Allergic to Paris
I should start off by saying, I liked riding the metro, I liked visiting the Chateau Vincennes, I liked the Rodin Museum, I liked the pastries (never quite sure what I was eating), and I liked the walking tour...but let's face it, this is not my city.
I feel badly almost that I don't enjoy it...so many people were sighing at the prospect of my coming her, but the horrible truth is that the city and I do not get along. Not only did we deal with the "strike" which I'm fairly confident didn't happen, but the following day we got lost for 2 and a half hours in the Parisian suburbs (for those who don't know the rumors, they are unkind and true) we walked for all that time and the 3rd person who was willing to help finally got us back downtown. Nothing seems to be as stunning as people say, maybe it's because I'm not "in love and in Paris", but I think this city has taught me what I like and what I don't. I don't like big cities, I don't like dirty air, sidewalks, bodies of water, I don't like people who aren't willing to help, and I don't like when I continue to break out in hives because I'm allergic to something in the gravel. I do like quiet reflection, distances that take less than an hour and a half to walk, people that pick up dog poo, and people that care about more than social constructs.
In hindsight I think we just tried to do too much on this trip and Paris was the end of an already long excursion, by the time we got here we were already overloaded with Museums and Cathedrals. That coupled with the faulty surroundings made for a bad stay.
We just have to eat breakfast, find a way for the swelling to go down from my hives and board a plane to the states. I am soooo ready to get home, order a pizza from Ian's and lay in my bed for an hour while watching horrible TV...and then seeing Joanna who's at the house now. Yay, for all those things, especially Jo!
I feel badly almost that I don't enjoy it...so many people were sighing at the prospect of my coming her, but the horrible truth is that the city and I do not get along. Not only did we deal with the "strike" which I'm fairly confident didn't happen, but the following day we got lost for 2 and a half hours in the Parisian suburbs (for those who don't know the rumors, they are unkind and true) we walked for all that time and the 3rd person who was willing to help finally got us back downtown. Nothing seems to be as stunning as people say, maybe it's because I'm not "in love and in Paris", but I think this city has taught me what I like and what I don't. I don't like big cities, I don't like dirty air, sidewalks, bodies of water, I don't like people who aren't willing to help, and I don't like when I continue to break out in hives because I'm allergic to something in the gravel. I do like quiet reflection, distances that take less than an hour and a half to walk, people that pick up dog poo, and people that care about more than social constructs.
In hindsight I think we just tried to do too much on this trip and Paris was the end of an already long excursion, by the time we got here we were already overloaded with Museums and Cathedrals. That coupled with the faulty surroundings made for a bad stay.
We just have to eat breakfast, find a way for the swelling to go down from my hives and board a plane to the states. I am soooo ready to get home, order a pizza from Ian's and lay in my bed for an hour while watching horrible TV...and then seeing Joanna who's at the house now. Yay, for all those things, especially Jo!
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