September 2016 archive

Five Things Americans Can Teach the French

In the last post I listed five things Americans can learn from the French. This post lists five things Americans can teach the French. Integrate your immigrants into society. These people have much to offer an aging workforce. Shuffling them into ugly suburbs called banlieues with little opportunity is counterproductive, given the violence that’s occurred …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/27/five-things-americans-can-teach-the-french/

Five Things the French Can Teach Americans

Although I’m All-American, I have a soft spot for France. There are many things that it does well, just as there are many things America does well. Here are five things that we Yanks can learn from our French counterparts: Les plaîsirs de la table (the pleasures of the table). The French do not wolf …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/25/five-things-the-french-can-teach-americans/

And What Have We Learned?

This trip, as with our previous travels, supplied us with memories of beautiful scenery and great food. It also taught us valuable lessons for future trips. Here are a few: Traveling light means constantly searching for laundromats or paying hotels to do laundry for you. Cut yourself some slack and pack extra socks and undies. …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/22/and-what-have-we-learned/

Bonjour, Riviera

The homestretch of the French pilgrimage was on the Riviera. On Wednesday we landed in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. The view from our room at the Hotel Deux Frères was stunning. We saw the crescent-shaped harbor with Monaco in the distance. We also saw a flotilla of megayachts moored in the harbor, poor souls. Dinner at the hotel …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/21/bonjour-riviera/

Riviera Motor Sports

Everyone has heard about the Grand Prix of Monaco. However, there’s a more popular motor sport here on the French Riviera: Parking Derby. We were told that there were plenty of parking spaces near our hotel in Viillefranche-sur-Mer. There were, but they were all occupied. Finally we found a space about three blocks away. That’s …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/18/riviera-motor-sports/

If Heaven isn’t in Provence…

I’m not going. This is the most amazing scenery. The combination of the hills, sea, sky, and vegetation is unlike anywhere else I’ve been. Throw in the history of the region and the cuisine, and you have the whole package.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/15/if-heaven-isnt-in-provence/

Gorgeous Gorges

We spent three nights in the Gorges du Verdon. This is France’s equivalent of the Grand Canyon. The Verdon River doesn’t look like much now, but in its heyday it carried large amounts of water from receding glaciers; hence the canyons. Although the area is popular with other Europeans, we didn’t meet any other Americans …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/14/gorgeous-gorges/

Lessons Learned from Being an ER Patient in Two Countries

Family, friends, and I have been patients in emergency rooms (ER’s) many times. I work in Quality and Patient Safety in a large hospital, and my office overlooks the ER parking lot. My recent experience in a French ER for a dislocated finger has allowed me to reflect on how all ER’s can treat patients …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/12/lessons-learned-from-being-an-er-patient-in-two-countries/

Other Sights and Sounds from St. Rémy

The injury to my hand, coupled with a bad reaction to the ibuprofen and naproxen I took to manage the pain, did a number on the last two days in St. Rémy-De-Provence. However, we were able to do some interesting things. Friday we walked to the Roman ruins of Glanum, about a mile from our …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/12/other-sights-and-sounds-from-st-remy/

Fish Spa

No, this is not a spa for your guppies. These fish earn their keep by chowing down on feet immersed in their tanks. I guess the other part of the business is to keep the rest of the customer occupied.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/09/fish-spa/

Load more