first impression of the city of lights...

the following i wrote on a postcard i bought at the eiffel tower...

today i met paris. at first i wasn't very impressed with this city. grey and big, filled with city noises and city smells, i thought it was just like any other place. but the day went on. a little cafe for lunch. walking around beaucoup de jardins. ordering une tasse de the avec lait at a cafe. seeing the tour eiffel lit up. going up to the very top, paris laid out in front of me like a sea of jewels. i was wrong. paris is more than just another place... it is paris.

also... throughout my week there i was trying to put my finger on how the city of lights was different from my own london. so this is what i've decided. london is your chum. london is a mate who you can go out and laugh and have a drink with at a pub. now this drink can be good or bad, and your experience can be one that leads to a life long friendship or a rude gesture and the slamming of a door. and paris... paris is like a lover. it romances you as soon as you step out the door and into the city air. with it's beautiful language being spoken, the many bakery shops in which you can order your pain du chocolat and an espresso, paris woos you right down to the way they say bonjour madame when you enter a shop. however, this city, like a lover also has it's downsides. such as rude people looking down upon you for not knowing how to ask perfect directions in french, to the acrid smell of body order, or the many piles of dog crap that litters quite a few streets. it is very, very beautiful but also a bit dirty and smelly.
what do you think? those of you reading that have been to both cities, am i right?