Paris!

I have arrived in Paris. This time around I liked it so much more this time.

This is the view from my window. I stayed down the street from the Place de Bastille.
Now before this next picture let me explain the difference between French men and Italian men. On my first day in Paris a middle aged man said something to me in French as we were crossing the road. I didn't understand what he said so I asked him to repeat. He took this as a sign to talk to me about jazz music and then he asked to meet me. This is not uncommon. I said no and then he asked if I had a pen so he could give me his number. Again not uncommon. I lied and said I didn't have one and continued on. He apparently watched where I went and then found a pen and came back and badgered me into meeting him in the McDonald's in an hour. I finally agreed without ever intending to meet and he left. So, I left the area but he came back and I was forced to hide out in a grocery store for half an hour before returning to the hostel.

So, at the hostel I met the Italians. They checked in at the same time as me so I'd seen them before. Nicola, the one in the middle asked me to dinner later that night because as he said "I don't like to see a girl alone" Marco (on the right) spoke very good English and Andrea (on the left) was quieter but very cute. They entertained me for two days, walked me home at night and bought me dinner. No advances, no badgering. So, all in all I prefer Italian men to French. They're still very direct but less pushy about it.
Oh, the dinner they bought me was escargot. Seen here. Served in a pesto sauce and again better than you think it would be.
I said to myself that I wouldn't do the touristy thing but I did anyway. So, here is the Eiffel Tower.
The Louvre
The Mona Lisa- taken from afar to show everyone it's actual size. It's much less impressive in person.
Notre Dame
Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysee.