Submitted by Soraya Force on the 2017 winter session program in Paris, France sponsored by the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies…
Paris is a beautiful city with brilliantly detailed architecture that we don’t see very often. Paris is especially known for their art and culture. It was shocking to me that no matter where you walk in the city, you will feel as if every building is a piece of art and history. We took a double-decker bus tour throughout the city showing us around the different arrondissements (neighborhoods) in Paris, which was insanely difficult considering how tiny the streets are in Paris.
We drove by many monuments on the bus as well as hop off every once in awhile. We saw the pantheon, the opera house, the Arc de Triomphe, Musee d’Orsay, and we went to see Saint – Sulpice and the Eiffel Tower. We also saw the Luxembourg Gardens and two of the Statue of Liberties in Paris. Below is a picture of me at the Arc de Triomphe. You can’t tell in the picture because surprisingly there’s only one car behind me, but normally there are 12 lanes circling around the Arc and there are no traffic lines, stop signs or traffic lights to direct the cars, so basically it’s a free for all. I’m surprised that it somehow works and that none of the cars were beeping. I don’t think that would ever work in America.
I’ve learned driving in Paris is crazy compared to driving in the United States. First, the streets in Paris are so small and they have different traffic patterns and stops. There are many circles/roundabouts and it seems they are not as strict with parking here as they are back in the States. It’s really amazing to see how patient the Parisian drivers are.