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Paris, the Most Hated City in the World? – Monsieur Normal Gets Caught with His Pants Down

 Hated Paris, FranceFrench magazine Closer Francois Hollande Julie GayetJulie GayetJulie Gayet"First Lady" Valerie Trierweiler“First Lady” Valerie Trierweiler

Part I

Paris, the most hated city in the world?

Hard to believe, isn’t it? But according to Marco Sagese, Director of True Car Hire in an article published in A Luxury Travel Blog, Paris ranks number one as the most hated city in the world.

How can this be true? Sagese wrote:

———–

1. Paris, France

Ah, the City of Lights. Looking at postcards and the hundreds of movies set in this beautiful city, it can be quite baffling why so many people would hate Paris, what with its café-lined streets and the charming Eiffel Tower. However, many travelers find Parisian waiters extremely rude, the extremely long lines to the Louvre Museum a hell, dog poop everywhere, and the hordes of fascinated tourists taking clichéd photographs very, very annoying. Plus, everything is so expensive (as is in most tourist trap cities) that even breakfast feels like a scam. Also, there are plenty of “starving artists” on the streets, ready to take away your valuable holiday money with their portraits, songs, and performances.

———-

Oy vay. This guy is clueless…and perhaps a little brainless, too.

Does he not know that Paris is the most popular tourist destination in the world with 28.9 million tourists a year (2011), with one-third of the foreign clients either American or British? Almost 1000 conferences are held here annually — because of its attraction, of course.

So, in spite of his claim that the waiters are rude (he’s been in all the wrong cafés), there are long lines to the Louvre (he hasn’t discovered the short cuts), that he must have stepped in dog poop (but, have you noticed how even the French are picking it up now?) and how the ‘hordes’ (how contrary is this to his own statement?) of tourists are taking clichéd photographs (that’s because at every turn is another photo op), those almost 30 million annoying tourists come because, according to a recent study (download the entire report), they like to discover Paris by strolling through the districts…simple as that! Of course, dining on French cuisine is a major factor, too, in spite of the rude waiters.

And okay, so Paris isn’t perfect. We know the weather sucks and sometimes the little doggies make a mess that their owners can’t bear to pick up. We know that they are still learning how to ‘make a customer rather than a sale’ (as we Americans learned long ago which contributes to a better ‘bottom line’ — a term that doesn’t exist in French) and that Paris is expensive — just like New York, London and Tokyo…but most hated?

No way, José…or Marco…or whatever your name is. Do us a favor, don’t be one of the millions to come visit us. Thank you.

Part II

Monsieur Normal — Yep, just like any other guy…he can’t keep it in his pants. But is this presidential behavior?

A close friend told me recently that perhaps I should get off my ‘soapbox’ about President François Hollande’s failings — the Monsieur Normal they elected two long years ago — but how can I help it when he continues to create such follies?

It’s the top story…not only the secret affair he’s been having with actress Julie Gayet, but now his partner (what the French press call a First Lady), Valerie Trierweiler, was hospitalized for depression following the publicity of the scandal.

It just gets worse by the moment. Closer Magazine first published the incriminating photos of Hollande arriving at Gayet’s apartment at night on a motorbike driven by a chauffeur and then a bodyguard delivering croissants the next day. The article and photos have been taken off the site, so don’t bother going there to find them, but there’s still plenty there to keep you up on the latest developments and for all the other press, it’s been a field day.

I tell you what…in spite of the weather, the doggie poop, the rude waiters, the long lines into the Louvre and the expensive breakfasts, there’s never a dull moment in the City of Light.

A la prochaine…

Adrian Leeds - The Adrian Leeds Group LLCAdrian Leeds

Director of The Adrian Leeds Group, LLC

 

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jimhaynesP.S. 
Join us tomorrow, Tuesday, January 14 at Parler Paris Après-midi from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. when Jim Haynes, the most well-known American in Paris, presents “How a festival-junkie more or less settled down and started a Paris Salon.” We meet upstairs at La Pierre du Marais on the corner of rue des Archives and rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris, Métro Lines 9, 3 et 11, stations Temple, République or Arts et Métiers. See you there

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