Paris: First Impressions

Paris reminds us a lot of Kaohsiung because of the store fronts, left turning vehicles, and scooters.  It reminds us some of Vancouver, Washington DC, and New York City, too.

People here seem polite.  Even on a very crowded Metro ride, when we were pressed up against the door, there was no pushing, shoving, or yelling to get out.  Just a simple ‘pardon’ every once in a while which would cause everyone near the door to get off, allow others off, and then get back on.  It was very orderly and civilized.

There is dog shit everywhere and apparently no guilt about not picking your dog’s shit up.  It’s disgusting.

The food and coffee is amazing.  Simple street fare is delicious.  The coffee, even instant, is delicious and Desi, who usually requires her coffee to taste like ice cream, is able to drink it without sugar and may even drop the crème.  Oh, and mulled wine (vin chaud) is amazing and should be available and popular everywhere civilized people gather.

There are no fat people here.

There is a sense of classiness to the Parisiens. 

The city exudes art.  Not only are there more museums than one can name but everything has seemingly been done with an eye towards art.  The street signs, the architecture, the intersections; everything feels like the whole was considered when addressing a piece. 

Paris is very diverse, perhaps another reason it reminds us of Washington DC, Vancouver, and New York City.

Walking through the city’s streets easily ate up our entire day and we’re looking forward to weeks of doing only that.  There is so much to see and walking is the only way to do it.  We wouldn’t drive or be driven, even if we had the option.  The Metro is fun, too, but only when one’s feet are tired.