By: Mbali Pearl Zulu
Ten Days in Paris
Paris is much more than a picturesque backdrop for romance. It is also known as the ‘City of Lights. You can rest assured that if there is one place that can nourish the soul of a lone traveller, it is Paris. If the opportunity to visit France’s fabulous capital arises for you, I would say take it. I was recently in Paris for the first time, on a solo trip. I am presenting my travel diary with things I did during the ten day duration of my trip in Paris
My trip diary of Paris
When I woke up in the morning, I had with mixed emotions. I felt all the emotions – excitement, confusion, sadness, cold – all sorts of emotions. This was because it was time travelling anywhere without my wife. Our plans to travel together had been thwarted by visa decision we received on the 26th of April 2023. This was very heart breaking and disappointing for us but my partner supported me in the decision to fulfil one of my dreams/goals.
She helped me to pack my bags, documents, artworks and related art materials. I felt so blessed to have her as my own. This was an emotional day for the both of us such that we decided that she was not going to accompany me to the airport. We could not bear the pain.
At 11:00am we requested a Bolt (rideshare) and I bid my good byes. I was a bit stronger than her. She cried. I must say that reality hit hard when I got to the airport. When I looked on my right hand side, she was not where she normally walks or sits. I longed to hear her voice, but all I could hear were different voices in different languages. Everything felt loud. That’s when I could not hold my tears. I cried and people were staring, but I did not mind them. I was on the phone with my wife who was also in tears. Soon it was time to board.
I prayed and told myself that all would be well. I had a layover in Ethiopia and the airport was buzzing with many travellers. I have been in a few airports, but never saw so many people who were travelling at the same time. It was noisy and buzzing with energy. I was so ready to board my next plane. My layover lasted for four hours and we departed 00:30: I was on my way to city of love, Paris. I was looking forward to learn more and explore art and museums. Actually no one knows this besides my wife but my maternal grandfather’s name was Frances. He then named my dad France and I always found this very fascinating growing up. I promised myself that I will one day visit France. I said to myself “It’s the 2nd of May 2023 and we are here.” I had come full circle.
I landed safely in Charles de Gaulle airport and was so exhausted from the long flight, but could not wait to explore the place. After disembarking I was looking up at the boards and most, if not all were written in French. I never panicked but told myself that I would make it out this airport without getting lost but before that I connected to the Wi-Fi, very quickly and checked in with my loved ones that I landed safely. I then searched for the keywords and translated them to English, I followed the signs on the board until I went past customs and collected my luggage.
I went outside and waited for the taxi and I thought it was going to be cold outside the airport but it was otherwise. The driver who took me was friendly and started to say something in French. I just smiled and responded that I only speak in English. It felt good to hear him reciprocate by speaking back in g English.
He assured me that I should not worry about the cold weather as Paris was a warm city. He even informed me that schools were on a two week break and so traffic was better. To me it looked very bad. On our drive to the Duo hotel, I saw various works of art. This place was beautiful to me. I saw and felt the beauty. The buildings were unique and beautiful, you can tell that the architecture was from many years ago.
I observed many people walking to their destinations, bicycling, taking the bus, getting on the trains and others using cars. I caught myself amused because I noticed everything was on the left when it came to cars and driving in France. It felt weird and like we were doing something wrong. The turns felt so wrong and driving on the right side of the road felt totally wrong. Seeing the sitting arrangements inside other people’s cars felt awkward, but it was a fun drive. We listened to jazz music and I appreciated that.
By the time I arrived at the hotel, it was warm and that made me happy. I met Flavien who welcomed me and assisted me with my booking as well as showing me where my room was. All I needed was a long hot shower. When I got into the room I was disappointed by the fact that there was no hot water. I took a cold shower after enjoying breakfast which fortunately for me, was still being served. I took a nap and then got ready to prepare for MEP show. Flavien picked me up and we walked to the MEP. We met Malebogo, South African artist who won the 2022 Gerald Sekoto award.
