So yesterday I headed into Paris for a happy hour and as I got on the metro I noticed two millenials joking around about something. "I have to see this" one of them said "Paris is burning".
A rather strange thing to say but I didn't think much of it as I assumed they were referring to some cool young person's thing like a concert or perhaps some French version of burning man.
Then when I switched to line 10 I noticed the next metro would arrive in seven minutes which usually signals a problem as parisien metros usually come ever two or three minutes. Soon after I heard the annoucement "The stop Cluny - La Sorbonne is closed as requested by the Paris fireman". It didn't concern me too much becaues Cluny - La Sorbonne was two metro stops after mine so I continued on my way.
I finally got on the metro it was packed so I could see the smart phone of the guy beside me. It drew my attention because on it was an image of a building on fire. A building that looked like the Notre Dame. But of course it couldn't have been.
When I finally got to the happy hour I apologized for being late and casually mentioned how apparently there was a building on fire somewhere in Paris. They all looked at me. Yes they said, the Notre Dame. Oh that's what I thought I replied but then again it couldn't have been...
We all decided it was rather pointless to sit around having drinks so we decided to go and see. So together, the five of us made our way through the Latin quarter as parisiens, expats, and tourists sat in bar terraces on this warm Monday night for drinks. During the walk we reminisced about our Notre Dame experiences. In some way or another Notre Dame as been part of our Paris landscape, physically and experience-wise, this landmark created over 850 years ago on what is considered the oldest part of Paris, an island from which all distances in Paris are measured, it's very heart.
Paris is burning.
As we got to St. Michel we could start to see the smoke. And the people. Parisiens, expats, and tourists all gathered together by some invisible force compelling us to see. To bear witness.
As we made our way closer we saw saw Notre Dame's iconic towers still intact abeit with smoke still rising out from behind them. Although not visible, the presence of flames were insinuated by a steady stream of water directed at the roof. What struck me was the how little the stream of water appeared next to the giant structure and how futile its task seemed.
After a while part of the group wanted to get closer but I chose to leave with a woman whom before that night was a stranger to me and with whom I would share this exceptional experience with. I left the group feeling a bit lost, not knowing where I was and ok with just wandering until I could jump on the nearest metro. We ended up crossing Pont Neuf to the left bank. On the way we chatted about our lives in Paris as expats. Our kids. Our work. What struck me was how normal everything seemed but yet, not.
When I finally got on the metro as usual I saw everyone looking at their smartphones. Before I often wondered what people were looking at, what they found so mesmerizing. But on this particular night I knew.
Paris is burning.
A rather strange thing to say but I didn't think much of it as I assumed they were referring to some cool young person's thing like a concert or perhaps some French version of burning man.
Then when I switched to line 10 I noticed the next metro would arrive in seven minutes which usually signals a problem as parisien metros usually come ever two or three minutes. Soon after I heard the annoucement "The stop Cluny - La Sorbonne is closed as requested by the Paris fireman". It didn't concern me too much becaues Cluny - La Sorbonne was two metro stops after mine so I continued on my way.
I finally got on the metro it was packed so I could see the smart phone of the guy beside me. It drew my attention because on it was an image of a building on fire. A building that looked like the Notre Dame. But of course it couldn't have been.
When I finally got to the happy hour I apologized for being late and casually mentioned how apparently there was a building on fire somewhere in Paris. They all looked at me. Yes they said, the Notre Dame. Oh that's what I thought I replied but then again it couldn't have been...
We all decided it was rather pointless to sit around having drinks so we decided to go and see. So together, the five of us made our way through the Latin quarter as parisiens, expats, and tourists sat in bar terraces on this warm Monday night for drinks. During the walk we reminisced about our Notre Dame experiences. In some way or another Notre Dame as been part of our Paris landscape, physically and experience-wise, this landmark created over 850 years ago on what is considered the oldest part of Paris, an island from which all distances in Paris are measured, it's very heart.
Paris is burning.
As we got to St. Michel we could start to see the smoke. And the people. Parisiens, expats, and tourists all gathered together by some invisible force compelling us to see. To bear witness.
As we made our way closer we saw saw Notre Dame's iconic towers still intact abeit with smoke still rising out from behind them. Although not visible, the presence of flames were insinuated by a steady stream of water directed at the roof. What struck me was the how little the stream of water appeared next to the giant structure and how futile its task seemed.
After a while part of the group wanted to get closer but I chose to leave with a woman whom before that night was a stranger to me and with whom I would share this exceptional experience with. I left the group feeling a bit lost, not knowing where I was and ok with just wandering until I could jump on the nearest metro. We ended up crossing Pont Neuf to the left bank. On the way we chatted about our lives in Paris as expats. Our kids. Our work. What struck me was how normal everything seemed but yet, not.
When I finally got on the metro as usual I saw everyone looking at their smartphones. Before I often wondered what people were looking at, what they found so mesmerizing. But on this particular night I knew.
Paris is burning.
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