Revelation of the Revolution: London + Paris

I haven’t been active on here for a little while; I’ve been traveling for the past week and a half or so. Last night, I landed in Logan after visiting London and Paris.

For the most part, I want to say European countries differ greatly. Each of the major cities I’ve visited in the past two years outfits unique architecture, cuisine, and culture. Lisbon architecture consisted of walls plastered with tile, each unique from the last. Lisbonions regularly indulged in two popular foods: Natas and different flavored pot pies. Greece prided itself in its white plaster architecture and colorful roofs. Although located on the Mediterranian, the Greeks did not consume quite as much seafood as I expected, focusing instead on lamb and chicken.

Of the four European countries I’ve had the opportunity to visit, I believe the lifestyle and culture in England are most similar to that of the States. Shops remain open throughout the entire day (yes, shops close midway through the day in Greece and reopen at night) and dinner time felt similar to that of Americans (6:30ish-8:00). I loved London’s parks and tourism. We lived across the street from two major parks. I felt refreshed after walking through them to access various parts of the city felt refreshing. Trees line the sidewalks so the sun didn’t beat directly on pedestrians and the road was a mix of sand and concrete, producing various textural sounds when we walked.

In London, we visited some properties belonging to the royal family. My favorite was Windsor Castle by far. The interior of the castle blew me away. Rooms decorated from floor to ceiling in gold, red velvet furniture lining the edges of the rooms, and 500-year-old mirrors still hanging where someone originally hung them.

I also enjoyed walking along Thames River. Although a murky brownish yellow color, Thames was the vein of London. The London Eye and modern tourism stood on one side. Connected by the Tower Bridge, Parliament, old cathedrals, the shopping district, and the royal family residences occupied the other. After spending three days in London, I feel pretty confident about navigation. The city’s layout is fairly simple and the neighborhoods often had a distinct purpose (some filled with cafes, others for shopping, governmental for others, etc.). My family took the Eurostar to Paris afterward.

Paris is by far my favorite city. I’ve never been to a city with the same pizazz. From an honest standpoint, just about everything in Paris is appealing to a tourist. From being the easiest country in the EU to buy tax refundable good to exhibiting the grandest squares at a frequency I’ve never seen, Paris buzzes with an excitement that leaves visitors curious about what’s around the corner. The Tour Eiffel was grand. There’s a huge–probably 1 square mile–space dedicated just for viewing. Different altitudes make for different views. At the uppermost level, tourists stand by the National Academy of Dance. This was the perfect place to take pictures of the full tower. Directly below, grass covered a large rectangular span of land, allowing the thousands of daily visitors to relax and sit directly in front of the tower. Fountains sprouted with water at timed intervals, making for the perfect photoshoot.

Rotaries, bringing together 6-7 streets, fill the city (eg. Arc de Triomphe, Tour Eiffel, etc.). What intrigued me the most about these rotaries was not the traffic itself, but the building directly facing it. These houses were like isosceles triangles. The narrowest part of the buildings directly facing the rotary and became wider as one walked further away from the center. Cafes often occupied those triangular properties at the tip of the rotary. This sort of city layout, though less space-efficient than the grid-like organization of major US cities, gave Paris a unique taste and feel.

I must be frank, I’m not the biggest fan of traditional French food. While I enjoy duck and various breads, I’m not the biggest fan of creamy foods. Unfortunately, my family did not get to eat at many restaurants during our trip. Our schedule becomes a little wack during vacations so we usually skipped lunch and ate at a cafe in the afternoon. Nevertheless, France has diverse food options. I found many of the cafes serve foods that were a blend of traditional french and more modern french foods.

I’m home now, but I miss Paris. The late-night buzz of the city, eating dinner at 10 PM, the architecture of the city…all of it is truly stunning. It’s a city I would revisit again and again and again.

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Some photos from my trip…