Paris, Darling, and My Existential Dread (Plus Croissants)
okay, so paris. everyone raves, right? like, it’s the default dream. and honestly? it’s… complicated. i just checked and it’s drizzling a sort of melancholy grey there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. i’m back from a week wandering around, fueled by caffeine and a vague sense of being utterly lost, and i need to dump all this somewhere.
I’m a touring session drummer, which means i’m used to chaos. airports, dodgy hotel rooms, the sheer weirdness of playing a gig in a different country every other night. but paris… it’s a different kind of chaos. it’s beautiful chaos. it’s the kind of chaos that makes you question all your life choices while simultaneously craving a pain au chocolat.
I spent a lot of time just… walking. getting deliberately lost in the Marais, staring at the gargoyles on Notre Dame (still heartbreaking, even under scaffolding), and trying to decipher the graffiti. seriously, the street art scene is wild. i found this amazing little spot near Canal Saint-Martin - check out some local artists on this board.
Someone told me that the best falafel in the city is at L’As du Fallafel in the Marais. apparently, there’s always a line, and it’s worth it. i didn’t try it. i was too busy trying to find a decent cup of coffee. which, let me tell you, is a quest in Paris. I’m a bit of a coffee snob, okay? I need my single-origin, ethically sourced, pour-over goodness. I ended up at a place called Boot Café - tiny, adorable, and surprisingly good. Yelp reviews are mixed, but i liked it.
I stayed in the 11th arrondissement. it was… lively. a lot of bars, a lot of late nights. if you get bored, Lille and Reims are just a short train ride away. I overheard a couple arguing about whether Belleville was “authentic” anymore. classic parisian drama. I think it still has its edge, but it’s definitely changing.
I did a walking tour of Montmartre. it was cheesy, but i learned some interesting stuff about the history of the area. Apparently, it used to be a really rough neighborhood, full of artists and bohemians. Now it’s mostly tourists and overpriced souvenirs. I’m not complaining, though. The views from Sacré-Cœur are incredible. You can find some decent tours on TripAdvisor.
I also spent an afternoon wandering through the Musée d'Orsay. i’m not usually a huge museum person, but the impressionists… they just get me. Monet, Renoir, Degas - it’s all there. It’s a bit overwhelming, to be honest. I needed a serious pastry break afterwards.
I heard that the Jardin du Luxembourg is a great place to people-watch. i didn’t make it there. i was too busy trying to avoid eye contact with pigeons.
Honestly, the whole trip felt like a fever dream. beautiful, exhausting, and slightly unsettling. I’m not sure i’d go back anytime soon. but i’m glad i did. It’s definitely a city that gets under your skin. And maybe, just maybe, it’s a city that makes you appreciate a really good cup of coffee even more. Check out some local forums for more tips here.
Oh, and one last thing: someone warned me about pickpockets. apparently, they’re everywhere. keep your belongings close, okay?
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