What's wrong (or right) with this picture

Christina and I have often written about how much we enjoy walking in Paris. This year, Chris brought a pedometer and she's averaging almost 5 miles a day. That sounds like a lot (it is) but what you may not realize is that half of that distance is because we often get lost going somewhere. For those used to a simple grid system, the 'snail' grid of Paris can be a nightmare.

If you look at the map of NYC on the left, you notice that the streets are neat and orderly. They basically follow a commonsense grid with Avenues going North and South and Streets going East and West. Normally, the streets start at one river and end at the other. The avenues continue to a logical end (water or a Park). There are exceptions in lower Manhattan but this is the general rule. The outer boroughs follow different rules but there are still rules.

The map at the right represents Paris. Streets are not in a grid, but converge in lovely squares with Cafes and parks. Only a few key streets traverse the city, usually following an arc rather than a straight line. Street names are assigned to commemorate people or events.

This might still be manageable if it wasn't that they've been doing this for 700 hundred years. As a result, in the Centre Ville area, streets change names every chance they get. It's rare for a local street to keep its name for more than a few blocks. And, unlike New York, where these commemorative names exist mostly as decorative signs under the "real" street sign, these names are the only names used. There are literally thousands of street names. The 'Plan de Paris' has a 148 PAGES. That's approximately 6,000 names! for a boy from NYC that's culture shock!

For two people as "directionally-challenged" as Christina and I, it's a nightmare. We each have a map (really a book - the "pocket version has 96 pages!). Even with a map we frequently get lost. One of the hardest lessons to learn is that, because the streets are at odd angles to each other, you can't "go around the corner". It may take you 500 meters away from where you were (1/3 of a mile) with no easy way back. We've noticed in recent years that even the cab drivers have GPS! As difficult as it is, after four years, we're getting to know our way around the neighbourhoods--at least the ones where we've stayed. Christina manages to get back and forth to school and the market without any problems (at least none that she's sharing with me)!