1. Everyone warned us that the French don't like Americans. But we encountered friendly Parisians everywhere we went. Our trip started out with a waitress who was not just friendly, she joked around with us and set the mood for our whole trip. The myth of the American-hating French was disspelled.
2. We'd imagined sitting at outdoor cafes, drinking wine as we watched Paris life pass by. But as it turned out, we liked the Belgian cherry beer Kriek better than wine and ordered it any time we saw it on the menu.
3. We ate at Parisian cafes at least once, if not twice a day, and discovered that their menues are mostly the same no matter what arrondisement we were in. You could count on three things dominating the menu: jambon (ham), bread (baguettes or tartines, which are open-faced sandwiches), and cheese. You could simply order a cheese plate if you so desired. We ate our fill of all three.
4. Walking along the Seine isn't as romantic as the movies would have you believe. It was usually littered, often smelled of urine, and was desolate more often than not. The only times we were nervous in Paris were when we walked along the river where many homeless seem to reside.
5. Some of the best sights aren't in the travel books. Our travel guide didn't include any information about the Biblioteque Nationale, which was right across the street from where we stayed. Once our Metro passes expired, we decided to check it out. We walked in and saw two enormous globes detailing the constellations. They were fantastic. There were floors full of conference rooms, lecture halls, and other informative displays. I wish we'd taken time to explore it earlier in our trip. Next time...
I totally agree with #1, 3 and 4.
ReplyDeleteMyths that did live up for me were the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the crepes. I only spent 2 days there, though, so I obviously need to do some more mythbusting!