For the record, I have never seen "Emily in Paris", nor do I want to. I know of it's existence and that many people find it hilariously inaccurate to the real experience of living in France - not to mention the stereotyping. My first trip to France certainly wasn't a reenactment of "Emily in Paris". My life might be an occasional comedy, but a romantic one, it ain't.
This was my first trip to France. I went with a group of relatives and a friend. I took a ton of pictures, ate a lot of great food, and had a wonderful time seeing the sites (and shopping). I didn't drink any wine - my life has had to be alcohol free for almost a decade at this point and I don't miss it...much. I went to Paris and Bordeaux.
Paris was filled with people - kind of like New York City. Paris occasionally smelled bad - kind of like New York City. Paris had a lot of cool things to do - kind of like New York City (you get the point).
What makes Paris unique is it's history, architecture, and style. Often all three of these elements meet in the many churches, museums, and landmarks haphazardly scattered throughout the city. And though the Olympics had blown in over the summer, the only remains of the event were the interlocking rings children were climbing for pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Speaking of the Eiffel Tower, I don't think I've ever seen so many people taking selfies or with a professional photographer to get that perfect Parisian shot of the world's most famous tourist trap. Apparently, it's a big deal to hire people for those idealized Instagram shots to make you look like it's just you and an admittedly beautiful tower. You just have to navigate that sea of people and hope the well armed cops don't mess up your shoot.
Despite what the painters and photo filters might suggest, Paris wasn't all decked out in fall colors this October. Temperatures ranged from the 50s to 70s F (or 12 - 22 C for you non-Americans) and, though I did see some people bundled up, I was usually in a light jacket or simple long sleeves. The trees were mostly a shade of pale green to light orange and hardly any leaves were on the ground. It felt like early fall instead of the mid-season it should have been.
Many a French person commented that it was climate change to blame for the odd weather.
Halloween isn't really celebrated in France - at least not like how it is in the UK, let alone the US. There were a few decorations here and there in shop windows, but no one had their balconies done up. Pumpkin spice could only really be found in American chains like McDonalds and Starbucks. Speaking of Starbucks, their menu is so much more fun in France. They have a range of donuts that we don't have and I just barely missed out on the pumpkin spice flavor (it was already sold out).
Not that I was eating in American chains while in Paris (there was a stop at Starbucks in Bordeaux for a quick drink, but that was it).
Mostly, I ate in one of the many cafes that line the streets of Paris. The best (and cheapest) ones are typically further away from the main tourist attractions. Less people to watch, but a relaxing experience. And even if the food isn't great, you're still in Paris and it's better than eating back home - or so my family kept saying.
By the time we reached Bordeaux, I was craving a little something different and politely asked to try French Chinese food. Oh boy did we luck out with the cafe we found. I'd never tasted Mapo Tofu so fresh. It wasn't mouth tingling spicy like how we serve it in the US, but it had a lot of flavors. The dumplings were also wonderful and served with black vinegar instead of soy sauce.
Bordeaux could be much more easily be compared to Washington DC if DC had winding alleyways instead of large avenues. Bordeaux is a World Heritage Site City and has strict building codes to maintain its status. This means that many of the roads are made of cobble stone that are roughly the width of a single car, buildings aren't allowed to get much higher than Stain Andrew's cathedral, and several old buildings that survived World War 1 and 2 have been converted into museums and art experiences. It is also home to the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe - Rue Sainte-Catherine.
I found Bordeaux to be a little on the spooky side with it's winding alleys and dark cathedrals. St. Andre (or Andrew's in English) was very dark - only lit by candles and what remaining light slipped through the windows in the early evening. There were a few electric lights in one area for a late Mass, but the overall space was eerie. It probably didn't help that there was an organ concert going on while I was wandering around.
Early morning fog rises from the river and blankets parts of the lower city - which is of course where the older sections are. It's an easy set up for a horror story about vampires or werewolves - maybe a cat person if the writer is feeling original. It's less crowded than Paris and the streets tend to clear out much earlier - with the exception of the houseless population and their dogs (I only ever say them keeping to themselves). There aren't a ton of street lights either. I think there should be more horror stories set in Bordeaux - with a romantic leaning of course (we're still in France).
I was unable to see a lot of the city's green space since they had a fair going on in the main park near where I was staying, but when I left the city for a tour of the nearby vineyards (with wine I couldn't drink) it was clear that fall was just arriving to the region. Bordeaux is South of Paris - about 2 hours by the high speed train (can we please get some America) - and is close enough to the ocean that submarine factories existed on the river going through the city.
Bordeaux is most famous for its Bordeaux wines. As the city and surrounding area are World Heritage Sites, the wine makers are under pressure to maintain the culture and practices that make the region famous.
Yes, even wine is being threatened by what we humans have been doing to our planet. The heat that ripens grapes and makes them sweet, also make them more alcoholic. While that may not bother some people, it does change the composition of the wines being produced. This requires changes in harvesting, processing the grapes, and maintaining the health of the vineyard. For a region that's been making wine for over 2000 years, this is a lot of changes to juggle in a short amount of time.
Climate change is actually pretty well talked about in France. They openly acknowledge the changes and how its affecting everything from the weather to agriculture. A small comment on how warm the city is for October will sometimes lead a French-person to respond with "well, that's climate change".
But the best spooky thing to do in France is to trek down into the Paris Catacombs. The were originally built because the city started falling into itself - a disturbing fun fact I was completely unaware of. The official city tour takes the curious well below the metro and sewers into an underground maze. Though the original purpose of the catacombs was to help stabilize the city, it quickly became clear that it was also a good place to store dead people. I say clear, but really I mean that one of the kings declared that cemeteries could no longer be within the city limits of Paris and dead people had to go somewhere, so into the stabilizing tunnels they went.
The audio guide tells visitors that there are millions of men, women, and children lying in rest under the city of Paris. Literally, the current citizens of the city are walking over the bones of their ancestors. This underworld even includes the French Revolutionaries that ended the monarchy. There are more dead bodies in this space than living above it.
And an underworld it is. The passage leading into one of the many viewing areas of Paris's dearly departed is etched with the famous phrase "Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here" in French. Past that entrance you'll find low ceilings, winding passageways, and human remains.
What could be creepier?
Oh right, there's literally no barrier between you and those human bones.
Yeah, I was expecting the public area of the catacombs to have the actual human remains behind some kind of glass or plastic wall to prevent people from being able to touch them or accidently back into them - the bones line both sides of the walls and the passages are kind of narrow. They politely ask that you don't touch the bones, wear your backpack on your front, and have cameras everywhere. I still wonder how often someone accidently touches a dead person.
At the end of the tour, the grand finale includes a brief description of a concert that took place in the catacombs in the late 1800s. I think it would have been pretty cool, until I remembered that they wouldn't have had electrical lights. Candle light, plus Mozart's Funeral March, plus dead bodies equals a nope situation for this adventurer.
Autumn in France is very pretty. The food is excellent, the weather mild, and there's plenty of tourists around to people watch. I enjoyed my time back in Europe - it's been almost a decade since my last trip. Fall is a beautiful season to go.
Until next week.
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