mile

happy to be home and I think you should stay for ever at home. I have been in Paris many times and never had
any experience like yours. it's true
you do sometime smell the urine in the
metro but only around the very low , low LOWWWW!!!! class neighberhoods areas not at the regular or all the
touristic areas stations and this happens in any metro stations around the world. Doggi poop not anymore that you see in N.Y OR D.C or any where else in the U.S.A
Capuccino better in the U.S, sure it
can happen, you should had asked for
a latte it's more french. and this issue , is also a matter of opinion. I
had several times the best latte in the world at the coffee stand across from the louvre museum. So, do not gene
ralise because of your experience.
Which I personally think is all a big
fat bad taste joke. I do not believed
you.

SoBeTraveller

Oh to the contrary, Oaktown gets beyond herself, she stretches, and she is fun to read. Too many here are pinched, soooo content to equate travel with toilets and paper. Although some have "picked up" the doo issue too. Keep at it, OT .... you add a freshness this place needs!!!!

JoeG

Oaktown Traveler,
What's in the flask?
JoeG

isabel

Ziana - Paris is also probably very glad you went home.

My first reaction to posts like yours is to ignore them, not to respond so as not to encourage you. But I realize that lots of people new to this board looking for information on Paris will come across this thread. And so for their sake I will go on record as saying that I also just came back from Paris and dog poop, human urine, unsmiling people and bad food are just NOT a problem unless you are looking to find something bad about the place for some reason. I cannot understand that. Paris is just about the most beautiful city in the world, the people are perfectly agreeable, the food is absolutely wonderful, the metro (and bus system) are incredibly well run and efficient. I could go on and on but hopefully someone looking for quality info on Paris will read the many positive and useful threads and take these rather wierd ones with a grain of salt.

flygirl

not surprisingly, you spelled capisce wrong.

tcreath

I read your post and I totally understand that you are entitled to your opinion. I myself have never been to Paris, but I've been to Europe several times and have been to many countries. My thoughts are that if you are traveling abroad, its generally because you want to experience new cultures along with the great sites that Europe (or anywhere) has to offer. Some things about these cultures may seem better than the US, some worse, but the point is not to compare. Paris is Paris. European cities are not US cities, and they aren't trying to be. If you expected a city like Philly, you should have stayed in the United States. Sure, I am surprised by some of the things I found while overseas, but who am I to judge an entire city or country because they do things differently? If you would have opened yourself up to that particular culture and quit comparing and expecting the same things you would expect here in the US, you probably would have had a better time.

As I mentioned above, you are more than entitled to your own opinions. Maybe you should plan on Florida for your next vacation?

Tracy

MelissaHI

I also had a hard time understanding the trip report, but I think I got the same gist that everyone else did--that you didn't really care for Paris.

I just went for the 6th time last week and I'm pretty sure you and I were looking at two completely different versions of Paris. The people were warm, kind, and helpful to me as well, and I never had a complaint about the service. In fact, one Frenchie sitting near us at a bistro told us, "You know, we love Americans. The world is a mess....and someone's got to clean it up. So, thank you." Other than that serious moment, most other times the French people I encountered were a lot of fun and made every effort to communicate (since I still don't speak French, but that will soon change) as we drew pictures and made gestures. My final memory of Paris was the ticketing agent and the baggage guy, both waving and enthusiastically saying, "Bye bye Meleeesa! 'Ave a nice treep!"

And the food!! Oh, dear, I hope you didn't go to Flunch or something. I gained quite a bit of weight after indulging in all that yummy food. Oh, well.....I guess as we say at home to someone who doesn't like the food being served.....MORE FOR ME!

Ziana

I do not know why you taking it so personally, like you built Paris or something...
Do you really expect everyone come back with WOW! reaction from France ?
For you to know like I said there were 4 of us and other couple from NY, my husband's friends. They spent 7 days in Paris only and they came back and called my Mom to tell "Paris? Yeah, it was OK."
I am waiting for my 3 friends to come back on Friday with different opinion.
I went there to be shocked by it's beauty, really.
I went with open heart, but I do need comfort. I do value comfort A LOT !
So, I did learned that may be Europe traveling is not my cup of tee. And I told you that. That was it.
Some people really surprising me so much, more then Paris did.
I said that I am not sure about how did it happened to me, I feel somewhat guilty for all I did not enjoy. But I just can't post happy post about what didn't happened. I said I loved pink shoes though
And I bought them in HAMBURG ! And yellow too.
And I am forever in love with Hamburg and Lubek. Not Paris, so bite me more.

