Chaos in France

[Capetonian]

I also spotted that and refrained from posting it, I'm glad someone else took the cue. Service in France is notoriously bad, slow, condescending, and inefficient, and of course the customer is always wrong. There have been times when I might have been tempted to shoot a snooty sneering waiter or waitress.

Rather sad really, but apparently that area is pretty violent, I guess it's one of the suburbs whose residents ex-President Sarkozy referred to as 'racaille' (scum).

It is ironic that the French now are amongst the world's highest consumers of fast/junk food, and MuckDonalds' second biggest market per capita outside the USA. The lovely little 'brasseries' that used to abound in city centres in France have been largely replaced by hideous fast food outlets such as Quick, Flunch, Mucky D, Burger King .... standards have declined dramatically. There are still some large 'brasseries' around but the lovely homely little ones have disappeared.

I used to go to Paris, years ago, once every couple of months, for meetings, and whilst my colleagues headed for the piss coloured arches, I had a favourite little brasserie where I could more or less ask them to prepare whatever I wanted, and it was delicious, and reasonably priced. Lunch was always the highlight of what was otherwise a miserable day. Alas, it has disappeared and is now a 'vaping' shop.

Interesting though that the phenomenon so common in the UK of the 'high street' with boarded up shops to let, or one charity shop after another, does not exist in France. In France the commonest shops seem to be 'boulangeries', pharmacies, clothing outlets where 60 year old women buy clothes suitable only for 20 year olds, and shops selling e-cigarettes.

[BenThere]

Back too McDonalds. Sometimes you just need a quick feed. In America McDonalds are never far away, and you can walk/drive in, get a cheeseburger fix for $1, and go on your way. I regard McDonalds as a national treasure.

[OFSO]

I've just booked my usual Paris *** hotel, been going there for 30 years two or three times a year to attend conferences. M. C---- on the desk (know him well) e-mailed me back that the price will be €261 plus city tax, regular guest rate, for a standard double room. Per night, in mid-October ! €522 plus tax for two nights.

My per diem for hotels is €180. Mailed back NFW and tell hotel owners I said that. Found somewhere else, special rate for OECD, €160 a night. Been there before, not so posh but near to the Grand Bistro de la Muette where I overindulge twice a year and can stagger home downhill to the hotel.

[ian16th]

shops selling e-cigarettes.

I wonder if the French military still get issued with Troupe's?

They made Gauloises seem smooth.

It looks like Troupes went out of production in 1960.

[OFSO]

A most amusing interchange on France 24 just now. Putin and Macron are having a mini summit. Macron tells Putin that Russia needs democracy "like we have in France." Putting tells Macron the equivalent of "F*ck off, we don't want your gilet jeunes demonstrating in Russia like they do in France !" Collapse of the leader of the Free West.

[Woody]

Back too McDonalds. Sometimes you just need a quick feed. In America McDonalds are never far away, and you can walk/drive in, get a cheeseburger fix for $1, and go on your way. I regard McDonalds as a national treasure.

You can see the results of this at DisneyWorld Orlando

[OFSO]

From reading the above I can only surmise that McD have higher standards in the USA than in Europe. Nobody in their right mind would describe the rubbish they serve here as 'food' let alone a treasure, national or otherwise.

[Stoneboat]

Zoot Alors!

Waiter shot dead over a sammich.

[Rwy in Sight]

From reading the above I can only surmise that McD have higher standards in the USA than in Europe. Nobody in their right mind would describe the rubbish they serve here as 'food' let alone a treasure, national or otherwise.

They are treasure in areas where street food can play games with your stomach or before a flight on a LoCo where food in McD has a better value for money than LoCO food.

[BenThere]

I actually tend to buy Filet-O-Fish and Big Macs rather than the standard burger offerings, and the French fries don't appeal to me but they do to my wife, and I'll eat a few of hers. I've been eating Filet-O fish and Big Macs since I worked at an early MCDonalds in the 1960s. They are the same now as they were then, though they cost a bit more now. Still, though, you get a filling, reasonably priced, consistent feeding anywhere in the world you see the Golden Arches.

Back in the day when I was an active airline pilot, finishing my work day at 10 PM and arriving at the hotel hungry, tired and craving nourishment quick and convenient, I sought out the Golden Arches.

My pattern was that if I had a nice 30 hour layover in a great city like Paris, New York,Tokyo, Rome or London and the like, I'd take in a nice meal with the crew at a sumptuous steak house and order the $50 filet mignon, lobster and such, enjoying the meal and conversation over a bottle or two of fine wine. But if it was a 10 hour rest in a not so plush environment it was McDonalds, Chick-Fil-A, KFC, Subway, Pizza Hut or Taco Bell I was looking for. Quick, satisfying, and cost friendly.

