Top 3 things that surprised me in Paris

The Eiffel Tower, a view from Arc de Triomphe

As I was in Paris, I expected things to be different. And they really were… compared with the life in my home country ofc (Bulgaria)! I saw a lot of interesting and unique places and things I wanted to see for a long time. Some of them were better than I thought. But there were some things that surprised me more than I expected… things that even shocked me.

Here they are:

1. People cross the streets on red lights…

I saw this as a rule – when the traffic light is red for pedestrians, they all cross the streets! Well it wasn’t really like that, but it was quite shocking to me that everyone crossed the street whenever there were no cars, even thought the light was red. I noticed that “rule” on my first day in Paris and on my 3th I already crossed the street as locals did, even though I was not very comfortable with that.

I don’t know how the other countries are but here in Bulgaria you can’t really take the risk to cross on red light. In small aleys – sure, but the big streets are not made for Parisians.

2. People are extriemly polite!

I hear and read that all the  time – people in France are not very polite especially with strangers. Well, guess what, you’re kinda wrong! I’ve met exactly zero persons who were unpolite or rude to me. I only saw smiles, a lot of pardons and responsiveness. From the guys at the metro counters, who explained us how to get to Disneyland and Versailles in details, through the people who checked our tickets (controllers?), and to the unknown people on the streets who said “pardon” even if you were “guilty” for a certain inconvenience. Anyway, the kindness of Parisians was a  pleasent surprise!

3. Cheap food, pricey food!

I expected everything in Paris to be expensive. And it really was. But some things, like food, was a lot more expensive than I thought they will be, especially the fast food – McDonalds, KFC, Subway, etc. It was like 5-6 euro for the smallest burger! It exceeded my price expectations. But what also surprised me was how cheap was the food in the supermarkets. I know it’s supposed to be cheaper but it was a lot more affordable than I thought. It was possible to get food for the whole day just for around 5 euro!

BONUS: And another thing that surprised me was that Parisians really eat baguettes! I thought this was only on the movies but I was wrong! And their baguettes were delicious!

What really surprised YOU when you were in Paris for the first time?