Je vais seule is a line from one of my favorite Françoise Hardy songs. A song I’ve been thinking about as I’ve been touring the city. Je vais seule means “I go alone” or “I walk alone.” The song is about walking the Paris streets alone and looking at all the couples, happily arm-in-arm.
It’s romantic and sad and poetic–very French, mais oui? Although I have someone to walk with (in life), he’s been tied up with a conference and so I’ve been seeing the City of Lights through new eyes. And it has been liberating. In general, I don’t like being alone very much. I enjoy sharing everything I’m seeing with the person next to me…but I’m learning that just because I’m seeing a museum/cafe/shop alone it doesn’t mean I should be taking any less joy from it.
Do you travel alone? Would you?
Yes, Paris is a city for lovers, but it is also a great city for solo travelers. It is a very common sight to see someone sitting alone in a cafe relishing in a good glass of wine (and steak frites!), without a magazine or cell phone as “armor.” Parisians seem to be better at the solo thing and I’m taking cues from them as I make my around. Today je vais seule, but for now, a few links:
- Solo in Paris (New York Times)
- Traveling solo in Paris (JourneyWoman)
- The best countries for solo travelers (Travel + Leisure)
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