Allen appeared in a French tourism
video
Posted on 07/05/2003 10:15:56 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Paris woos US tourists with champagne and flowers give-aways.
About 100 hotels, restaurants, shops and tour operators in the French capital will provide visitors with free gifts such as drinks, American-style meals, perfumes and river cruises.
The celebrations are part of a wider campaign by the French tourism board to win back Americans after tensions over the Iraq war.
Last year Paris hosted 1.7 million US tourists, but comparable figures for the first four months of 2003 show a drop of around a quarter.
Also a grassroots initiative is under way to honour US soldiers who fell in France during the two world wars by placing roses on their graves and memorials.
'Strong signal'
The rose campaign began on Thursday at a US military cemetery on the Normandy coast, near the Omaha beach-head where almost 10,000 US troops their lives during the D-Day landings.
"Many people - Americans and French - needed this," said one of the organisers, Anne-Colombe de la Taille.
"We've seen the US-French relationship break down, so we wish to give a strong signal about the US-French friendship that has existed for such a long time."
Washington and Paris fell out during the spring over French President Jacques Chirac's refusal to endorse the US-led attack on Iraq.
American retaliation for France's anti-war stance included the renaming of French fries in some restaurants and cafes - including some at Capitol Hill - to freedom fries.
Some media called for boycotts of French products as well.
But the French tourist board fought back quickly with a campaign to attract US tourists.
Allen appeared in a French tourism
video
It included a video entitled Let's Fall in Love Again, featuring appearances by film director Woody Allen, actor Robert de Niro and a New York firefighter among others.
yitbos
And, yes, I would. Of course, I consider our domestic wine, in particular California wine of course (but other areas in the US make premium wines), the best in the world. But, yes, I would love to tour the wine producing areas of France, I would love to purchase a bottle of French wine . . . one of the domestics in California I love in Pinot Noir - so you can image a bottle of French P.N. would be very, very nice.
But, I am not going to France. I haven't purchased a bottle of French wine in a very, very long time.
The reason(s)?
1. - My father fought in WWII, in Germany . . . and he, as other soldiers, were treated very badly by the French after the war was over ... there was no reason for such bad treatment, yet tales of "dirty wash (table) clothes", etc.. the insults .. I would forgive this, but recent world events and the French reaction/tone regarding America pretty much confirms what my father spoke of. 2. - Again, the recent political events, the Iraq war and the attitude of many French including their leadership ...
When I go into a Beverages & More, the first place I go to is domestic, the reds. Then I go check out the ports and sherry, and for non-Domestic, Spain next, Portugal, then Italy, Australia and N.Z., several South American non-Domestics. Great wines ... I take a look at German wines (opps! they are almost as bad as the French regarding the war), and Hungary (fantastic!), Greek, Lebonese, yes so many to choose from and add to my "collection" - what to do? . . . and yes, I want to go over to the French wine section ... but ... I don't ... no, that Pinot Noir is calling, Burgandy, Bordeaux, Beaujolais, ... nope. Won't do it.
Just won't do it.
Would love to go and see if the "new treatment" for Americans is ... true. Is it?
Nope. Will have to wait for some time. Wait and see.
Wait and see.
Just the thing to make me want to go to France.
Barf!!
Becki
After awhile he got up, walked over and said something to them about being 'waited on', and one said "Oh, you're ready to order?" My son said that he had been waiting 20 minutes!! The waitor said "I will take your order now", and my son said "never mind" and walked out.
The United States has been the benefactor of Europe for the last 85 years. We have helped pull France's bacon out of the fire twice, and helped it rebuild as well. That being done we faced down the Soviet Block on Europe's doorstep. Germany is now whole again in no small part, thanks to the United States.
No nations on earth should understand the generosity and good intentions of the United States more than the French or the Germans. The blood of United States' citizens has fertilized the fields of France, and US citizens contented themselves knowing that many of them would remain under French soil forever, as the price of guaranteeing it's freedom.
Ignoring the lessons of history, France has opted to take a whiz on the honor of the US citizens who died to save it. It's government and many of it's people have damned the United States for trying to facilitate a rescue of another nation.
Saddam Hussein was responsible for the deaths of over one million of his citizens. He was responsible for the deaths of about 500,000 Iranians. He attacked his own Kurds and the Nations of Iran, Kuwait and Israel. Despite this, France, Germany, the EU and the UN damned the United States for entering Iraq to free it's people. The citizens of Europe are furious with the US today. They condemn our President for not finding WMDs, the main excuse he used to enter Iraq.
By comparison these same folks are quite anxious to see us enter Liberia. In the case of Liberia they don't need to see any WMDs, it's just a good idea. Where is the sanity of this policy stance in contrast to the policy stance on Iraq? In short, the French and most of Europe seem to have gone quite mad. It's as if they all had gone schizophrenic.
France's government seems destined to claim the opposite side of any issue the United States is going to be involved in, in the future.
I think Roses on our valient soldier's graves are long overdue. The French treating our tourists with a smidgen of respect has been long overdue. These are not measures that should wind us back. They are measures that any civilized citizenry would take to thank us for what our citizens did for them. The fact that they are now going to agree to do them, is more of an insult than anything else.
The French do deserve something from the United States. It's one gigantic collective 285 million strong rasberry!
I agree. The hearts and minds of the American people are not regained by serving "American-style" food. Between this and Woody Allen it seems the more the French try the more they reveal of their disdain of the United States.
Spent 1 week a year on the beaches of St. Tropez.
When I was there the 1st time they started getting the International Herald, cubs ball scores.
Next time I went back, the herald was there the next day.
Damn nice people , the brits, who run the tourist industry on the south of frogland.
There is a bridge on the road into St. Tropez that had sign on it saying it was the 1st bridge freed in 1944 by the Les Amis Armee, can't remember the divison, wonder if it is still there.
BTW with the 60th anniversary of D-day coming up, who suggest the returning vets turn it into a day trip from Britian, ie Piss on frog land and go back and spend money in Britian.
Everyone who landed on D-Day began that campaign in England.
You have a good idea, minus the trip to France.
yitbos
LOL! Some things never change.
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