From Notre Dame to a Parisian "No Go Zone"

There is no such thing as a Parisian No Go Zone. I’m making fun of Fox News. I’ll explain later.

This weekend I welcomed my first American visitor in Paris, one of my roommates from home who is studying in London for the semester. Saturday was our day of fun filled activities - we walked a total of 11 miles (or 15ish kilometers if you want to talk like a European)….which may be why it is 1 in the afternoon and I still haven’t had the will to get up from my bed. 

We started off our day doing touristy things in the heart of the city, at the Notre Dame Cathedral and along the Seine. We ate a delicious breakfast of coffee and croissants along the Seine:

And then took some pictures of Notre Dame:

The Seine and Notre Dame were, as always, beautiful. I always love to head to the side of the cathedral and and check out the gargoyles on the side (see the 2nd picture of the cathedral) They’re super creepy. You can also go inside the cathedral for free, or climb to the top for a pretty view. You do have to pay to go the the top. 

After gallivanting around Île de la Cité, we headed over to a neighborhood called Belleville for a guided tour of street art in Paris. I had won it through my abroad center. 

After the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January of this year, news reports on Fox News declared “There are a whole lot of places in and around Paris where they ( the French police)  are still afraid to go”. Check out the video clip here.

Well Belleville is one of those neighborhoods that Fox News considers a “No Go Zone”. That’s an absolute lie. The authorities to have control over these neighborhoods, and there is rule of law. I had a great day walking around Belleville, and never once felt threatened. Don’t trust Fox News,people.  

The street art in this neighborhood was captivating. Here are some pictures of some of the things we saw:

That reads “Drunk off life”.

Yes, that’s a piece of pizza that is high.

In the neighborhood, there were whole streets covered in street art. It was a really cool sight. 

The tour guide talked about all of the artwork-whether he knew the artist, what the inspiration was for these artists, and some funny stories about the things street artists will do to finish a project. 

For example, I really like his story of an artist who paints a lot of cats around the city. He painted this one here:

It is a little hard to see, but the cat is on the beige building under the “CON”. This artist painted cats just like this in the metro in one of the long hallways connected one line to another, I believe in the metro strop Chatelet. 

The city was really mad that he had painted these cats. He was found and faced trial. During his trial, he argued that in the winter, when all the Parisians are depressed because of the winter and the cold and the dark, the cats will help bring life back into the city and warm the hearts of the Parisians. 

He won the case based off that argument, and wasn’t fined.

I really enjoyed this tour, because it gave me the opportunity to see a neighborhood and a subculture of Paris that I wouldn’t have on my own. I definitely have a new appreciation for street art too. 

The one downside: I brought Lianne because the flyer said the tour would be in English. Turned out it was in French, so Lianne was a little lost the whole time. And I learned how exhausting it was to translate for 2 or 3 hours straight.

Afterwards, we went to Montmarte, stumbled across a parade that was giving out free wine, and then checked out this beauty: 

11 miles and two pairs of very sore feet later, we were back at my apartment stuffing pasta, wine, and chocolate mousse into our faces. 

A Conversation with NPR’s France Correspondent Eleanor Beardsley

Being an American in Paris is no easy task. For those of us who grew up across the pond, adjusting to the culture can be quite the challenge. Some days, it feels as though as though you are constantly one faux pas away from some inexcusable cultural mistake. Those days, it’s best to rely on the support of the extensive American expat community present in the city.

Eleanor Beardsley is one impressive member of the American expat community here in Paris. As the NPR ( National Public Radio) correspondent for France, most Americans have the opportunity to be captivated by her stories on their local public radio station. Her stories cover everything from the shortage of baguettes in Paris during the month of August to the fall the of Tunisian dictator during the Arab Spring.

( I highly suggest listening to one of her articles, Read this one, titled “Parisians on Hunt for Baguettes as Bakers get the Nod to Take Vacation”. It perfectly sheds light on two essential aspects of French culture: the need for baguettes and cigarettes.)

Each Thursday, my center holds cultural events that help us learn more about the city and the culture we are immersed in, always followed by a goûter of wine, bread and cheese. It is très à la française, This week, Eleanor came to talk about her experiences as a correspondent.  Immediately, her charming South Carolina twang began to relax the room full of culture-shocked, America-deprived 20 somethings. This women, she was the best of both worlds- someone with an established and remarkable career with over 10 years of experience living in France who we’d also feel comfortable grabbing a cup of tea and sitting down to gossip all things français. We talked journalism, but we also delved into the intricacies of being an American in the City of Lights.

