I've spoken with travelers from around the world and majority of them have formed the notion that the Frenchmen and women are far too prideful, snobbish even. A select few, including myself, will say otherwise. The French natives I've encountered were chatty, proud, but not in an unpleasant manner, and passionate.
Before I traveled to Paris, my perception of the city was shaped by Henry Miller, my favorite author. Throughout his 10 years of living in France, Miller rose to fame in the 1920s after his first book was banned for obscenity in the U.S. but published in France. He habitually wrote about his encounters in Paris with such delight. He was a New York native who regularly went into a frenzy with a visual narration of Manhattan's hustler mentality, ruthless classism, and the economic struggle that was responsible for people's gloom. However, his narrative of Paris was of adoration, primarily the detailed descriptions of his sexual promiscuity with women, but also of elaborations of the city's rich culture, unorthodoxy, and artistic vibrancy. I mention Miller because I became instantly fascinated with his surrealist writing style and always felt philosophically/creatively inclined after reading his depictions of Paris, which shaped the foundation of his career as a writer. The thrill that I felt reading his novels is the same thrill that I felt walking the distinctive streets of Paris.
I could walk past 20 or so people speaking French, for instance, and the language sounded more exquisite each time, touched with a fine romance dialect.
I spent my first day in Paris with a kindhearted Lithuanian traveler who'd just moved to the city. 10 miles later (on foot) and we surfaced at least five of Paris's main attractions. The first stop was Sacré-Cœur, a Roman Catholic Church that opened in 1914.
The Cathedral is located on the Montmarte Hill. Just behind the Cathedral, I stumbled upon an old town filled with restaurants and cafes, also the general area where the French indie flick "Amélie" was filmed
From there I visited my second cathedral, Notre-Dame, the biggest and most frequented medieval Catholic church in Paris. Its construction began in 1163 and it opened in 1345. I was amazed by its Gothic architecture and fine detail.
Paris's attractions are all exquisite, but the Seine river and Montmartre were my favorite attractions. However, I usually tend to enjoy sites that are more hidden and less touristy.
Conclusion: Go to Paris. It's an alluring city.
