Hot and humid. Sophie doesn't do humidity well...
... nor does Bob.
A detour to McDonald's for a bowl of iced water. The girl behind the counter brings out a croissant, a coffee, a large jug of iced water and a stainless steel bowl. She pours the water into the bowl and stands and watches as the ends of the croissant are torn off and distributed to the PONs. She laughs as their tails go into overdrive. Bob gives her his ' we'll be back to this establishment' look.
Less humid in the afternoon. The PONs are happy. A dollop of coconut ice cream to cool them down.
Affectionate observers of France can sometimes be amazed by the number of strikes the French are willing to put up with. Air traffic controllers, ferry operators, train drivers. Today it's the farmers. Something to do with export sales being down and the government not supplying enough subsidies. A further €600 million described by a radio spokesman as ' a joke '. To get their point across they've blocked the motorways with tractors. In the little market town they've tipped twenty tractor loads of cow dung in front of the supermarket. Not surprisingly the aisles are quiet. In the exotic foods section Heinz Baked Beans and cans of Dr.Peppers make an appearance. Beans on toast washed down with a glass of Dr.Peppers . Beat that for exoticism !
18 comments:
Ironic that it's MacDonalds to the rescue with the illicit croissant.
But somehow it's not as "deepest France profonde" as the café under the arcades with it's wonderfully eccentric cast of characters !
Croissants from McDonalds, that's a first for me. Is it only in France?
We'd rarely, if ever, go to a McDo in the UK. Here, where most coffee tastes like liquid rust, the golden arches make good coffee and serves macaroons. They also have a separate coffee shop away from the burgers and salads which makes life easier for dog owners, As different from a US McD as you could get.
I don't quite understand what the cow dung pile is supposed to achieve. It would certainly sour me on the farmers cause.
One of the previous posters mentioned your old cafe's cast of eccentric characters. Where have all of these people gone? Is there a small, out of the way cafe that you've yet to find where Bob and Sophie would be welcomed as friends?
Your McDonald's sounds like a McDonald's Bistro that are located around places like Disney World -- My brother that lives in Orlando says they're more like a Starbucks than a McDonald's. Being from the south, the best example of exoticism would be an RC Cola and a Moon Pie, totally unheard of in deepest France Profonde, I've no doubt! :-)
There is an interesting op-ed piece in today's NYTimes written by a French
economist entitled 'How the Greek Deal Could Destroy the Euro." Makes one
wonder whether differences might escalate beyond strikes by farmers. This
question of belonging to the euro currency could prove to be an issue in the
next (2017?) election seems to me.
Sorry I can't link it.
Wow. Cow dung in front of the supermarket. You have to admire their style. I fear if that were to happen here, the republican presidential candidates would proclaim our right to shoot the cows.
Read that as eroticism in my pre-coffee fog. A real attention grabber. Your McDonalds sounds like it might have customer service. Ours is manned by 'morose' lads and lasses. If a bowl of ice water is not on the menu......forget it. (We don't DO humidity well either.)
Twenty tractor loads of cow dung to make a point..maybe our local strikers will read this and get some ideas.
We had strikes and go-slows here on the island for the last two weeks where the workers and the union were threatening to shut down the island by calling out all the workers to join the cause.
We can ill afford such folly...what with the tons of sargassum seaweed on our beautiful beaches and then no workers to take care of the tourists when they arrive at immigration and customs...soon we would have no income since tourism is our number 1 business and our Crop Over Season currently being held is one of the island's largest money earners.
I know only too well about tails going into overdrive....it's such a happy emotional expression for our canine friends....love it.
The new Vietnamese owner of the Cafe under the Arcades i still anti-dog ( and curler wearing beer and absinthe drinkers ).
Nothing can match the Cafe under the Arcades for Gallic flair.
Presumably the cow dung enables us to share in the air unhappiness. Sophie ( and to a lesser extent Bob ) are keen enthusiasts.
RC Cola and Moon Pie. They'd be horrified.
Thanks. I'll look it up.
Donald Trump certainly wouldn't approve
In France even the morose ones talk to dogs.
Wherever you are it's always peak holiday season when these things happen.
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