A Spontaneous Day in Paris with Recess 

Wow. Where do I start.

First of all, does anyone else have memories of going on a day trip to Paris as a child, either with school or with the aunties from a local church? Yes? No? Welp, last Saturday recess took us on a day trip to Paris and I’m genuinely shocked by how much I enjoyed myself. As someone whose childhood memories only associated the city of Pari’, with frogs legs and oui-wee, I had an absolute blast and can’t wait to make another weekend visit.

The trip came about super spontaneously. After days of pondering on the idea, battling “Who will I go with” “Do I have the social capacity for another party” “How will my bank accaant survive”… God made a way and I found myself booking a Eurostar ticket the day before. No party group, no plans, just vibes. 

I managed to find a local studio apartment on booking.com (sponsor me) and after arriving the next day I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to either walk, scooter, or metro my way around the city. BBC Weather lied and said we should expect rain, however, nothing could be further from the truth.

The sun was glisthening from dawn till dusk and as I made my way to the Hippodrome, it really did feel like summer again.

Those of us who are London natives know how woefully we were robbed this year of a summer experience and so walking into Recess, with the sun beaming down, the food stalls active, beautiful people dancing around, and generally just high vibrations all around? It felt magical.

The vibes were perfect. It was like stepping into a festival site. Set across two stages we enjoyed sets from London, France and Amsterdam’s best DJ’s covering Afrobeats, Bashment, Hip Hop, Soca, House, Amapiano, 90’s RnB and more and more and more. I found myself ping-ponging up and down the stairs as we enjoyed non-stop music that genuinely made my heart swell.

I think in London, depending on the types of events you go to, you can often find yourself in a musical echo chamber, listening to the same songs and transitions, all whilst doing the same old dances.

Whereas, this felt like a truly experimental and diverse lineup of musical talent who were willing to offer the audience more than the songs we knew we wanted. Recess Paris was cool because I actually got to enjoy music I never knew I wanted; transitions and blends I never knew I needed, and some Shazamble bangers in languages I can’t even understand. 

Even though I went by myself I genuinely didn’t feel alone. As the night drew on, I found myself meeting new people in toilet cues and dancing synchronized steps with strangers, floating through the partygoers like a true butterfly.

Just like my trip to Paris, I’ll keep this article short yet sweet, however I want to say a massive thank you to the Recess team, the DJ’s and everyone inside who was on good vibes. This genuinely felt like the beginning of Summer, and has definitely been one of the highlights of the year.

Till next time x

Words by Elsie Ayotunde Cullen

Photos by Film Abdi