Paris, Perhaps

For as long as I can remember, I've been dreaming of visiting Paris.  There's always been something romantic and magical about the City of Light that's often expressed in movies and books.  And of course the food scene is nothing to shake a stick at.  So going into the big day in Paris, you could say the expectations were set a bit high and I suppose that may have been the problem.  Like London, we mostly stuck with the tourist traps, but for the most part I found these to be a bit underwhelming.  Don't get me wrong, they're still beautiful and iconic but they're just not as "sparkly" as I expected them to be.

The people were pushy and bustling (as are most that live in a big working city.)  The Metro system was confusing and completely packed with people; so much so that you could barely move within the car which increased my fear of being pick-pocketed 10 fold.  And the dark dreary, cold and rainy weather (which I know has absolutely no bearing on how great a city is) didn't really help the situation.  While I'm sure there thousands of things I missed in such an over-flowing city as Paris, what I did see didn't excite me the way London did.

What We Did: Cathedral de Notre Dame, Shakespeare & Company Bookstore (my personal favorite of the day), The Eiffel Tower, Champs de Elysees, Pont de Arts, the Louvre Pyramid (didn't have the time to go in and don't judge but I probably wouldn't have gone in even if I had...), Montmarte & Sacre Couer

What We Ate: Baguette Sandwich with Ham and Cheese (don't ask me why, but I was not expecting Swiss cheese which was an unhappy development), Onion Soup, Laduree Macarons (Woohoo!), Nutella doughnut (I was unaware of the fact that it was Nutella.  I just thought it was a chocolate donut.  I have to say, even though I usually hate the Hazelnut spread that everyone adores, it wasn't too bad this time around.) & Steak Frites. (Oh and of course, some Tea to wash it all down)

Surprises Along the Way:  The Eiffel Tower is WAY the heck far away from the other tourist attractions.
~ Most everyone speaks English and therefore my mangled French was deemed useless.
~ The Eiffel Tower is under the watch of MANY armed guards with big guns.  I'm sure it's due to the onslaught of bomb threats they've had in the last few months, but even so: Scary!
~ The whole pay for the toilet thing, while expected, was still confusing as all get out.

Verdict: While I would most likely go back to see the non-tourist areas, it's just not my thing.  While I was comfortable in the crowds and chaos of London, Paris' crowds and chaos were too overwhelming.  I know for a fact I could never live there, and for the first time, I'm wondering how all those authors I read could possibly choose to start a life there.