we are all forced to admit that the French, on balance, are worth keeping around. Parisians are particularly prickly, but the thing about Paris is that being/living there is, to use Adam Gopnik’s phrase “a beautiful existence.” It’s well worth your time. Don’t just visit Paris: I’d recommend staying a good long while and really soaking it in. See the sights, because they’re also worth it, but the reason Paris is Paris is because something about it can make ordinary acts seem elegant and sensible on a higher plane than you’d otherwise acknowledge.

That’s just my $.02. But seriously, just go by whatever means necessary.