However, our next destination was taking the train to Paris. My son hadn't been there for a few years, and was too young to really remember the social scene anyway. However, I assured him that when we arrived in Paris is would appear to be an armed camp under military lock-down.
Sure enough, the second we stepped off the train @ Gare du Nord, there was a 4-man patrol of para-military troops with submachine guns and German shepherd walking along watching people descend. That was only the beginning - the closer we got to the terminal, the more the number of military/police personnel increased.
We were staying by the Eiffel tower, and while that had an obvious security presence, nothing came close to the Xmas markets along the Champs des Elysees. First off all, there was something like 20 personnel carriers and/or mobile command units parked at the major intersection. Secondly, we started playing a game of trying to ID the different kinds of security personnel: regular cops, special cops, para-military cops and military patrols.
My wife and I have been to France many times. I mentioned to her that it's really a wonder what the French got in return for living in this kind of environment. Is their economy that much better, is their quality of life improved, how exactly did they benefit?
During Christmas 1976 I was in Paris...stayed near Gar du Nord, I think. My French/Algerian brother in law at the time said one night at dinner then, “the Muslims are going to be a problem.” 40 years later...he’s right. How terrible.
I was in Paris Oct 2013...it wasn’t anything like that then..