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Ah, Paris

By Jim Marquez

I love Paris. It’s that easy.

Parisians respect teachers and writers so I am comfortable and at ease in Paris. I am intrigued by Paris. I am fascinated by its history and surprised by its multiculturalism. And, its central location on the continent is just another bonus thrown in for good measure. I can get to Amsterdam by train in three-and-a-half hours. London in two-and-a-half. Germany. Italy. Spain. They’re all within a day’s trek. Aside from that though, it’s just a cool place for all kinds of sights and sounds to soak up the atmosphere.

Most people already know the standard spots to hit while in Paris: The Eiffel Tower, The Arc de Triomphe, The Louvre, The Champs-Elysees. These are but a sample of what you can discover. There are other equally fascinating side trips that don’t cost any more or take you too far out of your way. Yes, of course, you do have to see those things but with just a nudge you can come away with a fuller appreciation of Paris. Here are six such easy to-do activities:

1) Montparnasse Business Building: 5^th arrondissement.
To get there take the Metro to Montparnasse-Bienvenue; Cost: $6 U.S. Bring your camera and a jacket

Many people think, and rightly so, that best views of Paris are from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Well, yes and no. Yes it’s an incredible view and makes for great shots on a clear and sunny day, but where else can you take a citywide photo with the Eiffel Tower actually in the shot? And just about everything else while you’re at it?

The top of the Montparnasse Business Building that’s where, Europe’s second tallest business building. And that’s exactly what it is. A nondescript business tower, much like in any other city in the world, but, give the attendant your fee, take a quick and silent elevator 59 stories straight up, and, voila! You’re instantly on top of the world!

The sight of the city as you step off the elevator grabs you by the collar and you’re pulled to the edge without hesitation. Roam around, from all sides, spectacular! Especially at sunset, for there, in the distance, the sun is going down behind the Eiffel Tower, and, the sight of that is as dramatic as they come.

I usually take a cheap camera when I backpack in case of loss or theft, but you can see the photo included here is not half bad. Imagine what you can do with a good camera and the proper lenses? Breathe in the fresh air high above Paris. From every corner of the roof you have room to move and relax, for not many people know of this Parisian perch. Look, there’s the River Seine! Look over there, it’s the Opera House! And over there, the Sorbonne! The busy streets of Paris are getting even busier now as lights begin popping on as far as you can see. The City of Lights is indeed coming to life!

2) Les Catecombes: 5^th arrondissement
Take the Metro: Denfert-Rochereau, Price: $6 US, Bring: flashlight, jacket.

For some reason, the Parisians ran out of room up top. The next best thing, I supposed, was underground. Over six million are entombed down there, neatly arranged along miles and miles of very passable tunnels. Only a small section of these tunnels are open to exploration, but believe you me, that’s all you need.

Upon entering the small structure housing the tunnel entrance you’ll see a sign above your head that reads “STOP! THIS IS THE EMPIRE OF DEATH!” but you go anyway. You descend a spiral, iron staircase; around and around, the temperature dropping the further down you go, the light becoming dimmer. There are plenty of low-wattage bulbs running the length of the ceiling, but; in case it gets too dark it’s best to use the flashlight you brought.

Once you reach bottom, the bones are there, as far as your light can shine. You shuffle along in amazement at first, for you simply cannot believe what it is you’re looking at. Don’t worry though, you’re not alone, there are others down there like you, far ahead, or in other tunnels, for you can hear their hushed voices and stumbling steps; well, at least you hope it’s other travelers. There’s plenty of room to explore, no pushing or shoving, but you might get a little claustrophobic.

After a few minutes you’ll begin to notice the various “parts” have been separated and placed in certain containment areas. Femurs here, skulls there. Yes, it is creepy, and ghoulish, didn’t say it wasn’t, but take note of this fact: during the Nazi occupation, the French Resistance used these very tunnels during the war. They passed supplies through here, smuggled spies, weapons, and helped escaping POWs including Americans through these tangled and dark passageways. These skeletal walls even provided shelter and homes for those avoiding capture. The Germans never knew the tunnels existed.

You’ll find grave markers dating back to the 17^th century. Over six million souls in total. It takes a hearty breed to pass through, and after an hour you’re more than ready to leave because you get the idea real quick. To escape, you simply follow a path to another staircase, climb the stairs, and miraculous sunlight restores your numbed sensibilities. You are indeed enveloped in time and history down below. It is a moment in your life you will not be able to shake, nor would you want to.

3) Notre Dame Rooftop: 4^th arrondissement
Metro: St. Michael-Notre Dame, Price: Free, Bring: jacket, camera.

To see the inside of Notre Dame is a must. It’s immaculate. And so are the lines to get in. It’s worth it though if you can take your time, to not be rushed or pushed. The slightly adventurous though might consider reaching the top. It’s another line entirely to the left of the front entrance, a separate fee and a shorter wait. Not that much shorter during crowd-times, but as everything, good things come to those who do wait. It’s also 400 steps. A twisting, narrow concrete non-stop funnel all the way to the top.