We walked into the space and it felt so good to see and experience Prof. Muholi’s work on those walls. As I walked into the space, lots of emotions were evoked. It felt like I was back in South Africa where the hate crime rate is high. I thought of all the lost members of LGBTQI society. People’s lives were lost because of hatred. It will always be painful. We engaged with the conversations and showed each other’s others point of views. It was a fruitful gallery visit. We then went to Malebogo’s studio. It was big and spacious. Malebogo offered me a space to work and I was excited. I then had to leave and prepare for the next day. We walked back home. I knew I would enjoy this place because of all the walking. It keeps a human in shape. When I returned to my hotel room hot water had been restored so I took a shower, ate some fruit that I got from the reception in the afternoon, drank water and fell asleep peacefully.
2 May 2023
At 08:35am, there I stood around, glaring at the foreign street signs, in a city that I had only dreamt and read of. My heart was pounding against my chest so hard the person down the street could have felt my excitement. The first step outside of the hotel made my eyes brighten like the sun’s rays, as I gazed out at the city that I would be happily calling home for a week. Paris was a new adventure that I was going to be able to experience all by myself,
My eyes darted around, bouncing off the buildings, to the people and the traffic. It was like something from a movie; there were cars zooming in every direction and the buildings were absolutely breathtaking. This city was nothing like I had imagined. In fact it was better than I could have ever dreamed it would be. My grin stretched from ear to ear as I struggled to take in everything that this city had to offer. Every step I took it was like being engulfed by this fine city.
The feeling was indescribable. It was so busy with not just the traffic but because various activities were happening everywhere – from the pop-up baguette stalls, the side street buskers, historic buildings, and the beggars sitting on each corner. The little puddles that coated the rustic sidewalks, made everything reflect, against the ground. Even from the surface I could marvel, at the beauty, I was surrounded with. The foreign language oozed through, caught in the summertime Parisian breeze. I couldn’t understand a word but at this stage I did not even mind. I was just drinking it all in.
Everything was a further insight into the city. Every step I took it felt like I was getting further and further away from home, but oddly enough, I loved everything about it. .
I stood in awe at the remarkable mixture of history and the questions that were flooding my head. I also caught myself admiring the fact that I was actually here at this time and how many people my age had had the same opportunity.
03 May 2023
On this day I woke up, said my morning prayers and started a painting in my hotel room. Flavien called and requested a conference call. Prof. Muholi joined the call. We were all connected and spoke about the itinerary, funds and the reasons I am here in Paris. Straight after the call I took a warm bath and had breakfast.I then prepared to go to the studio and Malebogo was already there. I brought my artworks and we had a
critique session. It was a fruitful one. We then discussed the weekly plan and how we were going to work on an artwork. While working on that she told me how she got to win the ABSA l’Atelier Gerald Sekoto award. She told an
inspirational story and I also inspired her with a few life lessons and she was inspired. It was then time for me to go back to my hotel room.
I had bad period pains. Luckily for me, my wife had packed supplies for me in case I start my flow while away from home. When I got to my hotel room I made myself a hot cup of mint tea , called my wife and slept. I had to end the day because when I am menstruating, I cannot function properly. These unfortunate pains were only made worse because I woke up with painful case of ulcers. Thankfully I now know how to treat these. I also decided I would take it it one day at a time. I was so grateful to be there and vowed to make the most of this trip.
I was feeling much better the next day when I woke up. I was ready for some more sightseeing after having some breakfast. This day was reserved for exploring and learning more about the French Impressionism in Paris. It’s one of my favourite painting styles, and I am in love with that era – the Bohemian lifestyle and the culture at the end of the 19th century. I decided to take a tour around town and saw this brush shop which to me as an artist, was heaven. Everything I could ever need as an artist was there. Every brush and every paint was available and I was just lost for a moment. That’s how excited I was to be in that shop. I bought a few items there as I am currently busy with a portrait. I wanna leave Paris knowing that I have worked , knowing that I have made an artwork whist in Paris. I also want to learn more about the Impressionist painters that used to live and work there.
