I am finally back in the States after 5 months in Europe. My 2 weeks with my mom in Geneva and Spain were great fun and a perfect way to wrap up my European adventure and to relax from the stress of finals. This post will focus on two things: Paris and my initial thoughts upon returning to the US. I still have so many cities to show and explore so stick with me over the next few weeks as I attempt to catch up.
At one point in my trip, it appeared that I wouldn't have enough time to visit Paris. Which is a shame in itself but, even worse when you consider that out of all the cities in Europe, Paris is by far the most well known and most visited/referenced. Moreover, it seems that every French class ever taken stresses learning about the arts and culture of Paris--from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre to the Latin Quarter. So, while I might have had to pass on a few other destinations, being merely 3 hours from Paris was too tempting for me to pass up.
Paris is truly the heartbeat of Europe. It is alive, flowing, and active. The city is a mecca for arts and culture, for people of all races (my hotel was in the Arab Quarter), and wonderfully fascinating. Yet, despite these things, Paris is a truly livable city. It has the best system of public transportation that I have seen in Europe, is fairly affordable (well, anything is more affordable than Geneva), and has a downtown area that is used and lived-in by Parisians. These Parisians truly enjoy their city, their food, their culture, and, yes, their language.
People always have the misconceived notion that the French are snooty and are disrespectful to people who don't speak their language, especially Americans. I have heard the horror stories--and yes, I am sure that these incidents exist--but my experience was very positive. While I would agree that it is helpful to speak a little and understand the language, I ran in to no one who expected my French to be perfect of belittled my nationality. In fact, many of the young Parisians that I met were just as curious about my worldviews as and American as I was about there's.
Yes, I agree that French is a difficult language to learn and sometimes confusing. I also realize that it is very intimidating to speak to francophones as they are language purists--they are quick to correct and demand proper pronunciation. But, I never saw any of the "stuck up" French stereotype. In fact, during the time that I lived in Geneva (which, aside from a few minor differences, is relatively French in most aspects), this attitude was not very prevalent. Maybe it had a lot to do with the fact that I speak (or attempt t0) French. I honestly believe that this notion of the snooty French is overplayed and over-simplified. I would encourage anyone who is going to visit a French-speaking area to at least learn the basics. Even if you struggle and if they have to switch to English (which almost everyone can speak), they will appreciate the effort. I also encourage people to discover the prevalence of this stereotype for themselves... as different people will have different experiences.
But, back to Paris. I think that Paris was the only city in Europe that made my eyes tear up and gave me goose bumps. Standing at the Place de la Concorde and looking down the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe, turning to see the Louvre, Notre Dame, La Madeleine, and seeing the Eiffel Tower left me speechless. This city is iconic in every way. I cannot stress the things that the city has witnessed--German Occupation, the reign of Napoleon, the Worlds Fair which lead to the building of the Eiffel Tower, and the French Revolution. To think of the all the famous French and their impact on the world: Charles de Gaulle, Napoleon, Rousseau, Voltaire, Joan of arc, any of the Louis(ies) and on and on.
But, what a cool city! I cannot express how much I enjoyed seeing Paris. Even though I went by myself (which allowed me to see everything that I wanted to see), Paris was enchanting. It would have been nice to return with my girlfriend/fiance/wife but I enjoyed my time. I think that it would have made my picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower a little less strange-looking (for the record, one night I sat on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower with some cheese, bread, and wine... by myself). However, I did enjoy my time. The city is so full of life and is a great example of what makes Europe so, well, European. There are winding streets with bakeries (with baguettes, pastries, etc.), picturesque apartments, world famous monuments, Parisian fashion, exquisite restaurants stocked with the best ingredients, and a grandiose feeling of splendor, wealth, and affluence. Yet, in the distinct French manner, the city seems so livable and amenable to the Parisians. I think that of all the cities on the continent, it is the must-see, quintessential European city.
Saint Chapelle... wall-to-wall stain glass windows. The Sorbonne--one of the most famous and respected universities in the world.
Notre Dame and one of its iconic rose windows (sorry for the bad picture quality).
Two separate Hotel de Ville (City Hall). The one on the left is in Versailles and the one on the right is in Paris.
Versailles... a short 45 minute train ride from central Paris. The building on the right says "A toutes les glories de la France" (to all the glories of France).
The main entrance to Versailles...still busy in off-season. The Hall of Mirrors through a reflecting point of view.
The Louvre Museum at night. My favorite work of art in the Louvre, Hammurabi's Code. It is very impressive and give an interesting insight into the creation of ancient laws--"an eye for an eye."
La Tour Eiffel, during the day and at night. It is blue to celebrate France's EU Presidency.
The French Military Academy...one of the most respected in the world. The picture on the right demonstrates the livability of Paris. This picture was taken about 400 meters from the Eiffel Tower. The Parisians truly do 'live' in there city.
Hotel des Invalides--the former (and partially current) home for disabled veterans. It now houses the French Military Museum and Napoleon's Tomb (on right).
At Place de la Concorde, looking down the Champs-Elysees towards the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc up close.
La Madeleine... a church and namesake of my project in French class my junior year of high school. Sacre Coeur--church at the top of Montmartre (Mount of the Martyrs) near the infamous Moulin Rouge.
Sorry, no food this time. The food in Geneva is so similar that I decided not to take any pictures. But, I promise that the food section will return.
Ok, so, on to the my initial reactions upon return to the United States. The first thing that I noticed was that everyone spoke English. This may not seem like much of a shock but it is strange for me because in Europe, it was often hard to judge what language to approach someone with. I would like to think that I got a little better, the longer that I was in Geneva but it was still difficult to tell. This phenomenon was very interesting and a part of life in Europe that I came to like. In the States, it is rare that I approach anyone in a foreign language. Its strange to be able to read every sign and to see menus that are only in English.
My second impression is that there is a lot of space. Everything feels so spread out. Its hard to believe but if my hour and 45 minute drive home from the airport had happened in Europe, I could have easily been in one, if not two, foreign country. Moreover, buildings in towns and suburbs are much more spread out, the streets and cars are larger. It is strange to see a house with a large yard and to see fields that are so large. Also, I feel that roads are less congested (which is nice). I don't think you could ever convince me to drive in Europe, especially in Spain or Italy... a driver there must be aggressive to get anywhere.
In regards to jet lag, I don't think that I have really experienced it too much. It is always said that it is harder to adjust when you travel West. Because I forced myself to stay up for over 24 hours to adjust, I think I helped to prevent any problems. My mom, however, is having all sorts of difficulty adjusting to the time change. I think, overall, that it is just strange for me to be back in the States. Hopefully the holiday season will help me adjust more quickly.
Happy holidays to all. Enjoy family, friends, the time off from work/school, and remember to take time to relax over the season. I wish you all safe travels and encourage you to look forward to my next post.... which will be soon. Oh, and I look forward to seeing what new Miami Football Coach, Mike Haywood, will do to help the ailing RedHawk Football Team.
Love & Honor,
Matt
