I´m discovering this about myself on my travels... ...that I am indeed Germanized! I will admit, I like it. When you live in a new country, and love so much about it, you should find yourself adopting - or maybe rather absorbing - some of the traits of it´s inhabitants. I hestitated to upload this video, as I was worried my thought might offend the French, but after a few days of mulling it over, I decided I could be honest and see where the conversation goes. And I wonder if you will like the TWO new songs I have uploaded today on my music channel, Voice Passion?! Let me show you what goes through my mind´s eye when I perform this music…come and fly away me with me, let the wind carry us, far away from this place…
I was a brave German girl, waiting in front of red traffic lights for pedestrians -until I was in London 🙈 I'm afraid, now I do jay-walking here too (as long as no German seems to be around me 😂)
Moin, du hast es wieder geschafft, in deinem Video eine märchenhafte Stimmung zu erzeugen! Es muss toll sein, dich Märchen vorlesen zu hören! Für mich bist du einfach unsere Reise,fee! Liebe Grüße aus Hamburg, Ben❤😂
I´m discovering this about myself on my travels... ...that I am indeed Germanized! I will admit, I like it. When you live in a new country, and love so much about it, you should find yourself adopting - or maybe rather absorbing - some of the traits of it´s inhabitants. I hestitated to upload this video, as I was worried my thought might offend the French, but after a few days of mulling it over, I decided I could be honest and see where the conversation goes. And I wonder if you will like the TWO new songs I have uploaded today on my music channel, Voice Passion?! Let me show you what goes through my mind´s eye when I perform this music…come and fly away me with me, let the wind carry us, far away from this place…
Frankreich ist ein schönes Land mit einer spannenden Geschichte. Paris gehört allerdings nicht gerade zu meinen Lieblingsstädten. Das ihr vor den Ratten geflohen seid kann ich nur zu gut verstehen. Da bst du Landratte mir zehnmal lieber. Habt ne schöne Woche und bleibt gesund; bis zum nächsten Video
Ja, ich bereue es wirklick nicht. Ich habe mich so unwohl gefühlt, und wofür hat man denn die Freiheit eines Campers, wenn es nicht für solche Momente ist? Und ja, ich war überrascht, wie sehr mir Frankreich gefallen hat. Ich möchte viel mehr darüber wissen. Liebe Grüße, und Dir auch eine schöne Woche, Klaus!
I just love your charisma & grounding Personality. Another persons trash is another persons treasure. > If YOU felt like it, it is YOUR natural thought,..so BE IT, and stays TRUE within YOU. > This might not be for everyone BUT that's on THEM. YOu do YOU,...i would listen to my "inner me" ;) Cheers from Stuttgart.
Don't worry, I'm French but from the "real France" outside the Parisian Region, and probably too provincial for Paris. You've seen the reality of Paris, far from the all romantic, pink postcards; the beautiful momuments are indeed there but also the filth. Actually cleanliness (or lack of...) has become a controversial real issue in Paris and only the diehardd Parisians do not complain about it. By the way, I've worked several years in Paris, and I was very happy when I left; that was over 20 years ago and never went back there since then.
I am so relieved to read your comment. The French were absolutely lovely to us during our visit and I absolutely hated to say anything negative. My heart breaks for the city´s inhabitants. I saw signs from the general public all over the place. The government must help them and sort this out. It really was wonderful how friendly the French were. Heart-warming and I can´t wait to go back. Particularly to see the places I had planned in Britanny - and Versaille again! I have another video about France to edit, soooooooo beautiful - Verdun.
How lovely! I met a German woman (from the East) when I was about 14. She made Germans real for me, if you can understand that. I had only seen them on TV in war films before that! And she was lovely.
Glad to see you back! I like your french videos so far! Keep on going. Hopefully you will show us your living place in Wales in 2024! I hope ur doing well! Rats are everywhere. We need the ratcatcher of Hameln!
Oh yes, we do! Thank goodness I don´t play the Celtic flute too well, or they´d all follow me! I had actually planned to go to Wales this time, but my little dog needs to get his liver well, so I didn´t want him to have to take the tablet he needs for GB. I have two more French videos, I think, or maybe one. Great to know you like them!
Tip for your next visit to Paris: Park the motorhome at the campsite in Versailles and take the train into the city. The journey only takes an hour. ;) And you don't have to worry about parking ... or rats. :D
Hallo Lauren, wieder einmal ein tolles Video mit einer tollen Musik unterlegt. Du suchst immer tolle Musik für deine Videos aus. Wenn ich dich so mit dem Wohnmobil sehe werde ich immer ganz neidisch auf euch. Dann kommen mir immer unsere Fahrten früher in den Sinn. Ich muss sagen, dass war eine der schönsten Zeit in meinem Leben. Genießt diese Zeit, ihr werdet später immer wieder daran denken. Viele Grüße bis demnächst Heinz
Ah, Heinz! Kannst Du nicht mehr rumfahren aus irgendwelchen Gründe? Ich weiß es wirklich zu schätzen. Ich konnte lange nicht aus dem Haus. Deswegen bin ich so unmessbar dankbar für diese Möglichkeit. Es freut mich sehr, dass die Musik Dir gefällt - sie ist mir mindestens so wichtig, wie die Bilder, und ich verbringe viel Zeit, die richtige auszusuchen!
