Here’s what I love about Paris – open-air markets, incredible fruit, vegetables, seafood, prepared food, and cheese. I love food, so the city if perfect for me. Paris has an efficient, expansive metro and rail system, but you must pay a Euro to use the WC. And, get used to having some guy standing next to you at the wash sink. Guide books extol the wonders of the city – a truly great city.

Here’s what I like about France – strict gun control laws, centralized education, paved roads and highways maintained by drivers’ tolls. Bucolic small towns and villages. Stone walls and wildflowers. Normandy, history, museums, and much more.

What don’t I like? Cobblestones. Dog litter. Cigarette butts. A woman next to us at an outdoor cafe smoked four cigarettes while she ate dinner. If second-hand smoke is annoying, take a table inside the restaurant.

ART

FOOD