Some streets and houses still looked the same as they did at the end of the 19th century. I could almost imagine carriages strolling through those streets and music coming from the small cabarets, that would pass whilst watching Romeo and Juliet. There is something special about strolling in the streets of Paris. You live and breathe the arts at every corner and alleyway that you pass through. It gives one a sense of living. I found the Arts in this place extraordinary .
The most special place for me was the house where Vincent and Theo van Gogh lived together during the two years Vincent spent in Paris. The painting Van Gogh painted while looking through the window of that apartment is displayed in the Vincent Von Gogh Museum in Amsterdam . One day I will visit Amsterdam so that I visit this place. Next stop is the Louvre Museum where the original painting of Mona Lisa is displayed. Allen Ginsberg once said,
“You can’t escape the past in Paris, and yet what’s so wonderful about it is that the past and present intermingle so intangibly that it doesn’t seem to burden.”
Paris was established over 2000 years ago and is therefore a very rich city in terms of history and culture. I believe it is not only beneficial for people to know their own history and culture but also those of other countries and cultures. I will be informing you about the history of some monuments there like The Louvre and Arc de Triomphe (Triumphal Arch), the culture, and the languages spoken there. The Louvre is one of the most famous museums in the world. It was never intended to be a museum as it was originally built as a defense fortress by Philip Augustee, the king of France, in 1178. This was built to protect the Parisians from incoming attacks that were coming from other foreign countries. Then around 1360, Charles V reconstructed the museum into the royal palace of France. For around 2 centuries, the Louvre was home to French royalty, ambassadors and servants.
Then around mid-15th century, King Louis XIV began the construction of the palace of Versailles and left the Louvre as the royal home. Within a 100 years from then, the French revolution happened and it was then when the Louvre was transformed into a museum. On August 10th, 1793 it officially opened up to the public with an exhibition of 537 paintings. This was significant because it was the first anniversary of the French monarchy’s fall. .
4 May 2023
On this day I woke up, did some reading, took a shower and had breakfast. I had period pains – one of the worst I ever had. I needed to urgently go to the pharmacy to get some medication. I then went to an art supply shop to get some material. I was so excited to start a painting. I came back to the hotel, took some medication and started painting. I was planning to do this painting since I was back home. I just needed to leave Paris with at-least one complete painting. I worked throughout the day.
In the evening I needed to go for a talk at the MEP. I was so excited to go there, I didn’t even mind the language barrier. I arrived at 18:30 and people were already coming in. I just needed to observe their reactions and interactions. This exhibition is big and different. This exhibition is educational, this exhibition will make history. People were so engaged in talks and discussion. I could see the emotions in their faces, their body language showed that the photographs were hitting somewhere. I am saying this because I have seen some of the photographs before, but it never hit this hard. Each and every time I view Zanele Muholi’s work, it feels like the first time. I just got into a moment and my emotions were triggered. I believe that’s what art is supposed to do. I took photographs and had to leave. I must say that the curator did a great job in putting up a show like this one. I went back to the hotel to continue painting.
05 and 06 May 2023
Lerato Dumse arrived and it felt good to have someone with me from my motherland in a foreign country. We spoke before she left South Africa for Paris. She couldn’t wait to come through. When she landed, she texted and got an uber to the hotel. We had breakfast and caught up in my room because she had arrived early in the morning and her room would be available later on where she refreshed herself and then we went to la MEP. When we got there, I saw the excitement from everyone who came to see the Zanele Muholi exhibition.
We did not have to stand in the queue since we were there to work. We advised the reception that we were there for work and were advised to go through. Looking at the exhibition for the second time, gave me goosebumps all over again. It felt like the first time I am seeing the work. I just saw Muholi’s work being exhibited in one of the greatest museums in hundred years to come. I just saw a future. Different discussions were held by a different group of people. I could not understand what they were saying, but could see the engagement in their eyes. We then left the gallery early, because Lerato had just arrived and she was still exhausted from the travelling. We retrested to our hotel rooms.
