Why I Love Metz

1. It's like Paris:
-- There is French everywhere
-- The people are really nice, friendly, and forgiving of lapsed French
-- There are lots of fun boutiques, both de luxe and those appropriate for someone living on a Teaching Assistant's salary
-- There are lots of museums and galleries
-- There is an opera-théatre
-- There are always cultural activities going on
-- There's a big market every Saturday
-- The churches are gorgeous
-- There are lots of used book stores
-- There are dogs everywhere
-- Lots of people ride bikes
-- Everything tastes good!

2. It's not like Paris:
-- There is French everywhere, and people are (slightly) less likely to speak English when they hear imperfect French
-- There aren't ridiculous, stereotypical American tourists with fanny-packs and sandals with socks
-- The museums are lots cheaper, which is great since I no longer have my Skidmore "Art History Student" card from Paris
-- We didn't have to wait in line for hours to get cheap tickets to La Bohème, plus the regularly-priced seats aren't that bad anyway!
-- Lots of things are less expensive: un café, une baguette, des fruits et des légumes
-- People have "real" (ie: not pocket-sized) dogs, and they go everywhere with their owners – I even saw a Great Dane in the pharmacie the other day
-- It's not a matter of life or death to ride my bike in the street
-- There are lots of green spaces all over the city and the pelouse is never interdit, which is great for lounging and picnics
-- The trees grow naturally here, unlike the Parisian "box tree"
-- It's really easy to see the medieval history of the city, especially since there wasn't a Baron Haussmann who leveled, then rebuilt, the city in the 19th century

I'm sure there will be more to add later!

Tomme de Lorraine, a mild, savory and delicious way to end a meal.