Paris is widely heralded as the most romantic city in the world. After experiencing the city firsthand, I must say I was quite impressed. However after much deliberation, I would still rank Paris a close second to Boonville, Missouri. The Eiffel Tower has nothing on the Isle of Capri Riverboat Casino.
The Food
I have used this joke in the past, and I am using it again. My ambition this semester focuses on slowly eating my way across Europe. I am pleased to announce that Paris did for me what Neil Armstrong walking on the moon did for mankind. It brought me one giant leap closer making my dream a reality.
Meals are a precious commodity when traveling. On a typical weekend trip, you are lucky to have five meals so using them wisely is essential. This especially rings true in France, where the gourmet food is considered a national treasure.
Not to sound conceded but I rewrote the record books on international dining in the categories of mass consumption and efficiency. Anything that sounded authentically French, I inhaled with reckless abandon. I sampled crepes filled with melted chocolate and bananas, escargot, wine, champagne, French bread, crepes filled with chocolate and raspberry jam, crème brulle, quiche, apricot tart, and roast duck.
All these excess calories may force me into purchasing two seats for the return flight to the States, but even so, I regret nothing and would do it again in a heartbeat.
What am I doing?
The Sights
Someone once told me that Paris housed the most famous art in the world. I am no professional art critic, but I have reason to doubt this claim. I saw some artists that I recognized, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphaël and Michelangelo, but where in God’s name was Donatello? What kind of collection is complete without the fourth Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle? Especially Donatello, he was the group’s spiritual leader. And that is not the half of it; I searched the entire museum without seeing a single work by Splinter. All I found were a bunch of ballerina pictures by this pervert Degas and some paintings by Van Gogh, which looked as though they had been vandalized because the paint were all smeared.
We also saw the Arc de Triomphe, Montmartre, the Moulin Rouge, Basilique du Sacre-Coeur, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Bastille.
The Highlight
Despite all the wonderful food, the Eiffel Tower easily distinguished itself as the highlight of the trip. This is no big surprise. It has long served the premiere trademark of Paris and has been the primary inspiration behind the city’s fabled romantic spirit. Of course, I am biased. This seems the proper forum to announce that I, too, found love at the top of the Eiffel Tower. And who is the luck person you ask? Well, it is none other than myself. Some people would argue that this is not new revelation but that I have long been enamored with myself. There may be some truth to that. However, I had yet to truly recognize the enchanting splendor of myself until I stood there looking out over the world.
Tags: Dave Northrip, France, Paris, Study Abroad
