Paris Notes

This is the fifth year we've come to Paris since we retired. We thought we'd share some observations at the end of the 2nd week...

We still love Paris.

• On average, we walk about 5 miles a day (based on Chris' pedometer). Paris is an outdoors city where people are on the street, walking, bicycling and cafe-ing . Sometimes the whole city feels like Central Park on a Fall weekend. On every corner there are one or more terraces open all year long with large gas heaters for the colder weather. The good ones are full all year. It may be the small, dark apartments but people don't seem to entertain at home; instead congregating in the cafes and Bistros around town where you can meet friends or simply spend the day people-watching. New York is trying to increase the number of sidewalk cafes but the city just isn't set up that way. Paris has a "Place" every hundred yards - hell on traffic, but wonderful for sitting around.
  
• There are more museums in Paris than in New York - there seems to be a museum to celebrate everyone and everything, but on the whole we prefer the ones we have in New York. They're more people-friendly and less crowded; one seldom finds a line to get in. On the other hand, the Musee d'Orsay may be the best all around museum I've ever been to, based on content and its manageable size.
  
• Everybody has a dog and they seem to be welcome most places. The stoop and scoop law is often ignored, so it's imperative to keep at least one eye on where you're walking!
  
  
  

Staying on our diet is very difficult!

• we love bread and cheese
  
• salad is hard to find
  
• the ice cream and gelato shops are along our daily route--we sometimes choose to miss a meal so we can indulge
  
• It sometimes feels like we walk from cafe to bakery to creperie to gelato shop to chocolate shops. Every one having a favorite that is calling to us.
  

The Euro is strong, the Dollar is WEAK!

• especially painful with the cost of restaurants. It can cost $50 for salad and club soda for two at a cafe and $600 for two at a nice (1 star) restaurant.
  

Chris is frustrated learning the language

• She spends hours every day doing "homework" and in a conversation group
  
• She talks to every cab driver, dog owner and waiter we see.
  
• She is making progress despite what she thinks
  

To be continued...