Yes, it’s another view of the city, but much closer because you’re only a few hundred feet off the ground. What you really go through the trouble of getting up there for are the Gargoyles. Those famous, devilish, creatures that hang off the top of Notre Dame and keep an eye on the populace. They’re placed all around the ledges, winged and fanged behemoths that provide great picture opportunities. You can also touch them, pose with them, or try to figure out what it is they are gawking at. Or, who. They are a marvelous feat of sculpture and architecture combined for a truly gothic effect not to be missed.

It gets a bit crowded up there though, a lot of “Excuse me, pardon me,” and you have to move to one side to let others pass because it’s a tight squeeze around the belfry, but that’s ok, relax, it’s Paris.

After your descent you’ll be hungry. DO NOT go to the brassieres and cafes directly the street. Walk down about 1½ blocks and prices drop almost 50%. Boulangeries, crepe carts and tiny souvenir shops; all have friendly local-prices, much better than the tourist-prices across from the church. These are the merchants you buy your sandwiches from, or your bread, or your wine, and then make your way back to the Seine that runs right alongside Notre Dame for your next activity, which is lunch on the Seine.

4) Lunch by the Seine: 4th arrondissement
Metro: same as Notre Dame, Bring: your appetite, camera, lunch money.

Make your way across the bridge and down a short staircase to the banks; pick any spot. Along this and other areas of the river you’ll find a multitude of people: photographers, tourists, backpackers, children, painters, and the boat launches (which is what I did after my lunch, took a cruise). And it’s all within the shadow of Notre Dame.

While you're sitting on a bench and chomping away there’s photo opportunities without breaking a sweat. Or, eat and take in the scene. Hear the water lapping lazily against the banks by your feet. See the boats chug on by. Wave to the people on the boats, they’ll wave back and take your picture. Hear the jazz bands set up for impromptu jam sessions and concerts. Watch the oh-so-serious-photographers try to get that “perfect shot”. See the children skipping rope. Watch the young lovers holding hands--think bitterly to yourself, see, honey, see what you missed? Then look on at the senior citizens as they gaze wistfully upon the scene themselves and probably wish they were young again…

A stop like this is a must in Paris, and I’ll be mentioning another such respite in a bit, for Paris is as much a place where you let the city blanket you with its aura, rather than treat it as an amusement park of things to see then run off to the next one on the list.

5) The Gardens of Versailles
Take the RER:C5 Train from Metro Station Invalides-Get off at Versailles-Rive Gauche, Price: Gardens Free, but varied admissions to the palace itself include gardens; bring walking shoes (sneakers, boots), camera.

Versailles is an adventure. It’s a good 30-40 minute trek to the outskirts of town, but well worth it. Even the short hike you have to make from the train station to Versailles fades from memory as you approach the mammoth gates to a king’s palace. The Palace is without a doubt a major highlight if you’re in Paris for a few days. You’ll see and learn all about its magnificence if you decide to explore it, so I won’t go into detail about that here. Suffice it to say though; you’ll need an entire day, so plan well.

I want to point out that the palace gardens are spectacular. People tour the palace, but very rarely make the time to walk the grounds which include immaculate landscaping, thousands of rows of trees, bushes, flowers, gazebos, and seating areas. Gorgeous, marble statues also dot the area. And a bona fide man-made lake is waiting for you far below if you make the trek to the bottom of the hill.

Dart in and out of the labyrinths of topiary, be the only one peeking though the leaves. Breath in the seemingly scented oxygen. But don’t get sleepy, you might stray as I did. Not to worry though. Continue down the slope (plenty of benches provide rest stops), and you’re there. A circus-like atmosphere opens before you as people buy ice cream from carts, as sun worshippers lay out on the grass by the water’s ledge, or, if you don’t want to sloth about, you can rent a row boat and paddle your way across the lake. Rent a bike too if you like and explore like it was a gigantic playground. If you get famished, an outdoor restaurant is also there to please your every taste.

I opted for the simple and cheap. I dropped my daypack at water’s edge and followed suit. With my eyes closed I could smell the gardens, hear the people splashing about with their boats, and I dozed off without a care in the world. You may notice I like to lounge quite a bit, but that’s the whole point of travel: to explore different places, and, as a reward, soothe your soul in the process.

6) Eiffel Tower Park: 7th arrondissement
Take the Metro Bir Hakiem or RER Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel, Price: lunch money and varied fees if you do the tower beforehand, Bring your camera, lunch, and journal 

Without question Le Tour Eiffel is essential to exploring Paris. It’s one of the first things people gravitate toward. Hell, even some of the blasé Parisians make their way over. How can you pass up one of the planet’s most recognizable landmarks? A cast iron tribute to man’s technological innovation. Standing at over 1,000 feet it is an eyeful, and yet, while you’re standing directly underneath it for the first time you oddly think, “Is that it?” At least me, then it moves on to, “Wow, I can’t believe it!” I tend to need a little perspective every now and then. And distance.

