I enjoy reading about your adventures and they make me appreciate my simple life with an easy chair, a laptop, an air conditioner, and an occasional food delivery.
This really gave me a giggle this morning! French food not being the best in the world!? Oh, the cheek! But we were also underwhelmed when visiting France some years ago, when it came to restaurants (whether in villages, towns and cities) Especially with me being a vegetarian. However, at one point we stayed at a guesthouse where the owner herself cooked for the guests, and that was a sublime experience. Other than that, we were unimpressed, given the legendary status of French cuisine. If you ever make it to Hungary, you'd likely love the cuisine. It's hearty, filling, colourful and spicy and the Hungarians themselves are generally really hospitable.
Hahahaha! We would have LOADS of fun over a couple bottles of wine (which I would choose because I'm a pro and know my shit) and well-paired homemade or artisan-made food.
It took you til 2022 to realize that the French are awful, they hate foreigners, their business hours are impossible, and their restos are 99% terrible? (And, sadly, the small towns have emptied out.) The French have deservedly been the punchline of jokes for...ever?
Are you still there? Go grocery shopping! You'll find fantastic ingredients (both in big supermarkets and local farmer markets). Go to a traiteur and get great pâtés, saucissons, and charcuteries. Go to an artisan bakery (not industrial bakery) for bread and croissants and more, depending on your region. Get wine from a cave. Cheese from a fromagerie. All the fantastic butter and semi-ripened cheese! The poultry! OMG! :-)
My wife, daughter and I drove up through south-eastern France from Italy around 2006 and stayed in a small town along the highway we picked largely because the timing was right. We must have lucked out. There was only one open restaurant and we were it's only customers. My daughter with highschool French was the only French (semi-) speaker among us and she soldiered through it admirably. A middle-aged couple were running and no doubt owned the restaurant; she managed the customers and he cooked in the back. It wasn't super elaborate fare, but it truly was excellent and she treated us quite well.
I've seen at least two French movies which were - I swear - filmed in that town. We walked around through the side streets after we ate and some of the scenes were unmistakable. Also, the mountain backdrop to the west has a distinctive look to it.
I enjoy reading about your adventures and they make me appreciate my simple life with an easy chair, a laptop, an air conditioner, and an occasional food delivery.
I'm still giggling. Thank you for this.
“Wishful smelling.” Lol.
This really gave me a giggle this morning! French food not being the best in the world!? Oh, the cheek! But we were also underwhelmed when visiting France some years ago, when it came to restaurants (whether in villages, towns and cities) Especially with me being a vegetarian. However, at one point we stayed at a guesthouse where the owner herself cooked for the guests, and that was a sublime experience. Other than that, we were unimpressed, given the legendary status of French cuisine. If you ever make it to Hungary, you'd likely love the cuisine. It's hearty, filling, colourful and spicy and the Hungarians themselves are generally really hospitable.
Hahahaha! We would have LOADS of fun over a couple bottles of wine (which I would choose because I'm a pro and know my shit) and well-paired homemade or artisan-made food.
It took you til 2022 to realize that the French are awful, they hate foreigners, their business hours are impossible, and their restos are 99% terrible? (And, sadly, the small towns have emptied out.) The French have deservedly been the punchline of jokes for...ever?
Are you still there? Go grocery shopping! You'll find fantastic ingredients (both in big supermarkets and local farmer markets). Go to a traiteur and get great pâtés, saucissons, and charcuteries. Go to an artisan bakery (not industrial bakery) for bread and croissants and more, depending on your region. Get wine from a cave. Cheese from a fromagerie. All the fantastic butter and semi-ripened cheese! The poultry! OMG! :-)
My wife, daughter and I drove up through south-eastern France from Italy around 2006 and stayed in a small town along the highway we picked largely because the timing was right. We must have lucked out. There was only one open restaurant and we were it's only customers. My daughter with highschool French was the only French (semi-) speaker among us and she soldiered through it admirably. A middle-aged couple were running and no doubt owned the restaurant; she managed the customers and he cooked in the back. It wasn't super elaborate fare, but it truly was excellent and she treated us quite well.
I've seen at least two French movies which were - I swear - filmed in that town. We walked around through the side streets after we ate and some of the scenes were unmistakable. Also, the mountain backdrop to the west has a distinctive look to it.
Italy was something else.
"I’m going to sound like a spoiled American princess"
Mission accomplished.