Paris, in my past experience, has always been associated with romance. I do not find much romance in this large and rather dirty city. The locals are generally rude to Americans and it can be quite difficult to even get a waiter to place ice cubes in your glass of soda. However, the historical sights are a must for the travel-inclined. Seeing the Eiffle (Spelling?) tower, going up the elevator and down the stairs, is a must. From the top of the tower you can see the whole city, and imagine Lindburg flying his airplane there many years ago. The food is great but getting a seat on the sidewalk along famous streets like Champs… is difficult, but worht the wait. I have found some of the best chocolate in the world in a small shop in Paris. Be sure to take the dinner boat ride down the Seine (again, not sure of the spelling) and of course, at least 2 days is required to properly visit the Louvre, which is magnificient, better than the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia. I generally found Paris to be disappointing, but still think it is worth the trip to see the historical sites and palaces, and enjoy some of the good food and local wines. As for the french people, it seems that they have quickly forgotten that without Americans, they would most porbably be speaking German today. As they say….Do you know why there are so many trees in France?….So that the Germans can march in the shade!…. A little joke but not too unrealistic.