Quick Notes From Paris

• Paris is no less polluted or smelly than London, and in some ways it has a worse problem in the form of dog poop on random sidewalks. (Watch where you step.) However, the architecture is beautiful. I've had gorgeous weather over the past few days and taken advantage of it, wandering wherever my heart desires.
• Speaking of my heart's desire, seeing this romantic city and its old world charm makes me wish I had someone to share it with, especially when I see couples kissing on the street.
• My French doesn't completely suck. I'm constantly amazed at how much I can understand and how much comes back to me from my high school days. Yesterday, I successfully told someone en français that I didn't need a plastic bag for my purchase. Today, I had a meal by myself in a seafood restaurant near L'école Militaire. The waiter spoke English with a couple at another table the entire time, but once he figured out I knew some French, he insisted, "En français, madame." I felt so flattered that he was encouraging me to speak French, especially since I've heard that the French will speak English with you if they feel you're butchering their language.
• The girls here are really stylish. They were stylish in London, too. I feel more like a slob than ever.
• If you're a genteel-looking Asian girl walking down the Champs-Elysees, expect to get some weird propositions (and even stranger travel stories out of said propositions).