It was Sunday in Paris and we were doing the open deck bus tour of the city. Luckily it was not raining, well at least not all the time. It has not been a warm September in Paris and it has been necessary for me to visit Galleries Lafayette to pick up a cashmere jumper. From the top deck of the bus I could see a bride having her photograph taken with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop. However, to my disappointment, Tom pointed out that it was a commercial photo shoot. I guess the lack of a groom should have been a dead give away.
The bus then took us around the corner for the alternative view of the Eiffel Tower, and you have to ask why; the tower is a perfect symmetry and the view is exactly the same from all sides. I noticed a throng of well wishes surrounding a real bride being photographed in the gardens. And then another, and yet another. Gemma counted seven brides no less, and all of them Asian. That explained the traffic jam we were caught up in, beemers, mercs and long, long stretch limos everywhere. Most of them decked out in gaudy flowers, with the most elegant of them adorned in just simple red and gold ribbons.
It turns out that Paris is the favourite destination for pre-wedding photos for brides from China, Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia. And yes, I did say 'pre-wedding' photos! Apparently, romantic Paris is the place to come to photograph your special day. Except it is not your special day, just your special photograph day. It was not just the brides & grooms, we are talking attendants, parents, relatives and little kids, all dressed to kill. The brides were all gorgeous of course, and possessed that special magic that brides have of not feeling the cold, despite the flimsy, sleeveless, strapless wedding gowns.
The chauffeur driven, luxury European cars pulled up to let off their well healed, (literally), occupants at the gardens in the same spot where many gypsies sat by the road side with all their possessions. The contrast between the lavish wealth of the new world and the poverty of the old could not have been more stark. Near the gypsy group a row of luggage sat waiting on the pavement, presumably the luggage of tour group ready to be loaded onto the bus. Except when we got closer the luggage turned out to be rows of plastic carry bags, not the cases of cashed-up tourists. All this was being looked over by a number of gentlemen of Eastern European appearance. The immigration officer in me could not help but think that this was some sort of itinerant worker collection point.
A quick google search reveals that Romanian and Bulgarian criminal groups have moved into Paris to organise illegal workers and operate pick pocket gangs preying on tourists. The French authorities take this very seriously and occasionally round up large groups and deport the illegals. Many itinerant people sleep on the streets and the young African man asleep in our street this morning was taken away by the police. Beggars are common, and many sit on the pavement with their faces down - this is to avoid detection and possible deportation.
The police are everywhere. We noticed four soldiers in full camouflage gear and serious guns at the Arc de Triumphe and there was some thought that this may have been some sort of terrorist deterrence, but apparently the military are also used to control and deter criminal gangs. Of course all this just compounds the anti-foreigner sentiment the French are prone to and adds to the rise of nationalism. As an Australian I found this 'show of strength' very disconcerting. And I am also unconvinced that soldiers who wear berets can really be taken seriously as killing machines !!!!
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