We finished in Paris...
Ah, Paris.
From Warsaw, we caught flights to Paris, the massive pension strikes happily not affecting our ability to get to the City of Lights.
I love Paris. It is an incredible city, buzzing with an energy I’ve found in only a few cities (London, Tokyo, and New York, to be specific). It’s full of incredible architecture, an endless array of boutiques, cafes, bars, and alleys to explore.
Upon arrival at CDG airport, we were hustled into a waiting mini-bus and shuttled to Elysee Palace, the home of the President of France. There, we were taken through security by a member of President Sarkozy’s cabinet, only to be told we must wait in the courtyard (i.e. couldn’t proceed to the room in which we were to be meeting) as the President was about to leave. We waited, and waited, but sadly, he didn’t come out; finally, our escort decided we’d best go, as he was needing to get back to running the country. Yes, it’s a busy life.
Our stay in Paris continued with a series of amazing, if somewhat grueling meetings (our longest day went from 8:15am until…approximately 11 at night, though I’m not totally sure, with almost no breaks). We met with a pair of French journalists in the restaurant where the Obama family ate when last in Paris, and there heard their stories of the changing face of journalism and the news in France. We met with the Executive Producer at the relatively new TV station, France 24, which broadcasts simultaneously in Arabic, English, and French (and which, incidentally, has a great iPhone app), who told us of their effort to provide a more comprehensive competitor to CNN and the BBC. We also met with the leaders of a defense think tank, of a massive public park, and of the French equivalent to the US Chamber of Commerce.
It’s fair to say that by the time we got to France, my group was exhausted. All of us had been in more meetings than we could remember, with short nights the result of amazing, if “working,” dinners followed immediately the next morning by more of the same, coupled with a heavy travel schedule (everyone had at least five cities in 24 days; I had the most, at 7 cites). We were all relatively sick of our clothing, and looking forward to no longer washing our undergarments in hotel sinks. However, I also believe it’s honest to say that we are all emotionally, and intellectually, invigorated. It was an incredible trip, a trip of a lifetime, and one that will not soon be forgotten. The friendships developed in those 24 short days will, in many cases, I believe, persist for years.
As I’ve noted, we were in meetings for hours every day. Many of the conversations led my mind to new business possibilities, new opportunities to engage in the world. In a rare turn of events in a person’s adult life, we were endlessly learning, with no obligation to turn those lessons into any immediate “outcomes.” We met people from all walks of life, people doing every kind of work, and were able to talk politics, economics, sociology, and culture, with no expected result save gaining a better understanding of the world and our places in it, and further developing the Transatlantic relationship. It was an incredible experience.
Below, some images of Paris.
