Paris in the Winter…
Paris was something else. It is a place that I will remember for a long time. The food was out of this world. I did not focus on eating the famous Escargot or the famous duck in some kind of ritzy sauce, but instead I ate a lot of street food. Eating street food is where the flavor of the culture is. Paris is that kind of place where people come and people go, so it is richly influenced by the movement of people and culture. So I wanted to taste the seasoning of that culture.
I found some great food and sweets. From the hot chocolate to the fresh pepper preserved Salome sandwiches with fresh cheese was something to drool over. The food in Paris was great, too bad its people were not.
I thought that people were over exaggerating when they said something negative about the French. But it is all true. Unlike London, Paris was not a tourist friendly place to go to. I thought that if I at least tried to speak French they would be sympathetic to the traveler… but they are not!
I tried to spit out every ounce of French I took in high school, but that was not enough for them. Their country is beautiful, but their attitudes could be better.
Besides that, Paris was something out of a post card. From Notre Dame to the Arch of Triumph to the Eiffel Tower, Paris was something to take in one moment at a time. A simple point and shoot would not give you the quality of pictures you would want… unless you have a REALLY good and awesome point and shoot. Taking my Nikon was definitely worth it… even if I stood out and made it obvious that I was a tourist.
Paris in the winter was really fun. I was there by myself, but I bet it would be even better if someone was there to share it with you. The lines are short because no one is willing to wait in the cold. And everything tastes better since you want something warm to eat.
The downfall to going in the winter is that the snow tends to get on your nerves as you hit the streets. You have to be in layers all the time. People tend to be in a rush all the time (I think it’s because of the snow). And of course, flights and trains get canceled in heart beats. It is a little more stressful to travel at that time, but none the less it is something to experience before you die.
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Above all, beware of the French attitude and have fun when you visit this awesome city.
Alex Castro
