Sunday, march 15th, 2015
We started off the day with breakfast in the hotel. I saw firsthand how obsessed Parisians are with bread. There was an abundance of it at breakfast, all fresh and delicious. The hotel was very small, with fewer rooms than I have ever seen in an American hotel, but this didn't seem to impact the amount and quality of food served. It was incredible! Full and happy from way too many croissants and baguettes, we hopped on the metro to go to the flea market. This trip to the market opened my eyes to a very different version of Paris. I had always pictured Paris as a shining, utopian city. Though I knew it wasn't perfect, I had a hard time picturing it as anything but. The area in which the flea market was located showed me a very different side of Paris, one that reminded me a little more of Clifton than the Paris I had come to expect. I liked seeing a new side of Paris, and adding a new perspective to how I view the city. Again, I was surprised at how late in the day shops opened. At 9AM on a Sunday morning, every every store would be open and running, reading for patrons to flock in with to go cups of coffee in hand. The atmosphere in Paris was more relaxed. When we first arrived at the flea market, only a few shops were even unlocked, let alone up and running for the day. Another thing I was surprised about was the sheer size of the market. To even get to the main stalls, you had to navigate through countless shops set up, and vendors imploring you to step inside to take a look at their hats, scarves, t shirts reading PARIS (as well as some less tasteful slogans), souvenirs, knockoff bags, and anything else you could think of. While these shops were simply hastily constructed, the main market was held in a series of enormous building with shops in small rooms resembling storage units. These units stretched on farther than you could see, and twisted into alleys and back corners. We were just wandering around the shops, not looking for anything in particular, but I was difficult to make sure we could find our way back to the beginning. Once the shops finally started to open, we all had a great time. I am usually not a big shopper (a half hour of shopping is usually just about my limit). However, this was unlike any shopping trip I had ever taken. I loved jut poking around with no particular item in mind, seeing what I could discover. I thought it was a little strange how shopkeepers left their stores completely unattended for extended amounts of time, something I've never seen happen in America. I was also intrigued by the variety of items available for purchase. From a knickknack shop selling 30 buttons for a Euro to a high end art store with pieces worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and everything in between, including the occasional beheaded doll (these were in several shops and I haven't been able to figure out why yet). Most of the people I met at the market were very friendly and accommodating, allowing me to try out my French, even though it definitely extended the transaction. There was much less pressure to buy than in American shops, and shopkeepers, for the most part, were interested in learning about you or sharing their stories or the stories of items in their stores without pressuring you to buy. I even had a short conversation with a shopkeeper about a toy plane I was buying (at least, I hope that's what we were discussing). Next, we boarded a metro to the Ile de la Cite. My first stop on the isle was Notre Dame, to attend Mass. I didn't quite think about the level of comprehension I would have at a mass conducted in French, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Going to a Catholic high school and taking French, I learned a few prayers in French, and was very excited to use them outside the classroom. Saying a prayer in unison with a church full of Parisians had me thinking about the word Catholic, meaning, "universal". Learning about the history of the cathedral was also awe-inspiring. I'm continuously amazed at how these buildings were constructed so long ago, without any of the modern technology we depend on today. After the mass, we got in line to go up in the towers of the cathedral. While waiting, we were entertained by a somewhat racist mime performing tricks on an imitations of unknowing people walking by. When we finally entered the towers, up a seemingly never ending spiral staircase, the view from the top of the tower was worth the wait. It was incredible to see the entire city, and made the passages we read from Notre Dame de Paris come to life. Next, we went to a small cafe near the cathedral. The food was very expensive, but delicious. Many restaurants in Paris offer seating outside, under an awning or behind glass. This made my dining experiences so much more interesting, as an avid people-watcher. And what better place to observe than Paris? We then headed to Chapelle. The pictures I had seen of this church did not by any means do it justice. The stained glass windows are incredible, especially when considering their age. A comparison to American and Cincinnati architecture is simply the age of the buildings. Many buildings in Paris, most of which are not tourist sites or marked as historical in any way, are older than the city of Cincinnati or even America as a country. Though very modern architecture can be seen in Paris, the city has a very classic and historical look, due to the preservation of the style of architecture and the older buildings themselves. Today we also saw the locks of love on the bridge. This is another example of the level of comfort with public displays of affection, as well as Paris' reputation as a city of love and romance. For dinner, we ventured into the Latin Quarter. I've never experienced restaurant owners actively recruiting customers like they do in this area. You can't walk 20 feet without 3 different people stopping you to tell you they sell the best (bread, wine, escargot, cheese, pizza, etc.) in Paris. This was a fun, overwhelming experience for me, as people are generally much less forward in America. We settled on a classic French restaurant for dinner, which was a great experience. A small thing I've noticed is how drinks are served. In Cincinnati, it's assumed everyone at the table will drink water, and it's usually served as soon as you sit down. This was not the case in Paris, as you usually have to ask for a bottle of water for the table, which can be more expensive than the house wine. As good as dinner was, my favorite part was our trip to the chocolate/ dessert store next door. It's safe to say this trip started a chocolate/ macaron obsession for me.