Paris, Honestly? (And Why My Ears Are Still Ringing)
okay, so paris. it’s…a lot. i just landed back home, and honestly, i think i left half my sanity somewhere near the *canal saint-martin. i’m a touring session drummer, which means i’m used to chaos, but this was a different kind of chaos. the kind that smells faintly of cigarettes and existential dread.
let me back up. i was there for a gig, a weird little jazz fusion thing at a club in the marais. the pay was decent, but the sound guy…oh, the sound guy. he insisted on running everything through a vintage tube amp that sounded like a dying cat. it was a battle. anyway, between soundchecks and gigs, i tried to actually see paris. and it’s pretty, i guess. like, postcard pretty. but also…intense. everyone is just staring at you. i swear.
i just checked and it’s…a bit damp, with a breeze that feels like it’s judging your life choices. the weather report said 14.79°C, but it feels like 13.89°C, which, honestly, is a mood. the pressure is 1015, humidity’s at 60%, and the sea level is 1015, but who cares when your croissant is flaky perfection? seriously, the boulangeries are dangerous. i gained like, five pounds just smelling the bread.
someone told me that the best coffee isn’t in a café, it’s from this tiny little stand near the place des vosges. apparently, the guy makes it with water he collects from a specific fountain. i didn’t find it. i was too busy trying to navigate the metro.
getting around is…an experience. the metro is packed, and everyone seems to be aggressively ignoring each other. i overheard someone complaining that the montmartre funicular is always broken. apparently, it’s a tourist trap designed to make you walk uphill. brilliant. you can find more info about the metro here: https://www.ratp.fr/en.
my neighbors, if you get bored, brussels and amsterdam are just a quick train ride away. i didn’t have time to go, sadly. i did spend an afternoon wandering around the latin quarter, which is basically a maze of bookstores and cafes. i found this amazing little record shop, though. https://www.discogs.com/ is a good place to start looking for similar shops.
a drunk guy at the bar warned me not to trust anyone selling “authentic” eiffel tower keychains. apparently, they’re all made in china. shocking, i know.
and the food! oh, the food. i had escargots (surprisingly good), steak frites (classic), and way too many macarons. i also tried to find a decent late-night kebab, but everything seemed to close at like, ten pm. i heard that the best kebabs are in the 18th arrondissement, but i didn’t venture that far. you can check out some reviews on https://www.yelp.com/.
i overheard two tourists arguing about whether the louvre* is overrated. one said it’s a must-see, the other said it’s just a bunch of people taking selfies with the mona lisa. honestly, i think they both had a point.
overall? paris is…complicated. it’s beautiful, frustrating, delicious, and exhausting. would i go back? maybe. but i’d definitely bring earplugs and a healthy dose of cynicism. and a bigger suitcase for all the bread. you can find more travel tips on https://www.tripadvisor.com/.
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