I don't really know if I should start posting my shots in Paris depicting very famous places.
And to do what? Describe it to you? It's fucking Paris, you know?! Grab a plane and go check it out though I tell you... it might disappoint you. I know it disappointed me this time...
This city used to be my most beloved city. It is the big European capital that I have first set my eyes upon back when I was a teenager. It seemed romantic, it seemed free, it seemed affordable. Not anymore. Not by a long shot.
I booked a room close to the Tour Eiffel, 5-minute walk, in a 3 stars hotel that cost us something around 210 euro/night. The room was about 10-11 square meters. We barely had any chance of getting laid and we're fucking 1'65 meters tall both of us. For this price, in Romania, you get the fucking king's suite and his bitches nonetheless. This didn't include breakfast, ok?
Right outside of this expensive shithole, there were two cafes. One of them (maybe the other as well, I don't know) was charging 1 euro extra on any product after 22:00. WTF?! And this was written in a damn font of 10, somewhere on the side of the chart, only in French. Oui oui! 6 euros a damn mint tea and with this extra charge, I paid 7 euro for a sugar sweeten tea. No honey... non, non.
What was worse, in my humble opinion, is that we both ordered this mint tea (a fucking 7 euro Lipton ok?) and he brought two mugs, two satchels of tea, and one pot of water. REALLY?! 1 pot of water? So if I ordered alone you would have both one fucking cup of hot water for 7 euros?!? Godamn France!
Noooothing special about this place. Though close to the Tower, it was on a small artery, backwards, and the view was of the railway that is passing over here. A crowded place, with honking over honking, cars over scooters, bikes over these electrical things that pollute the city.
And the fucking fleamarket that is going on near the Tower (and generally all the important tourist places) is infernal. You can't even pass between these, generally, afro dudes, with their carpets on the grass or sidewalk, all selling these fucking miniature Eiffel Towers or chargers and battery packs. In the evening, other dudes come out, either with flowers and/or champagne, roaming the place, sticking the rose into your eye, forcing you to buy. On top of that, there's my compadres, the Romanians, who organise, on the ground, "alba-neagra" games (a sort of "where's the ball? find the ball!"). In the meantime, Police is probably scratching their nuts. There's not more than 2-3 interventions/day, which doesn't scare them, but rather makes them pack their stuff quickly and reposition once they left.
It's despicable, I'm telling you and I really don't know where the problem is, but these dudes need to eat, while the Police need to make their fucking job. It's Paris for fuck's sake! What are you turning it into?!
And there's always this constant fear (for me, as a rational dude I guess) that it's something waiting to happen here. I mean they feel it too. There are security checks everywhere, whereas this wasn't happening 10 years ago when I last visited. Also some dudes with rifles around these crowded places... too few if you ask me. I don't feel safe in Paris anymore, though I felt back when people were telling me I should have been scared.
But it's a beautiful city and its inheritance is impressive. No matter how many times I would see this city, its grandomania makes you humble. The craft that is invested in this city is huge and its ties to our roots, as a whole civilisation here, in Europe, are deeply connected to each of us. To not be able to see Notre Dame, to know it was in flames a few months ago, makes you think of the centuries of loss we have witnessed on TV the other days. Such a loss...
In the meantime, their sweets are better than ever and all these macaroons are better than I ever had anywhere else until now. Of course, it's Paris.
Oh yeah! I haven't gone up in the Tower. I'm that kind of a dude that leaves his lady to go alone because he's afraid of the fucking height.
