Next week we leave on our long-awaited vacation. Julian started planning this trip back in February. (Who, us, obsessive-compulsive?) We’ll be in Hannibal for a few days to visit my family, then we’ll fly to France. To avoid being a magnet for every scammer and pickpocket in Lyon, Colmar, and Paris, my goal is simple: …
Tag: France
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/11/25/getting-my-french-on/
Sep 27
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/27/five-things-americans-can-teach-the-french/
Sep 25
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/25/five-things-the-french-can-teach-americans/
Sep 21
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/21/bonjour-riviera/
Sep 18
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/18/riviera-motor-sports/
Sep 15
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/
Sep 14
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/14/gorgeous-gorges/
Sep 12
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/12/lessons-learned-from-being-an-er-patient-in-two-countries/
Sep 12
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/12/other-sights-and-sounds-from-st-remy/
Sep 09
Ouch
Friends, this looks worse than it actually is. Yesterday we went to a medieval village called Les Baux. The views of the valley were stunning, and the site had numerous artifacts, such as battering rams and trebuchets. Just as we were about to exit, I slipped and fell. The only thing damaged was my left …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/09/ouch/
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