France 2008 <IMG SRC="http://www.singaporebrides.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":-)" BORDER=

[threasher]

Hi Raymond,

I got my answer here:

http://www.passportinfo.com/driveleft.htm

"The manual transmission shift pattern is exactly the same as on a left-hand drive car, in the familiar "H" configuration. First gear is in the upper left corner, second in the lower left corner, third in the upper right corner and fourth in the lower right corner. They do not "flip" the pattern to move to right-hand drive. The gears are in the same position, but shifted with the left hand."

 

[rtan]

Dear Threasher,

Gears and pedals are exactly the same. The only difference is that you use your right hand to change the gear, and your left hand to open the car door. Not at the same time of course.

We encountered times that we went to the wrong side of the car, and then I was wondering who stole the steering wheel...

Remember to gently remind your wife to keep to the right side of the road especially when there is two-way traffic.

One thing to note; the last trip, to put the car into reverse gear, I had to push the gear vertically down (like pressing on dough) then shift it left-forward. It's something that I've never encountered before but then again I hardly drive rental cars. I had to read the instruction manual to figure it out.

 

[rtan]

Dear Threasher,

If you opened a closed door to walk into a store, and if the store attendant asks you "is there anyone else coming in after you", he/she is actually saying that you should have closed the door after you. French people are rather big on etiquette and to make your experience more pleasant, try to leave behind all the inconsiderate Singaporean behavior in, well, SG. That means, close doors after you, don't talk too loudly, hold doors open for people, hold lift doors open for people, let other people come out of the metro first, let other people come out of the lift first, clear your tray in MacDonalds, etc. etc.

Driving wise, don't speed (you don't want to get caught as fines are hefty plus you don't speak French), don't tailgate, don't weave in and out of traffic, be gracious and give way to others, and always signal especially when leaving a circus.

 

[rtan]

Before you leave, I just want to say, Bon Voyage et Bon Chance.

 

[rtan]

The French are not very smiley people by nature. So do not do the American thing and walk around smiling to everyone; people will think you are crazy. At the most, a very brief smile will do, and even if you don't smile it is fine; speak clearly and slowly and maintain eye contact.

 

[threasher]

Hi Raymond,

Thanks for all that information. We'll be flying off tomorrow night.

The only thing that I've not done yet is to rent the car. I've learned that there are several rental shops near the Caen railway station, like EuropCar, Alamo, Hertz. There are actually web sites that allow you that shows you different rates from different companies like Alamo and EuropCar. What makes you choose EuropCar?

 

[rtan]

Dear Threasher,

They tend to be the cheapest, plus I get discount as I also booked hotels with IBIS.

Take lots of pictures, be streetwise, don't lose your wallet and don't lose your belongings. Bon voyage.

 

[threasher]

Hi Raymond,

I've tried the steps on Europcar, and it seems that if I use SGD, the exchange rate is so much better than if I book with EUR. It is better than 2.10 Euros.

 

[rtan]

Dear Threasher,

I always book in advance because I think we get cheaper rates and you don't run the risk of them running out of the category of car that you want. I got EUR 398.70 for 14 days with a Compact car at Europcar.

 

[rtan]

Dear Threasher,

http://www.arguscarhire.com/ seems to be quite cheap, but I haven't checked it out in detail.

 

[rtan]

Dear Threasher,

Europcar may not be the cheapest, but so far the cars we've gotten from them have been good; the first one we had in 2005 was brand new, and the one last year was in very good condition. We have always been happy with the cars we have gotten, and the price is always very good; usually cheaper than Hertz or Avis.

 

[lovetotravel]

Hi threasher,

I prefer Europcar too. they rates are reasonable and car are quite new. Book online for a better rate. You don't have to pay inadvance for booking online.

Have a great trip and share with us your exp when u get back.

 

[threasher]

Hi Raymond,

Thanks. I have just booked with Europcar for 2 May afternoon to 5 May morning. The cost was SGD253.

 

[threasher]

Thanks guys. The following is our final itinerary:

23-Apr Singapore - Geneva Airport
25-Apr Chamonix
26-Apr Chamonix
27-Apr Chamonix -> Annecy
28-Apr Annecy
29-Apr Annecy -> Tours
30-Apr Tours
1-May Tours
2-May Tours -> Caen
3-May Caen -> Mont St-Michel -> Caen
4-May Caen
5-May Caen -> Paris
6-May Paris
7-May Paris
8-May Paris
9-May Paris CDG Airport -> Singapore
10-May Singapore

 

[threasher]

I would like to thank Raymond, Inix and Peng for your answers to all my questions.

