Inspirations: Paris

The beauty of Paris is overwhelming. On our last visit, I said that anywhere there were square trees (manicured into square or rectangular shape), there was good stuff nearby.  There were also amazing flowers, especially roses, everywhere.  It is a really studied, deliberate attention to creating beauty in every little element of life that makes Paris, and France, worth getting to know.  The French also love to wrap packages at shops.  They simply cannot deal with it if you want to take your stuff and run, a la New York City.  It's about quality of life, of living, of enjoyment -- that is too often absent in the United States.