A Tale of Two Cities

When I stepped off the train in London, the cleanliness of St. Pancreas' Station astounded me. It's hard to know if it's underpaid cleaning crews or long delayed remodels, but Paris mass transport manages to be almost universally more grimy.

It's hard not to compare the two cities. Both are world cities with long histories--political, cultural, and financial centers. Naturally, Paris carries a little more weight on the cultural side of things as London does when it comes to finance. But both were centers of worldwide empires, now significantly reduced. Both have immigrant populations from the entire world. And both attract more than enough tourists.

Of which I am one. For Armistice Day (known as Veteran's Day in certain corners of this world), I'm in London. It's my second time, but this time around I feel like I have a better feel for how to make what to do. Just a few quick comparisons:

1) The Museum of London is much better done than its equivalent in Paris, Musée Carnavalet. Really, to get a good overview of the history of Paris, you would need to visit a handful of museums, including the Musée Carnavalet, the crypt of Notre Dame, and the museum of Cluny. And even with the multiple museums, the history covered wouldn't make it up to the present day, as the Museum of London manages. While I was there, kids were swarming all over the place, enchanted by the various exhibits targeted towards them and by the specially hired museum guides for them. The treatment of slavery was honestly dealt with. In France, as is the custom, the museum turns a blind eye to that controversial subject. On the other hand, both cities manage to avoid delving too deeply into their colonial pasts and the difficult ethical questions they raise.

2) It's a lot harder to find Arabs here than in Paris. Poles are everywhere, though, and Pakistanis are also a lot more prevalent. In addition, the ethnic makeup of the city here seems to be more mixed at all socioeconomic levels. This seems to back up anecdotal evidence I've heard that ethnic minorities from France find London less racist.

3) London is a lot more spread out than Paris. If you have the scale of the Parisian metro in you head, you're liable to underestimate distances on the London Underground.

4) Also, the London Underground has smaller trains than the Paris Metro. The doors fit about one person at a time, as opposed to two or three in Paris, which might explain why the trains wait longer at stops.

5) As noted, London is cleaner than Paris.

6) In London it is easier to get run over by moving vehicles for an American. Even with the ubiquitous "Look Left"/"Look Right" signs, I still manage to forget how traffic flows in this peculiar country.

7) The English are definitely missing the spirit of the French bistro. The very design of their restaurants shows that they eat faster and pay less attention to the quality of their food.