Le Métro

The métro, which is short for métropolitain, is right outside our apartment.

Kate at our Apartment Door

The métro is our preferred way to get around Paris.  Although the bus is more scenic than the métro, it is slower.  The first métro line opened in 1900 and it is the one of the densest subway systems in the world.  That means lucky for us we are never too far from a métro stop.

Kate and Kelly at our Métro Stop

The entrance to some stops are more modern like ours but others still have the Art Nouveau entrances from the 1920s.

Art Nouveau Métro Entrance by the Louvre

The downside of taking the métro to get around is that you don't see how the city is interconnected.  It seems you just pop up in another neighborhood and the city becomes disjointed.















Some métro stops have interesting displays or decorations.  The Number 12 Line at Concorde has tiles with letters covering the walls.  The letters spell out the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, the fundamental document of the French Revolution.

Concorde Métro Stop

Kelly makes sure he brings along a book to read in the métro.  I usually have one, too.

I also love the advertisements in the métro.  Here are the latest McDonald's métro ads. They even make McDonald's look cool here. 

"Come as you are."

Speaking of cool, we hear that saying "c'est chouette" for "that's cool" is so old-fashioned.  French youth now simply say "c'est cool." 

These are ads for Les Soldes at the BHV department store and for some pretty rings.  By the way, Letterman Jackets like the guy is wearing in the BHV ad seem to be all the rage right now in Paris.

And if you want to learn English, just sign up for a class at Wall Street English.

We saw this man putting up new billboards in the métro.  He worked quickly and methodically like he had been doing it all his life.








As you would expect there are vending machines in the métro if you are thirsty or need a snack.  They are always stocked with our favorites--Orangina and Bueno Bars.

But the best thing about the métro is listening to the musicians.  Some have special permits to play in the hallways where you change between the different lines.  Others are not "legal" and play in individual métro cars.  It seems the accordion players are the most common in the cars.  We think McKean should bring his accordion to Paris and pick up some extra change.  We saw a Michael Jackson imitator, complete with glove, dancing to Billy Jean.

"Michael Jackson" Spinning on the Métro

My favorite métro performers are the Russian Band and a Violinist.  The Russian Band is a big group and they sing and play.  I can hear them as soon as I step off the métro before heading up the stairs and down the long hallway.  They always make me smile and usually have an audience standing and listening.  I love how this Violinist has a dog to keep her company.  We see her as we go to Art History Class at the Louvre and she is still there over three hours later as we leave.  Our favorite french horn player is no longer at Concorde and we miss him.  I like to think he got a job in a symphony orchestra somewhere.  There is another french horn player at Concorde, but he doesn't have the personality of "our" french horn player.

The Russians

I will miss riding around Paris on the métro when we go home--especially if we have to pay $5.00 per gallon to fill our cars with gas! 

Russian Band Singing