Paris is a beautiful yet hectic place to visit; as much as I loved my visit, I don’t know that I could live there.
The subway system was fun to navigate and relatively easy to follow, but I always felt rushed, more so than I had in London; I was also surprised at how dirty some of it was. The rest of the city, however, did not feel this way. In many of the areas I walked in, people were enjoying themselves and taking their time. I saw so many people relaxing in the grass, or enjoying an ice cream. It was also neat to see the locks on all the bridges of people who had fallen in love. (On the flip side, however, I’ve been told that these locks are ruining the bridges because they weigh them down so much).
Of course, the food in Paris did not disappoint. All the foods at the Latin quarter were great, and I also had falafel by the Memorial, which was absolutely amazing. I probably should have had more traditional French food than I did, but the ethnic food I often had was often great. One day I and some others went out to get hot chocolate because we had heard it was very good. It turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever had; it was essentially a melted Hershey’s bar (but better). In the meantime, all one had to do to get good food was to stop by any of the creperies all over the city. Additionally, I really liked that eating was not usually rushed; we were always encouraged to stay, relax and talk. It was also great to be able to eat outside a few times especially because the weather was good.
One of my favorite experiences was spending time by and on the Eiffel tower, even though it was of course quite touristy. Going up was especially beautiful at night; on the second floor of the tower, we had an amazing view of the city (and the light show)! It did, however, show a lot of the societal problems France (and certainly many other countries) must face. There were plenty of people selling cheap items for purchase (cheap souvenirs, champagne at the tower, selfie sticks, etc.), as well as many beggars all over. It was sad because selling these items were probably the only livelihood possible for these people at the time, but of course there was little I could do individually to help.
I spent some time in the Louvre as well; the works of art were breathtaking but so was the building itself. This building, like many other buildings in Paris, such as the Notre Dame, may be standing now, but their existence tells of a history that can be hundreds or even thousands of years old. I find the history of these buildings to be fascinating because they give Paris its elegant feel; this feeling is simply not present in many American cities as they simply have not seen the history that cities like Paris have existed through. Because of its age, many interesting buildings, sidewalks, churches, etc. can be found in Paris because this collective history and culture is what makes the city so special.
I’ve loved spending time in Paris overall, but am excited to see Berlin!