I took this picture this morning on my way to a meeting. The sight of the Eiffel Tower and the other highly recognisable symbols of Paris juxtaposed with people just on their way to work, crossing the road with the traffic lights on red. It made me think how when you live in a city filled with significant objects that are part of the cultural map of the world that you often create your own map and redefine the significance of those objects. For example, for me in London, the Embankment is the easiest way to get into the City. Albert Bridge is how I know I’m home. Or Hyde Park is the quickest and most attractive way to get to Paddington. I am navigating the city for practical reasons so I give these signifiers a practical meaning, above and beyond their cultural significance. And as I write, I’m thinking maybe that’s what living and loving a city or a location is all about – having your own personal overlay on the cultural map which the world has created.
Oh and the other thing I thought in Paris was, “Wow, I do have a great job, getting to just wander to a meeting in Paris, past this view!” So maybe I’m not as jaded as I thought.