@@LaureninGermany Doch, ich kann noch herumfahren, aber ich bin jetzt 78 Jahre alt und trotzdem noch oft unterwegs, aber eigentlich nur noch in Deutschland oder Österreich und die beiden Länder sind auch wirklich schön. Aber die Erinnerungen kann mir keiner nehmen und die sind noch sehr schön, ich war in jüngeren Jahren viel unterwegs, aber die mehrmonatige Europareise war für mich der Höhepunkt. Nochmals viele Grüße, Heinz
@@LaureninGermany Diesen Traum habe ich mir in den 60er Jahren mit 3 Freunden erfüllt, Westeuropa und etwas Nordafrika. Heute bin ich etwas zu alt für so eine Reise. Von dieser Reise zehre ich aber heute noch, die war einmalig.
Es klingt phänomenal, Heinz! Ich weiss selber, dass meine Wochen in Norwegen lassen meine Seele fliegen, wenn ich daran denke. Es ist einfach was besonderes, diese Freiheit, die Erlebnisse...
During a stay for several days in Paris we got up quite early usually since she had already prepared a quite extensive list of things to see. And almost every morning some people were driving around with special cleaning vehicles cleaning the places, pavements and some parts of the streets quite thoroughly with pressuized hot steam. We had to take care to keep in a safe distance from them. Now that's an experience of the 1990ies but I guess that they're still doing it. People seem to be bit careless about littering but then Paris is a huge city with lots of tourists. As a result it might appear more dirty than many other places. But honestly, I can't remember having seen many rats in Paris. And even smaller old towns will inevitably have rats. I was honestly shocked to find a dead rat in the small hut in my garden one day. Almost of the size of a cat. And I'm pretty sure that one of my cats had brought that beast there. I didn't want to touch it. After three days it had disappeared ... almost all of it except the tail. Yet who knows - I have martens living in my garage (but never had difficulties with my car though).
Apparently they had a street cleaner/garbage collector strike a couple of years ago and since then the rat population has exploded. I was hoping that they had dealt with it, but I read that the mayor wants people to accept it and „make friends with the rats“. There were so many and they were so bold, Michael! It sounds wonderful from when you were there.
Oh, no, Lauren. I don't know who else I _speak_ for, but I don't hold that against you at all. I'm in my mid-40's, now. I've lived in the US all my life, I've lived in a few different states and been to many more, and in all my travels, I think I've only ever seen _one_ rat. I took it as a sign that the neighborhood (where I was living, at the time) had really _deteriorated._
Absolutely, deteriorated, that is exactly right. I have seen a rat and a few micr, but it was always a shock and never something normal. And always somewhere dirty. (Countryside excepted)
I doubt that you have been Germanized quite as much, the Paris rats just have too much savoir vivre in them. German rats probably are so German, they read the Gemeindenutzungsverordnung and highlighted the most relevant bits with yellow marker. …for German cities also approximately have one rat per human citizen. After the 2006 Cologne gig by The Sisters of Mercy, I was stuck at Cologne central stations for several hours. As I don't like train stations too much, I decided to spend the rest of the night outside by the cathedral. Back then, there still were the "Concrete tulips", small roofs that sheltered you a bit from rain, I stayed under them. Cologne was all silent, nobody else anywhere in sight, and I had a nice and quiet time there, until I noticed all the small shadows moving towards the cathedral. Small ones, bigger ones, some I estimated to be about the size of a Yorkshire Terrier. Rats, rats, rats. Over the couple of hours there, it must have been more than fifty of them. What on earth did they do at the cathedral, though? Worship? 🤨🤷♂🤗
Oh... MYGOD!!! Actually, the rats were all from Düsseldorf, visiting their families for a wedding. (God, I hope people get that joke and don´t hate on me)
Yes, Paris has a severe rat problem, just like New York does and some other large cities. However, New York is now really willing to do something about this, even with the help of new technology and AI, but I don't know about Paris.
Thats a disgusting experience. I immediately remembered that you had to drill a ventilation hole in the floor of your VAN for safety reasons. 😱Possible creepy visitors during night... 🐁🐁 BTW: When my daugter was around 14, she wanted a white rat as a pet... My wife responded: The only pet I would allow is a giraffe as it could peek its head out of the dirt in your room. 😉
Your wife's response is funny 😄 Rats are wonderful pets but unfortunately they don't get very old and you should better have at least two and a proper cage with enough enrichment and space. It was probably the right answer still. Parents should only get pets for their child if they trust the child to take proper care of the animal.
@@lamaglama6231 yes, they are intelligent and need stimulation and company. They are sweet when they live in a clean environment. It was the general dirtiness of the whole situation that was so uncomfortable.
Hello Lauren. One one can blame you for leaving a rat infested area. It's unfortunate that Paris with so much history, culture and beauty has let things get out of control. You guys made the right choice.
