Paris, France

Today is our first official day here in the wondrous city of love and romance. We start off by eating like the locals. We have a rather different breakfast by starting with desert! They are known as 'French Patisserie' and are well known for their Pastries. They don't just have a regular loaf of sweet bread though. Each store is crammed full of an assortment of combinations that combine both sweet, salty, meaty and cheesy. Here they may call it a Pastry, but to me and my mother, it seemed to be more like a seven course meal wrapped in one! After our breakfast we took a stroll through the city and saw the architecture of its buildings and its bridges. We could see that through this town there were plenty of extravagant constructions. Though we did get lost at a few turns, we were able to find our way along. We eventually found ourselves dining for lunch at 'Le Cinq Mars'. The food was unfathomable! There was really no way to prepare our taste-buds. The food was prepared so well and the presentation was simply beautiful. There didn't seem to be a trade between flavor for presentation. The two of them had their names written all over our plates and soon enough, like a breath-taking rainbow, it was gone and happily consumed. The food in France has a more open approach. Within the United States there are health regulations and various rules to serving food. In an almost poetic form of irony, the same companies who demand "Safe food policies" also sign documents that allow companies to over-load our food with countless acids, chemicals, fats etc. The French prefer their food the way it was meant to be served: "Au Natural!" And that makes all the difference. A perfect example: A grilled cheese with ham in the United States would be seen as simple or lacking in quality while also loaded with salt. Here it is a thin, light toast with butter, three assorted cheeses, and fresh cut pork on a beautiful sleek platter. The people here seem to be quite welcoming. They often ask how you are and if you happen to be lucky enough, they'll speak some English and ask more about why you've come to visit. I'd recommend though to be weary of your belongings. No one is out to get you, but often times people seem to loose important things in crowds. To put it simply: If you happen to know you're going somewhere that has a lot of people, make sure to have pockets you can close. If you're adventurous, I'd even dare you to wear a 'Fanny Pack'. This way you are able to keep your things safe from theft or from being confused for someone else.