Posted on 07/27/2014 12:12:01 PM PDT by not2be4gotten.com
On the other hand, I have seen many happy Harley owners in Paris...
I don’t understand how the Europeans survive without pickup trucks. I guess you have to pay someone to deliver everything for you.
My experiences from Paris in 2010. I was up the first few nights, walking around, absorbing the atmosphere in the canal district. Couldn't sleep due to jet lag.
Saw a lot of young, drunk people walking home after partying. Universally friendly. A couple would come up to talk to me, in English. Apparently, I stood out as an American.
Also had a carful of gangsta wannabee's drive by and say "s'up". Almost thought about flashing some fake gang signs and saying "jes keepin' it real". Picture that I am a 50 year-old man. Decided it was best to not engage, and they drove on.
Also saw a really dapper Rabbi early in the morning, I assume going to a synagogue. Interesting city.
Yeah, goods delivery is by an army of boxy vans. You see them everywhere, and I assume they are contractor owned.
Rented one for our European vacation, a Renault Neo. We loved it. 2.0 liter diesel, manual tranny, nine seats with plenty of room left over for luggage. Cruised at the French 135 kmh speed limit with no problem.
You haven't lived 'till you've driven a van into a pedestrian-only square in Florence and then have to back out. Fortunately, the two chick cops we got directions from were cool to helpless tourists.
Would love to buy something similar here. Found out Nissan made a twin to the Renault, but they don't sell it in the states.
None of America’s favorite pickups from Ford, GMC/Chevrolet, and Ram, are sold in Europe. Just too big, and the commercial truck tax breaks don’t kick in until the payload gets to one ton.
There are are number of much smaller pickups, flatbeds (which are actually practical compared to a pickup), and small delivery vans available in Europe, almost all with diesel engines. Total sales are around 100,000 units out of 10+ million vehicles sold.
The "banliues" of Paris are indistinguishable from Paris proper, with the exception that the best known monuments are within the "peripherique." I don't need to list all of my adventures in Paris, the subject of your thread, so I will just settle for brief comments.
1. The French are rude/unhelpful/etc. This is generally try and didn't change in my 24-year experience. This is because in Paris one is dealing with businesses of all sorts, and if you are not fluent in their language, the general response is "don't bother me." Granted, the visitor is partly to blame for being indifferent to language/cultural issues. This all is not a problem outside of Paris, where the French are helpful and patient. Some small town restaurant will even stay open an extra hour or two to accommodate late travelers. This has never happened in Paris in the 20th century.
2. Paris is safe and crime free. Mostly false. Even if you read the French daily newspapers, the MSM in Paris has the same problem as in the U.S. Only Family, friends and random residents can report the true crime picture. Only the extreme events, like dozens of autos torched make the MSM and international news.
3. French are smelly. Not in my experience. Except perhaps people on working farms. Not uniquely French.
4. French cuisine is the world's best. Most people who claim this haven't experienced the entire world. Some certainly is, but not more so than first class restaurants in the world's largest cities. The cultural food differences play a major role. The French may still routinely serve horsemeat. Tiny shrimp, eaten as popcorn, was not my favorite treat. I'm just not used to having food looking back at me; nor eating tiny eyeballs. On the other hand, most foreigners are not exposed to those practices.
5. The wine in France is Wonderful. Absolutely. And at least 20 years ago, a bargain. I remember getting a gallon jug of wonderful Cotes du Rhone for about 6 bucks, and the amount spilled during the sale had to have been at least a normal glass. But bear in mind that the French grape plants were returned from California after the great Wine Blight of 1860. Vines originally imported to America, returned, as heartier pest resistant stock.
6. The French are a bunch of Lazy socialists. True, socialist or not. The Mexicans are not the only ones addicted to siestas. It's just strange to experience it in one of the world's biggest tourist cities. The one month mandatory vacation is uniquely French that I know of. A good reason to avoid Paris in August, if you expect to enjoy any sort of services. Not true of the general French countryside where fantastic hours long meals can be enjoyed at any time during daylight hours. It should also be noted that there is no excitement as unique as the hard-working French workers launching a surprise garbage collection strike lasting weeks...
