Not long ago, I was intrigued by the protests of locals in Mallorca who threw water on tourists. Paris, Rome, Venice, Krakow, Malaga, and other European capitals already impose restrictions. The mass tourism that has been kick-started by low-cost flights, Airbnb, all-inclusive holidays, and ocean-going mega-hotels prowling around the shores of the Mediterranean and the Caribbean is already out of control in many tourist capitals. Mass tourism has its own peculiarities.
Paris trip
Tibor, too, decided one day that it was time to discover the world. He saw photos of his friends from beautiful exotic destinations on Facebook. Tibor wanted experiences worth sharing on social networks, too. He set off on his grand discovery of Paris because the Eiffel Tower is an icon that every true traveller must see. Tibor bought a cheap ticket that promised “everything but the wings”. He got the lottery, a wait for the bathroom and an hour delay.
But in his own words, the Paris airport provided him with the most incredible adrenaline rush and experience. It’s a giant maze where even a seasoned adventurer would lose his bearings.
See full photo gallery
Experiential accommodation
Wandering around the internet, looking for the best accommodation offer, Tibor discovered the World Premiere Class hotel chain. After checking in, more than a kilometer away from the train station that would bring him closer to the subway, he discovered that he was staying in a room smaller than his pantry, with a hygienic core cast from a single piece of plastic, where if he wanted to flush, he had to jump out of the way in time because the entire cabin was being disinfected, including the sink and shower.
Louvre
Paris. The first destination was the famous Louvre. After a long wait in line, he finally got inside. At first, he looked with interest. After about a hundred paintings, he began to see the art as wallpaper. To see the Mona Lisa, he had to walk through a crowd of people with phones and selfie sticks, trying to capture the best angle. After about five minutes sandwiched between sweaty bodies and camera flashes, he figured it was time to move on to something less challenging – French cuisine.
At a small restaurant, he ordered the famous “escargot” (snails), which Instagram influencers had recommended as a Parisian delicacy. When they brought him a plate full of the little creatures he usually only saw in the garden, he realized that the culinary experience would require more courage than anticipated. Ultimately, he decided the local bagel and croissant bakeries would be cheaper and safer.
Eiffel tower
See full photo gallery
Tibor getting off the Trocadero. The Eiffel Tower is almost impossible to see without a crowd of tourists trying to get their perfect shot. Everyone wants to prove that they are creative and were really there, even if they didn’t enjoy the view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower because of the enormous queue and expensive entrance fee. Knowing the photography advice, he moves to the modern part of Paris, La Defence Square, instead.
Only here will Tibor’s creative ambitions be fulfilled. Moreover, he found an espresso for a euro in the café under the Grande Arche, which counts in Paris.
Centre Pompidou
On arriving at the Centre Pompidou, Tibor stopped in surprise. Instead of a classical museum building, there was a massive structure in front of him, full of pipes, cables, and steel beams that looked like someone had built them backwards. “This is art?” he muttered, trying to make sense of this architectural structure that looked more like an industrial factory than a museum.
After a labyrinthine journey through the Centre Pompidou, Joseph found himself in a modernist maze of elevators, escalators, and staircases. His exploration of the world of modern and contemporary art was a challenging one, but it culminated in a comforting corner adorned with works by Picasso, Matisse, and Dali. ‘At last, something I can connect with!’ he breathed a sigh of relief, his empathy for the familiar works palpable and the stark contrast with the modern architecture striking.
Paris, Montmartre
The iconical district of Paris, which has inspired artists such as Picasso, Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec, is a magnet for everyone. With its narrow streets, cafes, magnets, art history, and stunning views of Paris, Montmartre is particularly compelling for Instagram. However, Tibor had a different kind of experience.
Life in Montmartre starts at six o’clock when the first tourists set off to hunt for the best place to take photos. Some even arrive earlier to capture the sunrise over Sacré-Cœur without unnecessary foreign bodies in the frame. Of course, everyone’s plans go awry when they discover three hundred others have the same brilliant idea. And this happens every day. Only the cast changes. With the basilica in the background and thousands of other mobiles overhead, Tibor also tries to get the perfect shot.
On the Place du Tertre, where the most significant artists once worked, Tibor discovered endless rows of stalls with portraits and caricatures. Everyone wanted their own picture, but Tibor resisted. Local artists produce “artistic” works at the speed of a conveyor belt.
As the evening sets in, Montmartre comes alive with a romantic charm. The restaurants are bustling with patrons, each eager to experience a ‘traditional’ meal, like the classic coq au vin, and then proudly sharing their Parisian experience on Instagram with the caption, ‘I live like a Parisian!’
Paris 6 sec
Parisian cafés
It’s always the right time for a good coffee. The atmosphere of cafés, which once inspired poets and painters, continues to be a source of artistic inspiration. The air is filled with constant chatter in the world’s languages, and every other table is transformed into an impromptu photography studio, where the coffee and croissant must be carefully photographed from every angle before anyone ever takes a bite. Café “Le Chat Noir” is a popular place to enjoy an authentic croissant – if you can find a free table.
See full photo gallery
Tibor had already had two days. He had seen everything in Paris, but he hadn’t seen much. He took pictures that millions of others had already taken. He experienced what everyone experiences—a tourist million. He wondered if it was time to get away from the tourist circus and experience the city through its side streets and seedy places, where he might even meet a truly authentic Parisian. But even that has its pitfalls.
The most ironic moment of mass tourism is when tourists complain about… tourists. Dissatisfied with the fact that their favourite places are crowded, they start looking for “hidden gems” and “undiscovered places.” And so it happens that when they discover something, they post it on Instagram and tag it, and a new wave of tourists discovers these hidden gems. The cycle repeats. Travelers looking for peace and authenticity find themselves in the same crowds they were trying to avoid.
