After Belgium, I took a (quite expensive) train to Paris.  I had no idea what to expect… certainly popular culture gives the impression that Paris is completely made up of rude waiters charging extravagant prices and refusing to help anyone who can’t speak French without a hint of an accent.  Fortunately, I found Paris (and France in general) far from the stereotype - except for the prices of course! - and probably would select it as my favorite European country so far.  It was one of the friendliest places I visited… well, except for the waiters who were pretty rude.

However, the shopkeepers, street sellers, and regular people were all helpful and more than willing to point me in the right direction after I stumbled through the very few lines of basic French that I know.  “I am sorry.  I don’t understand French.  Do you speak English?” would almost invariably get me smiles and help.

Oh, and my hostel had free internet.

So yes, a large part of my time in Paris was spent completing my applications to law school, but for free rather than at $18 to the hour as in Switzerland.  Thank you Paris!  Besides the exciting time spent in front of the computer, I also took a number of walks around Paris.  I was staying near the Montmarte Cathedral, a beautiful, artsy area with lots of fresh fruit stands and chocolate shops.  Every day I would wake up and head out for a pear or plum or apple… and of course the occasional French truffle.

French chocolate deserves a word or two.  Their style of chocolate is very different from Belgium and Germany.  Rather than having big, rich, creme-filled milk chocolate truffles, in Paris chocolate is almost invariably dark, bitter, and dense.  This was perfect for setting off my favorite kind of chocolate truffle - fruit!  And indeed, Paris had the best passion fruit and raspberry truffles I’ve tasted.  Tart, small, and intense… delicious.

I actually avoided much of the standard tourist activities in Paris.  This was mostly because my budget was hurting big-time and I will be returning in the future, when hopefully I’ll be able to afford that trip up the Eiffel Tower, to Versailles, the Catacombs, or to the Louevre.  Until then, my long and painful walking tour to pretty much every sight in Paris will have to suffice - along with the memories of fruit stands and passionfruit chocolate truffles!