Paris is a lot like a snail. Although Paris is the most prosperous city in the world, life here is quite leisurely. At 5:00 pm, almost all the shops are locked, and then people go to the restaurant or cafe on the street, half a plate of French fries, half a plate of vegetables eaten by rabbits, pour some olive oil on it, add a glass of beer, and half a pack of cigarettes You can eat and chat until the night. What we call Parisian flair is born out of this unhurried rhythm of enjoying every good moment. So people say that the best way to visit Paris is to taste slowly, just like tasting wine, but this is not our Chinese style. Indeed, every minute and every second in Paris is consuming euros in exchange for renminbi. We can’t just sit and eat lettuce leaves to pass the time with people earning euros. But the baked snails in French restaurants, whether you like it or not, at least try it out of curiosity, it is very unique and a wonderful symbol of French cuisine.
Where Paris is more like a snail is its map. The urban area of Paris starts from the Louvre and the Royal Palace in the center, and is divided into 20 districts in a circle, much like a snail’s shell. Parisians can know the approximate location of an address by looking at its postcode. The larger the area code where the traveler lives, the further away from the central area, but this does not mean that travel is more inconvenient. The Paris subway is more time-saving and labor-saving than ground transportation. There are subway stations near important scenic spots, and the subway lines are densely covered with spider webs, and the distance between the stations is not far. Except for some lines that are crowded during rush hour, subways are usually less crowded and often have seats. In Paris, as long as you have a subway map in your hand, even if you don’t speak a foreign language, you won’t be able to find a place.
As the most important tourist city in the world, Paris has perfect services for tourists. As soon as the plane lands, you can find the consultation window where you can ask all kinds of questions. All subway stations give free subway map in different versions, large and small. All formal hotels and attractions have a shelf with maps and tourist information atlases in several languages. The service staff of the hotel may not speak English well, but only say “Hello” in Chinese, but they will try to solve the problem for you, and their attitude is very sincere, not pretending.
Aside from the theft against tourists, I feel safe in Paris. If you don’t provoke people, there will be no trouble. Conversely, when you need help, politely ask a passerby and often get a warm answer. If you sit down to eat and a passer-by smiles and mumbles something to you, he’s gone when you’re overwhelmed. He may have said “good appetite”. While this doesn’t happen often, it’s not surprising. Of course, no matter how small it is, as long as you have a conversation with someone, it is appropriate to say “thank you” at the end. If you need someone to give way, or have a physical collision with someone, even if it is light or not at all, usually the other party will say “sorry” to you. If you are going out in a chartered car, when you get off the car, Europeans usually say “thank you” to the driver. For those who come to take the initiative to talk to, don’t want to say more, just deal with a word and leave, and generally won’t be entangled.
Despite the hustle and bustle of pedestrians on the streets of Paris, most people don’t shout unless they’re too drunk. If you want, try to enjoy the quiet. You will find that because parents rarely speak loudly or scold their children, the children there are also quieter. Dogs are sometimes led into public spaces, and even large dogs are quiet.
On the streets of Paris, you can see almost all races on earth, wearing all kinds of beautiful or not beautiful clothes. This is not to be seen anywhere else, not even in other European metropolises with such rich fashion shows.
In my opinion, the greatest feature of Paris is its abundance, it is the most culturally inclusive city in the world. Paris is also attractive because some of the most personal and talented people come together here. The essence of their lives remains here, and their lives are enriched by Paris. How enviable is this! When you go to Paris on a cultural trip, you will encounter their names everywhere. There are many streets, subway stations, restaurants, buildings, district names, etc. named after historical and cultural celebrities. There are also many large and small statues, reliefs, busts and fountains on the streets to commemorate them. Paris also carefully preserves the birthplaces, former residences, and cemeteries of celebrities. The important ones are built into small museums, and the rest are indicated by various small signs. The French use these people as their wealth to show off to others. People’s stories are actually more interesting than visiting buildings and museums themselves.
The Louvre: the heart of the art capital
The Louvre is in the heart of Paris, the heart of this art capital and the heart of the whole of France. It is regarded as the most awesome place in the world, and those who can visit it are lucky.
Go see those treasures that the Louvre is proud of. Whether you’ve seen them in print before, it’s definitely different when you’re standing in front of a living work and seeing the real thing with your own eyes. In addition to being priceless, these top-of-the-line works of art are unique in the world, hand-painted, carved or chiseled by geniuses. And such geniuses are only a few hundred people in the history of thousands of years, and you will see the crystallization of their short lives that are gone forever.
Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”, “Miro’s Venus”, Michelangelo’s “The Dying Slave” and “The Statue of Victory” are the “treasures” of the Louvre Museum. “Mona Lisa” is in Room 7 on the second floor of the Denon Hall. This woman smiles every day to the tidal wave of crowds pouring in from all over the world. Even the staff who guarded her were photographed in countless shots every day. Leonardo da Vinci loved this painting very much and kept it with him for unknown reasons. One of the reasons everyone speculates is that Leonardo has a wide range of interests. He is always busy with various explorations, but the speed of painting is very slow. This work has been painted for 4 years, and he may feel that he has not finished it yet. There is no conclusion as to who the woman really is.
The goddess in “Venus of Milo” is said to be the most beautiful woman in the world. The first person said so, and everyone admitted it. Although its imitations are ubiquitous, it is impossible for anyone to replicate such a gentle and delicate marble skin, such an elegant and solemn gesture. Because of her incompleteness, it has caused more speculation and controversy, and this work has attracted more attention.
