A Gringo in Paris

An American in Paris. Ok. Please forgive me for the title. I know it is cliché. But it is true. This weekend The Gringo Guy went to Paris. It was just a short stopover on the way to Germany. But, as always Paris captivates my imagination and makes me think I can be a philosopher, writer or just about anything.

This was my seventh trip to the city of lights. I always love going being a tourist and basically just a visitor to the city. Two of my favorite places to visit are the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe shown above.

While these monuments are fascinating and always amaze me, I really love the city’s metro system. The trains run most all day and much of the night. They are amazing. It is like an underground city unto itself. People are going by a breakneck speed. There are musicians playing for tips. Shops sell everything a traveler would need. The metro always fascinate me.

I love the people of Paris. Most Americans say they find the French to be rude. I always see them to be kind and welcoming, especially since I don’t speak much French. I had the chance to visit some friends and their families. What started as a “snack” with a friend's family quickly turned into a feast of “Frenchness”. They called it a snack. Two glasses of champagne and two types of res wine. Four courses of food not counting dessert. You can see that little remained of the wine and cheese.

 I always think of France when I see red wine and cheese. For me France is incredible food, amazing sights, and the speed of the metro. That combined with wonderful people make Paris so special for me.

It was rainy and cold. But, hey it was Paris and as you can see the city of lights always puts a smile on my face.