Strolling along the bank of the Seine, the loose gravel crunches underfoot as tourist filled boats silently glide by. This is my first foray into the city of light and so far it has lived up to its name. From the streetlamps glowing in the night air to the eruption of dancing light emanating from the Eiffel tower, Paris' sky seems alive. I walk onwards in search of the next back lit site to crest the horizon, with the promise from the cafes of San Michel and Notre Dame urging me forward. Eventually the outline of Quasimodo famous bell towers comes into view, just as my stomach is letting me know it cannot wait much longer for the mingling of beef and burgundy.
This paragraph is the result of my participation in a travel writing workshop over the weekend. While the focus of the workshop was not on how to write, it did identify important features and components of the process. Our time was spent discussing structure, content, and individual motivations.
The lead of a story is important, it should grab your reader's attention. Before we began working on our leads, we needed to examine some important details regarding a chosen destination. For my own, I examined why I went, what my interest was, who I went with, and what I did when I was there. Using those motivating factors I then turned to specific experiential elements. Part of our tasking required each writer to discuss their chosen locale in terms of individual senses, visual, aural, taste, smell, and feeling. Each author wrote specific statements relating to remembered details, focusing on specific shapes, colors, textures, and flaws.
I wrote about several moments of a Paris trip that Came to mind:
1)
The open lawn of the Champ de Mars crowded with couples, families, and begging Roma, mulling around the dusty walkways and soft grass.
2)
Honking horns from drivers as they wove around crowds of pedestrians in the streets.
3)
Watching bateaux silently gliding down the river.
4)
Seeing a rat rifle through garbage in the Champ de Mars late at night.
5)
Streetlights along the bank of the river, glowing at night.
6)
A stained glass window featuring a rose, only visible as you wind your way up an oft used staircase.
Specific aural elements (i.e., sounds) that I remembered:
1) T
he rain hitting cobblestones in the Latin Quarter, as I ran for cover with others caught by a late night rain.
2)
The crunch of gravel underneath my feet at I walked the left bank of the Seine.
3)
The sounds of close conversation in an outdoor cafe.
Specific tastes:
1)
The taste of a burgundy wine combining with a beef filet.
2)
The creamy texture of chocolate mousse.
3)
The bitterness of a hoppy French beer on the tongue to quench my thirst.
4)
The crunch of a baguette crust and the chewy core.
5)
The taste of something familiar, yet slightly different (i.e., McDonalds, Royal with cheese, I know but I had too).
Specific smells:
1)
The smell of soup and the promise of stringy provolone in onion soup.
2)
The smell of crepes and flowers.
3)
Aroma from the cigarettes of outdoor smokers in the cafe.
4)
The smell of the moist night air after a rainstorm.
Specific feelings and textures:
1)
The starting and stopping of the train as it glides over the track on its inflated tires.
2)
The shade from trees as I made my way down a deserted street in the middle of busy Paris.
3)
The appearance of each new site on the horizon, only visible while walking.
After getting these individual experiences down, I began to develop more descriptive and enveloping statements, that would eventually make their way into the final product. Here are some examples:
1)
Walking along the bank of the Seine, hearing the gravel crunch beneath my feet as bateax silently glide down the river.
2)
Sitting outside a cafe sipping a hoppy beer, while the murmur of close conversation drifts by with the smell of Parisian smokers.
3)
Running for cover down the narrow cobblestone lanes, as the skies open in an impromptu rain shower.
4)
Standing in line to buy a famously stereotypical burger just to use a bathroom, crowded with people that snuck in without paying.
5)
Trying the set menu to experience the joy of mingling beef with burgundy and chocolate with rose
Using all of these details, I was able to create a more refined and meaningful description of my experience, which by now you have already read. Hopefully, the experience from this workshop will begin to show through in this blog and the descriptions I post regarding my travels.
This image was from the rickety, uneven stairwell of the 2 star hotel I stayed in. The hotel was undergoing renovations and had just installed a state-of-the-art elevator. Had I not decided to venture down the old stairwell, I never would have saw this scene. Luckily for me, a travel companion was staying a floor below me. It was easier to pop down the stairs, instead of waiting for the elevator. This just proves you never know what beauty might be hidden away, off the well beaten path.
This scene is of the RER track just outside my hotel. I stayed a short 5 minute walk away from the Eiffel Tower in the La Motte-Picquet area, away from the traditional throngs of tourists. The area was alive with locals, with several cafes and a grocery market nearby. On Sunday, the area beneath the tracks turned into an open air marketplace. Even though I will not be staying in this hotel for my next trip, I do plan on returning to visit the market.
Here I am enjoying a hoppy, French beer in a Parisian cafe in Pigalle. I loved how bitter and crisp the beer was after a long day walking the streets of Paris. This felt like a perfect reward and it went down well with a bowl of la soupe à l'oignon (i.e., onion soup). The cafe was crowded with tourists and locales, but everyone seem to enjoy the atmosphere as much as I did. I cannot wait to share this experience with my wife this August.
Surely this picture needs no introduction, the grande dame of Paris, herself. Unfortunately, I was unable to go inside. But next time I would like to climb the tower for what I have been told is a wonderful view of the city. The history of this place is amazing when you stop to consider that the origins of Paris are in this very spot. My next trip will have more focus on spending time exploring the Ile-de-Cite and the surrounding St Michel.
This final image was taken while walking from Notre Dame back to my hotel in La Motte-Picquet. It was just after the hourly light spectacle along the face of the tower. While the Eiffel Tower was not initially welcomed by Parisians, it has come to symbolize their city as an enduring monument and testament to human engineering. Something I very much respect.