My husband did not recorded people on the streets, but Louvre and Notre Dame and Eiffel and Sienna and Latin and Monmartre.
I do smile to people if our eyes meet and I do not have attitude when ordering food and I tip people well.
I just didn't feel it. Sorry if it offended you because I sucked up a lot from this forum and I probably expected too much reading all of yours posts.
But I will not adjust my opinion to your liking, sorry.
Sincerelly yours, Ziana.

P.S isabele, I still think you are great photographer regardless your rudeness.

here_today_gone2Maui

Wow, after reading that trip report I guess I have been visiting the other Paris. I have often commented on how, in general, Paris Metro stations are much cleaner that those I have travelled in LA or NY, and especially in comparison to those in Philly. It seemed that every subway stairwell in Philadephia reeked of urine, while I can't honestly recall any urine smell in the Paris metro. Maybe I was too busy to notice it. As for the dog poop, I never spend my time in Paris looking down. there are too many wonderful sights above ground-level for me to have noticed, I suppose.

And I don't know that I would call the French on the street any gloomier than those I encounter in any large metro area. Spend the day in downtown LA and let me know how many strangers make eye contact and smile. And some of the most charming people I have ever encountered were while in France. I wil never forget the café waitress who knew no English, but did burst into a lovely rendition of "Tea for Two" when we tried to order in our fractured French. I find a simple ?Bonjour, Monsieur? and "Merci, au revoir" would always bring me a smile, or even a tip of the chapaeu.

Did you not use the self-cleaning toilets? My favorite found at Harry's New York Bar. A most amusing toilet, to say the least.

Did you at least shop ay Monoprix? While I adore Galleries Lafayette and Printemps, Monoprix is my favorite place to shop in Paris.

I think I need to go back to Paris to investigate this for myself. And I must have Nutella crepes and at every chance. I can do without the frogs legs and slugs, but I will be sure to have chocolat africain.

elle

>>If you expected a city like Philly, you should have stayed in the United States.<<

Ahem--only Philadelphians (not even suburbanites) are allowed to say mean things about Philadelphia . In reality, there are many similarities between Philadelphia and Paris--architecture, city plan, culture, food, and, of course, dog doo. So if you're expecting a city like Philadelphia, I'd say Paris is exactly the place to go.

Ziana

Monoprix ?
SHOP in Monoprix ?
I must be from elsewhere !
We were so surprised in that store looking at that ugly kids clothes flea-market quality and all american supermarket food boxes.
You kidding me, right ?

JoeG

Oaktown,
>Victoria Secret full cup bra and barely there thong<
You had me with >the flask<
JoeG

ezlivin

With trip reports like these and responses as long as a novel on "Why I'm different from all travellers..." -who say's the Internet doesn't provide the cheapest form of entertainment these days?

SoBeTraveller

Ziana, people in Philly have this view they live in a great city, and they are sophisticates.

Steveboy

Ziana:

You disliked virtually everything about Paris, but had only good things to say about the Frankfurt airport. I've been to both. I'm speechless.

grantop

Iregeo is right, you don't take disagreement well! If your angry and oh so classy "so bite me more" attitude displayed here is even 10% of how you acted in Europe I'm surprised that anything at all satisfied you. . . . and you wonder why people didn't kiss your feet? Oh wait, they were ankle deep in doggie doo doo. I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, but when you said you sucked up so much information here I had to laugh, obviously somewhere between the 'burbs and Paris you lost (flushed?) all of your new found knowledge. Stay home and continue to use the drive thrus, I think it's more your speed.

flygirl

Steveboy! I've spent 18 hours in the Frankfurt airport, and can only say they have the finest sleeping couches around. (ok, I was 19, what did I know).

this has to be the best post I have read here in a long time.

Ziana

Iregeo is the one histerical, not me.
O, well, I am very upset that I've upset you guys.
I never bite first. This is why assumption that I wasn't nice being a guest is wrong to begin with.
I am not trying to make you change your opinions, why do you ?
Like I said I am very sorry I did not see Paris with your eyes. Really, honestly. I would be happier to be crazy about it.

ThinGorjus

I live in Philadelphia and I don't think it is anything like Paris. Elle, do you live in Old City or Society Hill? I never see dog poop around Rittenhouse Square, where I work.

I am sorry you did not like Paris, Ziana, but I think Paris is magic in June, September, and October. My sister was in Paris late March and said it was chilly and damp. That would ruin my holiday too.

I love Paris. Do people smile at you in Philly, Zaina???? I hardly ever get a smile unless I am in Manayunk or King of Prussia.

Ziana

They do, TG, they do...because I am smiling first ?

Was it really hard for you to love Paris and not to spit in my face ?

Thanks