PARIS -  I have now been in the City of Lights for five days, finally fulfilling a decades-long desire to visit this famous city.

 I have had wonderful experiences so far, I am using the subway system with ease, and I am soaking in places such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Jardins Luxembourg, the Sorbonne, Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe and the Pantheon.

 

 

The Sorbonne was a must-see for me because my late father studied French there one summer in the late 60s. I just wanted to be able to see what it looked like. Unfortunately, I was not able to actually enter the grounds, so I walked around the massive structure.

 Five things I have learned so far:

 1) The French seem far friendlier than their reputation suggests.

 2) Cafes and restaurants seem to be the number one soft industry here.

 3) Motorcycles are far more popular here than bicycles.

4)  The wonderful bakeries are where decent diets go to die.

5)  Dogs rule. I have yet to see a cat, for which I am thankful. 

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