"Well, call me crazy."

Okay, sure!

westiedogs, there may be something to your theory. this post sure did take the heat off Ziana!

Why is it on this forum that someone who expresses a dislike of Paris is branded an ignorant hick?

I can talk to you at length about opera, art, and history, having studied French history quite a bit -- cultural and diplomatic.

I have been to Paris many times. I have rooted out my share of small gems to visit.

And I can safely say: There are many aspects of Paris I detest.

I prefer several other cities of Europe.
Vienna is one; Copenhagen another.

I will gladly do a verbal skirmish with anyone who tells me I am a hick. I can probably find numerous reasons why most any of you are hicks in my opinion.
But, who among us has the right to reach that judgment?
Do you? (and flippant popoffs don't count as answers.)

Please don't tell me that you believe the posts of m kingdom or m kingdom 2 (in my opinion, an m kingdom imposter) are representative of the "Fodor's community"! That is insulting.

Well, you almost had me believing you were serious until the part about finding the Mona Lisa was pretty much what you expected. As opposed to the surprise discovery that it is really a painting of a dog in a clown suit, I suppose. Huh?

Does anyone else wonder which regular poster here re-registered under a new name to do this post? It obviously didn't come from someone brand new to this forum.

Lighten up, Bob Brown!
Larraby is having some fun. React to it in the same vein.

After reading Larraby's post, I was worried about my upcoming first trip to Paris! But everyone else's responses set my mind at ease.

(translated from the French by QC)

Message: I know this has been covered in part in another thread, but since I too just returned from New York I feel compelled to post my response. Folks, what is the appeal?

For starters, the whole city needs a major facelift. It is one thing to have charm and "grit". It is another to simply be rundown, and New York, I'm afraid, is the latter. Everything is fraying around the edges and no one seems to be doing anything about it. Dirty streets, buildings falling apart, beggars, gypsies and every manner of poor and decrepit. This place makes Paris look like Disneyland.

Second, let's be honest about the food. Unless you're willing to pay $500 to $1000 per couple, what you get here is arrogance and bizarre ethnic cooking that they do better back home. And what's with all the beef and fried potatoes? Have the Americans heard about cholesterol?

We ended up eating our last four meals at Gray's Papaya on Broadway so that at least we could get some nourishment without being gouged.

Now to the people. Again, let's not kid ourselves. French is not the universal language but it would be nice if the Americans would at least try to accommodate their hundreds of thousands of guests who have come to spend their hard-earned money in New York. They even border a French-speaking country! But I can't tell you how many blank stares I would get - from bus drivers, metro workers, waiters, etc., every time I tried to communicate. And yes, I started with a "howdy", but obviously that wasn't enough. In fact, the only thing that howdy got me was the apparent assumption that the rest of the conversation would be in English. So much for that suggestion. And I have never seen such a dour looking lot as the New Yorkers. I think they all need a class in depression management. You would think that a people so supposedly blessed with this city and this culture would be happy about it. Instead, they all look perpetually constipated. Maybe it's all the beef and fried potatoes.

Finally, the overrated sights. The Metropolitan Museum is the biggest joke of all. Do they really expect you to see all this art and sculpture without knowing where you're going? Again, some signs in French would be nice and maybe information booths. But even with that, what's the big deal? Most of the art is stuff I've seen back home or in books. I expected some surprises, but it was just one similar painting after another. As for the "Washington Crossing the Delaware", from what I could see of it through all of the craning necks it was pretty much what I expected. I'm sorry, but I guess my ignorance just doesn't allow me to appreciate it. As for the Museum of Modern Art, you would think that with all these priceless paintings they would find someplace better than an old stapler factory in Queens to put them. If you can find them, that is. Again, it would be nice if someone would tell you that you have to traipse all the way to the back and then go all the way up to the third floor to see what you're looking for.

I know I'm going to get slaughtered for this report, but I think New York is the world's prime example of the emperor with no clothes. Everyone just assumes that it must be incredible because that's what they're told. If you say otherwise, you're branded as crazy. Well, call me crazy. Next time I'll go back to Lille, which is calm, clean, orderly and everything New York is not.

well i see Mr. know it all prof. Bob Brown is at it again. Always has some great input

To Larraby,

I am very happy to hear that you hate Paris. Please convince all your friends and everyone you meet how bad Paris is and that none of them should ever go there. Maybe then I can get a seat on the Metro and won't have to wait so long in line at the Louvre or those terrible Parisian restaurants cause I live to be in Paris.

Larry J

I agree with Larry, summer would be better for all if the hordes of tourist stayed away, if they can't find the beauty there. If out of season, they wouldn't come, we might get better rates, and we then would get a group of people visiting their country with a feeling of love.

Larraby, please come back and give us a few hints as to your true identity...

Excellent, QC!!!

QC, what is the name of that seafood restaurant in Lille, with all the tiles in the market front, and the rstaurant in back?

QC, my Compliments....You are a so funny!!!

Guy, I thought your response was very clever, too!

Obviously Larraby hasn't eaten in Los Angeles recently. It's a whole lot less expensive to eat in Paris . . . and the food is better too. I have also been in restaurants in SoCal where the waiter didn't speak English and the last time I looked, we were in an English speaking country, although in SoCal that may not be true.

I'm sure the post was a joke. At least I'm looking at it that way. 8^>

English is not the "universal language". You can find stats to the contrary on various internet sites.

At first I thought it was Degas, but then it wasn't funny enough. However, I got my chuckles thanks to QC and NYCFS.

Personally, I don't really care whether a complete stranger likes or hates anywhere in particular.

It was probably a completely serious post as evidenced by the fact that not everybody lives in Paris...if it were "that great" everybody would be I suppose.
Same rationale goes for why not everyone is trying to eat in Los Angeles...but at least people there are able to eat, so-called "bad" food or not.