8 May 2023
It was on the 8th of May 2023 when I woke up feeling better from the period pains. I decided to book a ticket to visit Musee de Louvre. I was excited about this one because I was going to see the historical paintings and statues. I went online and fortunately enough tickets were still available. I bought one for myself. I got ready, had breakfast, put on my big jacket and left. I reloaded my ticket when I got to the station. I felt a bit warm but had to keep my jacket on because I did not have a bag with me.
After buying the ticket, I went straight to the subway. I was now getting used to using this train. I was more confident. This was a straight forward trip. I did not need to change platforms to connect. I got off at de Louvre station. It took me directly to the museum entrance. I looked around hoping to see long queues, as people were saying that the museum was always full and there are always long queues. I was so lucky because there were no queues to enter the museum, I just showed my ticket and entered.
I had goosebumps when I entered the museum. I saw marble statues and almost cried tears of joy. I have been to museums and saw artworks, but this right here reminded me of how I wanted to study visual art in Paris but could never afford the fees and accommodations. I remember I applied and got a response with the quotation and it was unfortunate because the fees were too steep for me. This reminded me of how I was interested in international art, especially French art. Most of the statues and paintings I saw and analysed, were artworks that I learned about in my university days. It felt so good to actually see and smell the paintings. I felt blessed because I know it is not everyone who will get to see the artworks live.
One of the historical paintings were the frescos by Alessandro FILIPEPI, dit BOTTICELLI, Florence, vers 1445 – Florence, 1510; This is the Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love, and the Three Graces Presenting, Gifts to a Young Woman, Fresco, about 1483-1485, Painted for a bedroom on the first floor of the Villa Lemmi (Chiasso dei Macerelli, Near Florence). This felt like heaven to me. The quality of these frescos were remarkable. The older they get, the more beautiful they become. I learnt that some of the artists of the Renaissance spent their lifetime only painting one piece. This reminded me of dedication and having a vision in doing something.
As I was walking around. I saw this huge room with lots of people. I got curious and stepped into the room as well. I saw people taking selfies with a certain painting and I realised that it was the famous Monalisa by Leonardo da Vinci. I stood in the long queue also just to get to the front. It was a beautiful experience. I then continued with analysing the artworks in the museum and realised that this experience was motivational for me. I had started a painting and was inspired to continue and paint like never before. I got reminded that whatever it is that I paint or create today will last for years. Other generations will learn from my works.
9 May 2022
It was was Tuesday morning and most of the Paris galleries are closed on Tuesdays. I woke up and prepared for my checkout from DUO hotel. I was booked until the 9 May 2023. I packed my bags, took a warm shower, had breakfast and went to the reception to checkout. It was all done and I waited for Lerato Dumse to come checkout as well. She came through and then had to wait for the check-in time, this was for the hotel across the street. We waited for about two hours. We did not feel the time because we were having fruitful conversations.
We then had to walk to the hotel during this beautiful and rainy day. We got to the hotel, changed into dry clothes and then I advised Lerato that I needed to go for the Eiffel Tower , that was part of my weekly schedule. She was so excited and requested to join me. I was also happy to have someone to come with.
We made our way to the Eiffel Tower by subway. When we got there, the queues were extremely long. People wanted to get to the top. I am not a fan of heights, but I needed to do this for experience. At first I was excited to climb, the stairs, but it got scarier as I approached the cashiers for for the purchase of tickets. Luckily when we got to the front, we found out that we were in a queue to go to the top with elevators and not the stairs. I got relieved a bit. I got excited again when approaching the lift. I could feel the adrenaline. We got to the top and I saw the beautiful city. This was one of the best views I have ever seen. The construction is one of the best. The uniformity is out of this world. I was still scared of the heights but felt the goodness of experiencing the second level of the Eiffel tower. We took photos and got the chance to look through the kaleidoscope. We then went down and waited for dawn. We wanted to take more images and then went back to the hotel to rest.
