1900 Paris

In early 19th century, 1837 to be exact, the first railway service between Saint-Lazare in Paris and Saint-Germain in the north-west began, marking the opening of the French railroad era. In 1851, the initial 19 kilometer railtracks were extended to Le Havre, a seaside town by the Dover Canal. From what I hear, the Impressionist painters took this train to the seashore and painted the scenic view, pouring fuel into the railway travel boom. That's how the Parisians caught on to the idea of holiday outings by train. In 1857, the PLM railway connecting Paris to the Mediterranean via Lyon began service. Leaving troublesome horse carriage travel behind, people from northern France could now flock to sunlit dazzling Mediterranean on vacation. The train was what you could call a hotel on tracks; you get hungry during the long journey. The American entrepreneur Pullman successfully pounced on the idea of the diner. The wealthy chose the Pullman car, where they were served as if in a first-class restaurant; they dined well and sipped good wines; they headed for the mild-weathered Mediterranean in winter, all while enjoying the beautiful rural landscape rushing by. The bourgeoisie and lower class rode the second and third class cars, taking strong-smelling cheeses and smoked sausages and bread with them, getting the party going with cheap wine. In 1901, the fabulous restaurant Train Bleu was opened in Lyon station, the front gate to the Mediterranean. Nothing could beat the interior decoration and wall paintings in this restaurant--scenic paintings of Lyon and port town Marseilles, ambient images of Tunisia and Algeria across the Mediterranean Sea. With improved railway networking, fresh local products were readily transported to Paris; in wintertime, you could taste fresh oysters here! The station of Orsay, newly opened to accommodate visitors to the 1900 World Expo, embodied the glory of Paris, the capital city of gaiety. So, what do you think? Isn't Paris marvelous?