I'll show you that French joie de vivre!

Parlez vous francais?

Nope, well neither do I, so good thing this review of Paris is in English.

My Paris Top Ten (But in no particular order)

1. The ICE (german TGV) train is awesome. Why wouldn't anyone want to get somewhere twice as fast as other transportation. And it really does look like you're moving faster from within the train. Also, unlike the airport, it's nice to be dropped right at one of the most popular stations in central Paris so you can hop right on the Metro and go where you need to go.



2. The european tradition of Crepes and Nutella. So good! They have special crepe makers (pictured below) which make amazing crepes. The only problem is that nutella has a way of sparking thirst which leads me to my ongoing rant about europe's tyrannical monopoly on our basic needs as humans. I mean what next europe? Oh you're charging me 5 euros to breathe your oxygen... ok, sure, I love to pay ridiculous fees just because I can.



Seriously, it's called a water fountain. How about we invest in some.



3. The Louvre. Ok, it's no secret I'm not much for Art Museum's so why would I go to one of the most famous Art Museums in the world. Well, because that's what you do. Especially if you want to claim you've personally seen the mona lisa.

Apparently I don't care too much about that claim. (I wouldn't wait in line for a direct shot)



This statue was my favorite.



Wanna rub the lucky toe ;) C'mon I know you do.



Ok, feet gross you out. How about the baby toe? Nobody minds baby toes. It's lucky....



4. Le Metropolitain. The metro in paris is easy to use despite the language barrier. True there is kind of a stench, and it's the most crowded metro I've used, but easy none the less. Best part, if you go to the metro station that is by Ikea, it's decorated and decked out with Ikea couches for you to relax while you wait for your ride!





5. Like most undergrounds, subways, metros, there are musicians sharing their talents with weary travelers, and paris has a group of about 15 students/professors called Classique Metropolitain who have a mini orchestra playing in the metro. Their purpose is to spread awareness of classical music to those who may not otherwise be exposed. I must admit they were amazing!

This also got me wondering how I should pitch a reality tv show that's a Metro Battle of the Bands so to speak. We can travel the world finding the most talent in diffferent cities metro stations. It'd be a world wide reality tv show to prove which city has better underground music. We could call it "So you think you make tips?," "Amazing Cover Artist," "The Musician," or "Musician: Paris Underground."

Ha ha, no I'm serious. How do I go about pitching this? I would love to travel and it's like survivor meets amazing race meets so you think you can dance.

6. The famous traffic circle around the Arc de Triomphe. The pictures don't do it justice. But it's pretty much a free for all. There are rules to follow, but it would be gracious to call it organized chaos.



7. The Eiffel Tower. It just didn't seem right to come live in europe and not see the eiffel tower. It's huge! It is pretty amazing to see in person. All the guys trying to sell you cheap eiffel tower trinkets get really old though.



8. The ability to walk through Paris. Many of the major sites are extremely close together. It was a gorgeous day and it's a gorgeous city with the walkways lined with trees and old, elaborate buildings all around you. There are parks every mile or so and fountains with ducks. Now if only there were some gelato stands...

9. Champs Elysees.Paris' Magnificient Mile. Upscale shopping, fancy restaurants, and tons of pedestrians. Definitely a must if you are looking for the iconic Paris shopping experience.

10. Cathedral of Notre Dame. You can't help but find yourself singing "God help the outcasts, hungry from birth..." Haha oh how deeply ingrained disney is. Seriously though, the Cathedral is beautiful. I am a little tired of the Cathedrals, but this and Westminster Abbey are my favorites. I just wish the line hadn't been so long to see the Gargoyles :( Oh, well if I ever make it back to Paris that's top on my to-do list.




(this photo wasn't taken by me, next time i'll have my own bonafied gargoyle pictures)