The day my excitement was stolen by a mouse 🐀🍳, rather than the Arc de Triomphe. 16-Day European Travelogue Day 12

In the morning, I headed to the flea market held at Square Julia Bartet.

I had visited other flea markets several times during this trip, but the prices here were exceptionally high.
Honestly, I felt a bit skeptical about paying those prices for second-hand goods.

However, the story changes when you look around carefully.
There were brand-name items casually mixed in, and there was a joy in searching for them with a keen eye.

I decided to get lunch at a supermarket again today.
As I was heading to a nearby supermarket after finishing at the flea market, I passed a butcher shop on the way. I decided to stop by and buy something, and it was incredibly delicious.

When I left the shop, I was asked, "Japanese?" and I answered yes. It made me feel happy for some reason.

After that, when I entered the supermarket, I ran into the clerk I had seen at the butcher shop earlier. They called out to me, saying, "Enjoy your meal."

It was just a small comment, but encountering such warmth while traveling makes me feel at ease.

At the supermarket, I was glued to the tomato section.
I love tomatoes, so I couldn't help but get excited by the variety.

As I was spreading out what I had bought and eating, the clerk from the butcher shop came back.

In their hand was a pistachio pastry. They brought it as a gift.
What's more, they even brought paper napkins so I could wipe my hands after eating the meat.

Even though we could barely communicate, they were able to show such thoughtfulness so naturally. It touched my heart.

Come to think of it, since coming to France, I felt there were several times I was treated with special kindness once they knew I was Japanese.
When I looked it up out of curiosity, I found there is a Japanese cultural boom called "Japonisme," and it seems France is the country that likes Japan the most in Europe.

I see, that makes sense.

It was a wonderfully sunny day. While having my energy recharged by the pleasant air, I walked toward the Arc de Triomphe.

While walking down the Champs-Élysées, I was humming "Les Champs-Élysées" under my breath. I think I was so into it that it's embarrassing even to myself, but that memory will stay with me forever.

The Champs-Élysées is truly filled with nothing but high-end stores, which is surprising.
Famous brand flagship stores line the street one after another, and just walking there is overwhelming.
As I walked down the street, I discovered a giant box-like object from Louis Vuitton and had to do a double-take.

It was a sight worthy of Paris.

I learned for the first time upon arriving at the Arc de Triomphe that you can climb to the very top.
However, it costs money, and I thought seeing it up close was enough, so I passed on climbing it. I went through the underpass and headed to the central area right beneath the Arc de Triomphe.

The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz and to honor the soldiers who fought for France.
It was completed in 1836, taking a full 30 years. Napoleon himself passed away without ever seeing it finished.

Beneath the arch lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I, where flowers are still laid constantly.
It is 50 meters high and 45 meters wide.

Standing before it, I was once again overwhelmed by its size. That very Arc de Triomphe I had seen in textbooks was now right before my eyes.

It made me realize once again that I had truly come to France.

Nearby, there were canals spreading out just like the ones I saw in the Netherlands. For someone like me who loves cities with rivers, a landscape with water is enough to calm my mind.
I was a little surprised and happy to see that Paris had this side to it as well.

After that, I headed to Notre-Dame Cathedral.
There was a huge line at the entrance, but it moved quickly, and the wait was only about 15 minutes. It didn't feel like a struggle at all despite its length. Plus, admission is free.

Looking up at the exterior, the entire building is shaped like a pipe organ. Countless pillars and spires stretching vertically are arranged in such an orderly fashion that it is so well-proportioned it feels like it might start playing music.

Notre-Dame is a prime example of Gothic architecture, and its characteristics appear everywhere.
Flying buttresses, which are support walls that extend outside the building, support the structure from the exterior.

Thanks to that structure, the walls could be made thinner, making it possible to install large stained-glass windows. It is a calculated mechanism for bringing light in from the inside.
Pointed arches are also used throughout, and the vertical line of sight is pleasant.

Looking even closer, countless statues are attached to the surface of the building as decoration. Saints, angels, monsters—each one is intricately carved, and it boggles the mind to think that each one was made individually.

How many craftsmen worked on this, and for how many years?
Thinking about that while looking at it, every side of the stone begins to look completely different. These kinds of discoveries naturally catch my eye.

Honestly, I'll be frank. I thought it was "amazing." I did think that, but—there was a part of me thinking, "Well, I guess this is it."

The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Le Bon Marché, the Arc de Triomphe.
Having seen all these things one after another, my threshold for being impressed has become completely skewed.
I found myself being somewhat calm in a place that should have been overwhelming.

As the trip reached its final stages, I realized my sense of wonder had become completely numb.

I was tired from seeing so many things, so I left the cathedral and sat down to rest near the greenery in front of it.
Then, a little mouse popped its head out.

I couldn't help but laugh. The world of "Ratatouille" was right there in front of me.

My excitement soared.
I know it's not great in terms of hygiene, but I was happy regardless. Meeting a little mouse in Paris—I thought this was also a real thrill of traveling.

That night, I was taking an overnight bus back to the Netherlands.
I stopped by a supermarket to stock up on food before the bus departure.

What was interesting was the exit system.
The gate doesn't open unless you purchase something, so you can't leave empty-handed. In Japanese supermarkets, you can come and go freely as a matter of course, so I was confused at first, but I thought it was a well-made anti-shoplifting measure.

That's where I spotted a can of mackerel in oil.
I bought it as a souvenir since I was there, and when I tried it later, it was actually quite delicious.

It was especially good in a sandwich; simple, yet genuinely tasty. Who knew a canned good from a supermarket would be the perfect souvenir?

When I boarded the overnight bus, I found it was a double-decker with a glass ceiling. I could see the night sky while lying down.
As we left the streets of Paris and drove along some dark road at night, I could see stars faintly above my head.

Goodnight, Paris.

The next day, I would finally spend a day living like a local. (Continued to Day 13)