Paris is a beautiful city. Everywhere I turn there is another amazing building, beautiful garden, or wonderful mural. The scope and scale of the architecture is astonishing. The Louvre is gigantic for a museum, and it was originally the palace. It is one of many impossibly large buildings in this city. I really only have one complaint: the whole place smells vaguely of urine.
I’m not sure whether the locals notice it, but I don’t think they do, mainly because they all smoke. I don’t blame them for this, in fact I understand. Today was the first time I smelled cigarette smoke and thought it was better than the ostensibly fresh air I was breathing.
I’ve been trying to figure out what came first, the smell or the smoking. I think it was the smell. I’m sure when tobacco arrived the Parisians got right on board. “zeez smellz much beeter zen ze aire we are breathing” I’m sure they all said to each other.
In Canada, as part of our stop smoking legislation, cigarette cartons are required to include a warning that says “Tobacco can reduce your sense of taste and smell.” I don’t think the French should adopt this model, I believe it would only increase sales.
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