Eureka Paris Trip 2025

By Thirza Bier

After a long nightly bus ride we arrived in the early Paris sunlight. The streets were still empty, birds were still chirping and before we knew it we arrived at our hostel. 17 bags were thrown in a room and it was finally time for our first Paris breakfast. We split into groups and I found myself in a 24/7 cafè where we ordered coffees whilst the other clientelle drank their final margarita of the night. Once everybody felt somewhat alive again it was time to see Paris. Half of us saw the classic Paris hotspots, whilst the other half explored the Latin quarter. We ended up in a cathedral where I, for the first time ever, lit a candle for my ancestors in the name of Mary. Back in the hostel our adrenaline finally ran out, and most of us spent the rest of the day relaxing or exploring the neighbourhood.

The next day, our first full day in Paris, everybody woke up early. We stuffed ourselves into a busy metro and made our way to the famous glass pyramid. Some of us took a leap of faith and saw the mona lisa, whilst others admired marble statues, Renaissance paintings and ancient mesopotamian artworks. I myself took selfies with statues of the Ancients and put my pen down to draw several studies of Charles Le Brun’s “Alexander entering Babylon.” When everybody had seen enough we once again split up into separate groups. The majority went to see the Musée de l’Orangerie, but me and some others decided to organise our own little tour: English bookshops in Paris. First we went to the Libraire Galignani, then Smith&Son, and lastly to the famed Shakespeare&Co. Later during dinner me and some other students had an illuminating conversation about how our personal countries – with the only inhabitants being copies of one student – would function, and how they would form international (interstudential?) bonds and alliances.

The third day was dedicated to Versailles. We visited the famous palace first. I don’t think I have ever seen something so camp in my life. Susan Sontag describes the essence of camp as the “love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.” The Versailles palace is exactly that and more. The whole building is covered in sheet gold to radiate the feeling of wealth, whilst the country at the time of building was severely broke. The bottom floor constructed a complete history of the French in paintings, the accuracy of which is debatable and the racism in which was very present. The rooms are exaggerated to the point of ridicule. Room after room of patterned colored velvet walls with copious amounts of paintings were all over the top floor. Nevertheless it was very cool to see. Afterwards we went to the garden, where I once again can best describe the essence of the place through an academic. The gardens reeked of what Beaudrillard called simulacra. This was most clear of course in Marie Antoinette’s Hameau; her pretend village. The village was, although (ironically) stunning, highly uncanny. But only when standing there did I really understand what Beaudrillard meant by “models of a real without origin or reality.” The village was very clearly supposed to look like a peasant village, but it was based upon an idea only, and not on reality at all, which gave the place such an uncanny feel.

The last day felt like a limbo to me. Our departure was looming around the corner, specifically at 21.15. We spent the day in groups again, each of us on their own (shared) adventure through Paris. Me and some others went to the Montparnasse cemetery, but others went to the Père Lachaise cemetery. Afterwards many of us went to the Musée d’Orsay, a museum focusing on medieval art. It had a lot of relics, but also a lot of meme-worthy paintings. My trip to Paris could however, not be truly successful without getting my hands on some macarons. Luckily enough the supermarket giant L’Eclerc had the perfect product for me: a box containing no more than 50 macarons! (And yes they were so much better than the ones the Jumbo sells). Finally it was time to enter the bus and make our way home again. At 5 AM we were once again in Utrecht, all ready for bed, and all with a new set of fond memories.