I expected to write every day in my journal or notebook from quaint Parisian cafes, pen in hand. Instead I’ve written mostly in the ‘in-between times’ on the metro.
The metro is a meeting of peoples and cultures. Of phones ringing and people speaking in French, Hindi, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Italian, and Wolof. Some people are on their phones, others sleep, some read books.
Yesterday I saw two young boys – maybe 5 and 7 – watching highlights from a soccer game on the phone of the man next to them. Behind his shoulder, standing over his sons, was their father, also watching the game. All four were glued, eyes intent, on the screen. These little moments of human connection via this collective experience of all riding the metro together fascinate me.
Parisians are so lucky to have a robust public transportation system that services the 10 million people who live in and around this city. The heart of Paris, within the city walls, is 40.7 mi². In that area there are 303 metro stops. And that doesn’t include the hundreds if not thousands of bus stops!
My city in the US is home to 2 million people (the same population as within the city walls of Paris) and is 226.3 mi², but Columbus only has 2,934 bus stops for the whole city. We don’t have a metro system or light rail or train. The only way to get from Columbus to Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, or Pittsburgh, for example, is by car or long-haul bus like a Greyhound. I navigate my home city by car more often than not and occasionally walk to local coffee shops or yoga studios or friends’ homes. The contrast in accessibility is striking!
The Paris Project
I’m Sarah, a travel and wellness writer based in the US. Join me on my 30-day journey in Paris as I post something new each day. You can follow along here on my blog or subscribe to my newsletter. I’ll send a weekly missive to all my newsletter subscribers while I’m here of all of my favorite Paris discoveries and adventures.
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