Champs-Élysées

If the name seems vaguely familiar it’s probably one of three things. Someone you know has visited and come back saying how beautiful it was, you vaguely recognize it from Greek mythology as the Elysian Fields (Elysium), or you’ve heard about the protests.

From personal experience I can say that it’s an eerie mix of all three.

It’s a wide boulevard with ample room for cars and pedestrians, lined first with well kept trees then shops of the more lucrative varieties. Nike, Dior, Apple, Starbucks, H&M, Louis Vuitton, and McDonalds all have stores there, to give you some sense of it, along with other boutiques whose name I didn’t recognise. The whole thing ends (or begins) with the Arch de Triomphe, which is likely much bigger than you think!

Had the stores been open I don’t think I would have liked to go in. Not just because the ‘you break it you bought it’ policy was running through my head while merely walking near them, but because the shops reminded me very much of a pair of Jimmy Choo boots I’d seen at Selfridges. I don’t think they’d have fit around my wrists much less my calves, and the clothes on the Champs-Élysées didn’t look any more accommodating.

It’s the sort of place you go to admire what can be done when enormous amounts of wealth are hoarded; or when you seek to destroy it.

I had gone a week or two after a protest, and witnessed the less immediate aftermath. Some stores still had their boards up, the graffiti calling for revolution, and expressing enragement with the president, Emmanuel Macron. The windows of a bank had been smashed.

I don’t know enough about the political situation to be able to comment on the legitimacy of any complaints about Macron, but to the best of my knowledge the French are angry that the distribution of wealth has become drastically uneven.

I walk down the Champ D’Elysees can be a lovely experience, albeit an expensive one if you decide to purchase anything. That said, my advice would be to do a bit of research before planning it, and have a backup plan just in case. Follow the news a bit more closely than you otherwise would in the days leading up to your trip, and check the news the day of. If there is any mention of protest I recommend staying away. The French Police won’t make the distinction between a protester and a tourist, and it’s best to avoid being arrested in general nevermind while you’re abroad.

If all seems well, bring some comfortable walking shoes, your camera, and maybe a little picnic lunch if you’re looking to keep your costs down. Even the restaurants are expensive!

Wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay safe gentle readers.