Exploring France with My Camera, Part 1

After ages of planning and waiting, the day finally arrived... Beijing – Capital Airport – Departure Hall, 1 a.m. Light rain pattered outside, the damp air refreshing. My heart was full of anxious excitement as I waited for this journey to Paris, France.

Air France was full of handsome male cabin crew—no doubt they'd attract plenty of female admirers. Speaking of which, the service on Air France was quite attentive.

Ready to set off...

The long journey, the plane racing through the star-studded night toward our longed-for destination...

At nearly 30,000 feet above the ground, everything froze into ice flowers on the plane's window...

The in-flight meal wasn't bad. Especially worth mentioning were these two little bottles of French wine, which tasted absolutely top-notch—down them and off to sleep... haha.

After nearly 10 hours of flying, the sky outside was ablaze with rosy light...

Haha, finally arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. I have to say, the efficiency of the airport workers in France is a bit slow. My luggage hadn't shown up, so I asked the airport staff. They were very polite, making calls and registering things in a flurry, and finally said the baggage handlers were on their lunch break... Very French indeed, haha... Although I'd heard about it before, this time I really experienced it firsthand.

We transferred to the RER. We'd heard that this RER line had incidents of theft targeting Chinese people, which made us incredibly nervous. Fortunately, being the carefree types, we soon forgot about it, and we didn't actually run into any such crime. However, shortly after the train started moving, a woman got on who left a deep impression. She went around distributing small notes to everyone. Curiosity prompted me to take one. It was written in English, roughly saying she was a single mother with several children, struggling to make ends meet, and asking for help... I was at a loss what to do, but a kind local guy on the train immediately told us to just give the note back to her. So when the woman came back to collect money, I respectfully handed the note back and said 'sorry.' She smiled understandingly and walked away. Later I discovered this kind of situation occurs quite often in France, and most of them never get pushy.

From the tiny balcony of our Hotel Saint-Georges, we overlooked the street scene of Montmartre in Paris—winding, twisting little streets that quietly stretch into the distance, exactly like the old European cities in movies and TV shows.

Finally, with the help of two friendly locals, we found the hotel. One of them, an elderly French gentleman with a cane, walked us all the way to the hotel entrance and when we parted, he said welcome, and that staying here was a wise choice. Hehe... I thought to myself, sir, if you were in China, you'd be called a shill! But seeing him hobble back the way we came, I believed what a warm-hearted old man he was!

The room at Hotel Saint-Georges was adorably tiny, but though small, it had all the amenities. Speaking of the hotel, it really deserves a thumbs-up: convenient transport, several small supermarkets nearby, and even a super tiny Carrefour, hehe... I never imagined that in France you'd find a Carrefour as small as a 7-Eleven. The cultural vibe was great too. The hotel sits on the slope of Montmartre. Walk downhill from the entrance and you'll reach the famous shopping havens Galeries Lafayette and Printemps; uphill, it's Sacré-Cœur Basilica and the Moulin Rouge. The whole street is lined with bars, and young people keep things lively until late at night.

Cute sockets—remember to bring the right adapter!

This peculiar lifting contraption is a moving company transporting furniture. Turns out they hoist things through the window... haha, so creative!

Church of the Holy Trinity, located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, is a Baroque building with rich decoration and carvings, intricate lines.

Ancient churches—you find Catholic churches like this everywhere in Paris.

Details of the church: every corner is adorned with statues.

The Madeleine Church, at the north end of Rue Royale near Place de la Concorde, is a very distinctive Catholic church. With its 52 white Corinthian columns standing 20 meters tall, broad steps, and pedimented roof, it has the grandeur and solemnity of a Greek temple. On the pediment is 'The Last Judgment' by the renowned French sculptor Georges Lemaire.

Founded in 1865, the famous French department store Printemps, a legendary shrine for shopaholics and splurging—Paris Printemps.

The rooftop of Printemps department store.

The rooftop of Printemps department store.

Another shopaholic paradise, Galeries Lafayette.

Ahem... Where are you looking?! Zoom in... so you can see clearly how 'Galeries Lafayette' is spelled in French. If you were looking at something else, go stand in the corner!!

The beautiful dome of Galeries Lafayette.

The interior of Galeries Lafayette is truly magnificent.

The old-fashioned elevator inside the store.

Printemps and Galeries Lafayette sell luxury goods that are household names among Chinese people. Many brands even arrange Chinese-speaking sales assistants, attracting large numbers of Chinese shoppers who flock like bees to honey—maybe you'll actually run into a compatriot in some boutique saying, 'this one... this one... and this one... no, not those – I'll take all the rest!!' That sounds so thrilling! Hehe... So, gentlemen bringing your wives or girlfriends here, watch your wallets. Ahem... don't misunderstand!! I mean... because there are pickpockets targeting Chinese people there. They know Chinese tourists tend to carry lots of cash and shop generously (from what I saw, few locals actually shop there). Speaking of which, using credit cards in France is super convenient; you can use them even at street markets, snack shops, or to buy metro tickets. So there's really no need to carry heaps of cash and invite trouble.

The rooftop of Galeries Lafayette is a place to relax, sunbathe, and enjoy the view.

Distant view of the Eiffel Tower.

Hehe... Here too, if you need help, you ask the police. An old lady: 'Comrade, I want to go to... how do I get there?' Look at those two police officers so seriously, haha... truly a picture of close police-community relations!!

Police officers in Paris.