It's beautiful. My favorite part of Paris this far. I've realized the following trend since I've been in Europe: The narrower the street, the more I like it. Must come back here to paint.
2. Crêpes
Nutella, banana, confiture, or just plain sucre; there are so many options to choose from! If this is street food... I'm livin' on the street.
3. Champs Elysees
Kelsey and I walked there yesterday. The Arc de Triomphe is glorious and the panorama felt straight out of a movie.
4. The island in the Seine
This is where the Notre Dame is, for example. Needless to say, it's beautiful.
5. The Metro
Somehow, even the public transportation is more appealing than it is anywhere else. The platforms have curved ceilings with while tiling that goes all the way up, giving it a very clean feeling. There is a very distinct squeal when the train goes around a corner that - now that I know - was captured perfectly in Amelie. There are always people playing instruments, asking for money, but I really don't mind. You aren't really supposed to look people in the eye while riding, but I couldn't help smiling at another amused-looking man when a guy started playing, "I Will Survive" on the saxophone -- in the train. The Metro is so efficient it makes Boston look like kids' stuff.
6. Bakeries/Cafés
So many bakeries. Honestly on every corner there are people sitting on wicker chairs outside, smoking and drinking coffee and eating. Sounds like my kind of pace.
7. Trees
I think what sets Paris apart from London (well, obviously not the only thing, but one of them) is the greenery. It feels so much more natural, although admittedly the trees are perfectly groomed and in immaculate rows. The foliage makes a difference.
8. People watching
Today I saw a woman wearing all orange, with a hat the size of a basset hound. Paris is way more ethnically diverse than I had anticipated, with a lot of Arabs and North Africans. This is good, I think. The eclectic-ness makes it fun to imagine all the different lives of people inhabiting the same space.
9. Lamp posts
It may sound odd, but I've seen at least four different kinds of lamp posts in Paris, all of them incredibly ornate. The difference is in the details, as they say.
10. Pigeons
Also odd, but I think they're hilarious.
11. The top floor of apartment buildings, especially the windows
The grey color of the rooftops, the rod iron details around the window boxes, the crumbling chimneys with their terra-cotta-colored spouts. Why it's so gorgeous I can't explain.
12. Pastries in general
Need I say more?
13. Helpful people who give directions
Also self-explanatory.
14. Old things
I appreciate that, even though I could tell that they elevator in our apartment building was fairly recently installed (it doesn't groan or anything), they redid it in the old style. It was barely big enough to hold my suitcase. Parisians have a very strong sense of tradition and you can see how little things in the city itself have changed, although society may.
15. French (the language)
I'm getting better. I am. I still can't speak like I want to, but my comprehension is better already, I can tell. Last night Kelsey came over to see where I live and we had a great conversation with my host parents -- completely in French. We talked about everything from sexual education to immigration to idiomatic phrases (always fun). We even got Vincent to say, "YOLO" (as in, You Only Live Once). It will now be the catch phrase in Paris. He'll be the talk of the town.
A word about my family: They're amazing. So, so funny. It's so frustrating because I can tell that they're hilarious and I'm not catching all of their subtle jokes, plus I can't respond very wittily (if at all). But I appreciate it nonetheless. They're so nice to me and so understanding when I come back late or whatever. I got really, really lucky.
Today I passed a blind woman walking on the sidewalk. It made me so sad to think that she couldn't see the beautiful city she inhabits. Because truly, what makes Paris beautiful isn't, say, the weather, but the little details. The chimneys. The drinking fountains that look like statues. The rows of trees. Being the aesthetic person that I am, the thought of constructing such a city is unfathomable. My eyes are happy, to say the least.
Kelsey left this morning, so now I'm in Paris on my own. Could be worse. Today I walked from school to the Eiffel Tower to the Museum of Modern Art and then back home. In the museum I passed a group of school children and heard one of the teachers scolding a young girl: "Ecoutes-moi jeune fille! Ça c'est le dernier fois!" (Listen to me, little girl! This is the last time!) Even though it was a simple sentence, it made me happy that I could understand it in passing. If nothing else, I'm getting better at eavesdropping.
Oh, and in case you're wondering.
List of bad things in Paris:
None.
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