Rats are a problem in almost all larger cities, in the older ones with very old sewers and many old corridors under the city, this is not just a problem in Paris. Because especially where there are a lot of people, a lot of tourists, they also leave behind a lot of dirt, grime and garbage. Thoughtless people who don't care what their environment looks like, plus cities that save money on cleaning staff, vehicles, trash cans and everything that goes with it, then such problems arise. Rats are frugal and act opportunistically; they don't need much to survive, similar to pigeons, seagulls, crows or ravens. And cities in general are becoming increasingly attractive to wildlife, large and small. Lots of hiding places, better food supply and less monocultures when it comes to plants.
I believe they had garbage collector strikes and then the warmer temperatures made their problem escalate. Ughhhh!!! There were soooo many, Robert! And so bold. It was the general dirtiness that bothered me the most.
@@LaureninGermany Unfortunately, Paris has never been the cleanest city, especially away from the tourist attractions. With the way you travel, you will see this much more easily than the guest in a fancy hotel and if the cleaners don't work properly or at all because they may be on strike, then the problem becomes much bigger and more obvious.
Due to the school or the city? But btw- i just remember a hilarious episode: a swiss friend visited me in Hamburg. I was a bit worried- she's from Zurich and Hamburg was'nt at that time covered by snow, rain, fog etc... Well, i took her to a restaurant in the middle of the city. In the midst of the dinner she started laughing- there was a mouse on the floor cheering life... Hamburg instantly got a new fan😂
Now, I know you know I‘m Welsh, so consider yourself poked in the ribs! lol 😆 Actually, and I hardly dare say this… but aren’t the French originally Germanic? The Franks?
@@LaureninGermany ok you are relaesed....😄....you are celtic......🤔the french....are the french as the english says.....at the end we are all family....in europe....💏
A very nice video, thank you very much. But are you aware that it is forbidden to post a video of the Eiffel Tower at night on the internet? The French are very particular about that.
Thanks for sharing your story, it was like poetry - except for the rats. "Was it hysterical of you"? No. I wouldn't bother that much, but I do understand if other people do, and with good reason. The two times I went to Paris I don't recall any rats but it wouldn't surprise me to have seen them and forgotten. But besides that, Paris is a very nice city, beautiful, interesting. [Edit] I got the thought that Paris can often make us think of the French revolution. Maybe the rats are there as an extra "tourist attaction" to make us experience Paris as it would be back in the 1700s?
Oh, God, well I onnly like the time-travel experience via my sofa! lol! I will say, the amount and boldness of these rats would have stuck in your memory. It was after sunset around the Eiffel Tower, I didn´t see them at Montmatre.
@@LaureninGermany OK. It seems I have yet to experience that particular "tourist attraction" of Paris as I didn't get to see the Eiffel Tower. My two visits to Paris were very short. In 1989 we spent an afternoon in the Arc de Triomphe museum, and visited Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur. Then, after a concert, we had to hitchhike home to Denmark, out of time. In 2002, returning from a LeMans 24-hours raced, we stayed next to Gare du Nord station and had a full day in the downtown of Paris. We did walk some backstreets and might have seen rats there (it would surprise me as it wasn't very clean), but none that I remember. Four times I traveled to Provence in southern France and several times to Lemans for the race, every time experiencing France as a clean place. Only the backstreets of Paris, and the outskirts of Marseilles (again hitchhiking), was littered with garbage.
You visited Paris before the problems started, luckily. I´d love to travel in Provence - it´s been a place of interest for me for a long time. I hope I´ll go soon.
@@LaureninGermany Provence is nice, warm, dry, rural, beautiful and relaxed. I went twice to the vicinity of the town "Apt" for French classes. Nearby there's a small village called "Roussillon" for the red "ocre" colours of the houses (the paint) and soil. It's sand having been blown there from the Sahara in Africa. Near the village is a place where layers of sand in all colours can be seen: White, yellow, orange, red, purple. Mostly orage and red variations. Incredible sight. Samuel Beckett lived in a vinyard near Roussillon during WW2. The area is called "Luberon", part of the "Vaucluse" region of Provence. South of Apt town for the 1980s French classes we stayed at the small chateau de "Buoux", then owned by the local municipality, from which we almost managed to BUY the chateau. Sadly something went wrong. But a very charming and historically interesting chateau it was. Outdoors large marble pool, niches for statues, wide curved staircases. The main building was from the renaissance, in some rooms huge fireplaces in stone, a small tower for the stairs. A newer part was from the late 1700s only completed a couple of decades ago. I guess the 1700s owner happned to suddenly grow a head shorter. Behind were older Middle Ages buildings still in use. The back side of the complex was a 1000 year old small castle, with gatehouse, towers, crenalations and murder holes. Over the hill, past a small Middle Ages chapel, the small, charming village of Buoux. A km behind that, passing under a huge overhanging cliff which is among the best of rock climbing places (if you fancy climbing with your head down) is the steep ascent to "Fort de Buoux", ruins of a fortress in use since Ancient times till the 1600s. A very interesting site. There's a small entrance fee. The site is special. And the from the top is spectacular. The cliff is very high, impossible to climb except for the steep path at the front. At the site the users has cut long staircases and huge storage containers into the rock. The cliff itself becomes taller and narrower as you proceed. The defence layerss continue inside: A moat, a wall with gatehouse, then a new area. The moat, wall with gatehouse, then a new area. Quite a number of times. Then suddenly - nothing. Air. 200 meters vertical fall. The last stand. Other sites in Provence are all in the tourist brochures, but I will mention the "Gorges du Verdun" canyon further East from Apt. Canoing/ sailing is possible in the lake/ river, but the site is especially good for hiking. Beautiful, varied, and very interesting. There are places where you can enter a small side canyon and experience a completely different and much more lush vegetation than the rest of the area. While walking on a path further up the slopes( sides of the canyon we found the area to be so rich in calcium that where small streams of water would frequently flow down the small branches on the ground would all be "petrified" in thick layers of calcium. And we found a couple of tiny caves full of slatactites and stalagmites. I couldn't walk, I had to crawl. It added to the "prehistoric" feeling of the area. I hope I gave you an interesting read and, who knows, maybe some inspiration for future travels. Cheers from Denmark. Be safe.
