When I think of Paris, I picture these gray-blue rooftops and their red-orange chimneys.
Of course, I also picture the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, and a whole host of other prominent landmarks. These places are so iconic, such a part of our cultural consciousness, I could picture them before I’d ever visited Paris. I remember my mother and I were so surprised to see Parisians walking the streets of their city wearing berets and carrying baguettes that we started to keep a tally. The behavior seemed too obviously, stereotypically French to be real, and yet there it was.
Conversely, no one had ever told me about the rooftops of Paris. The blue rooves and red chimneys were stunning, and as it turned out, a common architectural feature. Common enough that I now think of the above photo as being iconic, quintessential Paris.
When you think of Paris, what do you picture?
2 Comments
loboshiboh
I picture the steep staircase behind Montmartre and the stuffed red peppers swimming in saffron sauce that we had for dinner at the bottom.
opportunemma
I love this imagery. And I had totally forgotten about the staircases in Montmartre until I read your comment — but they are distinct!