Ernest Hemingway, a profound writer and expatriate, found inspiration, comfort, and a home among the residents and streets of Paris, France. In escape of the illusion of freedoms and disillusionment his generation experienced while in the United States of America, Hemingway and many others as the so-called “lost generation“ went to Europe to discover a new meaning to life. Today, June 7, 2025, we set ourselves out to walk the steps Hemingway took from his house to various cafés and locations he often was found.

At 11 in the morning, give or take a few minutes, we all met as a group at Closerie des Lilas. We started our lecture with contextualizing the place. Most conveniently, this restaurant was located steps away from what once stood as Ernest Hemingway’s residence. Our professor stated that because writing at home was not ideal, Hemingway went to cafés and restaurants where he could order inexpensive beverages or food and spend hours writing. After all, in the 1920s the euro was more favorable to the USD in terms of conversion rate. Specifically, Hemmingway wrote most of his novel, The Sun Also Rises, in Closerie des Lilas. However, this restaurant was not exclusive to Hemingway. Other notable figures such as Pablo Picasso and Jean-Paul Sartre to name the least, were also avid patrons of the restaurant. Now, this restaurant has a reputation and stands in history as an important landmark as evident by its prices.

On the topic of John Paul Sartre, we took the metro to Mont Pana Cemetery to see his tomb. As we entered, the mood and atmosphere suddenly changed. We all collectively lowered our voices and slowed our movements as we ventured towards the tombs. A slight breeze kept us cool and peaceful as we viewed Jean-Paul Sartre’s tomb. The tomb was engulfed in flowers and various miscellaneous offerings. We all stared at it, reminding ourselves that these people once had stories and ambitions as we do. The legacy these people leave in France and the whole world outlive their mortal bodies that lay in front of us as we attempt to leave our own legacy in Paris with the time we were allotted. Our professor gave us advice about leading our lives with the intention of ever evolving. He compared our lives to a moving body of water that is in constant motion and does not accumulate sediment and other unfavorable things as a stagnant body of water would.

Another place we visited that has connections to Hemingway was La Select. This restaurant was featured in The Sun Also rises as a key setting for character and plot development. The characters of the story were often in this setting having a drink and discussing about their lives. Whether it be revealing true feelings they had for each other, or sparking up gossip to incite drama, socialization for the characters occurred in these places.

After concluding the walking tour, Veronica and I searched for a place to eat. After scouring the city for the best food for the best price, we decided on a Vietnamese pho restaurant. We learned that the owners were actually Cambodian and thus we were able to communicate to them in Khmer. This just goes to show how diverse Paris is and how various groups of people other than the lost generation sought refuge, intellectual escape, and a new home in Paris. We enjoyed our meal and our ability to connect with Cambodians from across the Atlantic.

We ended our day with a ride to the Eiffel Tower via Metro line 6. The view from the Metro was as cinematic as a Disney movie. Music played within the metro the second the Eiffel Tower appeared in view. Crossing the Seine river with the Eiffel Tower as the backdrop tied the day and the experience we’ve had so far up satisfyingly and nicely.

After a delayed six hour flight and little sleep, our group finally arrived in Paris. We took an hour long bus ride to the hotel, and once we arrived, I immediately noticed the difference in living spaces between America and France. The lobby was very small, and the bedrooms even smaller. Unlike typical hotels in America, the rooms had lots of red, blue, and yellow accents. In addition to color, the architecture of all of the buildings in Paris seem to be much more elaborate and have a sort of elegant look to them. 

After dropping our stuff off at the hotel, we all met in the lobby to take the metro to orientation. As someone who rarely takes public transportation, the idea of this subway system seemed quite daunting. Though it was a rather chaotic experience getting onto the metro (our navigo cards didn’t work at first), we were successfully transported to our final destination. As we walked up the stairs from the metro, I immediately sensed the difference in atmosphere. Though we were still in Paris, this specific district (4) had a more lively and tourist heavy atmosphere. This was likely due to the presence of the Notre-Dam Cathedral that we visited after orientation. We heard the bells ringing as we listened to our professor at the post orientation meeting. Here, I also happened to notice the extensive amount of pigeons in Paris. This was very delightful for me to see because I like pigeons. After this meeting and stopping for some crepes, we finally walked over to the cathedral. Here, there were lots of tourists taking photos and admiring the beautiful architecture. I was amazed to see how something that was built hundreds of years ago and faced numerous challenges still stands until this day. From a picture, it’s hard to truly grasp the elaborate detailing that is present throughout the entire building. It makes me wonder how much time and effort it took to create such an astonishing piece of art. 

At around six o’clock, our professor set us free to explore the rest of the city. At this point, the unhealthy lack of sleep started to catch up to me and I just wanted to go to bed. However, a few other group mates and I wound up at a cafe restaurant and sat down for a quick dinner. Thankfully, our waiter spoke fluent English and was quite friendly which was surprising to see. I ended up ordering a Caesar salad which was unlike any I’ve had in America. It had large tomato chunks and bread slices scattered throughout. I found it to be quite delicious and I ate the whole thing. After leaving the restaurant we strayed to head back to the hotel. Though we had only taken the metro once with a tour guide, we were all able to figure out the system and make it home successfully. I was actually quite surprised to see how quickly each of us adapted to this transportation system. Upon arriving to the hotel, Marissa (my roommate) and I got ready for bed and fell asleep right away.

Even from this single jet lagged day spent on Paris, I could easily see why so many people desire to come here and visit. The food, culture, and architecture is something that I feel can’t be found anywhere else. Whether you’re a history nerd, shopping addict, or food lover, there is so much in Paris that can keep you occupied for hours. To me, I find all of these things that Paris has to offer to be interesting, but I am most fascinated by the people who actually live here. To them, this is their everyday life. For those who grew up around here, I wonder if they take the time to see how wonderful and unique this city really is. I find that when something is so familiar to you, it’s hard to see its true beauty. It’s hard to imagine this statement being true for those who live here as the city’s elegance is undeniable.

With that said, I am very excited for the rest of our time here in Paris. I do hope that I don’t get pickpocketed here because we’ve been warned by numerous people that it is a very common occurrence. In spite of this, I am still looking forward to exploring the never ending restaurants, museums, and bakeries. I hope to make memories that I will remember years and years from now, and take lots of pictures that I can keep with me forever.

In this study abroad course, UMass Lowell Honors College students will explore the city of Paris through the American writers – their work and their lives – that have called the City of Lights home.

Looking for more information? Please feel free to contact us.
Please email: Julian_Zabalbeascoa@uml.edu.

For information about UMass Lowell’s Study Abroad program, please visit the International Experiences and Study Abroad website or contact Fern MacKinnon by email: Fern_MacKinnon@uml.edu.