Paris: Châteaux, Cimetières & Cuisines...

By day 4 of my trip to Paris, the tiredness had started to set in as I embarked on another full day of sightseeing. From a palatial Château to Paris's own 'Goutte d'Or', such adventurous movements saw me making some serious moves across the city. Of course, I wanted to enjoy a bowl of Pho from a Vietnamese restaurant in Paris's 'Quartier Asiatique'. Yes, a cemetery also! 

Let them eat cake! You already know that no visit to Paris would have been complete without a jaunt over to Paris's own 'Palace of Versailles' because I wanted to sneak a peak! Taking the train on a rather drizzly Parisian morning during my November 2022 trip had to be done, that RER train network saw me leaving the confines of the city for the first time since my arrival at Charles de Gaulle Airport a few days previous. Tourists galore, let me just say leave it there! I was impressed by the frontage of the 'Châteaux de Versailles' even though a mild amount of scaffolding tried to overshadow my initial view, sure I could have lived in a house like that! Paying my fee before my flight left Birmingham, I already had my e-ticket printed, making my entry at the allocated time hassle free. Getting the museum style exhibits bossed on the ground floor needed to be done, yes I saw a portrait of the infamous and most legendary 'Miss Marie Antoinette!' I didn't care about the 'Revolution' because the chandeliers awaited! Formidable!

The 'category' was most definitely 'opulent' because the silk patterned wallpaper suggested those royal few had their Francs in order! Golden designs weren't in short supply also, such furnishings looked dazzlingly rich to say the very least! Rich reds and greens were the order of the day, a definite repetition had been applied to the colour scheme! Thinking about the 'French Revolution', it did feel extremely unfair that the royal house would have lived in luxury whilst the 'people' fought for their liberty! I am sure 'Marie Antoinette' and her famous family were more pressed about their collection of cakes and free flowing champagne? Anyhow, the grandeur of the palace impressed me very much indeed! My ticket didn't include a visit within the gardens but I still saw them from my elevated window during my walks around the wings. The weather took a definite turn for the worst, making it back to the train with a baguette was my plan! Was that 'Pâté?' My baguette did in-fact contain a spreading of that French paste! Not for me, babes! 

I wasn't about to let a few drops of rain figuratively nor physically rain on my parade as the weather took a definite nose dive! I had eyes for Paris's 'Goutte d'Or', also known as Paris's 'Little Africa' I took the train and several metro lines until I arrived at 'Marcdet- Poissonniers' on Line 4. Finding myself in the heart of Paris's African community had me feeling curious, I walked past many restaurants that hailed from countries such as; Senegal, Haiti and also Cameroon. I even walked into a few African food stores to see what kind of things were on sale, it was much more than a walk down the 'World Foods' aisle, much more! I wanted that fourth day in Paris to have some spirit because the following day would see me at Disneyland Paris. I saw an abundance of African owned businesses, from hairdressers and cosmetic stores, culture wasn't in short supply! I definitely felt that I was in a unique part of the city, merely moments away from 'Montmarte' with the 'Sacre-Coeur' standing as a very different focal point. Get it, B! 

I was getting hungry but I had plans to conclude my day with a Vietnamese feast, truth be told if 'Haitian Mama' had been open then a different story would have unfolded. Walking up the same hill where 'Haitian Mama' was located, I moved closer to the 'Chateau Rouge' metro station, my next serving of spice was just being dished up! Was I ready? No, I wasn't! Making my way down 'Rue des Poissonniers', I was greeted by a multitude of African style cosmetic stores, nail salons and wig retailers and without doubt I was loving every second! To finish up my 'Goutte d'Or' experience, I wanted to find 'Rue Poulet' because a certain market street scene awaited me. That vibrant market experience allowed me to witness a meeting of street sellers, whether they had permits or not, they were selling things from fried plantain to cooked whole fish. Let me just say that one lady took issue with me taking such photos, in a flash I found myself at 'Chateau Rouge' on a metro towards my next location! In the end, it was all part of the experience, sure it was! 

By the time I had arrived at the 'Cimetière du Père-Lachaise', I had changed several lines on the metro and was well into my fourth day of exploration around Paris. My visit to that French cemetery was brief, it was almost like a pit-stop that bridged the gap between my time in Paris's 'Goutte d'Or' and finding food in the 'Quartier Asiatique'. To be honest, 'Père-Lachaise' was a wildcard, before flying to Paris I had been looking at making time after the palace count, for it to bring something extra to my day. For sure, it was like the cemetery found me, directional everything fell into place. My first moments spent at that grand place of rest had me remembering my time spent in New Orleans. Just down the way from our French Quarter hotel, there had been a cemetery that shared similar styled tombs. The Parisian cemetery felt more grand but the crossover was appreciated all the same. The weather really didn't know what to do with itself at that point, I was over the rain! Yes, it felt strange that I was in a cemetery! For real!

Little did I know in that moment, 'Père-Lachaise' boasted a host of icons who had all been laid to rest within that cemetery! Oscar Wilde, the literary genius had been laid to rest within that Parisian cemetery. French singing icon, Edith Piaf called ''Père-Lachaise' her eternal home. Sure, by the looks of the fancy tombstones, Ms Piaf didn't regret anything about that posthumous decision! Composer extraordinaire, Frédéric François Chopin called that cemetery his forever resting place, not a bad place to spend the rest of his days with a whole airport named after him in Warsaw, Poland! Now, how did I not care to do such research before my visit? Regardless, I now get why this cemetery stood as the most famous in the city, maybe in the whole of France? Quite easily, I could and would believe that being true. Paris kept things moving, I didn't feel some kind of way whilst I was at the cemetery because it was almost like a museum come art gallery of sorts. Seriously, I needed to eat otherwise I would have needed a plot next to Ms Piaf! 

With a sigh of relief, I rejoiced when I saw the Chinese and Vietnamese signs along 'Avenue de Clichy'. Since being away from China's Mainland, my Mandarin reading skills have suffered somewhat, although when I saw a community centre, that all changed! I was about to make out what the characters meant, that community centre offered Chinese language and music lessons. Also English language classes were being offered, as I studied the Chinese characters, I was able to understand more. There was just something so wholesome about being back within that 'Chinatown' moment in Paris, France. Several restaurants did look appealing but 'Phở Bòm' felt like the one for me, with my hunger pangs in mind, I took my seat! Ordering my usual Phở bowl had to be done, I'm going to try more foods when I make it to Vietnam. To accompany my hearty soup noodle bowl, I chose two summer rolls. Baby, I made the right choices with their warming effects, my stomach thanked me for that meal! Another Chinatown, another Viet meal! OK, FR!

Wrapping together my 2019 Chinatown meal experience, that NYC Viet meal had been revisited during that 2022 Paris moment. Content with my Vietnamese meal, I made my way back towards the metro station. I didn't want a dessert of any kind because I still had my birthday macaroons from the previous day. Choosing the 'Alley' over 'Bubble House', I was able to order a warm bubble tea with tapioca balls in Chinese! The guy behind the counter wasn't fazed by my rusty Mandarin because I had remembered the words to say. I cannot tell you how lovely and soothing that warm milky drink tasted, China would be back in my life eventually! Being on Line 7 felt heaven sent, I didn't have to change to another line, taking me a few minutes from Paris's 'Quartier Asiatique' back to 'Sully-Morland' concluded my lengthy day with the quickness! From 'Châteaux' to 'Cimetières' with 'Cuisines' in mind, my epic day in Paris had been long but amazing! After returning to my hostel, it was an evening of complete relaxation! J'étais fatigué!

Culture et Histoire Sans Forcer!

Desperately Seeking Adventure