My blogger friend Andi, of Misadventures with Andi asked me to write a post about what I love about Paris. It was a lot harder than I expected to really pinpoint what moves me so much about this city, staying clear of too many clichés. After mulling it over for a week, I came up with a non-exhaustive list that truly reflects the personal signification of this environment.
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I love…
Neighbors. I feel a particular sense of comfort in the woman who lives directly across from us who appears to work from home. From our apartment, I can see that her space is bursting with books, papers and photos. I’ve decided she must be an artist.
That despite how much the French infuriate me with their deep sighing, inappropriate frankness and omniscient attitudes, a sunny day in the city can turn an indecorous run-in into a fleeting irritation. Sunny days in Paris turn even the surliest of Parisians into smiling idealists.
Sunday mornings when I walk out my door to go to the gym and there is a soothing calm on the streets. No cars, no honking, only the noise of the wind and the tinkering of the ovens from the corner bakery. The emptiness of the neighborhood is both reassuring and eerie, but I love it.
Le Printemps du cinéma and other film festivals where for a period of 3 days, tickets are only 3.50€. This leads me to another reason Paris rocks – they are avid movie-goers and jazz aficionados. I once went to a jazz concert and chatted with the bassist after the show who, as it turns out, is from a suburb of Philadelphia only 15 minutes from where I grew up. While it can seem vast, the city is quite small.
Its secrets. No matter how well I think I know this city, I find myself repeatedly surprised by how many secret passageways, alcoves, shops and elusive restaurants there are tucked away all over the city. There’s always something new to discover. Most recent discovery: possibly the most charming street in all of Paris. Rue Emile Desvaux in the 20th with its cobblestone street and charming little houses (yes, houses) and small apartment buildings, was calm, quiet and felt like it belonged in an entirely different part of France.
Its navigability. Everytime I find myself on long walks in the city, having gone from my apartment to the other side of town, I’m amazed at how enjoyable it is to be able to do so. After 3 years of walking and taking public transportation, I don’t want to live anywhere where I need a car.
The French. Yes, although they drive me crazy, have interesting ideas of what brunch is (let’s save that for another post), complain more than any other group of people I’ve ever been around, and often perceive hospitality to be optional, life in Paris wouldn’t be as challenging, complicated, amusing or fulfilling without them.