7. Not a big cheese person, so not qualified to comment on cheese.
8. The French smoke a lot. Every male I ever met smoked, with few exceptions. About half the females did. The big picture as far as I could tell was no different than in the U.S. There has been a noticeable reduction in smoking across the board compared to 25 years ago.
9. Depending on the location, there are indeed many beautiful women in Paris. But no more or less than any large city anywhere in the world. It was, however, the only place I ever saw what was obviously a high fashion model, totally made up and wearing casual clothes on the Metro around 10 pm --- wearing combat boots.
10. Indeed, the percentage of fat women in Paris is much much smaller than any large city I'm familiar with in the U.S. This is most noticeable among the younger ones. And no, I have not visited every one.
11. The French drive all these small cars. That has always been true. It also has always been true that most of the brands in Europe are produced in Europe. Even all the small models produced by American companies. Even Paris, which has some very wide boulevards, cannot accommodate what we consider in the U.S. 'normal sized' transportation. Add to that the dearth of parking, and it would be an exercise in ultimate masochism to drive anything resembling an SUV or American pickup truck in Paris. In fact, in the 90's the principal (and most rational) means of pizza delivery in Paris was motor scooters. In all the dozens of times I was in Paris, I drove exactly twice. Only because I was the only sober driver available, and it was 2 or 3 a.m., not exactly rush hour.
C. Those motorcycles with two front wheels are a relatively recent phenomenon, and the popular models are produced in Canada. If they originated in Europe, I am not aware of that. I also understand that they are tricky to drive. Not as stable and predictable as either a normal motorcycle or four-wheeled automobile. The jury is still out.
D. The manual shift cars in France (all of Europe) for rental are the result of the outrageous price of gasoline. Specially with ordinary tourists from around the world, top mileage is the main objective. But any car you want is available for rent, if you can afford it.
I deliberately avoided the increasingly hostile effects of certain foreign "immigrants," and their effect of crime in Paris, and France generally. The negative effect constantly has increased since 1969.
But that's a whole other topic.
It all depends on location. Some franchises have actually been terminated by McDonalds in the Paris metropolitan area.
The one near the Louvre, and along the Champs d'Elysees are great and relatively new. Others, I have looked around expecting to see cockroaches and rats... before deciding to eat somewhere else. In one of these "bad" places, I was yelled at for taking photos of the usual menus behind and above the counter.
But that is common for me. I once got yelled at over a 140Db loudspeaker system for walking on the grass.
My wife and I once made the mistake in 1995 of sitting down at a cafe near Notre Dame in Paris. They posted their prices on a tiny blackboard in the back that I couldn't read. We ordered two cokes.
The bill at the exchange rate at the time was $24.00.
Like many tourist meccas, Paris has its share of jerks and rip-off artists.
My guess is they get diesel or gas at a special 'agricultural use' price that excludes most taxes.
Mit dobry den
You will see a tiny 3 pronged fork with your fries, noobies. YOU WILL USE THIS.”
I had no problems with my table manners in Europe. I already had the habit of eating fries with a fork. As a guitar player, I didn’t want to get grease and salt on my fretboard.
On the other hand, I have seen many happy Harley owners in Paris...
The rule of thumb in Germany for American Servicemen was if you owned a Harley, someone will try to steal it. It would most likely end up in the possession of a high-level official or organized crime boss in a former block country.
Johnny Harris—I know what you mean!
We had people walk up to us in Normandy (off season) — “Are you Americans? Thank you SO MUCH for saving our country.” With tears in their eyes. A lot of folks said that.
‘Royale’ in Germany too - the Quarter Pounders. They serve beer at the McD’s there.
Belgian people were extremely friendly to us and pro American, readily speaking English to us. I understand they are less pro-USA near the German Border, but near France, they just love Americans.
I read somewhere that French school children maintain the Normandy grave sites so that they Word never forget the sacrifices made for them. Maybe its a few field trips a year.
Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm!!! :-)
It always surprises me when I see a Renault or Peugeot with German plates.
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