Feb 21st, 2017, 03:25 PM

Paris Through the Eyes of a Mainstream Tourist

By Anastasiia Yarova
Image Credit: Pixabay/ Rputs
Dressed from head-to-toe in Louis Vuitton.

People adore Paris. Most of them love it for its Haussmannian buildings, small secret streets, breathtaking flower shops, and atmosphere of a constant holiday that is always with you, as Hemingway wrote. People love this city the way it is; even its flaws do not make them love it any less.

On the other hand, many people fall in love with Paris because they do not want to stand out from the crowd of Paris lovers. It’s just “not cool” to not love it. So, they fall in love with the city without any hesitation or doubt. And she was one of them.

Image Credit: Pixabay/ Cocoparisienne

She was a typical middle-aged prima donna from Eastern Europe. Luckily enough to have met her own millionaire Prince Charming, she traveled wherever and whenever she wanted. By the age of 47, she had been to every continent and most of the world’s capitals, but Paris was still her favorite city.

“I think it’s my 100th time in the City of Lights. It feels like a second home to me,” she wrote as the caption of yet another Instagram of Paris.

She only stayed in five-star hotels around the prominent Opéra Garnier district. This is where she could publish the most likeable pictures with the most known location tags on social media; she knew how jealous her friends back home would be.

Image Credit: Pixabay/ Skeeze

Welcomed as a regular in the most popular restaurants, such as “Cafe de Flore” and “La Coupole”, she felt like a true Parisian. Her social media profiles assured not only her followers but also herself that she belonged there.

She made sure that the closest restaurant to her hotel was always Le Grand Cafe Capucines on the Boulevard des Capucines. This is where she proudly enjoyed a 25 Euro breakfast, while dressed from head-to-toe in Louis Vuitton.

Every step further from Boulevard de Haussmann could have given her the chance to see the true diversity of Paris. But breaking out of her upscale comfort zone was too daunting. Would it ruin her Parisian fantasy she had adored for so long? She would never know. 

Image Credit: Pixabay/ Mamoru Masumoto

Her favorite thing to do in Paris was to have a picnic with champagne, bread, and cheese on the Champs de Mars. What kind of tourist would she be if she didn't spend the majority of her time next to the Eiffel Tower? And thank God her Chanel bag could fit one small bottle of Moet.