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Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6
I have traveled a lot but nowhere near as much as Richard (motion) but I may agree with you. The combination of the history, people, culture and 6-7 story architecture make Paris a very special city.
This one picture, for me, illustrates Paris best and something I saw at all hours of the day. It's a picture of people talking. The most surprising detail of Parisian life is that no one, and I mean no one, is on their phones. I walked the city for miles every day and you just never saw anyone staring into their screens. Instead, you saw engaged conversation everywhere. It was beautiful, I couldn't get enough of it. Last year the French government banned phones from schools. We have to do that too, one way or another, but obviously doubtful it will happen.
One of my big takeways from Parisian—and most likely, if not more more so, French in general—life is the focus on humanity, for lack of better term vs. the U.S. is all about making money and buying cheap Chinese junk. There was advertising but it was minimal. I never once saw anything close to a big box store, or even a big store, though I am sure they are in the suburbs. Instead, small stores, butchers (with a huge variety of meats and sausages in the window), etc. all line the streets of Paris. If I were the French government, I'd outlaw Amazon in France. In a heartbeat.
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Yes you are correct about all of this. There is the aesthetic - look at your photo. The streetscapes are largely free of visual pollution, signage, advertising, the general assault and ugliness of the inner city of many big cities. Even the signs for the "Metro" are beautiful. The way Parisians use public spaces, gardens, parks and cafes and restaurants, they way they live in their city is pretty amazing, although, much of Europe is not dissimilar. But - I love the place, and never get tired of visiting.