A Couple Days Reflection

Over the past few days, as my cold tore my throat apart and left my ribs feeling bruised, I have really been only able to lay in bed doing busy work as I wait for my muscles to stop feeling as if they’re made of concrete. I decided that this forced relaxation time was perfect for some reflection on the past 3 weeks in between the unexpected naps. To say I was under prepared for the experiences we’ve had on this trip would be an understatement. It’s my first time out of the States, I truly had no clue what to expect, and putting the breathtaking astonishment of just existing in a city that has a history that dates back to the pre-Romans is next to impossible. So I guess I wanted to reflect and talk about some highlights and lowlights (if you could really call them that) of the past there weeks here in Paris.

Highlights:

Besides pretty much everything and just the privilege of being here in Paris, here are some of my favorite experiences in no particular order, because I’m bad at decision making.

1. Jardins du Luxembourg.

I’m a complete sucker for open public spaces with lots and lots of natural elements intertwined with human features. These gardens are absolutely gorgeous, and I could spend hours wondering around the beautiful grassy areas, admiring the sculptures and art installations. This is the exact area I would go to in order to study or do assignments, or just have a lazy day picnic with some friends. It feels as though, no matter how long one spends there, something new and exciting will always pop up to be found. I would like to request a replica on a smaller scale be placed by campus before the fall semester, please.

2. Marias

An area mostly untouched by Haussmann? With an incredible history of one of the minority populations of the city? And has some interesting ecological facts that explain the city planning reasoning along with why it was a prominently Jewish neighborhood? Golly gosh what a sight to behold and learn about. Saying that I was in awe would be the understatement of the year. Traveling through the winding medical streets, finding something new and beautiful around every corner. I would willingly wonder and get lost there any day of the week just because I could. Also, that falafel was delicious.

3. Strasbourg

The embodiment of a city that I’ve dreamt about living in my entire life. The most adorable and gorgeous architecture from the stunning gothic church to the exposed half-timber framed houses painted bright yellow. With a pedestrian/bicyclist focused street layout, to the working monorail systems, and adorable shops lining every corner. The influences of Germany and France over this European capital city can been seen everywhere you look. A new goal is living there one day, even if it’s just for a month or two.

Lowlights:

Now, this isn’t to say these areas are by any means undesireable. They just weren’t my cup of tea for the day or overwhelmed me to the point of having to put effort into enjoying the experience.

1. Versailles

I think everyone in the class agreed that Versailles was A LOT to take in and process. The immense volume of bodies packed into a small space was very overwhelming to me. There was no room to just exist, you were constantly being jostled around or pushed out of the way of an impatient patron. While the decorative arts were beautiful to gawk at, during the tour I was in complete agreement with the revolutionaries. I mean, they had hundreds of fruit trees in their Orangery yet citizens were starving in the streets. The gardens were lovely once we were able to get away from the large masses of people, even if there were groups ignoring the “keep off grass” signs I would have liked to fight.

2. Musée d’Art Moderne

Claire and I decided to visit the Museum of Modern Art after the wallet debacle was resolved. It was only after we had entered we realized almost all the exhibitions were closed to the public and only their permanent pieces were being shown. This included only about 4 rooms of art, and a room which included a single VR headset. It was a good time with the exhibits we were able to see, but underwhelming when it came to what we had hoped for.

3. Fontainebleu

I didn’t get a chance to see it due to my cold slowly killing me, and thus it was the most underwhelming experience of all. But Claire got me Werther’s knockoffs to help with my throat, which definitely counts for something.

Yet, putting everything aside, I could never properly put into words how much this trip has effected and inspired me. As we all know, preservation in the US can be a double edge sword. It comes with sometimes large costs, can be seen as unamerican in the worst cases, and we see so many losses it can be disheartening. Not to say Paris hasn’t seen any losses, yet being able to learn from how well they’re able to handle their own preservation struggles makes me hopeful that one day the US will manage to make adaptive reuse a priority, learn ways to respect and honor the history of its structures while also allowing evolution of the space to happen, and maybe even manage to clean up the mess that is the National Registration process one day. No matter what, it has been an extreme privilege to be here and experience the city.