I enjoyed reading this article about tourists' idea of Paris vs the "real" Paris, so I thought I'd share it with you.
More: Visit France
"The Paris of movies and tourist brochures is, frankly, a load of hooey. If you go to Paris to see the city of 'Amélie' or 'Avenue Montaigne' or, worse, the city of 'An American in Paris,' you will be disappointed. There is no Maurice Chevalier singing 'Louise,' no Piaf, regrets or otherwise. Paris is a city, not a romantic illusion.... Yet, Paris is still one of the greatest cities in the world. For some of us, the greatest, no contest."I think the author's notions of what people expect are a bit off-base. Personally, I didn't really have any of those ideas about Paris before my first visit, when I was 15. I certainly wasn't expecting any singing or dancing in the street, so I was surprised (and pleased) to hear musicians in the métro. But the point is well taken - we hear and see so much about what a romantic and magical city Paris is, so it's easy to have high expectations. Fortunately, for most of us, while the reality might not be exactly what we expected, it's still just as good, or better.
Source: See Paris the way real Parisians do
More: Visit France
Comments
I visited Paris twice in 04 and 05 and in my minds Eye was those Grand Stories found in Books and the Movies ,The French Connection, Maigret,The Resistance in the Second World War,The French Revolution, Etc. I was under no Illusion that what I would see in Reality would be far Different than Books or the Movies. But still Paris is an amazing City full of Beautiful Architecture Museums and Art Galleries.
It is full of Quaint peculiar Shops,one in particular is the Anti Rodenticide Shop in Les Halles. It has a rather Ornate Old fashioned Frontage in Bottle Green Painted Window and Door Frames. They have the usual Accoutrements of Packages of Poisons and Rat Traps of all shapes and sizes but also have these Preserved Rats and Mice on Display in the Window. I found this very Funny particularly when a Woman passed by and she quickly glanced at the Window and Winched her Eyes in disgust and Nodded at me and hurried off. On another Day I spent most of the Day Wandering around the Louvre and still could not see it all. I enjoyed The Hotel De Invalides and The Catafalque of L’Emperour Napoleon it is immense. He is Buried in about 8 Coffins and the whole thing stands 5 Metres high by 6 metres long. I also visited the Museum Dedicated to W.W.11 beside the Church. I Visited Fontainebleu and Versailles and the Artists Athellier of Millet in Barbison .
On another Day I Explored Notre Dame and the Ancient Ruins underneath nearby of the Ancient Kings of the Parisei and King Clovis and then The Village Montmarte.
I decided to put off Visiting Cimiterie Pere Le Chais until another time when I am bored and seen everything else in Paris. I have seen enough Cemeteries in my Life,I will get around to it some time perhaps on my next visit to France. Dublin Ireland.
Thank you, Laura, for everything you write! I love Paris and everytime I go, I am afraid that I will be disappointed – but I never am. Each time is more rewarding than the last. If you take Paris for what it is, and the French for who they are, there is nowhere I would rather be. The four great cities of the world are (in this order) Paris, London, Tokyo and New York (I think New York is a bit overrated and Tokyo far underrated among travelers.)
Paris of the 1960s I think was my favorite – with its moodiness, intellectual ferment, rebellion, New Wave cinema, revolution in historical thought. But it is still the place I would most like to be anytime.