France Photo Essay: The Dark Side of the City of Lights
Wednesday, January 29, 2014 France 0 Comments

The Dark Side of the City of Lights

To fully appreciate a capital like Paris, it would take many lifetimes to maybe do so. I’ve spent a few days in Paris, and I can say that I barely scratched the significant surface of it. There’s just so much to see and do, and just when I think I’ve seen everything, my corner view is showing off a new lure to explore. That’s the thing about Paris; it’s too highlight-driven. So much for being the yellow-lit city. Which brings me to the un-yellowed side of the city: Paris’ train rides.

The city of lights is a complete opposite when you tunnel down the Métro. Down there, it’s also the same ancientness as the ones above, but here you can see the real side of things – all seems hoary, fearful, and dusky, and the life that breeds inside these train systems are, well… let’s just say it’s a completely different life than what you can find above ground. The timeworn stations and rides are far from the renaissance and romantic air that Paris exudes, so there’s a big chance that just by trying out the Métro, you’ll feel lost in a completely new out of this world, Ghostbusters kind of dimension.

These train rides in Paris city are dark, because they are intriguing. How in the world were these French people able to come up with such a highly complex transportation system in the olden days? It’s just remarkable. If you strip down the details of the Paris Métro, the whole underground scene - with 300+ stations, 60+ transfers, and 10+ lines - the Métro de Paris railway system is a mind game on its own. Plus, fact is: it's the second busiest Métro in Europe. So, to fully appreciate the city of lights, time to experience the dark side.