La belle ville

My two favorite places in France are Paris and Marseille. Paris, the crown jewel of France, is a top draw iconic tourist venue for hundreds of good reasons. When I'm Paris, I love to walk around as much as possible so I can investigate shops, see people, navigate the streets, check out the amazing architecture -- it just gives me a little more time to soak it all in.

Paris

• The Eiffel Tower has a stunning view of the city. Watch the pick pockets.
• The Louvre art center is worth every day you can spend inside. Nearby are hundreds of excellent little restaurants and coffee shops.
• Seine River boat ride. This lets you chill a little from the long walks and soak in the architecture. My last ride was with a bunch of school kids, which made it all the better as I watched them oooh and aaah.
• The weather is prime for walking about, taking public transport, grabbing an Uber, catching a side walk coffee.
• Parisians are better than they used to be about foreigners trying out their French. I didn't have any negative push back this last time around. If you know some French, go for it!
• Of course, you should really try out samples of their most excellent cheeses.
• Maybe my most exquisite moments in Paris were sitting down in a downtown outside cafe late afternoon and eating a long no rush supper. Watching people come and go, the night life just starting, the way families, friends, and colleagues converge on a neighborhood cafe is maybe the heart of French community life. Love it. I wish we did more of this in the States, just be outside, hang out, and enjoy each other a bit more.