1. French people smoke.
- a. Smoking is banned in public places
2. Outside tables at sidewalk cafes are great
- a. Smokers own the outside tables
3. Musee D’Orsay and the Louvre have long waiting lines
- a. Once inside you can’t see the paintings
4. Women wear perfume in Paris
- a. C’est si bon… What’s wrong American women?
5. An entrée is an appetizer
- a. A plat is an entrée and dessert is dessert
6. French wine is cheap.
- a. Everything else is expensive.
7. French dogs are well behaved
- a. And welcome in restaurants
8. French dog owners are not well behaved.
- a. They do not clean up after their pets
9. French cops look like Special Forces.
- a. Seattle cops look like security guards
10. French men, women, and children are courteous to Metro riders
- a. French waiters – maybe not
11. Viennoserie has nothing to do with Vienna
- a. Danish is not from Denmark either
12. French streets are clean (see the #8a exception)
- a. French restrooms are dirty.
13. Paris transit is cheap, clean, efficient and fast.
- a. Seattle transit is expensive, dirty, inefficient and slow
14. French baguettes and croissants are the best in the world
- a. A rotisserie chicken costs $25.
Footnote: My friends Jon and Leslie dispute the cost of the chickens cited, but this was the price posted on one of the chickens in our neighborhood last week. Yesterday Jon and I saw them for 10 Euros ($14). Duly noted.
Because there are so many truly French bakeries in NYC in the last few yrs, a great number of culinary french graduates come to the city for their final months of training. NewYork Chefs and “”head-hunters” get a pretty good commission when placing one of these “trainees”at a famous restaurant in the city. If you are lucky and know where to go, you will not be disappointed either with baguette or the croissant.