Paris, France

It's always great to be back in Paris. Our family has been to Paris several times now and we're really beginning to know the city well. In honor of my return to Paris, I've constructed my top 10 things I love about Paris (in no particular order):

1) The Bread - From croissants to baguettes and everything in between

2) The Coffee - A great cup of coffee on every corner

3) The Weather - Much cooler than July in New York City

4) The Language - I love to hear it spoken and like to try to speak it as well though I do it badly.

5) The Velib - We biked all over Paris. I think I used the Velib almost every day we were in town.

6) Mobile Broadband Underground - The Metro is great, with Internet it's the best subway system I've ever been on.

7) Eating Outside - We have so few places in NYC to sit outside and eat and drink and watch the scene. In Paris, you get that everywhere.

8) The River Seine - Many european cities are built on rivers, but few are as lovely as the Seine.

9) The Pompidou - We went to many museums during our stay but the Pompidou is by far my favorite.

10) The Apartment Buildings - I love the look of the parisian apartment buildings. This is a photo I took of one from the Promenade Plantee. They are so beautiful and they are everywhere.

Years ago, when Fred and I went to Chez Georges, it was our last dinner in Paris. Fred insisted on reading the french menu as he was adamant that he was up to speed with his french. I opted for English knowing that although I took French for more years than I care to share, language is not my thing, unfortunately. He ordered what he thought was veal and it turned out to be calves balls laden with cream. It was hilarious when the waiter told Fred who was taken back when the entree came, what he had ordered. I had no problem with them ( the balls ) so I switched with Fred but it is a memorable story and has been told in the family lore a few times. So when we walked in the restaurant, it made me laugh.