Paris, the true City of Gold

Gold has the unique property of being both a symbol and an objective reality of value. Gold is the ur-substance, something that becomes in a sense the raw material of our collective fantasies. Countless fairytales, legends, folktales, empires, criminal enterprises, religiouns, cults, and miscellaneous sects were in a very real sense created by the fascination with and accumulation of gold. It is odd that, in this time of crisis, the role of gold in the mind of the swindler has changed. It is not money, not a quick slight of hand currency exchange that allows people to part with money, but an initial fascination with gold, the gold of somebody else that we happen to 'find' ... but I digress...

Underneath the streets of Paris there is an astounding amount of gold, concentrated in particularly vast amounts near the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and other sights popular among 'tourists.' But this gold is not accessible to all - you must find it through the ancient wisdom of the gypsies, who hold the key to bringing it to the surface. Gold, that magical substance, raw value, the symbol of lust, power, wealth. Here is how to mine gold while on your trip to Paris.

Stand on any interesting site - this bridge between Paladin des Jardines and Invalides will do fine. Next, you must find a gypsy woman. Stand in one place, and wait for her to bring you a treasure. Literally the rings of gold will emerge from the ground, but only those with magic hands will be able to grasp it. Mere mortals, those from abroad, cannot feel its subliminal pull and harness it. Usually, these geldmachers will ask for some euros for their time/labor - often they are very hungry after such a gold harnessing operation. Please help them out, as you have profited immensely from their sacred knowledge.

OK, so here's how the scam goes. Usually, somebody will bend over and pretend to pick up a gold ring or something of value. They will then usually approach you, asking if you dropped something. When people drop something, it very often is something of value: currency, a wallet, keys, etc. In this case, it will almost always be a gold ring (definitely NOT gold). If you counter that this is their ring, or somebody else's, they will point to the empty area around the spot in question and place the ring in your hands. If they do this, you can just walk away, but they will demand some money, for food, for bringing you good luck. This literally happened to me 4 or 5 times in a single day. It is actually fun if you know what to expect, as it allows for immense opportunities to screw with the scammers.