She gave off the impression off being effortlessly integrated into French life while also being unabashedly American. The most poignant piece of advice for a room full of novices was her response to my roommate, who is having a particularly tough week of culture shock. All week, Hayley has struggled with many cultural differences. These differences, while they may at first seem insignificant, do take a toll after spending an extended period of time in a different country. She complains, “Why can’t I just smile to someone in the ruewithout them thinking I am hitting on them? I’m just being human!” and “Why don’t people bother to slide over when they walk towards you on the sidewalk? How come they just run into you instead, like you don’t exist?”.

Eleanor’s response: “We have every right to be here. Don’t let them convince you otherwise”.

Cheers to another day of being here, learning to be effortlessly integrated and unabashedly American.

8 things that all Americans will get sick of while living in France

France, I love you despite your imperfections (and I really should be saying things I’m not used to and not imperfections). But sometimes, you make me want to scream, “J’en ai marre!” 

1. Dog poop everywhere. 

If you ever feel like visiting France, while you’re there don’t for one second let yourself get distracted from sidewalk in front of you. Why? Because if you do, there’s a 150% chance you’re going to step in a heaping pile of dog poop. It’s like pooper scoopers never got invented here. And I’m not talking about in parks, or off to the side of the sidewalk. I mean there will be dog poop right in the absolute center of the sidewalk. You’ve been warned.

2. French keyboards

Ok, for all you travelers, you don’t have to worry about this one. However, if you ever study or work in France for a period of time, you know the struggle. Even though the rest of the world has pretty much the standardized qwerty keyboard, France decided to get its own. Prepare to perpetually type “q’s” when you want to be typing “a’s”. The worst part though? When you start to get used to the french keyboard. I’ll come back from a day of typing on a French keyboard at my internship, and start to do my homework on my American laptop. I’ll have gotten used to using the French one all day, so I’ll start messing up with the keyboard I’ve been using since I could type on a computer. And then the cycle repeats itself.

3. Nothing open on Sundays 

Ok, so this one I wasn’t sure if I wanted to put down. In some ways, I really do appreciate the fact that stores are, for the most part, closed on Sundays so that everyone can just take the day to relax. No pressure to do chores, just go sit in a park and soak up some vitamin d. While I like the idea of it in theory, it can get pretty annoying when you forgot all the stores were closed so you didn’t buy anything to cook for dinner. Prepare to spend the day eating whatever you have left in the cabinet, aka some white rice and one egg. How does that sound for a nice Sunday dinner?

4. Celsius and the Metric system

Ok, this one I have to blame on America. Literally everyone else in the world uses Celsius and the metric system. Why? Because it f****** makes sense. Why does water freeze at 32 degrees Fahrenheit? Why is there 12 inches in a foot? What the hell is a yard? Why America, why? Life would be a lot easier if I didn’t have to learn a whole new temperature and metric system while I am here.

5.PDA 

So, perhaps this is a personal pet peeve of mine and the rest of you won’t be annoyed with it. But the amount of pda here is pretty ridiculous. Like please, I’d prefer not to see your tongue down her throat on my way back from class, thank you very much.

6. The rain

So, this kinda came as a shock to me. It rains in Paris. Like a lot. Or maybe it doesn’t but it feels like it rains all the time here. And yeah, Paris is prettiest in the rain, I know the saying. It may be prettiest, but that doesn’t stop me from disliking how soaked my jeans have gotten from a surprise rain shower.

7. When you speak to someone in French, they notice your accent, and they respond in English. 

This happens a lot. You go up to someone, perhaps a waiter, or a person behind the desk at a store or a museum, and you address them in French. Not bad French, nothing that would make them cringe. But you have an accent, and so they respond in English. Now, I know that it’s meant with the best of intentions. They’re probably thinking, oh, I’ll just make it easier on this person and respond in their language. It’s the least I can do. Still, it’s super annoying. I’m here because I want to learn the language, so in my case, this gesture isn’t appreciated. Typically, I respond back to them in French, and they get the hint.

8. Other Americans

Sometimes, you’ll run into other Americans who are being particularly American and not acting respectfully of French culture. You’ll just cringe and think, “You, you are the reason I’m constantly trying to prove negative stereotypes wrong about Americans. You’re giving me a bad rep. Stop that. Stop that now”.

PS: I was considering doing a blog post prior to this titled “8 things about France that Americans will absolutely love and miss about France when they return to the US” so that I wasn’t giving you all the wrong impression. Life in France is quite awesome, but it doesn’t come without its own share of frustrations.

