[zenihan]

I guess this will not be a well commented on thread but I feel it is necessary to make mention of something.

I first visited Paris over twenty years ago and my impression of the place was not good - I thought it smelly, messy, the people were rude, the food awful, the transport chaotic etc.

Having been selected as part of the British team to go to the European Championships in Paris I was not filled with delight about the location.

Well, I think the time has come for someone to speak up for the French.

What a fantastic city it has become!

The streets are immaculately clean. The people are friendly and chatty and confident. The Metro, RER, trams and buses were punctual, clean, easy to use. The food has started to live up to its reputation. It is cheap (certainly compared to say London or Stockholm). There is little to no graffiti (a little on the railway system). There was no vandalism- at all.

Here is an example of what I mean. Each day we had to take a tram to the dojo - this cost about 1 Euro. You paid at a ticket machine then 'franked' the ticket when you got on the tram. Nobody checked if you bought a ticket or got it franked - it was done as a matter of honour. And people did. Had this been London or many other places, people would either have got on without paying or they would have bought a ticket but only franked it if they saw a Conductor checking tickets ( thus being able to re-use the ticket over and over again.) People just realised that if they didn't pay they would lose this facility so they paid.

And this is just one example of many.

Yes the toilets are still pretty desperate but on the whole Paris proves that if you have the will, you can turn any city into a place to be proud.

Vive La France.