You made it sound irresistable! Now, where shall I go in Denmark, please? I was at Gedser, and in and near Copenhagen. I don´t think I have seen much, yet!
You are just becoming too German. Well, half of my family are Germans and yes, I absolutely understand you. They would be reacting the same way as you just did too
I think it appealed to me for different reasons. Like the cleanliness, the friendliness, how you can walk around so much, and the food. I have to admit, I don’t know anything about the Treaty except that it was signed (?) in Versailles and I believe there was something about it that was unsustainable.
I think there is a significant amount of difference between me, a female opera singer who has never done an army drill in her life and a soldier who has seen action.
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I´m discovering this about myself on my travels... ...that I am indeed Germanized! I will admit, I like it. When you live in a new country, and love so much about it, you should find yourself adopting - or maybe rather absorbing - some of the traits of it´s inhabitants. I hestitated to upload this video, as I was worried my thought might offend the French, but after a few days of mulling it over, I decided I could be honest and see where the conversation goes.
And I wonder if you will like the TWO new songs I have uploaded today on my music channel, Voice Passion?! Let me show you what goes through my mind´s eye when I perform this music…come and fly away me with me, let the wind carry us, far away from this place…
Lovely footage... and thank you for not showing the r....ts.
@@sisuguillam5109 absolutely. No way do I want to show yucky stuff!
I was a brave German girl, waiting in front of red traffic lights for pedestrians -until I was in London 🙈
I'm afraid, now I do jay-walking here too (as long as no German seems to be around me 😂)
@@nadinebeck2069don’t you feel like a rebel every time? I really get the red light thing!
Moin, du hast es wieder geschafft, in deinem Video eine märchenhafte Stimmung zu erzeugen! Es muss toll sein, dich Märchen vorlesen zu hören! Für mich bist du einfach unsere Reise,fee! Liebe Grüße aus Hamburg, Ben❤😂
How i love your videos. They are so calm and peacefull.
Thank you so much, that’s wonderful to read!
I´m discovering this about myself on my travels... ...that I am indeed Germanized! I will admit, I like it. When you live in a new country, and love so much about it, you should find yourself adopting - or maybe rather absorbing - some of the traits of it´s inhabitants. I hestitated to upload this video, as I was worried my thought might offend the French, but after a few days of mulling it over, I decided I could be honest and see where the conversation goes.
And I wonder if you will like the TWO new songs I have uploaded today on my music channel, Voice Passion?! Let me show you what goes through my mind´s eye when I perform this music…come and fly away me with me, let the wind carry us, far away from this place…
" An Deutsche Wesen soll die Welt genesen "😅
Frankreich ist ein schönes Land mit einer spannenden Geschichte. Paris gehört allerdings nicht gerade zu meinen Lieblingsstädten.
Das ihr vor den Ratten geflohen seid kann ich nur zu gut verstehen. Da bst du Landratte mir zehnmal lieber.
Habt ne schöne Woche und bleibt gesund; bis zum nächsten Video
Ja, ich bereue es wirklick nicht. Ich habe mich so unwohl gefühlt, und wofür hat man denn die Freiheit eines Campers, wenn es nicht für solche Momente ist?
Und ja, ich war überrascht, wie sehr mir Frankreich gefallen hat. Ich möchte viel mehr darüber wissen.
Liebe Grüße, und Dir auch eine schöne Woche, Klaus!
Wonderful video and great music. Yes I really understand I would not stay with a camper van either when seeing some rats. Stay healthy and be happy
How fast you were! Thank you!!! Yes, I am so glad I left.
How can you be so poetic even talking about rats? Thank you Lauren.
Lol! I didn´t feel poetic, yucky yuck yuck!!! Thank you!
@@LaureninGermany🤣🤣🤣
I just love your charisma & grounding Personality.
Another persons trash is another persons treasure.
> If YOU felt like it, it is YOUR natural thought,..so BE IT, and stays TRUE within YOU.
> This might not be for everyone BUT that's on THEM. YOu do YOU,...i would listen to my "inner me" ;)
Cheers from Stuttgart.
Thank you! Words of wisdom, you’re right.
