Caution: Marketers at Work

It all started when I read somewhere that Bruges was the Venice of the north. In due course, I read that Colmar, in France's Alsace region, is the Venice of France. (I'm sure this all has to do with canals.) Next thing you know, I'm hearing these crazy PR claims everywhere. Turns out that Bucharest is the Paris of eastern Europe, Beirut is the Paris of the Middle East, and San Francisco is the Paris of the west. Buenos Aires is being touted as the Paris of the south, although Asheville, North Carolina also makes that claim, perhaps among those with more limited definitions of southern. I didn't realize it but Lisbon is "one of the most enjoyable cities in Europe." (How's that for hedging?) And did you know that Ljubljana is "the new Prague." (Prague when? Do you even know where Ljubljana is?) Alert readers from Missouri may agree with my husband that Tipton is the Paris of central Missouri, perhaps because of its proximity to Versailles. I've also heard that Boonville is the Monaco of Cooper County. But don't ask me. I'm still trying to figure out if Utica or Rochester is the Venice of upstate New York.