We're now in Lyon, and I have a few small updates to make in the coffee arena. I've had a few very nice coffees, including at top notch restaurants (including L'Etage), a coffee stand/bar placed near the main pedestrian bridge across the Saone, and tonight at a cafe above the Raconte-Moi La Terre. I stand by my assessment that the overall coffee quality is about on par with the United States: You can find the good stuff at speciality stores and some restaurants, but there isn't an overall pride in it that you see in Italy.
Where France just rules from orbit is with the food: unbelievable. I can also understand where Lyon got its reputation, we've been stuffing ourselves beyond reason with amazing food. My only regret is that we're not staying longer and I can't try out each and every one of the world class stuff-yourself-silly-eterias that this place is lousy with. I'd have to buy a jacket to get into some of them, but hey I'd be willing to make sacrifices.
Now we have future TBD sketchy plans laid out for one vacation in the French Riveria, and one for Lyon and the surrounding areas (especially the French Alps). No idea when that will happen, and we still have northern France to go on this trip.
So far most everyone in Italy and France have both been very nice, patient, and helpful despite our basic lack of knowledge of either language. We're adding to our vocabularies to get by, but it is mostly individual words and short phrases. In fact, the wife is downstairs in the bookstore as I type buying a phrase book intended for French speakers looking for English phrases, because we just plain can't find a English speaker's French phrase book in France. So buy one before you get here, or you'll have to improvise like we're doing.
Southern France especially lived up to its reputation for extremely nice and helpful people, I'm really hoping that Paris fails to live up to its reputation for rude and unhelpful folk.
Small update: The phrase English phrase book for French speakers is very entertaining, the only thing it really lacks that the opposite would have is help with the French pronouciation.
Comments