... which is not the way to start being a responsible adult who deserves a career and a relationship. I guess the spirit was willing but the flesh was pretty weak.
Everyone deserves a second chance, though, right?
So, where have I been? I traveled north through Italy, hitting Naples, Florence, and Pisa. All were fantastic experiences and I will definitely catch you up on them later. But I have to admit they take a back seat to where I am now. And where am I now?
I'M IN PARIS!
This is the first time I've been to Paris. I've done a lot of traveling and seen a good number of Europe's great cities: London, Rome, Berlin, Amsterdam, Athens, Munich, Salzburg, Dublin... and of course some of the wackier ones like Nicosia and my beloved Cagliari. So I was excited about coming to Paris but I was prepared to be a little let down. After all, there's so much hype about Paris. To an American, just hearing the word "Paris" conjures up images of worldliness and urbanity that we can't hope to match. The real-life city couldn't possibly live up to my expectations, could it?
Well, I'm not going to say I feel cowed by the impossible urbanity of Paris, but I will say I'm feeling thrilled by it! What makes Paris fabulous is that it combines the two most winning attributes a city can have: distinctive local culture and cosmopolitan amenities. In other words, I can go to a bistro and get great traditional French food, but if I got sick of it I could easily find sushi, falafal, palak paneer, or bi bim bop. I can sip cafe au lait under the Eiffel Tower, but I can also - and don't judge me for this - get the occasional Starbucks.
I'm in Paris for another week (I've already been here for one week, settling in and... facing up to my responsibilities), so for the next seven days I'll be doing my best to bring you the best from the incomparable City of Lights.
Copyright 2010 Sara Harding
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