Paris, the City of Lights

Paris is first and foremost a scenery, recognizable among all: the Seine river, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre museum and its glass pyramid, the Notre-Dame cathedral and its gargoyles. Each of its precious monuments reflects a moment in the long history of France. But Paris is also the sum of very distinct neighborhoods, small village-like communities with strong characters and their own habits and customs: the Montmartre Hill, the Latin Quarter, the Champs Elysées, the Forum des Halles... like the many facets of the same sculpture, the many nuances of the same painting.

Art, fashion, literature, food, ideas... Paris stands as a symbol, a paragon of all the fine things civilization is able to offer. In Paris, da Vinci's Mona Lisa shares a room with the Aphrodite of Milos, Rodin's Thinker contemplates van Gogh's Starry Night, and Cezanne's Apples and Oranges hang out with Monet's Blue Water Lilies. But who says great art can only be seen in museums? The Belleville and Montmartre districts' walls host creations by street artists from all over the world: Banksy, Miss Van, Swoon, Invader...

Everyone will tell you: there's something special about Paris. Some kind of energy that radiates from its core. A low, faint rumble under its cobblestone streets, almost like a metronome, a beating heart. Paris is glamorous and trashy, it is deeply traditional and strongly cosmopolitan, it is sophisticated and proletarian, proud of its culture and anti-establishment. Paris lets you celebrate the cultural differences, play with its contradictions and contrasts, be a part of its vibrant chaos. And suddenly, when you least expect it, the city shows you its real magic.

Vincent Martinez
CEO and Founder Totem Moto Tours