Paris Travelogue] (2) First walk in Paris. From the Place de la Concorde to the Seine River. Flinch at the casual stylishness of Parisians.
It was a long 15.5 hours from Haneda to Paris. I arrived at my lodgings in Paris around 19:00 local time, or midnight in Japan. I went to bed immediately and fell asleep in no time.
The next morning, I would wake up around 3:00 am, but with the time difference, it was no use. I decided to get up straight away and go for a walk to meet the sunrise time around 7:00 am.
Yesterday I went directly from the airport to the hotel, so this is my first time walking the streets of Paris.
It is still dimly lit, but you can walk this far without any problem.
I start walking, worried about whether it is safe for an Asian to be walking alone at this time of the day due to the Corona disaster.
I was robbed when I visited Bosnia in 2019. Fortunately I managed to escape but I don't want to go through that again. (I am not sure if I will be able to get away with it again.Takahiro Ueda, Robbery in Sarajevo, Bosnia (9)(See also.)
Oh... Paris..!
I walked the route from the area around the Madeleine to the Place de la Concorde and the Seine River.
It was early in the morning, so people were sparse, but I did not sense any danger at the moment. However, we cannot let our guard down yet.
The Place de la Concorde comes into view.
The Place de la Concorde is located in what can best be described as the heart of Paris, and from here a large road runs straight ahead in each direction.
One of them is the famous Avenue des Champs-Elysées, from which you can see the Arc de Triomphe. I couldn't help but let out a "Oh! I couldn't help but let out a voice.
This Place de la Concorde was once used as a public execution site. Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were guillotined here.
The history of such a large square, with crowds rushing to it, and executions being carried out as a spectacle, was present.
Victor Hugo, of "Les Miserables" fame, was a strong critic of the death penalty,The Last Day on Death Row.Tolstoy was also shocked to see the guillotine execution. Although it is not known whether Tolstoy's execution took place in this square, it is certain that the square was quite large, with between 12,000 and 5,000 people gathered there.
I was thinking of Hugo and Tolstoy as I walked along the Place de la Concorde. I wondered if any tourists would suddenly think about the guillotine execution on their first walk in Paris.
Walking further straight south from Place de la Concorde, you will hit the Seine River.
"Oh... so this is the famous Seine..."
Looking at the river from the middle of the bridge, I saw the tower of Notre Dame Cathedral. Paris is famous for the Seine River and Notre Dame Cathedral. I never thought I would be able to see both at the same time.
Walking along the Seine River, you realize that you are in "that Paris.
And as I checked into my hotel last night I thought to myself.
Oh, so this is Parisian."
He wears a clean, crisp, good-looking shirt with ease. He is not wearing a formal uniform, just plain clothes. His casual smile as he says "bonsoir" while wearing gold-rimmed round glasses and shaking his softly curled blond hair.
I was instantly stymied.
Why am I dressed like this? Why can't I speak well? Why can't I be imposing?
I was so sneaky that I instantly started gushing.
And I thought to myself, "Oh... I want to wear a nice shirt myself. This surprised even myself.
I have always thought that when I go abroad (and I usually do, but I won't mention that), I should be thoroughly practical and dress as if I don't have much money so as not to be targeted by pickpockets and robbers. And this time, I was dressed accordingly. And I didn't feel guilty about it.
But what do you think? When I arrived in Paris, I suddenly thought to myself, "Oh... I want to wear a nice shirt! What a surprise! This is Paris! Is there some magical force in Paris that makes me do this? Is there an atmosphere here that makes you want to be a "good-looking" person?
In just this short time I have been completely influenced by Paris. That is what frustrates me.
But I am a Dostoevskian and a Tolstoyan (or so I think of myself).
Yes, the two were never Turgenev-like.
More directly, they weren't the "two fancy types" ...
I personally believe that this may have no small significance in their thought and literature.
The contrast with Turgenev, a fashionable man who is popular, is very interesting.
A stylish man with a witty sense of humor. In contrast, there are two unattractive men who are too serious and rugged...
This sadness of a bad-looking man is particularly apparent in Dostoevsky's early worksThe alter ego."It is.
Among Dostoevsky's works, this one in particular is my favorite. I think it is a masterpiece that depicts the contrast between the sadness of a man who is not good-looking and the man who manages to get along in the world. I would be happy if you could pick up a copy.
I digress, but I was influenced by this as soon as I arrived in Paris. I was completely influenced by the casual stylishness and smiles of the Parisians at the front desk.
Like Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, he was supposed to be ready for the "Paris, prepare yourselves," but he was suddenly foiled.
I will be in Paris for the next week. What will I think of this city?
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