The travelogue's epilogue *and* travel tips for France
A France unplanned: The final part
This post was written in September 2023. I’ve edited it down and included some travel advice. Thank you for following along!
Feet have memories of their own.
Standing outside the Musée d'Orsay station, I remembered the last time I was charging up the steps, heading to the entrance. That was a lifetime ago, the last family trip taken together as one unit. Shortly after that, everything fell apart - for the better, in retrospect.
Inside, I moved on autopilot, recall: Tickets, fifth floor, then work downwards. I squeezed past the crowds huddled around the infamous works, who looked at the artwork through the lens of their phones. My nose was blissfully inches away from the paintings of celebrated artists until I started to feel the shapes and colours of Provence leaping out of the frames to land into my hands, waft up my nose, and whoosh in my ears. Until that moment, I hadn't entirely pieced together that I'd spent time touching the descendants of the straw, grass, and flowers immortalized on these canvases. I sat by the fountains and ambled by the buttery yellow buildings, feeling the living stillness of mousey alleyways and sprawling fields that connected larger cities to hidden villages.
I pulled up my phone and glanced at the photos I had taken over the last two weeks. The grid in my palm reflected back the hues and tints that hung in this gallery as though I'd purposefully chased after the bright Prussian blues, cadmium yellows, and manganese violets across Southern France.
The trip may not have been planned, with destinations selected haphazardly, but there was something to how it all unfolded. Sitting on one of the steps at the d'Orsay, looking at the stream of statues floating before me, I thought, "What was all of this about?"
The first stretch in France sweated out my knots and anxieties with the heat, then plunged me into cold waters, delivering the first shocking awakening. The second part saw me inadvertently following in the footsteps of art giants, hearing and reading their own words describing their work, purpose, sense of belonging, and failure. And as much as I'd pushed it away from my mind, there was a near-drowning in the stupidest way, thankfully only a reminder of the randomness of life and the fleetingness of it all. The final leg, a visit with a childhood friend, surfaced the memories of an entity I no longer recognized, the (much) younger, livelier me.
France was the call to disconnect from the doggedness of leading with my mind, worshipping at the alters of logic, analytics, sequence, and process. It extended a plea my way and asked that I employ the other two neglected aspects of my humanity: heart and spirit. Walking through the hall of statues, I passed by Delaplanche's Eve Before the Fall and thought, "Same girl, same."
I dawdled past Notre Dame for the last time on that trip. I crossed the bridge to catch the last light from the window of the second floor of Shakespeare and Co., where a typewriter rested atop a desk with a clear view of the Seine.
Travel advice
General info
Grocery stores close 15 minutes ahead of stated closure times. If it says 8, it means 7:45, as employees will be out by 8:01 p.m., no later.
Buy museum tickets in advance. Some venues have limited visiting hours that must be pre-booked beforehand. You can also save money by getting passes for specific Museum networks.
Take advantage of France’s mobile networks. You can acquire a French SIM card from any convenience store or tobacconist. For €20, I had unlimited Internet and calling minutes for a month. It’s useful if you're driving and need to consult maps and blast Spotify.
Travelling with a backpack is easier if you're making multiple stops or moving between areas on foot or through public transport frequently. Larger wheelie bags get stuck on cobblestones and can be a nuisance to drag up endless and uneven Parisian steps.
Trains
The French strike. Regularly. Check for strikes ahead of making plans for train travel. I had a near miss because of this.
Book the TGV ahead of time. The prices can jump by €40 overnight. Additionally, finding a seat in hot seasons can be difficult if it's left to the last minute; you may have to take the slower trains or the frightfully slow and bumpy overnight buses. If you can splurge on first class, do it.
If you're travelling light, the upper decks are excellent. If you have heavier luggage or require assistance, book the lower-level seats. From what I've observed, there are no handlers.
Flying
Charles de Gaulle Airport is a mess. It is a central European hub, the interior of which suggests order but delivers chaos. You cannot have a connection gap of less than two hours in that airport.
Air France’s standards have dropped, or rather, fallen completely. I’m sorry to say this, but if your national carrier is decent, choose that instead. I was appalled by both the conditions of the planes and the abrupt cancellation of flights/unconfirmed rebookings.
Paris
The "rude Parisian" stereotype does not hold; people have good and bad days, like anywhere. I found Parisians just as welcoming and helpful as Toulousians or Aixois. And, if you attempt even a little French, they will roll out the red carpet for you.
Parisian fashion varies, unlike that dreadful show Emily in (pretend) Paris. Wear supportive shoes and comfortable clothes. You're not walking down the runway; you're navigating wet sidewalks in a city with questionable dog-poop practices. On particularly hot days, you'll be praying to the gods to spare your gapless thighs.
Don't place subway tickets or travel passes in your phone case or beside your phone. They get demagnetized and become useless. You would need to visit special counters to get that sorted.
Eating
Tips are at your discretion.
Call the restaurant beforehand to see if they're actually open, as a few tend to take their summer holidays during the peak seasons (July-September).
You need reservations in many restaurants. The French dine out, whether in their small village or one of the larger cities.
Cars and driving
If you're going to drive, make sure you know the rules of the roundabouts. In a 10-kilometer stretch, I counted thirteen roundabouts between Millau and Nîmes.
Book the rental well ahead, especially if you need a larger size or automatic transmission.
Get the car insurance. A few odd clauses nullify some of the coverage offered through select credit cards. Look into that and make sure you're adequately covered.
Watch for the sudden speed drops on the highways (from 130 km/hr to 90 km/hr). There are speed cameras all along (The French Ministry of Transportation sends a lovely letter, printed on fine paper in their national colours when they send your speeding ticket).
I love this line, “On particularly hot days, you'll be praying to the gods to spare your gapless thighs.” 😊