No one visits Paris for the first time, as Tim
Freytag notes in his article Déja-Vu: tourist
practices of repeat visitors in the City of Paris. The icons of Paris,
the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and Sacré Coeur, are universal in their appeal and
presence and even first-time visitors arrive with distinct impressions of the City
of Light. As the European capital of city tourism, Paris invites repeat
visitors. There is so much to see in Paris, that it often takes more than one
visit to cover the main sites.
Even novice tourists shy away from the ‘tourist’
label. Think Adam Goldberg’s Jack in the
Julie Delpy movie 2 Days in Paris when he, just arriving in Paris
himself, sends a group of American tourists off in the wrong direction. Repeat
visitors, defined by Freytag as those having visited at least three times, tend
to distance themselves even more from the typical tourist experience. They focus less on ‘checking off’ the major
sites and more on exploring their own personal interests in the city, generally
seeking out a more authentic, local experience. Living like a local may include
heading off the beaten track to explore the newly hip neighborhoods of Eastern
Paris or discovering the city through the lens of personal hobbies, passions,
or a particular shopping mission (a vintage pen and inkwell – stylo
plume et encrier, for example).
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Stylo plume et encrier
cmalojikamoi.centerblog.net
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Here are a few ideas for seeing Paris through a
different lens (pun intended).
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Isabelle Vianu © 2011
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Street Art Tour
- a walking tour of Paris’ finest street art. Learn about the culture, visit a
street art gallery, and meet the artists. Tours are every Thursday and Saturday
at 11AM and last approximately 3 hours. 20€ (15€ online). You can cover more
ground on the Street Art Bike Tour
(20€ plus 12€ bike rental) every Sunday at 10AM. If you want to learn graffiti
techniques, take the Stencil Art
Workshop Thursday and Saturday at 3pm (20€). The Stencil Art Workshop can
also be combined with the Thursday
morning Street Art Tour (40€). Reserve at tours@undergroundparis.org.
Photography
Better Paris Photos founder Sophie Pasquet oversees several
international photographers from Ireland, Russia and the US. Basic Private Day Tour (for 1-2 people)
195€ half-day; 290€ full day; Shared
Tour 145€ and 215€; Night Tour
240€ for 1-2, then 60€ per additional photographer. The web site has a nice presentation
of the different instructors. Pasquet’s company has overwhelmingly positive
reviews on Trip Advisor (132 excellent; 4 very good – Ranked #11 of 305
Activities in Paris.)
Bouldering
If the idea of visiting another Paris museum or
monument has you climbing the walls, go bouldering, escalade de blocs, at Blocbuster in the western suburb of Courbevoie,
a five minute walk from Métro/RER La Défense) or Blockout in the northern suburb of Saint-Ouen
(metro line 13). These climbing gyms also organize outings to Fontainebleau,
renowned in Europe for its climbable rocks.
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| www.blocbuster.fr |
Yoga
American-style yoga is everywhere in Paris. Yogateau seems to be the main resource for
yoga classes and workshops in Paris. Here you’ll find a listing of studios and
information on types of yoga and classes taught in English, French or both. The
studios that get a lot of press are Rasa,
Beyoga and Guerilla
Yogi (Mark Holzman) at the American Church. Classes cost around 20€ per
session. Affordable
Yoga lunchtime classes are only 5€ per session.
Movie Walks
Download maps with explanations in French and
English from Paris
Film Trails and follow in the footsteps of stars from your favorite Paris-based
movies, from Ratatouille, The Devil Wears Prada and Midnight in Paris.
Participatory
Tourism
There are several organizations that facilitate
meetings between visitors and Parisians. Ça
se visite offers urban walks in Paris and the Club
International des Jeunes à Paris brings together French and international
students. If you are tempted by an
evening of conversation, food and wine around the table with locals, check out Beyond Croissant, a dinner-with-the-locals
organization founded by Sarah-Lou Gervais and Aurélie Daniel to gather “travelers,
expats and locals in their homes to share (more than just) a meal”.
Post Scriptum
Julie Delpy’s mother, Marie Pillet, who plays
herself in 2 Days In Paris was one of the original 343
Salopes in 1971. In this hilarious exerpt from the movie, she explains to Jack that she was one of women in France who signed the charter of the 343 Salopes (bitch, slut, take your pick) who, risking prison, openly announced that they had had illegal abortions.
Addendum: 22 July 2013: For runners, here's another way to see Paris. See Vivian Song's New York Times article Paris at the speed of sneakers.