PSS: Notice how I didn’t say anything about French people. Well that’s because I’ve found French people to be very nice and not at all rude or arrogant like the stereotypes say. Suggestion: learn about French culture and about their conceptions of manners. Shocking, it’s different. If you adapt, you’ll have few problems. Tip number one: say Bonjour

Art museums in Paris: Thoughts on the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, and the National Picasso Museum

It's the post you all have been waiting for - the one where I actually start to talk about things I’ve actually done in Paris, rather than drone on about my “introspective” thoughts on living in another culture! *cue collective sigh of relief*

So for the post I’m going to talk museums, and more specifically 3 art museums that I have seen so far during my escapades around Paris.

The Louvre

Ok, the first museum I visited in Paris was the Louvre (aka the one with the glass pyramids and the surprisingly small painting of a women who’s looking at you like she knows something that you don’t know).

I had previously visited the Louvre when I was in Paris back in 2007. However, the Louvre is so big that you could visit it multiple times and still not see half of the artwork. It also has a lot of different sections with diverse artwork. There’s the European Renaissance art, the sculptures, the Egyptian and African art sections, the Islamic art section, and Napoleon’s Apartment (you know, the guy who conquered all of Europe because he was compensating for something).

For me, my favorite sections are the Egyptian and African sections, the Islamic art section, and Napoleon’s apartment. I don’t love the European art section. Here’s the reason: It’s constantly crowded, thanks to that little old painting called the Mona Lisa (or La Joconde in french, which will help you follow the signs). Additionally, I find it to be a little boring. Don’t get me wrong, the talent of artists is phenomenal and clearly evident. But where’s the creativity? I’m constantly thinking “oh woah, another picture of a fat naked lady with a bowl of grapes next to her…or wow, look at that totally original, never been done before biblical scene”. It’s just not for me.

PS: Really find the Mona Lisa incredible? Well, I personally think you would have a better experience buying a poster and admiring it in the privacy of your own home. Why? No elbows in your face, no flashes in your eyes from the cameras, and less b.o. wafting into your nose. The crowds are pretty ridiculous.

Musée d’Orsay

Excuse me if I geek out a little for this next one, but this museum ROCKS. If you only have time for one museum during your stay in Paris, go to this museum.

The Musée d’Orsay is best known for its impressionist and post-impressionist collections featuring artwork by Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, and lots of other incredible french painters.

The museum itself was once an old train station that has since been renovated. The building alone is gorgeous, but the artwork adds a final touch. I’m going to let the artwork speak for itself, so enjoy some pictures of the artwork I took while I was there

Right now, there is an exhibition going on about prostitution during the late 1800′s in Paris. Apparently, a lot of the big artists and writers of the time focused their work on prostitution.  Read the NYT article here. I was able to visit this exposition last weekend, and it was definitely interesting to check out. If you think you're not really interested in coming across photographs or paintings of naked prostitutes, don't worry. The more racy parts of the exhibition are in very well marked 18+ rooms. Don't go in if that's not your thing. Everything in the main exhibition area is much more subdued. I believe this particular exhibition is open until January 2016.

PS: Afterwords, head to the Seine, conveniently located right next it, and walk along the banks admiring the view of the city.

Musée National Picasso

This museum, recently reopened and on the smaller side, is great to visit if you can make time for it. It’s located in the Marais, which was once a historically Jewish quarter. The Marais is now full of shops, cafes, and is super cute.

The museum itself houses artwork from Picasso and from other artists who were part of the cubisme movement. While I can’t say that I understand that artwork, it certainly is interesting to look at. A relatively small museum, you can see all of the artwork in one trip.

PS: Afterwards, treat yo’self to Paris’ best falafel at L’As du Falafel, also located in the Marais… even if you’re reading this, scratching your head, and thinking, “Falafels? What are those???”. Just do it.

Museum Tips

The first Sunday of each month, all museums are open to the public for free. Yahoo! DO NOT GO TO THE LOUVRE. The lines are horrendous. On such a day, go to one of the less well known museums, such as the Picasso museum.

If you’re under 25 and are an EU citizen, it’s free to go to museums! For us Americans, it is just a reduced price. However, tell them you are a student in a university in the EU. Bring a copy of your university card (if you have one). If not, bring a copy of the front page of your passport, and a copy of your visa. Since I don’t have my European university card yet, I’ve been using that and have gotten in everywhere for free with no problem. It may help if you speak french, people tend to be nicer.

Typically, some museums in Paris will stay open late into the evening on Tuesdays. Not many people know this, so it is much less crowded! Check out the website to see if the museum has a day where it stays open late.

Till next time,

Elyse