I recently came across one of my posts from 4 years ago and it made me smile.

It was in reference to a book called "Aging Well"
https://www.amazon.com/Aging-Well-Su...eorge+vaillant

The best line in it was:
"My wife says that a year shall not pass without going to Paris."

I'm the wife and this is a mantra to live by IMHO! 12 times and counting.
Our Sept. trip this year doesn't include Paris but there is always Oct. Nov. & Dec.

It's for everyone except people who have no taste and can't appreciate beauty.

I don't know if it is for everyone, but....it certainly is for me...

"My wife says that a year shall not pass without going to Paris."

I would have said that (and probably did) 35+ years ago, but each time we've been back my affection has diminished a bit. Sadly, I feel that way about several places that I first experienced in the '70s and '80s. Cheap air fares and the cruise industry are spoiling so many places....

A month from now I will be in Paris for the first time ever. My expectations are high, even perhaps more so after reading the OP.

Ooops! As I read my post it sounds like I'm the wife of the author.

Not so....I'm just the wife who tells her husband this every year.
Sorry to mislead.

Paris is definitely for me. Always will be.

"My wife says that a year shall not pass without going to Paris."

A great line (and words to live by!)

It has to be at least twice a year for me. Once a year is not enough anymore.

It is one of our favourite places

Here is why
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pug_gi...57636716043473

We will be back in a couple of weekends!

I hate people who hate Paris.

I agree with Cafegoddess - once a year is not enough!
Will be there in October and next April.

We'll be there in October and November and hope for a GTG!

Friends went for the first time this week and then flew to Lisbon and they are in love with Portugal. They like the vibe better. It isn't for everyone. I love it but enjoy going home at night to a less busy arrondissement in the evening. It is magical for me but my husband not so much. We are trying something different in the fall as we did in the spring.

jamikins-------fantastic photos. Great city vibe displayed.

I've never been, and am extremely unlikely to ever go.
It holds zero appeal for me, so no it is not for everybody, nor even for everybody who has taste and can appreciate beauty. I may have no taste but I do appreciate beauty and beautiful places. Paris just leaves me cold.

hetismij2, please refer to post #12

Thank god for people like hetismij2. We already have far too many visitors, and I would certainly like for her to convince others not to come here, especially since she clearly has superior knowledge of why it has zero interest.

France is already up to 86 million visitors a year, far ahead of all other countries, and it is unfortunately aiming for 100 million relatively soon, in view of the gigantic surge of Chinese and Indian tourists. The tourism authorities are trying to find ways to get people to visit places other than Paris and the Côte d'Azur but have had very little luck so far.

Hetismij2, could you please inform us of what you consider to be the ideal place to go, because maybe it will take some of the pressure off Paris.

I will put out a little piece of bait and ask that people go to one of the most difficultly accessible places in France, the magnificent gorges of Kakuetta. Here is my report about it: http://tinyurl.com/kakuetta

It is for me ( 30+) visits, but I understand it is not for everyone.

A number of travelers do not care for big cities regardless of how interesting or beautiful they are.

My nephew and his wife bought their home in Seattle from a couple who wanted to move to the east coast so that they could get to Paris more easily.

I've been to Paris only once, and I don't plan to go again. There are so many other wonderful places that I find more interesting.

I'm about to start planning for my third trip to Poland.