American girl in Paris

There are times in the day when it gets really slow and I'm bored and I'll find myself daydreaming about Paris. How to get there again, when to go, what I'll do... I didn't do nearly the amount of things I'd planned. I didn't go to the Musee D'Orsay, Versailles, Centre Pompidou, Pere Lachaise, Sacre-Coeur or into Montmartre or the Quartier Latin - one week wasn't enough time to accomplish everything. Strangely, I don't feel *that* empty when I think about missing these sights, but I do get really wistful when I'm thinking of the narrow streets with the odd (and fast!) little Smart Cars, the cheerful specialty shops, the Metro ("Tuileries" is my new favorite french word), the cafes with colorful awnings, the bustling open-air markets, the patisseries and chocolate shops on every corner and even the pharmacies (long story). I'm not terribly worldly or well traveled, but if there's one thing I've learned about myself in my brief sojourn abroad, it's that I really enjoy immersing myself in the local culture. Being able to order food in a restaurant or complete a transaction with a proprietor without using any English tickled me to no end. Okay, so maybe I cheated a little... one of the transactions (cabbie) was in Cantonese. It even got to the point where we arrived at the Buddha Bar after drinks at the Hotel Costes, and I deemed the scene "too touristy... trop americain!" (The below picture was taken then... which may explain the blurriness.) But don't get me wrong - no first timer should miss the the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe is spectacular, the Eiffel Tower's light show is truly dazzling even for the most jaded heart.