Some of you know that I am not much of a Francophile. I don't know why. I have French ancestors, a French name, and I have had some great excursions to Province, Grenoble, Lyon, and Normandy. Regardless of this, I have never had an urge to see Paris. I have often disparaged the city as sidewalks covered with dog poopage, surly people, French snobs, etc.
It was a source of conflict for me when two of my grandchildren wanted to come to Paris on their spring break and requested that Barbara and I meet them for a week in The City of Light. Without a believable way to cop out, I agreed, and off we went. The TGV ride from Basel to Paris was like greased lightening. We had booked a hotel around the corner from what was to be our apartment for a week, so we could meet the USA contingent there the next morning. In past French visits, my severely deficient French had always served me well. It was true in all of Paris, that if one opened a conversation with a bit of their language, they were happy to speak with you in yours, if they could.
I found the service in the stores and restaurants at least comparable with that in any tourist mecca. That was never more evident in the many open markets that Paris has. On more than one occasion, a person waiting with us would also offer their assistance in translating. The same was true on the streets when looking at a map, etc.
I was surprised to hear and see German both written and occasionally spoken in Paris, once occupied by the Nazis. I frequented a small bakery close to the apartment and usually used a French word or gesture to communicate. On one day, I misspoke a few words of German. To my surprise, the young lady clerk spoke back to me in German! She spoke both German and English but was better at English.
We enjoyed the usual tourist spots such as the Eiffel Tower, The Lourve, and other attractions. These would be a shame to miss, but for the most part are best seen once in my opinion. Everyone should do these things, but many such as the tower are best enjoyed from a distance. The Champs Elysees was a favorite for people watching and widow shopping, but since the rents are over 100,000 dollars a month, the prices are a bit high for my tastes. The avenue does make Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse look a bit small time.
Would I go back to Paris? Sure I would if given the same circumstances. One must understand that I was with some of the people who are treasures of my life. If not, then I still might go back, but only after some other things on my list. Another trip to Normandy, another trip to Berlin, more of Austria and Bavaria, and last but not least, Ireland. If I went back to Paris, I likely wouldn't do so much of the tourist thing. I would spend more time in the side streets and by-ways.
Anyway, I hope crow will BBQ well, since I have the grill fired up.
