One of the main highlights of my experience in Amsterdam was the prevalence of public transportation both above and below the ground. I know that Amsterdam is known for their canals and huge quantity of bicycles, and I kind of wonder whether Paris has similar canals. I’m already well aware that Paris isn’t as bike-friendly, but I want to see how it differs from the US in terms of the amount of focus placed on car-central travel. Already, following our arrival in the city, we took the metro to our hostel. It was a little bit of a hassle for all nine of us to purchase one-trip tickets from a single ticket machine, but we ended up being fine at the end of the day. One thing I didn’t expect, however, was how quickly the train doors would close. Additionally, I’m wondering if we’ll be able to feel safe even during the night, since I thought that, as a woman, the area of Amsterdam within walkable distance from our hostel felt safe up until around 11pm.
Other than the course, I’m most excited about the bakeries, shopping, art, and culture in Paris. First of all, I love baked goods—especially French baguettes, croissants, brioche, fruit tarts, macarons—so I think I’ll have a delightful time enjoying those things. The fashion here interests me and I wish to look around some boutiques or markets or thrift shops to find some tops, skirts, hats… anything, really. I also love looking at art, especially impressionist paintings and dishware. So I hope to visit a couple of museums (of course, the Louvre) and take a look at those things while I’m here. As for culture, I’d like to experience day-to-day life in Paris and learn about the people, social norms, gatherings, and events that are frequented by locals. Speaking of events, I also want to see more of Fashion Week, Pride, and the Fête de la Musique tomorrow. The prospect of a huge festival attended by hundreds of thousands of people excites me, but to be honest, I’m also slightly concerned about getting lost. Or even worse, pickpocketed.
I plan to explore Paris in a way similar to how I wanted to explore Amsterdam. I will appreciate its historical architecture, day-to-day culture, and art. Part of that would include wandering around the streets looking for boutiques, cafes, stores, restaurants, and landmarks to enjoy. Another part of that includes the planned elements—the typically touristy things like museum visits, the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame, etc. So, similarly to how I enjoyed Amsterdam, I will do some planned events and also spontaneously go to other places: planning is great to an extent—otherwise, it intrudes on the desire to do whatever you’d like, but spontaneity only works when you don’t have to reserve something ahead of time. In taking part in spontaneity, I hope to thoroughly enjoy the pastries, meat, and cheese here. I want to discover a new favorite cheese through some awesome charcuterie experience. I want to try raclette for the first time. I want to savor a buttery croissant that I’ll remember for the rest of my life, if possible.