A City for Lovers and Lovers of Life
Written: Aug 20 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fabulous sights, wonderful food, fascinating history, & romantic ambiance.
Cons: Cigarette Smoke in Restaurants
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| dlamarrx's Full Review: Paris |
Ahhh, Paris. What can't one say about Paris? Some of the best memories of my life are intimately related to this most spectacular of cities. Besides, how can I dislike the place where I proposed to my wife?
For those interested in traveling to Paris, my advice in brief would be:
Learn a little French.
A little French will give you a LOT of credit with the locals.
Be open to new experiences.
Paris is NOT America, and it’s most certainly NOT an amusement park.
Stay in a small, locally run non-chain hotel.
Why stay in a carbon copy Hilton when you can get to know the real Paris.
My love affair with Paris began in the spring of 1996. I was single, had a free round-trip ticket to Paris, a train pass, a backpack (with WAY too much in it), and a serious case of wanderlust. I had budgeted five days of my three-week vacation on Paris alone. I found out I could have spent five MONTHS there.
I learned a lot about Paris in those five days, but the most important advice I could give would be to learn at least a little French. I took a “Conversational French” class before I left, and it was a lifesaver. I didn’t really know much French, but I found that I knew just enough. Many people – particularly Americans – complain about how rude the French are, but I always found them to be kind, helpful and courteous, provided I knew the secret. The secret? Use every single word of French you know when trying to ask for help – even if those words don’t always make sense. I always made an honest attempt to ask for help in French first. Invariably, they would smile at me and either try to help in French, or switch to English to assist me. The arrogance of people who go to France, and then EXPECT them to speak English astounds me. If the roles were reversed would they feel the same? I think not.
The public transportation in Paris is some of the best in the world. Buy a carnet of ten tickets for the Metro, and be virtually steps away from anywhere you could ever want to be in the city.
The sights are spectacular. They include: The Louvre (with Venus de Milo, La Jaconde, Nike of Samothrace, the Grande Galerie, and about a month worth of art appreciation), my personal favorite the Musee d’Orsay with it’s 19th century art collection, La Tour Eiffel, The Trocadero (where I proposed to my wife - more about that later!), Rodin Museum, Sacre’ Coeur, Sainte-Chapelle and Versailles to name only the tiniest portion of what’s available. My advice for viewing the sights of Paris? First, buy a Monuments/Museum Pass if you are going to visit more than two sights. That will save you a good chunk of change. Secondly, don’t try and see everything. Take small bites of the sights and savor them.
Another great reason to go to Paris is for the food. As fate would have it, I was back in Paris about a year later. I was dating a lovely English woman, and we decided to spend some time together in Paris. If Paris was wonderful going solo, it was even more spectacular being there and being in love. We spent some of our time pursuing our mutually favorite activity – EATING! For those who love to eat, very few cities in the world can compare to the spectacular cuisine available in Paris. There is no way to really define the cuisine available. Of course, there is French food. From sidewalk crepes to the fanciest meals – Paris has it all. There is also a wide selection of food from all around the world – again with prices to suit any budget.
One of our favorite ways to eat though was the simplest. A fresh baked loaf of bread from one shop, a pastry from another, wine and cheese from a third, and fresh fruit from the stand just across the street. All this good food, and for such a good price. Particularly with today’s exchange rates! And what better ambiance than sitting in one of Paris’ beautiful parks?
For my next trip to Paris – the tone was entirely different. I was going so that I could propose to my future wife. It was a gloriously cloudless day in October (forgive me for waxing eloquent… but don’t I have reason?), and though it was a bit brisk, it was still a lovely day in Paris. I proposed – she accepted, and we’re living happily ever after.
There are a few negatives about Paris. Dog Poop. Yes, it’s there, but for the most part it’s kept in the dog runs all over the city that are reserved for that purpose. This allows me to talk about a major PLUS of Paris. Here’s a word you don’t often hear - cleanliness. Paris is CLEAN. Each and every night a coterie of city workers scours the city – cleaning the sidewalks, picking up trash, and flushing the gutters. There are even specially built machines for scooping up the poop. They are like little lawn tractors with vacuums instead of cutting blades.
An even bigger negative would be the cigarette smoking. Though, to be honest, this is a problem that’s not just specific to Paris – it’s a worldwide epidemic. I don’t see why people pick on Paris for this problem. I’ve experienced this problem throughout Europe, in Japan, and Central America too. There is almost no place you can go without having to eat dinner next to a smoker. I don’t care too much for it, but when I added it all up time I actual have been cooped up with a smoker, it’s just a tiny slice of my time in Paris. I find that to be an acceptable exchange.
In conclusion, I would say that Paris, with an excellent exchange rate, fabulous sights, wonderful food, fascinating history, and romantic ambiance, would make a great vacation destination for anyone.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dlamarrx
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Location: Seattle, WA
Reviews written: 32
Trusted by: 65 members
About Me:
Video Production Manager for an Advertising firm, my favorite time is spent with my family.
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