Paris is the cultural hub of Europe. When thinking about Europe, one of, if not the first thing you think about, is the city of Paris. As a student, being someone who loves not only history, but French, the trip was influential. Not only because of the fact that I was in a country I had wanted to go to since I was a kid, but because the people I experienced its history and culture with made the trip that much better. Its architecture makes the city that much more appealing to the people who live there and the tourists simply seeing Paris. The city is a walking juxtaposition; immense beauty that has an underlying, bloody history.

Considering I was in a group for a school trip, my ability to experience every part of the city was limited, but I went off on my own often which my group didn’t take to kindly to. I did this in order to get the experiences I would have gotten otherwise. Like looking at a large group of American tourists with disdain because I felt like I was a true Parisian. Or hearing drunk skaters run down yelling things I couldn’t understand, in what I believed to believe to be German or Dutch, on a street at nine in the evening. Even the group I was with were surprised by the them. When I asked if it was German or Dutch the group leader for Michigan replied with the witty, “That’s drunken.” I wasn’t amused.

France’s placement as the epicentre for the invasions that would help to end the Second World War, as well as their occupation by the tyrannical Nazis are present everywhere. One such building commented on the brutality and barbarity of the Nazi invaders. It discussed the murders of the children that lived in that building after they had been sent to Concentration Camps. Saying that they will never be forgotten. Or the L’École Militaire that has the remnants of the war with holes of American fire on the front of the building that faces the Eiffel Tower. L’École Militaire was a headquarters for the Nazis within Paris.

The city of Paris, itself, is a living museum. As you travel throughout Paris, you will see the rich history that has shaped the very nature of the city; with the conquering Roman Army, and power hungry Hitler. It is evident the effects they have had on the city. In the Latin Quarter, whenever there is construction, the workers find artifacts from the Roman Empire.

France is constantly changing. This is clearly evident while in Giverny, the town that Claude Monet had lived in, I ran into French Sentinels. An extreme juxtaposition to the town; heavily armed personnel of the French military in a city devoted to the preservation of one of the legacy to one of the finest artists in history. It was rather startling upon first seeing them. As expected, they are far more common in Paris, having seen them patrolling at least a half a dozen times.

Additionally, there were protests in Paris and throughout France. Our group had to avoid these and we even left the city. This was due to them becoming rather violent, and their original message over the corruption in the French government was now being clouded by this violence.Their numbers are dwindling. They have gone from 280,000 protestors in December of 2018 to 31,000 in the middle of March of 2019. On the particular day we had to leave the city, there were roughly 5,000 protestors marching through the streets of Paris. When in the city, avoid any of the areas that they will be in, or even leave the city for the day.  Leaving to go to Versailles, there were dozens of police armed with rifles, in full body armor, and two APCs were centred on L’Arc de Triomphe. Sirens blared as even more police went to prepare for that day’s protest. They were present all the way to Versailles.

The architecture of Paris is one of the first things you’ll notice about the city. As the Parisians do love their symmetry. Many of the streets are identical, with one on either side, with very few exceptions. The city’s architecture was developed by Napoleon and Haussmann during the latter half of the 19th century. Its gray-topped buildings with age-yellowed stones. These buildings, Haussmann’s buildings, as they’re referred to, were made with uniformity in mind. It is one of the highlights of the city. The buildings showcase the same external layouts with five stories, the French windows, and the black balcony railings that cover every building. Even walking through an alley, the symmetry is evident throughout. 

One cannot simply dismiss the marveling achievement of French engineering: The Eiffel Tower. A truly special union of iron and steel. The last day we were in France we went to the top. This was something I was dreading as I can’t even be on the stands during a football game without feeling like they’re, or I am, going to fall. And with a 130 year old structure, this fear was exacerbated. However, because of the fact that I was on a school trip, I had people I could rely on to make me comfortable, and I found those people in a group from Michigan. I had been wanting to talk with this particular group for quite a while as they seemed to be the most sociable and least stuck up of the other the 2 groups from different states. I finally did that last night in France on our voyage to the top of Paris. Their ability to reassure me and understand that any movement of the Eiffel Tower terrified me. It was surprising. I have to thank one person in particular from that group as it seemed that not only had we known each other for years, but how they took me as one of their own helped me calm down. Eventually, I came to love the idea of standing at the top as I had a complete feeling of elation with this group. Yet this was the final day, and I was aware of the short time I had with these fine people, was going to have to be cherished.  I tried my hardest to stay with them as long as I possibly could until my group leader became, understandably, upset.

France is one of the best countries in the world. With its history, culture, and people it truly deserves that distinction. However, the country that I got to know was a city that was still battling the end of the Second World War, terrorism, and turmoil from within, by its own people. Yet this didn’t taint my love and appreciation for the country and the city of Paris. It only made me love it more as it showed me how strong a country’s people can be when unified under an uniform cause. And I like to think that the uniformity that was present in the capital city of France is a symbol for the country as a whole. It is what underlies its history, culture, and the people. Go there.