You have the ubiquitous souvenir carts, the food carts, the panhandlers, the aggressive panhandlers, the lives of many nations coming together at one single focal point, and the lines that go with them. Good God, the lines. The lines to catch the elevator can be monstrous. Try late afternoons; for some reason people think that first-thing-in-the-morning is the best time. Well, here’s a little secret: so does everybody else.

There are three levels to the tower, each a different price, ticket, line, and wait. You want to get a ticket to the top. Why not? You come all this way to see the first deck and its restaurants and post office? Yes, it’s a nice stop, but keep going. Buy the ticket, take the ride.

And you should spend half a day there. A couple hours is not going to cut it. For along with the locals and the backpackers, you have hundreds of tour busses coming and going. They even have their own lanes and drop points. Busloads of tourists spill out, push past the souvenir stands, and are shoved into line. It can be chaotic. Oh, do watch your wallets and cameras. Don’t stop to say “no, sorry” to some of the more persistent panhandlers. Keep pushing through. Believe me, they’ll respect you for it.

Do yourself a favor though, take the metro. Walk along the Seine, past the artists and the chocolate crepe carts; take your time. Do the lines, the tower itself, but afterwards, don’t dart off. A few feet behind the tower is a beautifully groomed park. And it is there you can see the locals and visitors spend some of their time having picnics, playing pick up games of soccer, playing chess, sun bathing, or writing and reading.

I chose a nice spot under those wispy Monet skies, in the formidable shadow of the Eiffel Tower, and enjoyed a lunch I had packed. I had a ham and cheese baguette, two oranges, and a small bottle of wine I bought from a mom-and-pop store near my mom-and-pop hotel (the Hotel Blois).

In the distance I saw one tour bus pull up, regurgitate its guests, and then I heard their tour guides clap her hands and shout, “Ok, people, you have 45 minutes! Let’s go! Let’s go!” I couldn’t believe it. I shook my head, finished my lunch, then went about spending my time filling out postcards, writing in my journal, and checking maps.

Children’s laughter snapped me out of my bliss as a soccer ball rolled into my camp. I promptly stood and kicked it back to a bunch of local schoolboys on a field trip having a pick up game. One of them then asked in French if I wanted to join in. I’m much too clumsy to keep up with a gaggle of 9 year olds, but I kicked it around a few times and they laughed and so did I and I thought, my God, is it always like this in Paris?

I spent almost five hours there. Had a great time with the tower, lunch, writing, relaxing, and hanging out with the locals. You can do this too. You can come away with a little more understanding of life and history in Paris, one that doesn’t have to involve maxing out the credit card on the Champs. To those who have gone and come back with a litany of derogatory remarks about the City of Lights I have just one thing to say: Get off the bus! Enjoy. Savor. But above all, love.

TRAVEL TIPS:

1) Don’t wear a fanny pack. Use a waist-belt that stays inside your waistband. Once, in Paris as a matter of fact, I saw a man on a bike ride up to somebody wearing a fannypack, and, with a pocketknife, make a quick swipe and make off with the pack in one motion. Then, he rode away before anybody knew what happened. And shoo off the little gypsy kids. They are fast-fingered little pests who will take anything they can get their hands on.

2) Don’t wear t-shirts or sweatshirts with “University of ____” Fact: you will get charged more if you “look” American. Sad truth, but there you go.

3) Tear the covers off your guidebooks. Don’t let others know you’re not local, or don't know where you are going. Mark them well beforehand so you can find information quickly.

4) Check maps inconspicuously, or, in stores, but not out on the streets.

5) Don’t try to speak French if you don’t know it. If anything, try Spanish, honestly. Parisians know a little English, you’d be surprised to learn, and a great many know Spanish. Once, I had to ask a cop for directions; I did so in Español and he responded, luckily, in kind.

6) The only French words you should really know are Merci (thank you) and sortie. It means “Exit”.

7) Get a color map of the metro off the Net. Study it. Make notes on it where certain places are located. 

8) Use index cards beforehand to write directions to the places you want to hit. Make another index card with the exact name, address and the arrondissement of your hotel. You can show it to cops, taxi drivers and even strangers if you get hopelessly lost. They will point you in the right direction even if you can't understand them.

9) If at the Eiffel Tower, someone in your party says, “Hey, we can walk up to the first deck. We don’t need the elevator. Come on, let’s go! It’s probably not that bad!” Don't believe them, it is…

10) At la boulangerie don’t buy two small baguettes. Buy the large one, break it in half. You’ll save a couple of bucks, and the two halves will fit perfectly in your daypack.

11) Toss a Snicker’s Bar into that all-important daypack. Trust me: the boost of energy you get off that sugar and those calories will keep you going until your next meal. Also in the DP, not in your hand: water, water, water!

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