Paris - My City
Paris is a wonderful city. I have traveled widely but have yet to find a city that matches it in terms of architecture, culture, cuisine and atmosphere. I have been living here for nearly seven years and I’m still discovering new facets. Paris is the most visited city in the world yet it is easily possible to get off the beaten track and find some peace and quite. The Parisians are surprisingly unphased by the large quantity of tourists and there are few places that are tourist only haunts. This makes for a much more enjoyable experience.
The city itself is surprisingly small; the 20 “arrondissements” being contained within the limits of the ring road. The main sites can be done within 2 or 3 days but you could easily keep yourself entertained for several weeks, certainly if you speak some French.
Paris can sometimes seem less accessible for those that do not speak French. For many this resistance to crumble to the whims of tourists is what makes Paris “Paris”, for others it is a point of frustration. Either way it provides most people with a list of anecdotes - both good and bad. Financially speaking Paris is much more accessible than London, New York and Rome. Good hotels can be found for as little as €80 a night, brasserie menus at lunch time start from €12 and an excellent three course evening meal with a good bottle of wine can be had for €25.
