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Postcard from Paris: Sights, sounds, and – pee-ew! – smells of Paris

By June 29, 2011No Comments

It’s been hotter than heck here in Paris, and prior to our trip it was quite mild.  As I write, it’s raining now, but I’m not panicking – the rain is supposed to stop by morning, and leave behind weather in the 70s and sunshine.  Perfect day for a wedding.

Oh, to take a dive in the Seine...anything to cool off!

With the heat comes, well, un odeur.  With a metro system so fantastic, it’s foolish to cab it much; but the other time I was in Paris, was during the winter.  Here, with everyone walking it everywhere and then packing into the subway – well, it’s not pretty.

That aside, there are so many other things about the French that are so – French.  A couple stopping suddenly in the sidewalk to kiss.  Two straight men pecking each other on the cheek to say goodbye.  A young guy wearing a Woody Allen shirt.  A teeny little dog sitting on a woman’s lap at a cafe.  Men with purses.  I saw all these things on my first day alone.

Yes, everything you’ve heard about the French is true – except that whole rudeness thing.  When you walk into a shop or cafe, without fail they will say “Bonjour.”  When you leave, “Au Revoir.”  You will never NOT be greeted.  In the States, it’s hit or miss, or the corporate owners of the store or restaurant will literally train their employees to give a cheerful hello.  If anything, the French are more polite than we are, with certain standards of gentility.  They just don’t wear their hearts on their sleeves like we do.

And of course, there are just the funny, weird and dramatic images you see every day on the Metro and elsewhere, that can only fly here in Paris. (I say this with the full knowledge that, say, “Jersey Shore” is equally ridiculous, and could only fly in the good ol’ USA.)  Here are some of my favorite images of the quirky francais from the past week:

Just in case you lost them.

MIKA. Very serious man. He must be wondering where his pants are.

Another sad pop star. Le sigh.

And...a Mime.