Something which has intrigued me since I arrived in Paris is the different designs of the metro stations and the reasons behind these different designs. So this afternoon I decided to visit and photograph some of the most quirky* stations. Now this involved me spending 2 hours on the metro travelling along lines between different stations and I am not ashamed to say I flippin loved it. Usually I just pass through these stations barely looking where I'm going just following the signs for the exit or the next line and avoiding the armpits of strangers. But travelling with no real destination meant I was in no rush like everyone else on the metro. The 4 minutes wait for the next metro didn't make me pace up and down the platform and tut like a true brit as it does usually.
I love people watching and spending abnormal lengths of time on the metro allowed me to relish in guessing where other people were going, who they were going to meet and why, listening to conversations between families and laughing to myself when they mirror the same conversations I'd had with my family. I witnessed a child's face as they took their first trip ever on the metro, which I imagine is what I looked like when I was first taken on the underground. I witnessed the tallest man I have ever seen** guide a blind man on the metro to a seat. These small things made my day.
*sorry I've become the kind of person that uses the word quirky
**insert short joke here
I took photos of some of the weirdest metro stations for your delight, you're welcome.
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| Parmentier is a station dedicated to potatoes, oh the French! The seats are tractor seats and there's information about potatoes everywhere. It's very French. |
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| Arts et Métiers was redesigned by a Belgian designer to resemble a submarine. |
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| Cadet is decorated with the stars and stripes of the American Flag |
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| This is my favourite metro station. It's just so pretty and the floor sparkles, and I'm a sucker for a sparkle. |
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