Don't worry, I'm French but from the "real France" outside the Parisian Region, and probably too provincial for Paris. You've seen the reality of Paris, far from the all romantic, pink postcards; the beautiful momuments are indeed there but also the filth. Actually cleanliness (or lack of...) has become a controversial real issue in Paris and only the diehardd Parisians do not complain about it. By the way, I've worked several years in Paris, and I was very happy when I left; that was over 20 years ago and never went back there since then.
I am so relieved to read your comment. The French were absolutely lovely to us during our visit and I absolutely hated to say anything negative. My heart breaks for the city´s inhabitants. I saw signs from the general public all over the place. The government must help them and sort this out.
It really was wonderful how friendly the French were. Heart-warming and I can´t wait to go back. Particularly to see the places I had planned in Britanny - and Versaille again!
I have another video about France to edit, soooooooo beautiful - Verdun.
Student exchenges are so powerful! I'll never forget my French family in Poitiers and everything French will always have a place in my heart 💙🤍❤️
How lovely! I met a German woman (from the East) when I was about 14. She made Germans real for me, if you can understand that. I had only seen them on TV in war films before that! And she was lovely.
So good to have you back again!!
Ah, how nice to see you here, too!
Dear Lauren, it`s nice to hear from you again after a long time. I can understand you , I wouldn`t have felt comfortable there with the rats either.
Hallo dear Blond Katze! Nice to see you here, too! Yes, I was sure I would have bad dreams, and little sleep overall… yuck!
I believe you, it would have happened to me too.@@LaureninGermany
Glad to see you back! I like your french videos so far! Keep on going. Hopefully you will show us your living place in Wales in 2024! I hope ur doing well! Rats are everywhere. We need the ratcatcher of Hameln!
Oh yes, we do! Thank goodness I don´t play the Celtic flute too well, or they´d all follow me! I had actually planned to go to Wales this time, but my little dog needs to get his liver well, so I didn´t want him to have to take the tablet he needs for GB. I have two more French videos, I think, or maybe one. Great to know you like them!
Here we go, here we go, here we gooooooooo!!!!!
We are here!😍
hurrah!!!!!
@@arnodobler1096you are ANGELS!!! Honestly! ❤❤❤
@@LaureninGermanyThank you!
So are you!
@@LaureninGermany 😇😇
I can understand you and I'm sure I wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully when I know that so many rats are around me!
Exactly that! I knew that I would dream they were running over me in bed. Eeeeeh!
0:43 - you look gorgeous!
0:49 - you look mystical!
You are a fascinating woman - or a fairy. ❤
Hey, thanks! That’s put a big smile on my face!
Great video, Lauren! 👍 Brings back memories from my young days. .Never seen rats in Paris, though.
They were all waiting for me, Hans! I sang Solveig again yesterday. I was thinking of Sissl.
@@LaureninGermany Great!
3:24 "But half an hour can indeed be the distance to another _world."_
Especially in Europe.
Yes, it’s all condensed here!
@@LaureninGermanyIn other parts of the world only five minutes from first world to third world.
Ah, yes, that´s true and so sad.
Tip for your next visit to Paris: Park the motorhome at the campsite in Versailles and take the train into the city. The journey only takes an hour. ;) And you don't have to worry about parking ... or rats. :D
Oh, the rats were when I was walking around...! But that is a great idea, as I do love Versailles. Thanks!
Hallo Lauren, wieder einmal ein tolles Video mit einer tollen Musik unterlegt. Du suchst immer tolle Musik für deine Videos aus. Wenn ich dich so mit dem Wohnmobil sehe werde ich immer ganz neidisch auf euch. Dann kommen mir immer unsere Fahrten früher in den Sinn. Ich muss sagen, dass war eine der schönsten Zeit in meinem Leben. Genießt diese Zeit, ihr werdet später immer wieder daran denken. Viele Grüße bis demnächst Heinz
Ah, Heinz! Kannst Du nicht mehr rumfahren aus irgendwelchen Gründe? Ich weiß es wirklich zu schätzen. Ich konnte lange nicht aus dem Haus. Deswegen bin ich so unmessbar dankbar für diese Möglichkeit.
Es freut mich sehr, dass die Musik Dir gefällt - sie ist mir mindestens so wichtig, wie die Bilder, und ich verbringe viel Zeit, die richtige auszusuchen!
@@LaureninGermany Doch, ich kann noch herumfahren, aber ich bin jetzt 78 Jahre alt und trotzdem noch oft unterwegs, aber eigentlich nur noch in Deutschland oder Österreich und die beiden Länder sind auch wirklich schön. Aber die Erinnerungen kann mir keiner nehmen und die sind noch sehr schön, ich war in jüngeren Jahren viel unterwegs, aber die mehrmonatige Europareise war für mich der Höhepunkt. Nochmals viele Grüße, Heinz
Mehrmonatige Europareise - das kleingt nach einem Ziel!
@@LaureninGermany Diesen Traum habe ich mir in den 60er Jahren mit 3 Freunden erfüllt, Westeuropa und etwas Nordafrika. Heute bin ich etwas zu alt für so eine Reise. Von dieser Reise zehre ich aber heute noch, die war einmalig.
Es klingt phänomenal, Heinz! Ich weiss selber, dass meine Wochen in Norwegen lassen meine Seele fliegen, wenn ich daran denke. Es ist einfach was besonderes, diese Freiheit, die Erlebnisse...
