Everyone dreams of making a road trip in Australia. But who would have thought that an Australian would come and make a road trip in the 20th arrondissement of Paris? Obviously, we exaggerate, but we are journalists so we can. It’s not really a road trip that Robert Kos performs in the streets of the last arrondissement of Paris, it would rather be a street trip.
“I am doing a personal project in which I will walk along all the streets of the 20th arrondissement”, wrote this 36-year-old Australian in an email that caught our attention, as the approach was original and aroused questions. And to get answers, we therefore met Robert Kos, place de la Réunion, obviously in the 20th, near where he lives. To facilitate the conversation, we sit down at the Café sans nom and Robert, pale green shirt over white T-shirt, orders a Pastis, it is 2 p.m. It still smacks of the big cliché, but in fact no. “I was already drinking it in Australia, it’s not easy to find, but there are some,” he explains.
From Singapore to Saint-Fargeau
But back to our (Australian) sheep, Robert, an English and yoga teacher, has been living in Paris for eleven months. First in Jourdain then rue de Vitruve where he bought an apartment with his French wife. “We met in Singapore where I lived for thirteen years, but I have traveled all over Asia. A lawyer in a bank, his wife decided to resume medical studies, hence the return to France. And with her, Robert. That’s when he came up with the idea for his slightly crazy project.
“I love walking, he begins in English, before continuing in French. It’s the best way to explore a city. I loved walking in Asia. And I wanted to explore the 20th arrondissement on foot because there is a lot of diversity, lots of shops, local culture. And for his exploration to be total, he decided to walk through all the streets of the district. “My first outing was in the Amandiers district. I did about fifteen kilometers and it took me three hours,” he says. And if the neo-Parisian thought at the beginning that it was “simple”, he quickly realized the density of the streets in the capital.
Twelve outings later, he has surveyed 150 km of roads according to data from his smartphone. All that remains is the Père-Lachaise cemetery, the Belleville park and a small area around the Place de la Réunion. If he hopes to complete the last two before going on vacation on July 30, the cemetery will be for later. “For Père-Lachaise, there are many small paths and it must be 50 to 60 kilometers in all,” Robert estimates. And it does not act by chance. “If I want to do all the streets, I have to plan it,” he explains. There is a lot of back tracking [retour en arrière]. Sometimes people look at me and wonder if I’m crazy because I go to the end of a street and then turn around. »
“Off-the-Street”
Phone in hand, his approach requires complete concentration “it’s difficult to listen to music at the same time” – which doesn’t prevent misses. Like July 19, the day of the heat wave. “I missed a small street, confesses Robert. The next day, I came back to complete it, plus it was a completely forgettable street! And his challenge also forces him to take paths that are not very welcoming for pedestrians, such as the access roads to the ring road.
And what did he learn from his wanderings? That he “loves” the 20th arrondissement. “Here, it’s very different, really unique, testifies the Australian. It’s not like Sydney where I come from, there are people from all walks of life, there is no gentrification yet. Above all, he appreciates the “spirit of the 20th century” which is reminiscent of a village with small streets, “off the street”, as he puts it, citing the example of La Campagne in Paris. He was also surprised to discover the small belt in a city he perceived as very urbanized. And Robert has made the 20th his home, like a home base: “When I go to the center of Paris, it’s always cool to come back here. »
Robert in Paris
Eager to learn, the young teacher takes a fresh and benevolent look at Paris, which for a time sends the grumpy back to their bitterness. Small anthology: “I’m surprised because it’s clean, Paris doesn’t deserve its bad reputation”, “The Parisians are very nice, and everyone was nice even when I didn’t speak French very well” or even “I feel Paris is very inclusive”. He who loves books and culture, he did not feel at ease in Australia where it was all about rugby or cricket. And, according to him, it’s quite the opposite in Paris where “people like to discuss ideas, in the world it’s very rare”. Before concluding: “French people know how to live a good life”.
The yellowish liquid has almost disappeared from his glass and Robert does not know what he will do when his exploration of the 20th arrondissement is complete. Will he do the same with the other districts of the capital? “The other boroughs could be disappointing,” he judges without however closing the door. A huge delivery truck has just gone around Place de la Réunion for the second time. “Looks like me,” he exclaims.