Joie de Vivre
Lessons from a city of life
Today marks the third day of National Mourning in Paris after a terrorist attack left hundreds dead or injured. Suddenly Paris, which is a city known for joy, is a place of sadness. But Paris represents anything but sadness. Paris is a place of love and beauty, where people dream of walks along the Seine and drinking wine in the moonlight.
So to honour one of our favourite cities in a time when it is associated with sadness and fear, we’d like to remind you of the wonderful things that Paris gives to us.
Joie de Vivre
This is something that is so French that there isn’t an English way of saying it. Literally meaning ‘the joy of living’, it’s a quicker way to sum up finding happiness in small aspects of life. The French live through this concept, finding delight in being carefree and relaxed. It’s part of the reason that they’re advocates for the things we might consider indulgences — good wine and good food. Allowing for a little bit of spontaneity and for letting things go with a Gallic shrug can help anyone feel a little more joyful.
Loving The Outside
There’s little a Parisian loves more than being outside. Paris was built on this principle, and it’s beautiful squares, parks, and its myriad terraced cafes are a testament to that. Paris has over 450 parks, and they’re usually full of people walking, having a picnic or riding their bike. On a weekend, you’ll find the locals on the banks of Canal Saint-Martin drinking wine and enjoying their city.
People Watching
To see something you will only see in Paris, head to one of the famous cafes that allows its customers to sit on the street. You’ll notice that the Parisians don’t sit opposite each other, as people enjoying a coffee together elsewhere do. They’ll sit side by side, enjoy a cigarette and a drink, and people watch. This is a Parisian tradition. In a city like Paris, it’s never boring to sit and watch the world go by. Even after the weekend’s events, Parisians returned to these places to watch their city after tragedy. This tweet from Sky reporter Kay Burley shows that nothing can change this tradition.
A Cultural City
There’s a reason that Paris seems to be a magnet for the world’s writers, artists, and poets. Years of this reputation have made the city into a place where everybody has the soul of an artist. There is culture on every corner. The person behind your hotel desk will have an opinion on Baudelaire or Rimbaud. Along the river banks, you’ll see painters capturing the city on canvas. Just being there is inspirational, something in the air that fosters creativity.
The Best City In The World
Ask any Parisian, and they’ll tell you that they live in the best city in the world. For many, this is an opinion, but for a Parisian it’s fact. There’s something about this unshakeable belief that their city has everything that they need that is beautiful.
These are just some of the reasons that Paris is an inspiration to us. The response from the city following the attacks has been bittersweet. People have spoken out in their thousands about their city, the sadness that such a thing would happen here and a determination that it will not define them. Those who love Paris know that Paris is about life.