10 May 2023
Last day in Paris, the city of love. I could not leave the city without visiting the museum with one of my favourites – Vincent van Gogh housed in the Musee d’Orsay. I woke up in a rainy day and told myself that I was still going no matter what! I got in the subway train and had a long walk after disembarking. It was a bit farther. I secured my ticket and stood in a queue and wondered about all the rain that was falling. I ended up buying an umbrella as almost everyone who was in a queue had one. I realised that I needed one as well.
When I finally got inside, I saw this huge structure. The museum is extremely big. There were humans all over the place, buzzing with excitement. I saw how art unites people from different countries, different races and different beliefs. At this point in time we were all speaking the same language. That of art. Musee d’Orsay has a huge collection of artworks. Some of the post impressionism artists featured in this museum are Vincent van Gogh and Gauguin. I got fascinated and could not wait to experience the work. As I walked through, I got to experience the live drawings from learners. Schools go to the gallery for projects and exercises. Students choose sculptures of their own and do live drawings. This was interesting to watch. Finally when I got to Vincent can Gogh’s work, I felt that all is well. I realised again that it is not everyone who gets to experience such. I felt blessed all over again. Just to sum the whole thing up, my trip was remarkable, interesting, educational and experimental, I got to meet different people and made contact.
I am grateful and thankful.
The Louvre, in the 21st century, is now owned by the French government. It holds over 380,000 objects and displays 35000 works of arts in eight departments that stretch over an area of 60,600 square meters. The museum’s collection includes Egyptian antiques, ancient Greek and Roman sculptures, paintings and drawings from various artists and other artifacts from French nobles. The painting of Mona Lisa by the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci is housed here. Growing up that used to be a favourite painting.
I could not believe that all my dreams were coming true with just one trip to Paris. Who would have thought that me, a whole Mbali Zulu would travel to her favourite country? I’m so grateful. Thank you!! Ever since traveling overseas, I always wondered what it would be like to speak a different language, to grow up learning different customs, or to live in a completely different way than I do now. This past few my dream finally came true.
Side note: The importance of the Mona Lisa
“The Mona Lisa could mean so many things and is surrounded by speculation, which is why she is famous and why she is valued art. Not only has the reason why the Mona Lisa is valued changed over time but, the Mona Lisa herself changed dramatically over the three years of her conception. Change and the ability to change — the ability to be perceived differently at different times enables a piece of artwork to be timeless. Intention is a valuable part of art work; not only the artist intention but, the observers intention when they are observing the art”
Returning home
As I was packing my bag, the zip broke and I had to think of a plan fast. I bought some pliers and fixed it. I requested an uber ride and the gentleman came through very quickly and we went to the airport. We spent almost two hours in the traffic. Fortunate enough I was early for my flight. I arrived safely at the airport and waited to board. I couldn’t wait to go home and see my loved ones.
Highlights of the trip
• To see two of my portraits, by Zanele Muholi at la MEP
• To visit France (This has been my dream since I was little)
• To see the Mona Lisa by Vincent van Gogh
• To see the Sunflower and starry night by Vincent van Gogh
• To visit and climb the Eiffel tower
• To actually make a painting in Paris
Budget
• There was no straight budget submitted to Muholi
• R5000.00 was deposited into my account on the 04th May 2023
• R10,000.00 deposited again and I paid R4878.47 towards Lerato Dumse’s room
• On the 9th May 2023 R5000.00 was paid into my account again
• According to this report, my average spend, per day was R500, this was including meals, transport
museum visits and entertainment
Improvements
• Write a daily plan and stick to it
• Write a budget and stick to it
Continues
• Communicating regularly
• Waiting daily reports
• Never stop learning
• Build networks
Fun fact
• I enjoyed listening to French conversations even if I did not understand them
Overall, this trip made me realise that planning is important, if we had planned things thoroughly then we would’ve traveled together but next time we will plan accordingly and do things by the book.
I am thankful.
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