeries and small stores feels quite special.
The wide Champs Elisse may be the most famous street, but there are plenty of little alleys where exotic aromas waft from bistros and Greek take-out restaurants to also intrigue visitors.
A good hotel in Paris will not come cheap, and it might not be very good, either.
We spent two nights in a boutique hotel advertised as quaint but which was in dire need of remodeling.
I won't mention the name, because I'm afraid you may forget that this is not a recommendation and then accidentally book a room there.
While the small lobby looked somewhat appealing, the standard rooms were small with thin mattresses placed on wooden pedestals rather than on box springs.
A couple of thousand dollars spent in each room to spruce the place up would go a long way, but since tourists line up for this “authentic” Parisian experience,
I guess the owners can't rationalize spending the euros.
We had the "penthouse suite" for our second night there.
With low, slanted ceilings, an odd floor plan and views of tin rooftops,
I think it should be billed as a "starving artist's garret."
Put a canvas on an easel with some oil paints and a couple of brushes in there, and someone could probably paint a masterpiece, or at least cut off an ear trying.
Instead, we watched "The Patriot" dubbed in French when we returned from dinner early enough to "enjoy" our room on the second night. Exactly why would anyone NOT prefer a cruise vacation?
Apparently, a few hundred car fires per week are normal among this community in France, but it had escalated beyond that and drawn much closer to the city.
Since France had been the most vocal critic of U.S.-lead Iraq policy, they probably felt that their Muslim community should be happy to live in their beautiful country, but the result of their pacifism may be perceived weakness. This is not, however, a political blog, and I’m not sure the Muslim uprising alone darkened the mood in Paris.Parisians seem to be longing for the past rather than embracing the future, holding on to subsist rather than striving to get ahead.
Still, the city remains one of the most beautiful in the world, with many wonderful sites to see. Besides visiting obvious landmarks like the Louvre, Notre Dame, Musee d'Orsay, Arc de La Defence and the Eiffel Tower, simply strolling the streets past the art stands, boulangeries and small stores feels quite special.The wide Champs Elisse may be the most famous street, but there are plenty of little alleys where exotic aromas waft from bistros and Greek take-out restaurants to also intrigue visitors.
A good hotel in Paris will not come cheap, and it might not be very good, either.
We spent two nights in a boutique hotel advertised as quaint but which was in dire need of remodeling.
I won't mention the name, because I'm afraid you may forget that this is not a recommendation and then accidentally book a room there.While the small lobby looked somewhat appealing, the standard rooms were small with thin mattresses placed on wooden pedestals rather than on box springs.
A couple of thousand dollars spent in each room to spruce the place up would go a long way, but since tourists line up for this “authentic” Parisian experience,
I guess the owners can't rationalize spending the euros.We had the "penthouse suite" for our second night there.
With low, slanted ceilings, an odd floor plan and views of tin rooftops,
I think it should be billed as a "starving artist's garret."Put a canvas on an easel with some oil paints and a couple of brushes in there, and someone could probably paint a masterpiece, or at least cut off an ear trying.
Instead, we watched "The Patriot" dubbed in French when we returned from dinner early enough to "enjoy" our room on the second night. Exactly why would anyone NOT prefer a cruise vacation?
