Guillaume

What brought you to Paris in the first place?

Work brought me here. Early in my career, I was told my job would be moved to La Défense. I was a bit scared at the beginning and awed by everything I had heard about the hostility and the stress of living in the capital. But once settled in a cozy little flat in Montparnasse, I started to really enjoy my Parisian life, offering the comfortable amenities of a ‘vie de quartier’ on the one hand and so many grandiose sightseeing, exciting venues, and fascinating cultural events on the other hand.

How would you describe your love affair with Paris?

It’s been steadily growing stronger, as I get to discover new charms every year. I was lovestruck by its sheer beauty at first, but in time learned to appreciate its other sides, more intimate, more authentic.

Are there any of these sides that you dislike?

As a smalltown provincial guy, I didn’t like the rough and sometimes rude treatment you’d get from stressed Parisian people. Don’t know if it’s me who adapted, but I feel it’s somehow got better these last years. Traffic, too, has always been a mess, but then I don’t have a car anymore, haha!

What’s your favorite Parisian movie scene?

Mmm, can I choose 3 of them? I’d say the one in the garden of the Musée Rodin in Midnight in Paris, the one behind Notre Dame in Lune de Fiel and the one in Inception where the whole neighborhood seems to roll itself over (it’s actually just a stone’s throw from where I live).

If Paris were a song?

It would be something atmospheric, grandiose, powerful, groovy, and emotional at the same time, dunno, like an Arcade Fire song: Reflektor, maybe?