Vive la France!
Initially I had wanted to go to Egypt for my 6 days off. It’s a long story but despite all the warnings I was given not to travel there at this time (everyone and their grandma told me not to go because of the political issues they are having with upcoming elections….this included friends, family, workmates, people from Canada, the USA, the UK, Sweden, the Canadian Government, and even an intuitive…) I was going to book my trip anyways. I had everything set up ready to go but when it came time to pay for my flight the website would not let me. Every time I tried an error would come up. I tried and tried and tried and it just would not book. I even tried to go through a different website but it was still the same. I kept getting errors. I decided that it’s a sign that I’m not supposed to go to Egypt right now. (Less than a week later at least 11 people were shot and killed in Cairo during a protest. A curfew was implemented. It will be interesting to see what happens, if anything, during the time that I was supposed to be there).
I had to decide where I could book a last minute trip to and chose Paris. I booked my flight then started searching for a couchsurfing host. What is couchsurfing you may ask? To put it simply it`s an online community of people who are willing to host travellers in their home. It`s a kind of cultural exchange. You stay with the host, live like a local, share your own customs and culture, and if you are fortunate enough the host will have time to show you around from a locals perspective. It`s definitely a different experience and I find it more enriching and educational exploring as a ``local`` rather than as a `tourist`. You get to see the area from a totally different point of view. I have couchsurfed before but this would be the first time as a solo traveller. I would be travelling by myself to a country I have never been to, with a language I can`t really speak, and living with a stranger I met off the internet. What could possibly go wrong? Before you start lecturing me on safety I am perfectly aware of the risks and made sure that I did my research to ensure that I was matched up with an appropriate host. Just do me a favour and don`t tell my parents that I talk to strangers
I didn’t have much time to plan my trip and wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to see (except for the one thing that brought me to France in the first place. More on that later). I went online and I noticed that the following three themes kept coming up: One, that Paris was an extremely dirty city. Two, French people were very rude. Three, watch out for French men. They are very cheeky. I guess I was going to find out for myself!
I boarded my two hour flight for Paris from Copenhagen. It was really uneventful. I do not recommend ever getting a salmon sandwich on an airplane. Not rocket science, but they are awful, even in Europe. After landing in Paris it was really easy to get to the Metro (which is the subway). Something that I noticed right away, is that not a lot of French people speak fluent English, and most people assume that since I am from Canada that I am bilingual. In fact most were shocked that I can`t really speak French at all (what kind of Canadian can't speak french? Sacre Bleu!). Actually I do feel embarrassed at the lack of my French speaking abilities. There isn`t an excuse for it. I took French until grade 12 and can barely string together a sentence. I can however say ``Excuse moi, mosiuer! Parlez-vous englais?" And I have been saying it a lot!
So I got onto the metro and had to admit that I was a little nervous. I have zero sense of direction, and even with detailed directions I was afraid that I was going to get totally lost. I tried to blend in with the crowd, but with my backpack, my wide eyed deer in head-lights look staring at absolutely everything, and the fact that I don’t dress ``European`` (it must be the sneakers), I was unsuccessful. People stared at me and I stared right back (with a friendly Canadian smile of course!). Two hours later I finally made it to my hosts apartment. I did not get lost. Not once (gold star for Terri!). It`s amazing how I can get lost in an underground parking lot I have been in a million times, but I go to Paris and have no issues. Go figure.
So it was time to meet my host. I was really hoping that he was who he said he was and not some creepy man who drives around in an unmarked van (want some candy little girl?). After walking up 12 flights of stairs (yes 12), I was knackered….and home (for the next 3 nights). I was immediately at ease with my host, Yannick. He is absolutely awesome! After settling in, we discussed plans for the evening. Apparently it was the night that the results for the Presidential election would be announced. I don`t know much about politics (what`s a politic?) but apparently it was a pretty important election, and the French were pretty excited about the prospect of having a socialist government. All the action was going to happen at Bastille so that`s where we were going to go!
