Like so many, Paris has been on my mind. Sadly, for all the wrong reasons. And, it’s not just Paris. The day before the Paris attacks, 43 were killed and 239 wounded in Beirut, all due to suicide bombers. Let’s not forget the loss of life on the downed Russian airliner in Egypt, the refugees fleeing Syria and sadly, the continual loss of life here in the United States due to gun violence.
I think the world is becoming desensitized to violence and what a statement that is about society at large, not to mention what makes (or doesn’t make) the headlines in the mass media. In the upcoming days the world will simply move on with life, an even sadder statement, waiting to be horrified by the next tragic event. And we all know it will happen.
Written on the wall inside the Shakespeare & Company bookstore – Paris
We’ve never been to Beirut and I can’t even begin to imagine the horror, but we have been to Paris. As I think about the city, the people, the food and the history, I get lost in memories of our time spent in this incredible city. In 2013 we spent three amazing weeks in Paris, doing our best to live the culture. And just this past April, we spent two nights in Paris as we made our way to Spain.
The glass pyramid at the Louvre – Paris
I decided long ago that I could easily live in France, the south of France in particular. Okay, Aix en Provence to be exact. I could so live there and catch the train to Paris and other parts of France just because I could.
Fontaine de la Rotonde, Aix en Provence
When I read that Julia Child’s house – La Pitchoune – in the south of France is for sale I wanted to run right down to 7-11 and buy a lottery ticket, win a million dollars and hop the next flight to France to buy her house. Seriously, I would. In a heart beat. I mean come on, live in Julia’s house?!
And so, yes, Paris has been on my mind. There’s something magical about Paris and I suspect that’s what’s stirring the world-wide outcry against this latest attack of violence. Not because people don’t care about the Syrian refugees or the attacks in Beirut, but because Paris is …. well, Paris.
The Thinker – Musee Rodin, Paris
To make a difference:
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Paris has been my inspiration for my last two books. I love staying there and would go back anytime. I think Paris is a state of mind. It is also a city full of people, some lovely, some not so wonderful. These attacks are because the French people have stood up to the evil of isis (Notice I do not capitalize their name)
Skip the Metro and ride the buses instead. The people are friendly, and the views are much better.
Patti. Want to go in together on Julia’s house?
I can just see the 6 of us basking in the sun on Julia’s patio. If only, if only…
Hi Patti, I thought you might have written a post since Friday so I stopped by to check. I had thought of you two having been there and how a event like that back home here can hit even harder. The recent world events in Paris and elsewhere have been extremely upsetting and scarily worrying. Hugs to you both! 🙂
Thank you for thinking of us, Mike, greatly appreciated. It’s a tough time for so many people and places, it weighs heavily on the heart, doesn’t it?
I adore Paris and have been there many times and hope to visit again with my sister in 2016, a trip we have been planning for some time. Like most people I watched in horror the Paris shootings, I dread watching the news every day. The poor people of Syria and what they are going through and also all the other countries that are at war. I don’t know what is the solution but I hope that European and world leaders will start communicating with each other and work together to come up with some good ideas of what to do next.
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If only, Gilda, if only.
Love your posts. For now, just wanted to comment on the charities advertised here on your page. Are you aware that they are some of the worst for paying their execs too much, spending a large amount on overhead, and very little percentage of donations actually go to the cause? Lots of info & lists on the web about the charities that give the largest percentage of donations to the actual needy.
Bon voyage.
I’ve actually done quite a bit of research on UNICEF and feel comfortable suggesting the organization. Primarily, the list of charitable donation links is not to advertise, but rather to promote a thought process. I find most people have a designated charity of choice.
You know what? People can be real assholes. I usually find that people on who get on their high horse are usually the people who would never contribute anyway. Patti is listing a bunch of organizations that help people in need around the globe, something most people, or organizations, don’t bother doing. If this were my website I’d tell you where to shove your negative, condescending attitude….
Sorry Pattti, I read this post and was going to have a comment on Paris but made the mistake of reading other comments and forgot what I wanted to say. Maybe it’ll come back to me 🙂
Frank (bbqboy)
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No worries, Frank. It’s what makes the world go around, right? 😉
I appreciate this post Patti. I was in Paris too. A year ago, exactly, to the day! And I had a very bad impression already from this city. I spend there again three nights when I was getting back from my RTW journey in late February 2015 and the impression was even worse. Paris has never been my favourite city but the disorganization, chaos and dirt went out of proportion. I remember Paris twenty years ago and this was a nice city. Safe, beautiful, interesting. Not anymore. I was shocked to hear about the events in Paris and I am terribly sorry for all who lost their lives and their families. This was a tragedy. And I am scared. And you know what I am scared of most? That I can’t see any chance that the politicians in Europe are able to do a thing so such a tragedy will not repeat. This is so very sad!
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Thanks, Agata. I do understand your perspective of Paris as there are definitely areas that are less than pretty shall we say. What we found is that the longer we stayed the more we felt comfortable in the city. We rented an apartment and with 3 weeks to call our own we were able to explore widely and avoid some of those less than pretty areas.
As long as you stay off the disgusting, stinky, filthy Metro &Metro stations, sadly, it may be possible to find nicer areas.
Going from London’s Tube to Paris’ Metro & back to London, in 2013, it was quite the eye opener. I hope the Tube stays nice!
I don’t think we good people are desensitized to the violence, it is the perpetrators! There was a time when men didn’t harm women & children, either.
It’s all about the individual perspective, isn’t it? We didn’t find the Paris metro stations to be any worse than others we’ve come across in our travels. Certainly, there are some that are cleaner/nicer, but we’ve also experienced far worse. Paris – like most large cities – has its good points and its not so good points. I know people who can’t get to Paris often enough and I know people who will never make a return trip to Paris. Personally, I wouldn’t miss an opportunity to return.