Visiting France was far overdue! I’d visited in college for part of a big Europe tour, but it was a whirlwind and I only spent two days in Paris. I completed 7 years of French in school, and my teachers had special classes introducing us to French cuisine, history, the chateaus, Impressionism, the cathedrals, and even Rossignol skis. I read Stendhal’s “Le Rouge et Le Noir,” and Zola’s “Germinal,” in French. I’d spoken French in Morocco. But being crowd-averse, I’d been traveling to less busy places such as small sailboat cruising in the Greek Islands, Scottish trekking, El Nido in The Philippines, or British Columbia ski resorts. I seemed to think, “Oh I’ll get to France someday.” Well, I awoke to my mortality now that I’m 63, and decided I’d better see some of France! And I sure made the most of it. I allowed myself to be part of a Rick Steves tour (by far the largest group of any I’ve undertaken), because it had Mont St. Michel on the itinerary. It was a lot of fun. Rick picks smaller hotels which is generally nice. Our tour guide, Arnaud, is a veteran and took great care of us.
I should note that I’ve been on a genealogy quest of late. And, it’s taken me to France! I’m part of the Scottish Kirkpatrick Clan, and I came to dig up that one of our Kirkpatricks became Empress of France! She was Eugenie de Montijo – Maria Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick – Empress to Napoleon III of the Second Empire! Together, they hired Haussmann, the architect of the Paris we know today. I reached out to several Paris guides before my trip, and they all knew about her and the Kirkpatrick connection. They told me she had input into the Palais Garnier, oversaw the opening of the Suez Canal, and gave Luis Vuitton his first gig. They also told me there is a painting of her in the Louvre! SO, I had quite a bucket list for Paris!
I wanted to take a guided tour of the Palais Garnier, and the only ticket I could get was on the same day I arrived in Paris. It began at 6:30 p.m., so I knew I had a very long day coming. I did quite a bit of reading up on the city prior to arrival. Although Paris is famous for its Metro, it is very much a walking city brimming with small, twisty streets and neighborhoods sporting unique personalities. My hotel was the Hotel B. Montmartre – not terribly far from the famous Basilica Sacre Coeur. Little did I know on that first day I would be immediately immersed in the culture and history of Paris – quite by dumb luck!
I arrived at my hotel at 11:00 a.m. but my room would not be ready until 2:30 p.m. or so. The concierge held my luggage and suggested I stroll up to the artistically significant Montmartre neighborhood and see the Basilica Sacre Coeur – that would be an interesting few hours. And so I headed out. I was hungry after the 10-hour flight, so I picked out a sidewalk cafe table and had lunch. Thus settled and satiated, I could people watch. Turns out this is a Parisian thing. Cafes are ubiquitous, and you can have a table for hours if you like. The staff isn’t in some “turn the table over” hurry. Enjoying time-out is expected. As is conversation with a friend at your table.
After lunch I wended my way over to Montmartre. Once off the main avenue I strolled up the cobblestoned Rue Lepic. Immediately Paris history and culture were in full view. I chanced upon middle-of-the-afternoon diners sitting at candle-lit tables sipping fine wine with cheeses. Apartments several hundred years old and flower boxes in windows. And then, without notice, I stumbled upon a famous sight I learned about in school – in fact I have a Renoir painting of it in my office! It was the Moulin de la Galette restaurant! OMG I had only been in France two hours! It has a windmill outside and a gate. I had to double check but sure enough there was a little paragraph on the outside saying YES, this is the place Renoir and Van Gogh would gather for lunch and they painted images of it! What’s next I wondered?
I continued and discovered a very busy square with lots of restaurants, plus shops and artists sketching scenes – the Square of Montmartre. Although I’m sure there were many tourists like myself, it was clear this was a very Parisian atmosphere going on. Waiters and waitresses clad in white shirts with black aprons taking orders. Guests immersed in conversation – and the weather – blue bird skies in early April! A truly merry atmosphere for sure.
I had just arrived in France, and was immediately immersed in how the French just “know how to live.” In cafes, it’s completely normal to “sit and watch the world go by,” and enjoy in an unhurried fashion. This was all on display in Montmartre. Upon reaching the Sacre Coeur I was amazed at its size. I had no idea.
It sits on a hill from which most of Paris can be seen, including Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. I drank in the view and then strolled, all downhill, back to the hotel. Once settled in, I set out for the Palais Garnier. I tried to use the Metro, but my credit card would not work in the ticket machine. So instead, I opted to walk, which turned out to be an eye opening experience! I walked along many small streets, passing by all sorts of shops, boutiques, cafes and a bakery. Nobody seemed in a hurry. The women seem to have a certain Parisian style – not shabby, but not formal either. It’s some kind of perfect in between. It’s definitely put together in a certain snappy style. And I like! A LOT. Bikes leisurely pedal by, and almost nobody wears a helmet.
And then I glimpse an enormous building with statues on its roof – the Palais Garnier! I arrive on its side. Entering, I join a group which embarks on a tour specializing in a Phantom of the Opera spiced up fashion. It turns out that the Phantom of the Opera was set in this very opera house. We viewed the marbled, multi-staircased entrance, the Hall where guests gathered for refreshments, and the theater itself. Its ceiling was painted by Chagall in the mid 20th Century. Until a 2nd Opera House was built in Paris, this was the largest opera house in the world. Empress Eugenie de Montijo was a regular attendee. In those days, the upper class went to the Opera Garnier not to see the performance, but to see and be seen.
At the conclusion of the tour, I walked back to the hotel. It was supper time. And I remembered that, in one of the Rick Steves Europe audio interviews, a guide recommended that to get to know Paris, one should find a cafe and make it your “home,” so I did just that. The idea is that you can get to know some Parisians that way. I wanted Escargot. It just so happened that a cafe right around the corner from my hotel, Brasserie Le Moncey, had escargot. So I staked out a sidewalk table, ordered escargot, white wine and a cheese plate (it came with bread and a salad), and watched the world go by. Within 20 minutes the guests at the neighboring tables introduced themselves and I, in my broken French, introduced myself and spoke a bit about my day. And with that, Paris became real to me! They told me about their jobs, families, and even told me to meet them at the cafe for coffee and croissants the next morning. The fact that I spoke some French made me more than welcome. Every time I said something correctly it was like a 4th of July firework went off – they were so pleased I tried so hard to fit in! And this happened all over France. So the French reputation for being rude and distant was, for me, completely washed away. They do expect some formality when meeting a stranger but quickly become warm and friendly once some familiarity is established!
Tomorrow I’ll do some more walking around Paris. I’m headed to the Musee D’Orangerie, where Monet’s Water Lillies span a city block, and will take in the Seine and some park-time!
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