"I like Paris. My problem is I don't like Parisians." Laurence Olivier

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Today we went to the Rodin Museum, had lunch at a cafe outside of the D'Orsay (being that it was a Saturday, the line was far too long to attempt to get tickets), wandered around the Palais Royal gardens, then did a drive by on the Louvre just so our minds could start to comprehend the massive undertaking we had in store.

We got dressed and up and went out to have a drink at the Four Season's George V Hotel. The martini's were 22 euros (close to $30 American). The hostess provided me with a footstool, which one would logically assume was for your feet but... is actually for your purse. So that it never has to (gasp!) touch the ground, and of course so that everyone there can take note that yes, you own the new LV Monogram Vernis Stillwood. We were instantly treated as last priority because we were obviously not from Paris (and I obviously owned a clutch I got on sale at Aldo). The whole prentious atmosphere disgusted me, so we went over to a hole in the wall cafe near our apartment, drinking Heinekens and laughing with the bartender and other customers. For a split second, it almost felt like home, and my irritation about our first stop melted away. :-)

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The overall behavior of Parisians has forced me to contemplate many things. Life is simpler here, not constantly go, go go, like thing are back at home. You walk or ride your bicycle or moped into work. Once a week you head out to the local grocery store to get all of the food you will need, all of it fresher and better tasting than anything back home in the US.  Your family is the most important thing in life and most week nights and especially weekends, you see entire families out in the park spending quality time together. And not doing it because they feel obligated but because you can tell that there is truly nothing they would rather be doing. They maintain very intimate friendships with a select handful of their closest friends. One of the reasons they tend to look down on Americans is because we seem incapable of doing this. As for people they don't wish to have as a part of their lives--they simply just don't include them as part of their lives and that is that. Most things seem to be much more cut and dry here, which only helps in keeping things uncomplicated.

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I am in no way excusing the fact that there have already been so many occurrences of the French living up to their stereotype of  being the rudest and most self-centered culture out there. But all of this aside, I envy the simplicity.