The End

It's 12:44 am on Saturday 15th July. In less than 11 hours I have my Etat des Lieux (room inspection) to leave my apartment. I probably ought to finish cleaning/packing but I thought I'd write one final entry from Paris.

This week I have been trying to work my way through my list of things to see. I've not completed it but I'm happy that I've seen most of the important bits. I went home last weekend so lost 4 days of sight-seeing there but this week I have got in:
Tuesday: Lunch with friends from work and Arc de Triomphe
Wednesday: Chateau de Versailles
Thursday: Opéra, Saint-Chapelle and the Musée Rodin

Today is Bastille day. Unfortunately I wasn't awake in time to get down to the Champs Elysées or Place de la Concorde to see the military parade but I did see and hear lots of helicopters flying over. I spent most of the day attempting to pack and clean and offloading 1€ worth of 1c and 2c pieces at Monoprix to buy a toilet brush. The cashier wasn't impressed.
This evening I went to Trocadero. There was a fireworks display on the Champ de Mars, next to the Eiffel Tower and Trocadero would have been the best place to watch it. I say "would have" because I got there a little late and it was absolutely packed. It was litteraly a crush as people pushed forward to try and get a glimpse. The police had put a barrier up to stop people going too far forward but I don't really understand why the barrier was positioned where it was. I managed to get a few glimpses and caught other bits by watching the screens of digital cameras in front of me. After the official display, the area became a bit of a battle ground, a bit like on New Year's Eve. People started launching their own fireworks and bangers. At least I didn't see any fall back into the crowd this time.

I didn't bother trying to catch the metro at Trocadero to get back as there were too many people. Instead, I walked to the Arc de Triomphe to see the Champs Elysée one last time. I realised while walking that my opinion of Paris has changed. A while ago I couldn't imagine myself living here. I saw myself staying for short periods with work but couldn't imagine staying for a long period. Tonight I realised how much I'm going to miss the place; the architecture, the metro (despite the people on it and the fact that it smells), the ease with which I can just nip into the centre for a drink with friends. I would live here again, although next time I'd be more central and I'd try and do more (see more shows, visit more temporary exhibitions, etc).

People often mistake the French for being rude however I've come to learn that this is wrong. (What I'm about to say applies to the general public and is not based on individuals - the french are very friendly when you get to know them.)
They are not deliberately rude, and they do not, not care about you - You just don't matter to them. I think the French are seen as having a more relaxed lifestyle but I think it's because they just don't think about other people or things. They worry about themselves (and those close to them) but things like a job and people in the street seem to be just annoyances which get in the way of them enjoying themselves. I could be wrong, but that's how things come across to me.

So, as there's not much time left I'd better stop this and finish packing.

Au revoir Paris - I'll be back!