Paris, France

August 2011

I spent two days here, and was really not as impressed as I thought I would be. Paris is an extremely old city, so meaningless stairs were everywhere. I, still carrying my increasingly heavy carry-on suitcase, had to climb up and down stairs just to go straight across the train station. The people in Paris were in such a damn rush all the time, shoving, and pushing me just to get to where they want to be. I had asked my host where they’re rushing to, and it was quite the opposite mentality of Italy. They simply just wanted to get from point A to B as quickly as possible. It was also here that I finally understood why perfume/cologne was a necessity. Body odor was definitely more noticeable and pungent. Maybe it was a city that embraced the scent of a man, but my sensitive nose was not amused. I ended up seeing the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame de Paris, and some other cathedral. Also had legit Crème brûlée and macarons. Spending time by the park by the Eiffel Tower was a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the city. There was a cat that wandered around us as we ate and rested, and looked over the view of the Eiffel Tower.