What I love about Paris

Views: Paris is beautiful. I don't know how any one city can have so many beautiful buildings. Everywhere you look there's something lovely to see. I love the panoramas of Paris--from the Eiffel Tower, Tour Montparnasse, Arc de Triomphe, etc., but I also love the unexpected panoramas that pop up everywhere. Walking down a street and all of a sudden there's Sacré Coeur in the distance, glowing in the sun. Visiting the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and glancing out a window to see the beautiful Opéra, or out another to see the Place de la Concorde. The wonderful view from the tiny bathroom window of our apartment--the back of St. Sulpice, and chimney pots on nearby buildings. And then I discovered that at night we could see the very top of the Eiffel tower, with its golden lights and ever moving beacon. And then last night I happened in just after 11:00 PM, when the white sparkling lights were on (they come on for about 5 minutes an hour after dark). What a treat. Best bathroom window I've ever had.

Food: I guess ca va sans dire, but it really has been great. Bread. Pastries. More cheeses than I could eat in a lifetime. Dry saucisson. Beautiful and delicious salads. Lamb chops that look like what lamb chops should look like. In general meat that is fresh and well prepared. And reminders that meat comes from animals--the most graphic being the chance to buy "avant de lapin," or the front half of a rabbit, in the market. Inexpensive wines that taste great. Couscous-it used to be common in Paris, but these days it's not as easy to find. But when you find it, yum. Markets with piles of fresh cherries, red and green lettuces artfully arranged, bright orange carrots, and huge artichokes. Big piles of frites à volonté-all you can eat (and then some). Crèpes served with cider in small bowls. More markets. Fresh stuff. More cheese. More bread.

Sense of history: Paris values and takes care of its monuments. There's always something with scaffolding on it, because it's being restored or repaired, but the result is amazing quality across the board. The Marais was scheduled for demolition about 30 years ago, but thanks to André Malraux and others it was preserved and restored and is now a vibrant and beautiful area. The Nazis were supposed to burn Paris but fortunately didn't. The French removed stain glass windows from Chartres during the war to protect them.

Greetings: I love walking into the boulangerie in the morning to buy bread or croissants and being greeted with, "Bonjour Madame." And then being thanked, "Merci Madame, bonne journée Madame." It's so pleasant and civilized. Or when I tossed a few coins into a street musician's case and said, "Merci, Monsieur," and he replied, "C'est moi qui vous remercie Madame." That's always been one of my favorite French expressions. Oh and it's also great just to hear and see French all the time.

Street cleaners: Paris has an amazing infrastructure of street cleaners, people who empty the replace the poubelle bags, and others dedicated to keeping the city clean and fresh looking. They hose down the public squares and wash the streets. People with small brooms sweep away the water.

Walking: Paris is a wonderful walking city. In part it's because of all the views, in part it's because there are always cafés, restaurants, shops, etc. to look at. I have to head over to the Seine at least every couple days because I love walking along there, seeing the boats and the people, checking to make sure Notre Dame is still there, remembering previous walks, etc. I walk more here than anyplace else and I love it.

Public transportation: When I don't want to walk, I can use the wonderful Paris métro or the RER, or the city buses, which I've finally begun to figure out. We took trains to Versailles and Giverny, and they were great-comfortable, quiet, fast, pleasant. We've learned to take the RER from Charles DeGaulle Airport, for a cheap and easy transit to the city. If we can avoid the huge Châtelet station we're even happier.

Once again I've gone on too long, though there's still lots more I love about Paris. I think I'll be building this list for years to come. I'll stop for now. A bientôt!