#i'm going to need to make phone calls and place multiple orders today. in addition to work.

[ghostzzy]

i fucked up

[rambling-russ]

France newsletter 22.6.23

Hi everyone, how are you. Hope all is well with you.

France, as you would expect, is indeed a very interesting country to visit.

In many places, the streets wind and bend making them very different and appealing.

Surprisingly though, Viet Nam and France have some similarities. Both call lettuce leaves salad so when one orders salad here, that's all one gets.  

People in both countries don't think twice or say anything when they knock into others,  although the French would question that and say it's the tourists. Cafes & restaurants extend their tables and seating onto the road, retailers set up their stalls on the footpaths sidewalks). 

Many pedestrians don't wait for the green traffic lights to cross but sneak across, no blatantly go across on the red light. The end of the words are often not pronounced, for instance, the word Paris is pronounced Par-ree, cloud is clue and surnames are written first.

What is very popular especially but not only young people is riding or speeding on electric scooters & electic hoverboards without using helmets. Scooters top speed is 40kph. Owners un/lock their scooters through a programme on their phones or cards.

The French are mostly very friendly & helpful.

I often thank people automatically using a Vietnamese word then quickly revert to "merci," one of the few French words I know!

Parts of Paris are clean and upmarket while, surprisingly, other parts are run-down and terribly polluted with rubbish.

Paris is a multicultural city but it seems that there are almost as many French speaking Africans also (well not quite!)

Many French people still smoke or vape including lots of women. Interestingly, Australia seems to have the highest price of cigarettes in the world. For instance, a packet of 20 in Australia is $27.05 & in France $11.31 ( I'm certainly not condoning smoking!)

It doesn't get dark here until about 9:00pm

I have seen six police on roller blades!

Another strange sight was a young man taking a cat for a walk on a long retractable lead, however, the cat seemed to be leading its owner!

Half or three quarters of a glass of wine costs €4.50 in Paris but a bottle of Rose costs €7.50.

Many bicycles are modified or specially made with extended seats to carry children, or a cargo container with doors.

Dogs are allowed in shops even those selling food.

Cobblestones from the past ages are in many streets.

The French, I'm sorry to say, don't know how to make coffee and furthermore, I must admit, the worst coffee I've ever  had has  regularly been here in France. It is so bitter, possibly robusta, which would drive one to revert to using sugar or give up coffee! They admit they don't undertake a barista course! I ordered a latte & the milk came  in a little jug! They then brought additional milk later. 

Today I was served my first bowl of coffee ever. Of course, being a bowl it didn't have handles so was very hot to handle. 

The French dip their bread/toast into their coffee.

The word for milk is lait so when one orders latte, it's normal to get a cup of milk!

I had forgotten that the usual greeting was a kiss on both cheeks or a cheek to cheek on both sides. Of course this includes men with men. I have also seen men shaking hands, obviously not knowing or not being as close.

There is a dual railway system - the metro (metropolitan) and the train. The metro is underground and is only around the city and suburbs. For foreigners, the system is very confusing. Often there are no employees from whom to get directions or help and only machines to sell tickets. To access the metro, of course one needs to go underground but then it may require one to go up or down a level or two and then proceed in multiple directions. Then there is the train system which is above ground but it's unclear which platform one needs to go on.

Often one has to buy a train ticket using a credit or debit card as demanded by the station employee which results in international bank fees. 

All houses are either brick, stone or rendered cement. There are government restrictions about painting one's house except for a cream or off white colour. Consequently most houses are grey rendered.

The Loire river runs across the country  dividing the north and south of France.

Black slate seems to be used for roofing mostly in the north and usually large orange terracotta tiles in the south.

The slate looks good as do the castles (chateaus) but they develop an orange fungus after a while.

Many buildings including castles & century old churches need cleaning and renovating/restoring but I suppose there are just too many that require attention.

Stores are closed on Sundays and Mondays and in villages, many are closed permanently.

In cities, electricity wires are all underground.

Well folks that's all for now. The next blog page will most probably come from the Netherlands where I fly to from Bordeaux, France to meet up with my daughter Anna.

Regards,

Russ