During a stay for several days in Paris we got up quite early usually since she had already prepared a quite extensive list of things to see. And almost every morning some people were driving around with special cleaning vehicles cleaning the places, pavements and some parts of the streets quite thoroughly with pressuized hot steam. We had to take care to keep in a safe distance from them. Now that's an experience of the 1990ies but I guess that they're still doing it. People seem to be bit careless about littering but then Paris is a huge city with lots of tourists. As a result it might appear more dirty than many other places. But honestly, I can't remember having seen many rats in Paris.
And even smaller old towns will inevitably have rats. I was honestly shocked to find a dead rat in the small hut in my garden one day. Almost of the size of a cat. And I'm pretty sure that one of my cats had brought that beast there. I didn't want to touch it. After three days it had disappeared
... almost all of it except the tail. Yet who knows - I have martens living in my garage (but never had difficulties with my car though).
Apparently they had a street cleaner/garbage collector strike a couple of years ago and since then the rat population has exploded. I was hoping that they had dealt with it, but I read that the mayor wants people to accept it and „make friends with the rats“. There were so many and they were so bold, Michael! It sounds wonderful from when you were there.
Oh, no, Lauren. I don't know who else I _speak_ for, but I don't hold that against you at all. I'm in my mid-40's, now. I've lived in the US all my life, I've lived in a few different states and been to many more, and in all my travels, I think I've only ever seen _one_ rat. I took it as a sign that the neighborhood (where I was living, at the time) had really _deteriorated._
Absolutely, deteriorated, that is exactly right. I have seen a rat and a few micr, but it was always a shock and never something normal. And always somewhere dirty. (Countryside excepted)
We were in a hotel in a suburb of Prague, we left at 6am: I have never seen so many and big rats in my life! I'll never forget!😱
Oh, neeee... iiiiiiikkkkk....
Oh god !
I knew why I took Prague pf the list of places to go with the kid next year... and am so damn sorry I was right.
@@sisuguillam5109 I knew we were on the same wavelength. Yuck!!!
You have that in every older city in Europe, not just Praque and Paris. Vienna, Munich, Bratislava, Berlin or Roma have that as well.
I feel with you! I don´t like rats at all...
Simply too close for comfort! Yuck!!!
Yup it's 100% to do with sanitation. By the way, many French find the Eifel tower hideous and avoid it like the plague *pun intended
Yes, I know lol! That’s why I included the caveat: like the tourist I was 😆
It was the worst I saw there. Maybe the French send them all over…
I doubt that you have been Germanized quite as much, the Paris rats just have too much savoir vivre in them. German rats probably are so German, they read the Gemeindenutzungsverordnung and highlighted the most relevant bits with yellow marker.
…for German cities also approximately have one rat per human citizen. After the 2006 Cologne gig by The Sisters of Mercy, I was stuck at Cologne central stations for several hours. As I don't like train stations too much, I decided to spend the rest of the night outside by the cathedral. Back then, there still were the "Concrete tulips", small roofs that sheltered you a bit from rain, I stayed under them.
Cologne was all silent, nobody else anywhere in sight, and I had a nice and quiet time there, until I noticed all the small shadows moving towards the cathedral. Small ones, bigger ones, some I estimated to be about the size of a Yorkshire Terrier. Rats, rats, rats. Over the couple of hours there, it must have been more than fifty of them. What on earth did they do at the cathedral, though?
Worship? 🤨🤷♂🤗
Oh... MYGOD!!!
Actually, the rats were all from Düsseldorf, visiting their families for a wedding.
(God, I hope people get that joke and don´t hate on me)
@@LaureninGermany Well, I don't get it, but as I am from Troisdorf, I take no offence whatsoever! 🤗
Oh the Düsseldorf-Köln which is better thing. I believe it´s just friendly banter....
@@LaureninGermany That one I got, I only missed the connection with the wedding thing. 🥴 I fear I don't have the smarts today..
@@LaureninGermany No, wait, the penny dropped! ☺🤗 Man, I need some caffeine or a good night's sleep! 🥴
Yes, Paris has a severe rat problem, just like New York does and some other large cities. However, New York is now really willing to do something about this, even with the help of new technology and AI, but I don't know about Paris.
Exactly- I read somewhere that the mayor of Paris wants people to „make friends with the rats“. That’s not my ideal way of dealing with them…
Maybe all those rats were just visiting Remy from 'Ratatouille' (Film) 😄
Well, they certainly made themselves at home if they were guests!
@@LaureninGermany I'm dying 🤣🤣🤣 No, seriously, You are right, it's the dirty dark side of Paris
@@bianca2817 the poor people who deal with that daily!
Thats a disgusting experience. I immediately remembered that you had to drill a ventilation hole in the floor of your VAN for safety reasons. 😱Possible creepy visitors during night... 🐁🐁
BTW: When my daugter was around 14, she wanted a white rat as a pet... My wife responded: The only pet I would allow is a giraffe as it could peek its head out of the dirt in your room. 😉
Oh how funny, about the giraffe!
