St Denis, the only place on the planet where anyone has even tried to jack me up.
15 Year’s or so ago, my wife and I were vacationing in Paris. We got the wild idea to visit the Cathedral St Denis, which is famous as the one time resting place of French royalty, and is one of the very few central European cathedrals where pre-WW2 stained glass windows survive.
Our story of note however, involves the two fake government officers who stopped us precisely as our feet crossed from public sidewalk to church property. They were running a con, checking tourists Francs to then declare them counterfeit. We didn’t fall for the con, got good descriptions of both men and their female lookout, plus the nice automobile they all departed in.
We spent over half an hour at the local police station, describing our encounter to a patient Parisian police lieutentant. He matched the car tag number with people who fit the description of the perps. He described them as French Algerian.
We retold our story in great detail to our hotel concierge, who after patiently listening, remarked, ah, St Denis, you should have asked me before you embarked, it is a very bad place. St Denis contains the Algerian ghetto of Paris!
I’ve been to France and Paris numerous times, and the terrorist events of the last few days are completely in line with my experience. To meet a bona fide French person vs an immigrant is a real coin toss. Border security is a seive, petty theft rampant, and the remnants of Christianity are being beaten into obscurity by an Islamic invasion.
By the way, the windows of Cathedral St Denis are magnificent!
Great post!
I’m glad I visited Paris when I did. Sadly, I have no plans to travel to Europe ever again.
Now to read up on Basilica of St Denis’ tombs. Reminds me of my visit to the Imperial Crypt in Vienna. Fascinating.
I’ve been to Paris twice. That won’t happen again.
On one of those trips, my guide and I were told to leave the fancy hotel where Diana was before she was killed. The concierge thought we were prostitutes - but that’s another story.