While in Paris, the businesses catering to the hoards of tourists seem pleasant enough. No doubt their patience are tried at times, but they manage a friendly smile in doling out assistance and help. The typical Parisian on the streets seem indifferent to others and to themselves. I suppose that attitude is necessary when one lives in a heavy tourist city. The smiling happy people we meet on our travels were fellow tourists from all over the world.
We met a young man from Nevada on the metro train, Line 1. We got on the metro car at Concorde. He graciously stood up to give us his seat as we chatted. He recommended sites and restaurants to visit. We stood in line with a woman from California to tour the parapets of Notre Dame. She looked through her notes to recommend street crepes in Montmartre as that area was next on our list to visit. We exchanged some money as the exact change was needed for the parapet tour.
One breakfast we enjoyed was pancakes and a Denver omelette at a restaurant called Breakfast in America. An American student was our waitress and helped us to understand the bill ticket tax and tipping information. Strange to witness an American waitress in Paris. We got to know the restauranteurs at Sarl Momh’s across St. Germain from the Maubert Mutualite metro stop. That was our breakfast stop. By day two, he had our coffee orders memorized and ready as we seated ourselves. No changing our coffee order at that point.
Inside our hotel lobby we bumped into three elderly couples from Denver. They were trying to see about having a couple taxis take them to the Louvre. The metro system scared them. Being that we were on our way to the Louvre, we led the couple to where they could buy the tickets. I explained how the metro works and led them all the way into the Louvre.
We visited the Louvre often in small amounts of time. Its too large to take on all at once. In the Dennon wing there is an enormous floor to ceiling painting by Louis David, The Coronation of Josephine. One evening I walked up to get a closer look I walked in front of a young man sitting on the bench studying the painting. I hadn’t noticed him as I was transfixed on the painting. I excused myself and went around behind the bench to the other side for a closer look. This Italian art student approached me and we talked about some of the other paintings we had seen. I asked him if he knew where La Liberty was. Of course I was wrong on the painting name, but mentioned Delacroix. He was intrigued I knew about it, knew where it was and explained about the painting. It was five minutes to closing. The three of us, the Italian art student, my wife and I raced through the Louvre to find and experience Liberty Leading the People. Louvre museum hosts were trying to herd us to the exit. The joy we shared with the young man in our discovery was priceless. We exited in separate ways.
The following day we met a young man on the Normandy Landing excursion. He was studying in an exchange program in Germany. We talked about the sites in Paris, the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and of course the historic sites in Normandy landing beaches. On our last day for dinner at an outdoor cafe, a couple next to us asked about my camera. He too had a Canon DSLR. We talked photography and even allowed me to snap a few pics with his telephoto. We learned they were from Devon UK. We had 12 metro tickets left and handed them over to the couple. They were quite pleased and wished to pay us. I refused their payment. Too much to worry about with the exchange rates. Sometimes its nice to leave behind small gifts for strangers.
Its quite an experience to see the world and interact with others. A surprise to find such joy in simple things; like an exchange with others in art appreciation. Helping fellow tourists in a foreign country. The joy of sharing a common hobby like photography. We’re all in this together, to travel and to find our personal happiness.
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