Yes, the minute I heard I had to drill the hole, I thought if mice. Madness!
@@LaureninGermany Um, a "mouse-proof ventilation grille" is less than 2€...
Your wife's response is funny 😄 Rats are wonderful pets but unfortunately they don't get very old and you should better have at least two and a proper cage with enough enrichment and space.
It was probably the right answer still. Parents should only get pets for their child if they trust the child to take proper care of the animal.
@@peter_meyer oh my reply didn’t go through- yes, I installed one immediately after the hole was drilled!
@@lamaglama6231 yes, they are intelligent and need stimulation and company. They are sweet when they live in a clean environment. It was the general dirtiness of the whole situation that was so uncomfortable.
Hello Lauren. One one can blame you for leaving a rat infested area. It's unfortunate that Paris with so much history, culture and beauty has let things get out of control. You guys made the right choice.
My thoughts exactly, Peter. Normally I can see past the negatives, but this one beat me.
Rats are a problem in almost all larger cities, in the older ones with very old sewers and many old corridors under the city, this is not just a problem in Paris. Because especially where there are a lot of people, a lot of tourists, they also leave behind a lot of dirt, grime and garbage. Thoughtless people who don't care what their environment looks like, plus cities that save money on cleaning staff, vehicles, trash cans and everything that goes with it, then such problems arise. Rats are frugal and act opportunistically; they don't need much to survive, similar to pigeons, seagulls, crows or ravens. And cities in general are becoming increasingly attractive to wildlife, large and small. Lots of hiding places, better food supply and less monocultures when it comes to plants.
I believe they had garbage collector strikes and then the warmer temperatures made their problem escalate. Ughhhh!!! There were soooo many, Robert! And so bold. It was the general dirtiness that bothered me the most.
@@LaureninGermany Unfortunately, Paris has never been the cleanest city, especially away from the tourist attractions. With the way you travel, you will see this much more easily than the guest in a fancy hotel and if the cleaners don't work properly or at all because they may be on strike, then the problem becomes much bigger and more obvious.
Yes, you are right. I saw the rats all around the Eiffel Tower, but I was worried they´d pop in for a visit. I knew I would not sleep well!
What did you expect? Haven't you seen the Disney documentary Ratatouille??? 😏🐀😁
lol documentary!!! Well done!
To be fully germanized you have to camp in Duisburg, Mannheim, the southeast of Hamburg or the Frankfurts for just one night😉
OMG really, why? I studied in Mannheim. I have mixed feelings...
You studied in Mannheim? My condolences😂... Dirty corners are everywhere- even in german cities. That' s all (#mixed feelings...)
@@jurgenkoth6566 yes, at the Musikhochschule. I did not enjoy it.
Due to the school or the city? But btw- i just remember a hilarious episode: a swiss friend visited me in Hamburg. I was a bit worried- she's from Zurich and Hamburg was'nt at that time covered by snow, rain, fog etc... Well, i took her to a restaurant in the middle of the city. In the midst of the dinner she started laughing- there was a mouse on the floor cheering life... Hamburg instantly got a new fan😂
The school mainly.
Oh, well your friend seems cool!
to be honest.....english and germans are the perfect match.....sorry France.....but they are the same tribe...they are family...
Now, I know you know I‘m Welsh, so consider yourself poked in the ribs! lol 😆
Actually, and I hardly dare say this… but aren’t the French originally Germanic? The Franks?
@@LaureninGermany ok you are relaesed....😄....you are celtic......🤔the french....are the french as the english says.....at the end we are all family....in europe....💏
ah, I just saw this! Yes, all family, all people. A bit of joking is fun, but yes, we are all people and if you go back far enough, all the same.
A very nice video, thank you very much.
But are you aware that it is forbidden to post a video of the Eiffel Tower at night on the internet? The French are very particular about that.
I checked it out and it’s if you are a professional earning money. I‘ll take it down if they have a problem. Let’s hope not. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your story, it was like poetry - except for the rats. "Was it hysterical of you"? No. I wouldn't bother that much, but I do understand if other people do, and with good reason. The two times I went to Paris I don't recall any rats but it wouldn't surprise me to have seen them and forgotten. But besides that, Paris is a very nice city, beautiful, interesting. [Edit] I got the thought that Paris can often make us think of the French revolution. Maybe the rats are there as an extra "tourist attaction" to make us experience Paris as it would be back in the 1700s?
Oh, God, well I onnly like the time-travel experience via my sofa! lol! I will say, the amount and boldness of these rats would have stuck in your memory. It was after sunset around the Eiffel Tower, I didn´t see them at Montmatre.
@@LaureninGermany OK. It seems I have yet to experience that particular "tourist attraction" of Paris as I didn't get to see the Eiffel Tower. My two visits to Paris were very short.
In 1989 we spent an afternoon in the Arc de Triomphe museum, and visited Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur. Then, after a concert, we had to hitchhike home to Denmark, out of time.
In 2002, returning from a LeMans 24-hours raced, we stayed next to Gare du Nord station and had a full day in the downtown of Paris. We did walk some backstreets and might have seen rats there (it would surprise me as it wasn't very clean), but none that I remember.
