I pulled yesterday's blog post from my Word document archives. It's part of an article that I put together about traveling alone in Paris. No, it didn't get published....darn. But writing the article really made me think about traveling on my own, how do-able it is, and how much I enjoyed the experience. If you clicked on yesterday's link to the Cafe Marly, you read a variety of reviews of that restaurant. Let me add mine: the experience was absolutely delightful and the food was very, very good. I've actually eaten there twice...once on my own in September of 2005 and again, in late February, 2006. I enjoyed it both times. On the warm, sunny September afternoon, I sat on the terrace and thrilled to the crowds milling around the Pyramid. In February I sat inside in the elegant and stylish dining room done in lovely soft shades of green and punctuated with crisp white tablecloths and napkins. My waitstaff on both occasions were quietly professional and polite. They certainly didn't try to rip me off by adding a huge tip to the bill. (See review by one disgruntled American diner) While I wouldn't criticize anyone on the strength of a restaurant review, I can tell you that I was able to identify American tourists instantly both in restaurants and on the streets of Paris...and not just because they were carrying Rick Steves' guidebooks! I have to say that I've been to Paris three times, and I've always been treated cordially at the very least by anyone I've encountered there. In fact, I've had some lovely interactions with Parisians...maybe a subject for a future blog post??Monday, November 10, 2008
Cafe Marly, Paris
I pulled yesterday's blog post from my Word document archives. It's part of an article that I put together about traveling alone in Paris. No, it didn't get published....darn. But writing the article really made me think about traveling on my own, how do-able it is, and how much I enjoyed the experience. If you clicked on yesterday's link to the Cafe Marly, you read a variety of reviews of that restaurant. Let me add mine: the experience was absolutely delightful and the food was very, very good. I've actually eaten there twice...once on my own in September of 2005 and again, in late February, 2006. I enjoyed it both times. On the warm, sunny September afternoon, I sat on the terrace and thrilled to the crowds milling around the Pyramid. In February I sat inside in the elegant and stylish dining room done in lovely soft shades of green and punctuated with crisp white tablecloths and napkins. My waitstaff on both occasions were quietly professional and polite. They certainly didn't try to rip me off by adding a huge tip to the bill. (See review by one disgruntled American diner) While I wouldn't criticize anyone on the strength of a restaurant review, I can tell you that I was able to identify American tourists instantly both in restaurants and on the streets of Paris...and not just because they were carrying Rick Steves' guidebooks! I have to say that I've been to Paris three times, and I've always been treated cordially at the very least by anyone I've encountered there. In fact, I've had some lovely interactions with Parisians...maybe a subject for a future blog post??
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4 comments:
The story about the waiter asking for a huge tip is absolutely inadmissible and these American tourists should have complained to the restaurant's manager. One thing I don't understand is that in France when paying with a credit card (either French or foreign) you can't add a tip to the total of your bill. If you tip it must be in cash. So that's not really clear what happened there.
I myself usually tip when I'm happy with the waiter, and never more than 2 euros!!
A mission for you Evelyn is to rehabilitate the reputation of the French with tourists. What I keep telling people who come visit France is that if they encounter someone rude, or not too friendly, this person is also rude or not too friendly with the French!!!
You wrote that everybody was kind with you, and most of the people I know who've visited France find the same thing. So why this bad reputation?
I was in Boston last April for a one week trip, and I can tell you that I've seen rude and nasty people there, one even tried to rip me off with the change he was giving me back!!
I love your French stories Evelyn!
Isabelle...I share with everyone I know that I've had absolutely lovely interactions with the French. I pretty much ignore rude people wherever I encounter them..Paris, Des Moines, at meetings where I work...! It's a real shame that the French have a bad reputation; I hate generalizations like that. I always try to think about what may have caused a less-than-pleasant encounter...was the American being rude, obnoxious? was the French person simply having a bad day as we all do? Life is too short to be miserable. I say we all practice 'joie de vivre'!! Maybe I'll accept your 'mission' challenge, Isabelle, and post a couple of other stories I have about nice French folks!
Thank you Evelyn ;)
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