Sage & Simple

A "Lady No-Kids" following the goose around Europe...

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Living in Denmark
  • About
    • Privacy Policy

Paris

April 26, 2013 By Sage 4 Comments

Before I left, I couldn’t understand peoples’ indifference towards Paris, probably just as much as they couldn’t understand my naive excitement.  “Paris is nice.”  “Paris is… French.”  “Have you been to Barcelona?” “You’ve been to Italy, I think you’ll be disappointed.”  “What is it with Americans and Paris?”

And they were right.  Paris is nice, it’s French, it’s no big deal, and I was disappointed.  It’s like every other major city in the world… it’s big, dirty, expensive, with plenty of McDonalds and Starbucks, Banana Republic, the familiar stench of frat boy cologne wafting out of Abercrombie & Fitch, a generous offering of museums, restaurants, and boutiques, and a handful of things that make it unique.

Globalization has made it so that pain au chocolat and Camambert are just as available and delicious in New York, Bangkok, and everywhere in between as they are in Paris, and everything else can be ordered online.  It’s almost like I’d been to Paris, before I’d been to Paris.

See?  Same old same old.

I wanted to splurge on something amazing in Paris, something completely impractical and overpriced.  I decided it would be a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes, but I went to all three Christian Louboutin boutiques, and there wasn’t a pair of glass slippers in my size among them :(

The sales clerk’s advice?  “Order them online.”

*sigh*

Also?  Christian Louboutin shoes are made in Italy!

I decided that my consolation prize should be a pair of Chanel sunglasses.  Unfortunately, Chanel’s security seemed like a hilarious satire… big refrigerator sized guys with ear pieces were overseeing everything, they looked like Secret Service.  I must’ve come across as some sort of sticky fingered menace because I was assigned my very own security guy!  He stood a couple of meters away, watching me like a hawk as I tried on sunglasses, which by the way, were covered in fingerprints and sell online for 100€ less than in that fancy pants Saint-Honoré boutique. (They’re being delivered on Monday, and will probably have fewer fingerprints, too!)

In Paris’ defense however, it was cold and rained every day.  Had the trees been budding, the sun been shining, and had I been able to stroll along the Seine, have my portrait drawn, have a picnic, take the less obvious photos, and do anything other than huddle under an umbrella or a crowded café canopy, I might’ve loved Paris.

Or maybe if I didn’t already live in Europe, Paris would’ve had a dramatic culture shock effect that would’ve kept me longing to go back for years.   Maybe traveling is like heroin and the more you do it, the bigger hit you need to achieve the same high ; -)

There’s a lot to cover… my booking.com fiasco, the walkout at the Louvre, Clignancourt, Sacré Cour, Père Lachaise, and various random photos and experiences. I’ll take those one by one…

Like it? Share it :)

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Travel

Comments

  1. Debbie says

    April 26, 2013 at 12:25 PM

    Oh Sage, I am so sorry you didn’t enjoy Paris! I am sure the weather played a large factor. I am still looking forward to the pictures though!

    Reply
  2. Barbara Paola says

    April 26, 2013 at 2:38 PM

    I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it too…I loved it, but I went in the 80s so no ordering on the internet! and I left for Paris Memorial Day weekend and didn’t come home till late June (also went to Nice, France, and England) so the weather was definitely nicer. But I so long to go back. Well I’m sure you enjoyed your escapade in Père LaChaise…you got that awesome picture to prove it!

    Reply
  3. Mark Petruzzelli says

    May 7, 2013 at 5:22 PM

    You brought the most important thing back, the pictures.

    Great shot of the Eiffel Tower!

    Reply
  4. Tracey McBride ~ Frugal Luxuries® says

    May 16, 2013 at 3:22 PM

    Great review Sage, as always! Am looking forward to reading more about it (especially after just having read your post on the booking.com fiasco)!
    Love,
    Tracey
    xox

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Once upon a time, I had the chance to move to the happiest country in the world!

My restless Aries spirit liked that idea, so I did what any girl in my position would do… I grabbed my cat, booked a one-way ticket to Denmark, and became an expat!

Read more…

logo
Food Advertisements by

Archives

Never miss a post :)

logo

Food Advertisements by

Categories

Aarhus Antique & Vintage Jewels Baking Bohemian Decor Denmark Food Freeganism Frugal Living Green Living Home House Hunting Moving Abroad Other Recipes Secondhand Finds Simple Living Travel Vegan Recipes Vegetarian Recipes
logo
Food Advertisements by

© 2009 - 2021 · Sage Autumn Media