Paris in August 2008

Probably, to see romance in Paris, you really have to want to see it there. The city sometimes presents itself like this:

But more often, it looks like this:

The frenzy at the Louvre is insane. Every self-respecting tourist considers it their duty to take a photo in the “I was there” style with the Mona Lisa behind the glass. As a result, it’s impossible to approach the painting during peak hours. The security allows only one person at a time for a frontal view. Well, that will do. [images cannot be translated]

The transportation system of the metro and trains is quite confusing. The metro and suburban trains are essentially combined into one system but displayed on different maps. There is a division into fare zones. Confusion arises even when entering the metro: unlike the Moscow system, the Parisian system can combine more than 7 metro lines at once. The entrance tunnels are filled with a multitude of signs indicating lines and directions, although they are done quite neatly.

But here you will hardly encounter security guards, inspectors, and police. Nobody will grab you by the collar if you try to pass without a ticket. And there are many people who want to do it. And they do.

There are also issues with the Russian language in Paris.