Two very interesting articles, in my opinion, about life in London and Paris as seen through the eyes of two New York Times correspondents:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/10/20/travel/lessons-from-living-in-london.html?ref=travel&_r=0
http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/10/20/travel/reflections-on-a-paris-left-behind.html?ref=travel
Good reads Barnaby - many thanks.
ReplyDeleteThe article about London I largely agree with though taking the underground to Richmond or Putney is dead easy despite the comment to the contrary in one of the articles.
Incidentally I think the "Tube" only refers to the lines with bored tunnels.The District line much of which anyway is a surface route is not properly called part of the "Tube" but simply part of the "Underground". These days the London Underground also runs the new lines many but not all of which go around Outer London, which are quite logically of course collectively called the"Overground". Now I hope all that is clear!
As for Paris: I love the Seine and some of the walks and its underground seemed great to use but last time the HCPT went to the Gare du Nord for our train to Lourdes (2012) the sight of so many young guards in the station with guns was very off putting as were the attempts then (hopefully things have changed) by the station porters to corale away all the self help luggage trolleys so as to encourage people to pay them to carry luggage instead.
I love France but not especially Paris.
Re-reading the above Barnaby I hope I have not offended anyone especially your wife.
ReplyDeleteMy wife is from Dublin but she is I think, almost, used to my my saying how much I prefer Cork to Dublin as the latter to me has too much of a drinking culture!
Hello, Jerry. Absolutely no offence taken, quite the contrary! I agree with much that the NYT journalist wrote about Paris and I am sometimes surprised that people whose first glimpse of Paris is on the RER leading from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the centre, don't turn round and head straight back!
ReplyDeleteI have Irish ancestors on both sides of my family but curiously enough have never been to Ireland. The nearest I've got to it are the novels of Maeve Binchy which I'm not ashamed to say I absolutely adore.
Me too, re the novels of Maeve Binchy. If ever there was a loss ....
ReplyDeleteMy fairly brief snapshot of Paris doesn't leave me in much of a position to comment on the article on that city. However, I was impressed by the one on London - with the caveat that a "foreigner" who had only ever lived in Kensington and Islington can hardly be said to totally "know" the city. However, it does seem that the writer and her family explored around a great deal so probably saw more than most. It is so true, though, that London is composed of a series of villages, each more or less complete in themself. Also, that the residents by and large know little of what the tourists queue up to see. Which leads me to suppose the same is probably true of Paris.
I sometimes think there's not much to choose between London and Paris. They're both full of French people!
Delete