Travel to France
Bonjour! I have been out of the country on business for 7 days to France, specifically Versailles. The plane ride to Paris/Charles De Gaulle is about 8.5 hrs from Cincinnati. Versailles, (pronounced Ver-sai) is about 40 min southwest of Paris by cab or 1.5 hrs by train. The people are friendly. We were all challenged with the language but you'd be surprise how simple words like hello/good morning "bonjour" and thank you "merci" can go a long way to form a quick international relationship AND a pleasant French experience. By the end of the trip, I was fluent enough in my hellos and thank yous that the airport employees spoke French to me. Of course, I had to stop and apologize that that was the extent of my French. One of them even laughed and spoke in English "A-ha, you tricked us! " :-)
Weather wise, it was by far the coldest winter in France. Forecast was hi of mid-40s to lo of mid 30s. I underestimated how much we would be walking and was not dressed warmly enough. This was my first international travel in 3 yrs. For most of my co-workers, this would have been their only travel outside the US and probably their last until the next time. One of them dreaded this trip but in the end, commented that this was a positive experience in terms of appreciating the language barrier and how different people from other countriees think of attacking the same issues we have at work.
Food wise, oh, where do I start. I loved the pastries, cafe' with creme/milk and delicate desserts. The French cuisine is too rich for my taste and I don't really care for pattes and foie gras (duck/goose liver). On the last night, a bunch of us decided to have Italian food at a nearby restaurant from our hotel. It turned out that the owner and his two chefs were Frenchman. The food was great! The lasagne was not "American lasagne" with the layers of pasta and meat and sauce, instead it's layers of fine mozarella cheese over slices of tomatoies and greens. The tiramisu is unlike the commercial ones you buy from the shops here but a thick hand made of whipped cream over a thin layer of decadent chocolate cake and cocoa powder. I personally don't like tiramisu due to the alcohol used but this was excellent.
The only disappointment is not visiting Paris to see all the famous landmarks - Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre - to name a few. We got word that there was a strike and there were no trains going into Paris. The cab drivers did not want to go into Paris either because of the traffic. Strikes are very common in France and as a tourist, very annoying and unpredictable. So, give yourself some travel room to make sure you still get to see the sights when these events present themselves. I look back at this trip with a big smile...I can't complain, life is good.
Weather wise, it was by far the coldest winter in France. Forecast was hi of mid-40s to lo of mid 30s. I underestimated how much we would be walking and was not dressed warmly enough. This was my first international travel in 3 yrs. For most of my co-workers, this would have been their only travel outside the US and probably their last until the next time. One of them dreaded this trip but in the end, commented that this was a positive experience in terms of appreciating the language barrier and how different people from other countriees think of attacking the same issues we have at work.
Food wise, oh, where do I start. I loved the pastries, cafe' with creme/milk and delicate desserts. The French cuisine is too rich for my taste and I don't really care for pattes and foie gras (duck/goose liver). On the last night, a bunch of us decided to have Italian food at a nearby restaurant from our hotel. It turned out that the owner and his two chefs were Frenchman. The food was great! The lasagne was not "American lasagne" with the layers of pasta and meat and sauce, instead it's layers of fine mozarella cheese over slices of tomatoies and greens. The tiramisu is unlike the commercial ones you buy from the shops here but a thick hand made of whipped cream over a thin layer of decadent chocolate cake and cocoa powder. I personally don't like tiramisu due to the alcohol used but this was excellent.
The only disappointment is not visiting Paris to see all the famous landmarks - Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre - to name a few. We got word that there was a strike and there were no trains going into Paris. The cab drivers did not want to go into Paris either because of the traffic. Strikes are very common in France and as a tourist, very annoying and unpredictable. So, give yourself some travel room to make sure you still get to see the sights when these events present themselves. I look back at this trip with a big smile...I can't complain, life is good.
posted by C.P. at 7:20 AM
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