Independent Reading Post 2

Prompt: 1
Chapters: 3 & 4

I particulary liked the Chapter titled "Paris". Paris was one of the first places that Bryson traveled to on his journey, and having been to Paris before I appreciated his ability to mention not only the well known tourist attractions but also the small little shops and cafes that define Paris. Paris is such a beautiful and magical city and Bryson pays tribute to that very well. Bryson talks about the famous Notre Dame cathedral and well as the Louvre, the worlds largest art museum. He also speaks to the smaller and less well known attractions that the city has to offer.
He spends much time commenting on the quaint little bookstore called Shakespeare and Company. While in Paris, I visited the bookstore and he describes it perfectly, "... (I) wandered across the river to Shakespeare & Co., a wonderfully gloomy English-language book store full of cobwebs and musty smells and old forgotten novels by writers like Warwick Deeping. Plump chairs and sagging sofas were scattered about the rooms and on each a young person in intellectual looking glasses was curled up reading one of the proprietor's books, evidently from cover to cover," (page 43).
Besides mentioning the places and events going on in the city, Bryson does not forget to speak about the people of the city. He comments on the death traps that tourists find themselves in while trying to cross one of the many squares in the city while finding themselves surrounded by rude and unsympethetic drivers. He also comments on the inability that French people have to line up correctly, and how it is simply puzzling to him. What made this chapter so enjoyable was that Bryson touched on every aspect to the city, the people, the places, and the events, which allowed the reader to gain a clear perspective on the culture of the city.