I don't remember much about Paris but what I do remember is being bored. I didn't know much, or understand where I was. I was a kid. While walking with my parents,….or rather being lost with my parents, I spotted some tubes. there was this building being renovated. It was covered in scaffolding and had tubes running down the side for trash. Then, as we got close, and I walked along its side I realized it's not under renovation….that's the building. It looked like all its insides were outside. It was odd, and kind of ugly, but kind of beautiful in its own way. I remember so clearly, my mother hated it. She thought it was so ugly, but me, it made me laugh. how funny for a building to look so inside out. even as we passed I kept turning my head to see it. Every was interesting to look. It was so bizarre. It was the first piece of architecture thwt actually made me happy, that left an impression. For years I had no idea what it was. I even forgot about it. It wasn't until I was an adult thwt I realized this funny building is the centre Pompidou.

When i was a child my family and I would go to Austria a lot. We've stayed in Vienna, Salzburg, Graz, and Innsbruck and Saint Johann. Maybe there's others I'm forgetting. I really like it there. Everything was super clean, interesting, and orderly. I know it's a stereotype of Northern Europeans but it's basically true. I loved walking through the smaller towns and finding interesting buildings and having that general, cozy feeling. Salzburg is completely lovely and I'd recommend it to everyone. The best is the Christmas season, walking into the old section of the city, gazing up at the fortress on the hill, watching old guys playing huge chess, eating baked potatoes from Christmas markets, having a dinner of liver and onions with sweet red cabbage for dinner, UG. It's just charming and nice. Even the large, imposing city of Vienna is lovely. Yes it's a bit more touristy, but I like it either way. I love the Viennese cafe style. You can sit and eat, read as many newspapers and magazines as you like, meanwhile the wait staff is in a tuxedo. Yet it doesn't feel uptight. It's a nice country to sit and it has a lot of sentimental value for me. Yes it can be pricey, but if you're thrifty it's worth it.