I’m sitting in a Paris cafe writing this because I can’t enter any building with my enormous green suitcase and there are no lockers anywhere. This surprises me because Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world.
“If there were lockers,” my French-Canadian friend Virginie says, “everything would be bloody stolen.”
I laugh on the other end of our Whatsapp call. French culture isn’t actually all that foreign to me. I’ve lost track of the number of times I was meant to come here and never did.
And now here I am… the day after France wins the World Cup. Not that I even watch soccer or care which country wins – oh the sacrilege. But I know that others care and that’s what matters.
I was expecting Paris to have a celebratory feel after the country’s victory – but the whole city is hungover. The guy who greeted me at immigration looked like he was having the worst day of his life and couldn’t wait to get home. He stamped my passport and sent me on my way – no questions asked. I guess the World Cup victory really took the Monday Blues to a whole new level.
Of all the holiday destinations in the world, Paris has to be the most ‘romantic’ and the most ‘cliche’. Well, I am neither here for the romance nor the cliche.
I have an old friend to visit and some new memories to make. Might as well do it over cheese, charcuterie and dessert.
What say you?
Good thing my French isn’t as rusty as I thought… Despite what people say about snobby Parisians, I’ve had nothing but good service all day.
I hope I don’t get cheese dreams tonight.
Hmm… about that…
The Mercantile 
Again, not-quite-converging paths: having been in Japan 2 weeks ago, I will be in Paris in what? 10 days?, then off to the countryside to visit some friends and family.
Good point about the lockers, although I seem to recall the main train stations had suitcase-sized lockers. That was some years ago, they may have been removed since then…
Be sure to visit the playing card (and tarot!) museum in Issy-les-Moulineaux! Bon voyage!
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Ahhh!!! Perhaps one of these days our paths might actually converge. I hope you are well in Taiwan.
Yea – the staff at the station told me there used to be lockers but ‘they no longer exist’ 😂
Ooooo tarot museum eh! I’ll definitely go 🙂
Enjoy your trip here and safe travels!
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Welcome to my city. 😀
Really hope you enjoy your stay and glad to read people were nice. It’s hit or miss, even with us.
I used to hate soccer, but then I started going to some games with friends and even watched some games (half of the final in fact 🤣). I’ll never be a fan, but at least that pathological hatred seems to be gone.
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Welcome to my city?!?!!!!
Are you here?!?!!!
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Unfortunately not yet. But since my parents are kind of from there, and it’s always been a base, it’s my town. I mean, my French connection goes through there. How long are you staying? I might make it in August, but it depends.
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Ahhhhh I’m leaving soon. Would have loved to have seen you. Some other time, yea?
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Absolutely, happy to hear you liked it there!
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