Paris, Fall 2017
After my business trip to London, I decided to take a couple of weeks off to visit Paris.
The city struck me as being almost opposite to London in many regards. The public transportation system appears chaotic and nearly unusable. My one attempt to navigate the Parisian subway ended in Boulogne-Billancourt - a beautiful and wealthy suburb nowhere near my intended destination. After that, I Ubered throughout.
Excellent restaurants and bars everywhere. Even small convenience shops have a selection of my favorite Belgian ales that would rival the best bars in London.
Just like in London, the locals exhibit apparent symptoms of tourist fatigue. But contrary to popular belief, I found Parisians polite and helpful, even if a touch forceful. To me, they seemed more engaging and authentic than Londoners.
Even with all the Uber riding, there was a lot of walking. London tourist attractions seem closer to each other. In Paris, you have to walk as much of everything worth seeing is stretched along the Seine and is built on a grand scale.
The weather was much better. My Airbnb apartment on Rue Sainte-Félicite was charming and conveniently situated.