Michelangelo’s “The Dying Slave” and “The Bound Slave” were originally supposed to guard the tomb of Pope Ulysses II, when the Romans erected slave statues in front of the tomb to symbolize the majesty and power of the dead. The mausoleum designed by Michelangelo for the Pope is known as “the largest mausoleum in the world”, but the grand project was never completed. Michelangelo gifted the two cracked unfinished works to a fellow countryman, who were then sent to the king of France. Among the marble statues on the entire floor of the lobby, you may feel that they are different at a glance. The first is that Michelangelo likes this awkward posture, which is different from the elegant statues around him. More importantly, Michelangelo injected powerful vitality into the statue through exaggerated muscles. The force of the body and mind spews out of the icy marble with a force that no other sculptor can match.
No matter which of the above star works you stop at, there is something worth seeing not far from it. What you see belongs to you from now on, is the wealth in your heart, and is the most precious and rare real “beauty” in our life.
The Louvre represents the cherishing and love of culture and art. France, like all countries in the world, experienced 500 years of prosperity and turmoil, and no matter what hardships the country went through, the Louvre was preserved and the collection grew year by year. We visit the Louvre, not only to appreciate the artwork, but also to indulge in this love and respect for civilization. In fact, this atmosphere can be felt in Paris, in France, and in Europe.
Notre Dame de Paris: A symphony of stones
”Time is blind and man is stupid.” When Victor Hugo wrote these words for Notre Dame de Paris, French authorities were planning to demolish the dilapidated church. It was one of the victims of the frenzy of destruction of the French Revolution. Hugo’s novel “Notre Dame de Paris” arouses people’s nostalgia for history and the cherishing of artistic monuments. Folks launched a petition to keep the “Symphony of Stones” alive.
Notre Dame is now often held religious activities. No matter what your beliefs are, it can also be a wonderful feeling to be in a solemn atmosphere. The younger brother of the female sculptor Camille Claudel, Paul, who later became a mystic poet and playwright, was known to the Chinese for his work as a diplomat in Fujian. One Christmas, he went to Notre Dame alone to attend a prayer service, and suddenly felt a call. He became a Catholic believer and then a Catholic writer.
The Notre-Dame de Paris Square is always lined up during peak tourist season, with people waiting to visit during the day and people looking for concert tickets in the evening. Even waiting in line was a treat, people were friendly and patient, no rude behavior or rude words. Visitors can also take the opportunity to admire the statue of Charlemagne on the square and the classical architecture of the main palace hospital in the north.
Climbing the bell tower of Notre Dame and overlooking Paris, especially at sunset, is a beautiful enjoyment. But you still have to wait in line to get to the bell tower, sometimes for hours. The entrance is under the clock tower on the north side, climb 422 steps and you will reach the clock tower on the south side. There is a large bell with a total weight of 15 tons. Unlike the description in the novel “Notre Dame de Paris”, the bell ringer will only ring it at important moments. Legend has it that when the bell was cast in the 17th century, pious women poured gold and silver jewelry into the furnace, so the sound was particularly clear. It is a pity that the other bells were destroyed during the Revolution.
Pantheon: The Temple of France At the
end of 1900, rumors grew that the bones of Voltaire and Rousseau had been stolen from the Pantheon. The government decided to invite 150 Parisian celebrities to the Pantheon to open the coffins for inspection on the spot. Fortunately, it was only a false alarm.
For tourists, the Panthéon is a grand and elegant building where one can pay homage to the heroic spirits that France is proud of. For the French, the Panthéon is another kind of church, in which the great people buried are the patron saints of the city, under whose umbrella the whole of Paris is. The Pantheon is translated in English as “Temple of the Nation”, meaning “Temple of the Nation”.
This temple, which is high on a hill, was originally a real church. During the French Revolution, important figures were buried here. By the 18th century, after the restoration of Louis XVIII and the rise of Napoleon III, it had been restored to its religious use. It was not until the state funeral of Victor Hugo was held in 1885 that it officially became the “temple of the state”. However, Hugo actually disliked this building very much during his lifetime, mocking it as a “cake”. Soufflow made an effort to make the building appear light and elegant, opening 45 windows in the dome to let in sunlight. But when it was changed to the Pantheon, these windows were blocked up to add to the solemn atmosphere.
Voltaire died in Paris in 1778 after returning from exile. The great man who inspired an era and his ideas, though warmly welcomed by the motherland, was vulnerable to reality: Voltaire’s confrontation with God caused the priests to refuse his funeral. His nephew had to secretly bury the remains in a chapel. During the Revolution, however, the property of the church was confiscated, and the church faced auction, along with Voltaire’s remains of course. The Marquis de Villette, who had taken in Voltaire, said to the parliament: “Voltaire’s remains belong to the state. How can you stand by and watch it be sold to private individuals like property?” There will be brave people who will speak out for justice, but that voice will be recognized and acted upon by more people. Voltaire’s grand burial ceremony began from the ruins of the Bastille. Stones collected from the ruins were inscribed: “Take it, tyranny has imprisoned you here. And you are the glory of the state.” The next day, the funeral procession carried Voltaire’s coffin, Voltaire’s seated statue and His philosophical writings headed towards the Pantheon. After a full eight-hour procession, the coffin finally reached the Pantheon before the sun went down. Three years later, Rousseau, another Enlightenment thinker who had disagreed with Voltaire, underwent a similar ceremony and was buried here.
In other landscapes, people can eat, drink, laugh, play cards, and even take off their shoes to stretch their feet. But in front of the Pantheon, there are serious-looking staff who prevent tourists from doing so. Of course, those who were persuaded also understood that in the hall symbolizing the French national spirit, they must know how to be in awe.
