Parlez-vous français?
How can they tell we’re Americans before we even open our mouth? At home sometimes people think I’m European. They laugh when they hear I’m from Utah. I don’t get it. Maybe it was the red rubber flipflops and the giant camera around my neck. Or, actually, it could have been my husband, Jay, who couldn’t always think of ‘bonjour’ and instead greeted with ‘bourgeois’! They were patient with us and if they weren’t they just shook their head and said “No! I don’t speak.” I also learned that we overuse superlatives. I agree. In the US, for some reason, everything from butter on toast to comfortable shoes are described as ‘amazing’. When something really is amazing you have to make up a word, like ‘fabtabulous’ to bump it up to where you want it. Our B & B host laughed when I told her the bathroom was fantastique! “You Americans!”, she said. And just then Jay held up a croissant and cheered, “Magnifique!” She liked us.
I snapped pix of almost everything that caught my eye. I did just fine until I met up with this guy. I’d never seen a train conductor quite like him. He was super handsome and dressed to the T! I couldn’t resist. Maybe it was the fact that I was about 3 feet away, but after I took this shot, I got a scolding. The entire train car put their convo’s on hold to hear the rude American girl get a French bum kicking! He was worse than a parent. He finished the lecture, which I was quite receptive to. I mean, I get it, I really should have asked permission first, and apparently, even more so when in France. I think he was sincere in wanting me to stay out of trouble while on my trip, but then, he started it all over again. From the top! The very same lecture, and just as loud. I felt about 7 years old, slumped down in my seat. I don’t like his outfit that much anymore.
J’espère que tu parles Français !! Tes photos sont magnifiques ! C’est à Paris ! Mais je te conseille de venir à Lyon, c’est la capitale gastronomique de la France, pleins de Très bons Restaurants ! Do you know Bocuse ? et pleins de ” BOUCHONS LYONNAIS ” à tester. L’architecture est magnifique car c’est une très vieille ville. ♥
Hahaha…I LOVE this. I do not speak French. Only croissant, magnifique and fantastique!! Ha! I can tell you are telling me about Bocuse. The architecture, t he food. I enjoyed everything I saw in France. So unique….nothing like it in America!
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Wonderful pictures, as always! Hope you have a good time overthere! : )
Oh, thanks!!! This trip was a couple weeks ago. We LOVED it! Can’t get over how different everything is. Food, homes, road signs. All. k.
What IS it with french train conductors?!! When we were there, we were trying to catch the right train, so I politely asked the conductor if it was, indeed, our train that was about to leave. He held up his “talk to the” hand and stomped his foot at me and said “NO! SHHHH!” I explained we just needed to make sure it was ours before it left…he repeats his stomp-foot and says, “I don’t understand English!” I asked him if he understood “A$$#@£€”…I guess I didn’t handle it as well as you! Thankfully a very sweet frenchman told us it was our train, and we made it to our destination without further incidence. Love the pics- keep ‘em coming! :)
Hahahah…We must drive them nuts! I was sans comeback. Perhaps I deserved it, but twice??? Thanks for the support!!! : ) k.
Wonderful photos!! Love the old books you took photos of…those are some of my favorites to collect! Hope to go there someday so I can share some amazing photos. :)
THANKS!! Do it! Yes, there was a whole long table covered with books at a Saturday street market in Dijon. Funny, I was focused in on the books, ignoring all else. When I finished taking my shots I looked up and 3 other people were gathered around doing the same thing. We were probably all tourists!
I love your description of being obvious Americans… fantastique! PS a B&B in France sounds like something out of a dream!
The sad part is I really did try to blend in. Maybe that was the problem. Like the time I wore clogs in Amsterdam. They figured me out that time, too. k.
I’m sure you were adorable!
:)
I love all these photos! So fun to see a glimpse of France. And sheesh, that train conductor might have made me cry! I hope you used some superlatives on him!
Hahahah….ya, I was fine til he put himself on repeat. I felt myself melt and just then, jay slowly reached his hand over and squeezed my leg as a show of support. Ha.
I’m pretty sure the guy in the first photo is Johnny Depp! Did you get a look at the front of him??
I know!! I thought the same! we will never know!
I think we could just all assume that it’s him :)
Oh ya!!
I went to Texas one time, thought it would be cool to wear a cowboy hat while going out. Went to a bar with my friends, the locals looked at me and said…”You ain’t from here are you?” I just hung my head in shame, they had caught me…”No I am from California…and I bet ya’ll (yes I said it) think I look like an ass!” The group I was sitting next to me all laughed and I got a free beer. So hey even in America….
Wait am I making sense or just telling a weird story.
Oh well love the pics and the story! :-)
Thanks!! Haaa!!! Total sense!!! Yalls….that’s the best! k.
Sometimes, we, Asians, gets profiled as being overseas workers even if we’re tourists who are actually visiting the place.
Hahahah….that happened on the Alaska cruise. People thought Jay was part of the crew and I was a sugar mama! Good to hear from you. kimi.