My Mom has never been to Europe or lived in an urban setting, so I asked her what she likes and dislikes about Paris. Here's what she has to say:

I love the small shops and the ability to just pop down from the apartment and pick up a fresh baguette, a fresh tomato and a bottle of wine and call it lunch.

I love that at night you can walk to your local pub/ bar for a snack if you don't want dinner or just to have a good cocktail, get to know the bartender, and waiter and they get to know you. I loved the fact that when our little bar was out of popcorn, our favorite waiter brought us a small bowl of peanuts and a plate of macarons to make it up with a wink and a smile.

I love the wonderful little restaurants and cafes where we can get "French onion soup," a ham and cheese sandwich, or a cheeseburger, which are staples to my mind.

I love the fact that they have such amazing transportation, bus, train, metro and it's fairly easy to navigate. I love not having a car.

I love, love, love the weather. The first two weeks we were here it was warm and sunny, but never too hot or humid. The last couple weeks it's been cooler and some rain, but it's ever changing and no one waits for the weather to change to do whatever they want to.

I love the wines. Since most of the wines we have been drinking are natural wines, I haven't had one headache. And each one is different and interesting. It's grape juice with an alcohol kick. The house wines are great and a good price, too.

When I first arrived, Paris looked so old. I didn't really appreciate it until a few days later when I noticed the detail of the most simple building and the gorgeous chapels with their gargoyles and spires. I absolutely love the Pont Alexandre III Bridge. It is so ornate and just a pleasure to look at. I call it my bridge and am excited to see it every chance I get.

I love all the green spaces. The gardens and the flowers are simply gorgeous. Every plant seems to thrive here without any work (although I know there are plenty of gardeners taking care of them). The parks are places of relaxation, you can have lunch, relax, read a book, sunbathe; chairs are provided. I think Parisians appreciate open spaces more than people back in North Carolina where I live, since we have such big yards. So the beauty of a shared garden in the middle of a city is really not appreciated, but here it is everything.