Viva la France!

j'adore Paris. After our stay with friends in Munich, Germany, Brad and I took the high speed train to Paris. It took about 6 hours, and I would recommend this form of travel to anyone. Much better than a cramped airplane, and there's something surprisingly romantic about reading Julia Child's book while watching the french countryside whip by outside your window as your tired husband sleepily slumps in his first class seat listening to his ipod. Honestly.
Having only been to Paris once when I was much younger (12?), the city itself was still surprising new to me. In a whole fabulously good way. Like the fact that you can get off the train, hop on a Metro, and head straight to your hotel without a taxi. Plus, there's that whole, Romantic "city of lights" aura hanging over your head the whole time. Given that, here's some thoughts on Paris:

1. Parisians smoke. Like chimney's. Directly into their baby carriages even. This applies to most Europeans, but the French especially love their cigarette's.
2. Savory crepes are the bomb. Enough said.
3. Paris is full of poo. Literally. There is pigeon droppings on every sidewalk, in addition to the dog poo that nobody cleans up from their little dogs or otherwise. Despite this, Paris is still amazingly beautiful.
4. You have not felt pain until you've walked on cobblestones for 2 days straight.
5. Scooters and motorcycles are everywhere. They include little lap blanket things for the cold and debris.
6. The french really do pee in the street. I saw it a block from our hotel.
7. Meals taste better in France. Those rich sauces are worth it. So are the baguette's, the crepe's, the eclairs, the chicken, the scallops, I could go on, and on, and on.
   
8. Wine is cheaper than water. Parisians do not drink water. Scratch that. Europeans do not drink water. Harkens back to that whole "your water might be laced with plague" era.
9. The Montmarte area is as beautiful as they say it is. So is the Seine.
10. The Eiffel tower is pretty, but somewhat overrated. The arch de triomphe at night is highly underrated.
11. The Paris Metro system is the picture of efficiency. It was actually quite lovely to use public transportation while in the city. It does help that every stop is pronounced so eloquently. Even when I have no idea what they're saying.
12. That sound you hear in the movies, of ambulances rushing down streets in Paris? That sound is real, and it is so nice to hear. Honestly. I'll forever associate that sound with the city of lights.