Paris, la ville d’amour, vs. Neew Yohk, the big apple.

As my Fanpop friends know, I am currently in Paris for March break! Recently I got into an argument with an old friend about Paris and New York City, and how they compare. I’ve only been here in France for a couple days, but I have already fallen completely in love with the city. He has been to NYC a couple times, and likes it very much. I myself have never even been to the States, let alone New York, and I have absolutely no desire to go to either. He thinks I’m crazy because NYC has so much to offer. I beg to differ.

Thus: my reasoning as to why Paris is more suited to my tastes than New York, and why it is reasonable to not want to visit NYC.

Starting with my experiences in Paris!

On Day One we visited the Bastille Market, a delightful open air market with fruit, cheese, bread, and clothes stands. The atmosphere was charming, vendors shouting, people chatting in rapid french, shoppers bargaining over food…Even the french baguettes and cheese alone would have won me over! That is something that I doubt you will ever see in New York. An open air market full of fresh food and french cheese and bread. Even more astounding, no one was pushing or shoving, everyone was so polite! Pardonnez-moi, desolee, ‘scusee, compared to the common take on New York, where it’s every person for themself. Paris, or at least the part I’m in, is lovely and civilized.

In the afternoon of Day One, we visited L’Orangerie, a small art gallerie that is home to Monet’s gigantic water lily paintings. Also something you will not find in New York, if only because they are one of a kind. The artwork in France is amazing. Monet, Renoit, Da Vinci, the list goes on and on!

 

Day Two we wandered around the islands in the Seine River. The tiny shops full of brightly coloured scarves and jewellery attracted us at once, and we spent all morning flitting in and out of the many shops like hummingbirds. The menfolk went ahead and had coffee in a quaint corner cafe by the River. And to tope it all off, every other store was an ice cream parlour. Take THAT New York!

Aaaand finally, the architecture. I have been assured that NYC has just as much classical architecture as Paris, but I find that hard to believe.  The entire neighbourhood that we’re staying in is FULL of gorgeous buildings with wrought iron banisters and stone work that looks like icing on a cake. We visited Notre Dame Cathedral, and, however uncomfortable I was there (VERY uncomfortable) I have to admit that it is tastefully done. The great arching stone ceilings make you feel tiny, while the statues make you feel as though you are right there with the saints and Virgin Mary.  The stained glass alone had me gawking for a good 5 minutes before I went on to gasp at the gigantic chandelier.  I doubt that New York can beat that type of classical architecture, ESPECIALLY since it took centuries to build and they didn’t even have the technology used to build NY buildings.

Heh, one last thing, the shopping is excellent in both cities, but the FOOD is better in Paris I’m sure. Also the people are SO polite and friendly. No one shoves you in the streets, no one yells at you for crossing the street.

I lied, I still have more to say:

France is so full of HISTORY! It’s been around for centuries longer than anything in America. The civilization I mean, obviously the land is all the same age…

I have always loved Europe because it’s so full of stories. Kings, queens, royalty, courts, medieval war, etc. SO much more interesting to me than colonial wars. That goes for the architecture as well, European architecture is more impressive simply because it’s been around forever. None of this modern crap, it’s all flying buttresses and huge clock towers with gilded ceilings and marble columns. So elegant.

 

And that is why I think that Paris is more suited to my tastes than New York. I have no desire to visit the crowded, rude, smog-filled, dirty, bustling city of New York. I would be perfectly happy to stay here and learn a Parisian accent, rather than my harsh Quebecois french, or even worse, a NEW YORK ACCENT!