My beautiful bride and I travelled to Paris last month, accompanied by her sister and her sister's husband. We threw the trip together at the last moment and spent seven lovely days there. We also met up with my wife's cousin Vincent, his wife Florence, and their three beautiful children while we were there. Vincent had stayed with us in the summer of 1999 for five weeks when he was a university student and he and I have kept in touch ever since. It was great to see him and finally meet his beautiful family.
Paris is the greatest city in the world. I used to reserve that honor for New York but no longer. There is a sweetness, a loveliness, to Paris that sets it apart from any other great city I've encountered, though Rome comes close. New York has granduer, greatness, energy, but, of course, Paris has no shortage of those. It's that "la dolce vita" aspect of Paris that sets it apart. It has to do with the quality and abundance of the city's green spaces, its parks and gardens; with the sidewalk cafe life that allows for companionship and community; with the Parisian's attitude that life is to be enjoyed, savored. The attitude is contagious; I spent the week giddy with delight.
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