After a brief metro ride we arrived at Bastille. All I can say is wow. There were thousands and thousands of people already there, with more and more arriving by the minute. People had scaled the fence and were climbing over the
I had to decide where I could book a last minute trip to and chose Paris. I booked my flight then started searching for a couchsurfing host. What is couchsurfing you may ask? To put it simply it`s an online community of people who are willing to host travellers in their home. It`s a kind of cultural exchange. You stay with the host, live like a local, share your own customs and culture, and if you are fortunate enough the host will have time to show you around from a locals perspective. It`s definitely a different experience and I find it more enriching and educational exploring as a ``local`` rather than as a `tourist`. You get to see the area from a totally different point of view. I have couchsurfed before but this would be the first time as a solo traveller. I would be travelling by myself to a country I have never been to, with a language I can`t really speak, and living with a stranger I met off the internet. What could possibly go wrong? Before you start lecturing me on safety I am perfectly aware of the risks and made sure that I did my research to ensure that I was matched up with an appropriate host. Just do me a favour and don`t tell my parents that I talk to strangers
I didn’t have much time to plan my trip and wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to see (except for the one thing that brought me to France in the first place. More on that later). I went online and I noticed that the following three themes kept coming up: One, that Paris was an extremely dirty city. Two, French people were very rude. Three, watch out for French men. They are very cheeky. I guess I was going to find out for myself!
I boarded my two hour flight for Paris from Copenhagen. It was really uneventful. I do not recommend ever getting a salmon sandwich on an airplane. Not rocket science, but they are awful, even in Europe. After landing in Paris it was really easy to get to the Metro (which is the subway). Something that I noticed right away, is that not a lot of French people speak fluent English, and most people assume that since I am from Canada that I am bilingual. In fact most were shocked that I can`t really speak French at all (what kind of Canadian can't speak french? Sacre Bleu!). Actually I do feel embarrassed at the lack of my French speaking abilities. There isn`t an excuse for it. I took French until grade 12 and can barely string together a sentence. I can however say ``Excuse moi, mosiuer! Parlez-vous englais?" And I have been saying it a lot!
So I got onto the metro and had to admit that I was a little nervous. I have zero sense of direction, and even with detailed directions I was afraid that I was going to get totally lost. I tried to blend in with the crowd, but with my backpack, my wide eyed deer in head-lights look staring at absolutely everything, and the fact that I don’t dress ``European`` (it must be the sneakers), I was unsuccessful. People stared at me and I stared right back (with a friendly Canadian smile of course!). Two hours later I finally made it to my hosts apartment. I did not get lost. Not once (gold star for Terri!). It`s amazing how I can get lost in an underground parking lot I have been in a million times, but I go to Paris and have no issues. Go figure.
So it was time to meet my host. I was really hoping that he was who he said he was and not some creepy man who drives around in an unmarked van (want some candy little girl?). After walking up 12 flights of stairs (yes 12), I was knackered….and home (for the next 3 nights). I was immediately at ease with my host, Yannick. He is absolutely awesome! After settling in, we discussed plans for the evening. Apparently it was the night that the results for the Presidential election would be announced. I don`t know much about politics (what`s a politic?) but apparently it was a pretty important election, and the French were pretty excited about the prospect of having a socialist government. All the action was going to happen at Bastille so that`s where we were going to go!
After a brief metro ride we arrived at Bastille. All I can say is wow. There were thousands and thousands of people already there, with more and more arriving by the minute. People had scaled the fence and were climbing over the
What the crowd was chanting - "Sarkozy, c'est fini!"
What I heard - "Socrates, STD!".
Sacre bleu! I think I'm going to invest in "French for Dummies" when I get home.
Me at Bastille (told you that you would recognize it!)
We stood with the crowd until the results of the election were announced....then pandimonium broke out. People were cheering and laughing, flares and fireworks were being set off. I was wondering if fights and riots were going to start but there wasn't any. Everyone was peaceful and just having a great time. It seemd as though everyone was happy with the election results.
The results are in! (don`t worry it`s just flares)
After leaving Bastille my host and I took a walk through the streets of Paris. It was absoultely beautiful. I loved seeing the bridges and the old buildings lit up at night. I am not what you would call a romantic person (in fact the word romance makes me want to vomit a little), but I can definitely understand why they call Paris the city of love. After stopping for a super late dinner (and no I didn't have wine, cheese, escargots, or frogs legs...just plain ole carbonara, which was delicious by the way), it was time to head back. Because of prior commitments my host was not able to show me around, so the next day I would be on my own to navigate the city. This was going to be interesting.....
Notre Dame at night
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