Short trip to Paris: Why Mallorcans should give the Seine a chance

Short trip to Paris: Why Mallorcans should give the Seine a chance

When I stand on a damp January morning on Passeig Mallorca, a small whistle in my ear and a cup of coffee to wake up, a weekend trip to Paris feels farther away than it is. Two hours — that's all it takes to close the door of a Palma home in the morning and count the street lamps along the Seine in the evening. For those of us on the island it's not an unreal long-distance journey but a chance to get a breath of different air and dive into a city that ticks differently than Palma: denser, louder, full of details.

Paris provides the big images — the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, the Louvre — and alongside them small surprises that are easy to miss if you only scratch the surface. On the Île de la Cité the city begins on a completely different scale: the walls smell of old stone, the boats chug along lazily, and a bakery still radiates the morning heat of its ovens. Starting from here, you can feel how history is laid out like stepping stones.

My tip: don't rush straight to the tower; plan for the Sainte-Chapelle. In the morning the windows throw a delicate coat of color onto the floor — a quiet, almost private hour of theater. Nearby are street cafés where waiters take orders with practiced friendliness; there you can practice watching like on Mallorca, only the scenes are different: Parisians with bags full of books, couples taking walks in rain jackets, delivery riders wearing helmets.

But Paris is not only beautiful; it also has corners with a rougher history. Standing at the Place de la Concorde you will see more than just avenues: the square bears marks that recall turbulent times. And the grand boulevards, which seem so charming, did not come about purely out of a love of symmetry — questions of power often played a role. That's no reason for gloom, but a reason to keep your eyes open while strolling, as suggested by considerations about ports and festivals in Barcolana in Trieste: What Mallorca's Coasts Should Learn Now.

For Mallorcans such a short trip has several advantages: first, variety. Those who normally smell the sea every day benefit from orienting their head and feet differently for two days — museums, markets, street music. Second, Paris is more pleasant to experience in the off-season: fewer crowds, cozier cafés, the chance to see an exhibition without waiting in line. Third: ideas. Fashion, gastronomy, urban spaces — much of what you see in Paris can be brought back to the island with a bit of creativity, whether in interior design, at the bakery, or in the city's appearance. This mirrors a growing trend detailed in Mallorca on a Cultural Course: Short Trips Bring Fresh Energy to the Island.

Practically, this means: early flights often offer a good price, two full days are enough for the sum of impressions, and a comfortable backpack is better than a lot of luggage. Walking is the best currency: Île de la Cité, Notre-Dame (still impressive from the outside), Sainte-Chapelle, then over to the Louvre and through the Tuileries — all in a pleasant zigzag. Those who want to dive deeper will find many themed walks, often guided for tips; that way you decide what the knowledge is worth to you. Local transport ideas are evolving too, as reported in Waterbus for Palma: Opportunity for Commuters or a New Tourist Gimmick?.

And one more thing, observed from everyday life on Mallorca: we cultivate a sunny calmness, and that's our advantage. In Paris precisely this calmness can make the trip more relaxed. No keeping up with must-sees, no overeating on sights, but two days in which you might prefer to linger longer in a tiny gallery or sit in a boulangerie and marvel at the croissant dough — just as we would enjoy an ensaimada on the Plaça Major.

In the end Paris is an invitation for Mallorcans. Not to work or compare, but to return inspired. If you like, you bring back new recipes, fresh colors for the apartment, or simply a changed perspective. And when you step off again on Passeig Mallorca, the sea is immediately there — and the island feels a little bit bigger.