Four times I traveled to Provence in southern France and several times to Lemans for the race, every time experiencing France as a clean place. Only the backstreets of Paris, and the outskirts of Marseilles (again hitchhiking), was littered with garbage.
You visited Paris before the problems started, luckily. I´d love to travel in Provence - it´s been a place of interest for me for a long time. I hope I´ll go soon.
@@LaureninGermany Provence is nice, warm, dry, rural, beautiful and relaxed.
I went twice to the vicinity of the town "Apt" for French classes. Nearby there's a small village called "Roussillon" for the red "ocre" colours of the houses (the paint) and soil. It's sand having been blown there from the Sahara in Africa. Near the village is a place where layers of sand in all colours can be seen: White, yellow, orange, red, purple. Mostly orage and red variations. Incredible sight.
Samuel Beckett lived in a vinyard near Roussillon during WW2. The area is called "Luberon", part of the "Vaucluse" region of Provence.
South of Apt town for the 1980s French classes we stayed at the small chateau de "Buoux", then owned by the local municipality, from which we almost managed to BUY the chateau. Sadly something went wrong. But a very charming and historically interesting chateau it was. Outdoors large marble pool, niches for statues, wide curved staircases. The main building was from the renaissance, in some rooms huge fireplaces in stone, a small tower for the stairs.
A newer part was from the late 1700s only completed a couple of decades ago. I guess the 1700s owner happned to suddenly grow a head shorter. Behind were older Middle Ages buildings still in use. The back side of the complex was a 1000 year old small castle, with gatehouse, towers, crenalations and murder holes.
Over the hill, past a small Middle Ages chapel, the small, charming village of Buoux. A km behind that, passing under a huge overhanging cliff which is among the best of rock climbing places (if you fancy climbing with your head down) is the steep ascent to "Fort de Buoux", ruins of a fortress in use since Ancient times till the 1600s. A very interesting site. There's a small entrance fee.
The site is special. And the from the top is spectacular. The cliff is very high, impossible to climb except for the steep path at the front. At the site the users has cut long staircases and huge storage containers into the rock. The cliff itself becomes taller and narrower as you proceed. The defence layerss continue inside: A moat, a wall with gatehouse, then a new area. The moat, wall with gatehouse, then a new area. Quite a number of times. Then suddenly - nothing. Air. 200 meters vertical fall. The last stand.
Other sites in Provence are all in the tourist brochures, but I will mention the "Gorges du Verdun" canyon further East from Apt. Canoing/ sailing is possible in the lake/ river, but the site is especially good for hiking. Beautiful, varied, and very interesting. There are places where you can enter a small side canyon and experience a completely different and much more lush vegetation than the rest of the area.
While walking on a path further up the slopes( sides of the canyon we found the area to be so rich in calcium that where small streams of water would frequently flow down the small branches on the ground would all be "petrified" in thick layers of calcium. And we found a couple of tiny caves full of slatactites and stalagmites. I couldn't walk, I had to crawl. It added to the "prehistoric" feeling of the area.
I hope I gave you an interesting read and, who knows, maybe some inspiration for future travels. Cheers from Denmark. Be safe.
You made it sound irresistable! Now, where shall I go in Denmark, please? I was at Gedser, and in and near Copenhagen. I don´t think I have seen much, yet!
The return of the Wollmütze!
Lol! I have a new one, Sisu. I feel like it’s a betrayal! It needs it’s own introduction video!
@@LaureninGermanyit's very pretty! As is the nail varnish!
@@LaureninGermanyThe glasses are very stylish too! The bigger, the better!
@@sisuguillam5109 they’re officially diva, aren’t they? 😂
@@sisuguillam5109 I made an effort in France! It felt very nice, I‘ll keep it up. Mind you, less dishes would help…!
i would not be too worried about the Parisians, i bet they don't love the rats either.
I saw signs from citzens saying stuff against the rats, you´re right Uli. The poor people.
You are just becoming too German. Well, half of my family are Germans and yes, I absolutely understand you. They would be reacting the same way as you just did too
It’s snuck up on me, but it’s real! I’m glad I left- I think I‘d still be having nightmares!
Do you know the movie "Ratatuille"? :)
I‘ve heard of it but never seen it.
@@LaureninGermany Its about a rat who wants to be a chef in a restaurant in Paris, quite funny. Then you se that rats are just people, too. :)
Hmmmm.... I don´t know that I would enjoy it after my experience.
Of course you like Versailles. It‘s where Germany was founded
I think it appealed to me for different reasons. Like the cleanliness, the friendliness, how you can walk around so much, and the food.
I have to admit, I don’t know anything about the Treaty except that it was signed (?) in Versailles and I believe there was something about it that was unsustainable.
1:13 The "inselexpress?" 🤔Is that where _incels_ ride?
LOL! I see more men who certainly aren´t incels on there, judging by their many offspring!
Let me put it this way... If Paris wasn't too strange for English, or German troops, it will be fine for you...
I think there is a significant amount of difference between me, a female opera singer who has never done an army drill in her life and a soldier who has seen action.
@@LaureninGermany No doubt about that...
No , not hysterical! So gross !!! ❤
I am so glad I left. At the time I wasn’t sure of myself, but my instincts were right.