Au revoir la France, You Had Us at Bonjour!

Day 6 and our last day on French soil for this trip. We are sad to leave this beautiful country and it’s helpful and gracious people. But, alas, it’s on to Italy now!

We may have planned things a little too tight this morning, as the rush hour traffic held us up a bit. We caught our train from Caen to Paris with 10 minutes to spare (and only a short stint going the wrong way on a one-way road…but that was actually purposeful as Scott had to get the car returned, and had no time to mess with traffic laws!).

As we write this on the train, here are a few things we’ve learned about staying and traveling in France:

The rumors about “rude” French people can be disregarded! We never encountered anyone rude. Yes, they are direct. But everyone we met was helpful and gracious. We loved it here!

Eating and Drinking: There was never pepper on the tables, and rarely salt. Just unusual from what we are accustomed too. Also, when you want water, they ask “gas or no gas” (carbonated or not). Mixed drinks are tiny and don’t expect a heavy pour! You pay for dinners at the front counter. Waiters/waitresses don’t collect! Also, tipping in Europe is much different. People are paid a living wage, so no or low tips are the custom. We never saw a French Dip on a menu, but French Fries were served with almost every meal!!

Everything is very clean and tidy!! We never saw a pothole, ever! There was no trash along the highways or anywhere else. Every home we saw in the city, the country, either large or small, were neat and tidy as a pin!

Drivers need to be prepared for narrow streets and limited visibility on corners! Be decisive and don’t hold things up! In Paris, there were as many bikes, scooters and motorcycles as there were cars! There are no rights on red lights here, and all sorts of crazy signage that we had to learn quickly!

We did see some small motor homes (and even a campground), but only one pick-up truck. Everything else was small cars! This morning we paid 76,36€ for 40 liters, which translates to $7.32 per gallon (but our rental car got 40 miles to the gallon)!

Also, you can’t swing a dead cat and not hit an old and massive church! It is truly the land of steeples, where hundreds of years ago, he who had the biggest church attracted the most people (and their money!).

Lastly, not only in France, but for this trip in general…pack carry-on! We each have one personal item (backpack or duffel bag), and one rolling carry-on. It has made getting around on planes, trains, up and down MANY stairs, and across cobblestone streets so much easier!!