The concise Paris.

I took 953 pictures
I took 55 videos
I filled a 60 page journal with sketches and words
I authored 14 blog posts
I wrote countless pages in my notebook

All these things were created about Paris. But it is perhaps the list I begun about it in my pocket journal that most succinctly explains what the city is like.

I got the idea for the list my first day in Paris after stopping at a downtown brasserie to have a drink. When I looked at the board of prices I was shocked to see a glass of Bordeaux was actually cheaper than a half pint of Stella. It got me to thinking about things that Paris offers that make it truly Paris.

So here it is. The list of tag lines that, at least from my experiences, best describe Paris.

Paris: Where the wine is cheaper than the beer
Paris: Where they speak better French than you do
Paris: Where street signs on the corner tell how to find a toilet or museum, but not the name of the street
Paris: Where you can't find the Eiffel Tower simply by looking for it above other buildings
Paris: Where there are times of congestion but never a rush hour
Paris: Where directions are subjective
Paris: Where everyone smokes yet no one seems to sell cigarettes
Paris: Where you should always carry a corkscrew
Paris: Where opera makes sense
Paris: Where stereotypes can come true
Paris: Where beauty is everywhere
Paris: Where getting lost isn't necessarily a bad thing
Paris: Where the mundane is extraordinary
Paris: Where you might start speaking English with an accent
Paris: Where you need a map
Paris: WHERE YOU NEED A MAP
Paris: Where seemingly every store sells wine but not a wine opener
Paris: Where a diet of bread and cheese is fantastic
Paris: Where there's always beautiful women on the metro, streets, patios...
Paris: Where people that look like foreigners to Paris speak perfect French
Paris: Where taking the metro doesn't cut walking out of the commute but rather shifts it underground
Paris: Where everyone takes pictures
Paris: Where the sky is simply more beautiful
Paris: Where croissants taste better
Paris: Where bums ask for change using espresso cups
Paris: Where aged roads can make you regret walking in flip flops
Paris: Where a Euro can buy 5 Eiffel Towers on every corner
Paris: Where small dogs are really popular
Paris: Where wedding pictures can - and do - happen everywhere
Paris: Where they drink two buck Chuck but call it Cote du Rhone
Paris: Where the name eau de toilet seems to refer to the streets
Paris: Where you'll take multiple pictures of the of the same things because they're that awesome
Paris: Where you can drink whiskey or espresso at a tattoo parlor
Paris: Where it always comes in handy to have a bottle of wine on you
Paris: Where homeless people might feed you before asking for something from you
Paris: Where gimmick restaurants that feature rude waiters also exist; they're called restaurants
Paris: Where you'll fall in love with a city