I like both alternatives and am not on board with the snobbish disdain for fast food exhibited by many, while appreciating fine dining at the same time. One tip for those still in the airline business, travel with a nice navy blue blazer sport coat (Brooks Brothers makes one that will last you 20 years and never go out of style for about $600), and you can crumple it into your roller), a crisp shirt (also Brooks Brothers) a few neckties and a pair of grey or tan slacks. I guarantee you'll meet a lot of interesting non-Americans and more than a few girls wanting to get to know you.

[Capetonian]

My first and last McDonalds burger was when I was about 20, in Wiesbaden. It was a novelty and I'd never seen a McD before, only heard about it. I don't remember much about the experience, but I've never eaten a 'fast food' burger of any kind since, so it must have been pretty poor. I will admit to having eaten McChicken Nuggets and chips, but I prefer KFC - and that's pretty awful!

One of the reasons I shun McD is that in many places they have replaced beautiful old cafes and brasseries.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

The main problem these days appears to be finding good local food places with long opening hours. I do this in every country. The trick appears to be finding somewhere full of locals, but these are normally in the back streets and don't need to advertise. I always seek out locally run restaurants, even for "fast food" - my last stop in the US was a trucker's place, the Big Chief Cafe in Fergus Falls, MN. We had cooked-to-order bison burgers, which were great, and very good coffee.

[BenThere]

Fergus Falls

Wasn't that he home of Rocky and Bullwinkle?

I like the Mom and Pop places, too, and the size of the crowd is usually a good indicator of what kind of meal you're going to get. I spent a couple of years in Southern France and became a huge fan of the small eateries featuring 'Plat du Jour' - 3 course meals for less than $10 Euros. You walked away full after consuming a nicely prepared meal.

In Detroit the go to places are the ubiquitous 'Coney Island' restaurants. The Detroit area has hundreds of them and they are always busy. They are unique to our part of the country. Many of them are open 24 hours. Interestingly, they serve a hearty, huge breakfast in the morning, Later they switch to Coney hot dogs, classically served with chili, mustard and onions. The other side of the menu is Greek - salads, souvlaki, baclava and the like. Everything on the menu is available at any time. It's hard to walk out of there not absolutely stuffed and spend more than $10.

I have a soft spot for the waitresses who work at them. It's not a glamorous job and they don't make much. A 20% tip or more always puts a smile on their faces.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Rocky & Bullwinkle were purportedly from Frostbite Falls, MN, so it was an F...F..., but supposedly based on International Falls, MN.

[BenThere]

I stand corrected, Fox.

I remember standing at a bus stop in Minneapolis and the OAT was -20 or so. The tissue on the tip of my nose and edges of my ears froze to the point they felt like ice slush. To this day I have purple lines at the bottom of my ear lobes as a reminder of that frostbite.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

-20? Lightweight. I spent a winter in Winnipeg, Manisnowba. -40 was the warmest it got for over a week. My sympathies however, as I understand frostbite is deeply unpleasant. I got the full facemask, etc.
I remember the advice on how many layers were needed. Pat yourself down. If you can still tell what gender you are, you need more layers.

[Stoneboat]

I don't know if it's still open, but the best mom 'n pop place I've ever et was in Pittsburgh, place called Schmidt's off the 60 South between town and the airport. It really was a mom 'n pop, the old man cooked and his wife took the orders that you picked up at the counter. They used to fight like cats and dogs, which was probably a put-on. The only items on the menu were hot dogs, hamburgers and fries. The hamburgers were a half pound of beef, cooked to order, on a Kaiser roll and the juice would run down your forearm to your elbow. You could get cheese, relish or mustard on the burger, and mustard, relish and sauerkraut on the dog, that's it. Damn, now I'm hungry.

[OFSO]

A thirty-three year old asylum seeker stabbed one man to death and injured six others at a metro station in Lyon, France yesterday. Police said it was not a terror attack. (Wonder what it was, then).

[Rwy in Sight]

Even if police receive a notarized notice of this being a terrorist attack in the name of the religion of peace and freedom it wouldn't classed as one. They would change the definition if need be with validity the hour before the attack.

[Capetonian]

Inspector Clouseau of the French CID said :

"The man arrested, Ali Abdul Ishag Kamels, 28, an asylum seeker from Morocco, has a history of mental instability, and is known to be active within several Islamic extremist organisations. He was involved in blowing up a synagogue and setting fire to a kosher shop, as well as walking round with a poster saying 'Death to all Juice', whilst shouting 'Allahu Akbar'. A large quantity of anti-western books, literature, and videos were found in the flat that he shared with 18 members of Al-Qaeda. We also found large quantities of explosives and detonators in boxes bearing the names of synagogues and Jewish owned businesses throughout France.

However, in this case, having carried out thorough investigations and interviewed the alleged suspect, we are satisfied that there is no element of terrorism and Mr. Ishag Kamels has been released on bail of €1.50."

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