Paris through my lens
The weather turned cold and leaves fell on the cobbled streets of Paris. This however, only added to the remarkable charm it showed me on my short trip to the city across the channel.
After a few weeks returning home from New York I already wanted to go away again. I think overtime I’ve got used to being on the move so much that when I’m stagnant I get the urge to travel. Next stop Paris, a city I associate with school trips, coach journeys and fleeting visits.
This time I headed on the Eurostar to Paris, something I was far appreciative of than the long coach journeys with school I’d endured before. I was going to be in the city with Brit for three days, which is enough time in my books to gain an understanding of a place.
We take for granted how close Paris is to us. A quick two-hour train journey from London and you’re able to experience a completely different culture. One takeaway from this trip is that I definitely need to get some more French under my belt. Saying "bonjour" and then preceding to speak in English doesn't quite cut it. But ignoring what I lacked in language, I enjoyed my surroundings and the small details you pick up on the more time you spend in a city. The calming side streets and the pleasing use of unexpected colour on sidewalls, the intricate and grand doors dotted around Paris that are passed off as the norm and the mass number of old French windows. Oh and let’s not forget the café culture.
Though 72 hours is a good amount of time, you still need to plan accordingly. I’ve started to learn what I like as a person. I feel like I enjoy structure in my life, whether it’s in my work or while I’m away.
I like to know where I’ll be heading for breakfast and where I’ll be going after. I’ve tried the ‘wander aimlessly’ approach and it’s usually not for me. I like to wander, but know that it’s bookended between a start point and finish. Some of those finish points were: Fragments Cafe, Telescope and Frenchie to go.
Where does the planning stop? Travel has a dichotomy of wanting to be care free, but having a tick list of things you want to see. Tick lists make my brain think ‘work’, which makes me feel that I’m going through the motions rather than appreciating something.
Paris was kept kind of loose and therefore this blog post is also loose. I liked some of the photos I was able to take, but I also appreciate the need for a narrative. Seeing photos transition nicely from one to the next and flow well. On return I was left with photos without that strong linear. Should I have structured the trip more? But with structure and overthinking it goes from being a fun trip to work. And that’s where I find myself.
I want to be able to go on a trip, enjoy it for what is and for the narrative to almost write itself. On this occasion we were there for Brittany, shooting a project for TOMS. Perhaps having a narrative is something that I should learn to loosen the leash on in certain scenarios. Not everything has to be an editorial or super curated and that’s what I’m learning (slowly). The story is the trip and that’s a strong enough base to press publish.jbicon