Tonight we will be flying off for our second honeymoon.

And I'll be leaving work at 5pm today to get ready.

 

[rtan]

Dear Threasher,

You're most welcome. Post your pictures when you return! We're leaving on the 16th May for France. Bon voyage.

 

[lovetotravel]

I am so jealous....haha

Have fun....

 

[inix]

threasher (threasher)

No worries. Have fun in France. I'm flying to Paris again. Probably sometime in early June. Anyone there around that time? hahah

 

[threasher]

Hi guys,

Greetings from Chamonix! Our trip here was quite smooth today. We have a super fast clearance of custom/immigration at the Geneva Airport. There was no queue at all. We went through the Swiss sector, which is the default. Till now, I am a bit confused how I managed to get into France without custom/immigration. We did not clear any custom when we took the airport transport. Maybe we already cleared both French and Swiss custom at Geneva Airport, because I know that we went through 2 counters.

I have to say that having been to Jungfrajoch and Zermatt in Switzerland, Chamonix doesn't feel any special. In fact, some photos that we took today looks like those we took in Zermatt and Lauterbrunnen. My wife actually prefers Lauterbrunnen than Chamonix.

Not sure what to do here beside going up the Aiguille Du Midi tomorrow. Maybe we should leave Chamonix on 26 instead of 27 May.

The good thing about this hotel here is that they give free wireless internet access, provided you use your own notebook, which we brought along.

 

[nicoletalyn]

Hi Raymond,

Ok, for eg:
Etap Hotel CDG Paris Nord 2. When I browsed at the location section, it states that it is near Metro Roissy CDG1. However, when I try to search the Metro map, can't find that stn there..

Got another qn:I've come up with a rough itinerary.
Day1:
To Ile St-Louis, Notre-Dame, St-chapelle, Louvre, Place de la Concorde

Day 2:
Metro to Odeon, to Theatre De L'Odeon, JArdin du Luxembourg, Pantheon, Rue Mouffetard, JArdin de Plantes.

Based on my itinerary, what pass shud I get? Carnet or Carte Mobilis? Which zones does Carnet cover? From the Metro map, I can't figure out where ae the boundaries for the zone..

 

[rtan]

Dear Inix,

My wife and I will be in Paris from 1 - 6 June. I guess you have been to Paris many times before?

Dear Threasher,

Glad you arrived safely. Yes you're right, personally I feel that the Swiss Alps are more spectacular than the French Alps. The Austrian Alps are more charming. Chamonix is a bit hyped up; there isn't much there except for Mont Blanc, which yes is the highest mountain in the Alps but nothing spectacular in my opinion. I believe there are nicer places to go to in the French Alps, but you need to have a car to reach there. We did stop by a nice waterfall driving back from Chamonix to Annecy. To me, driving around the Alps is the best way to see it, plus going on 2-3 hour hikes in non-touristy areas, discovering hidden valleys, walking by a small mountain stream and cooling your bottle of champagne in it...

For example, we had a wonderful drive down from Gap in the French Alps down to Avignon along the D94... an unforgettable experience, stopping by the small river in a mini canyon and dipping our feet in the crystal clear cool water and watching a French man fishing with his dog...

You must try the local pastries from a local Patisserie or Boulangerie, as well as the fresh fruits; I believe cherries may be starting to be in season now, as well as perhaps other early Spring fruits like apricots, peaches, and strawberries.

Dear Lynne,

CDG is Charles de Gaulle airport; you almost certainly don't want to stay there unless you are catching a very early flight out as it is quite far from Paris. Roissy CDG1 is not a metro station; it is a RER station; RER is the regional trains of Paris. You should be looking for a hotel that is near a Metro station, not an RER station; unless the RER station is within Paris itself. From the metro map, I think you can see the CDG RER station at the top right.

From your Day 1 itinerary, it looks like you are trying very hard to get tourist fatigue. Do NOT be like the typical kiasu Singaporean wanting to cover as many places in as little time as possible. You'll be rushing around like mad and walking a lot, and not enjoying your time at all! Narrow it down to two or three places; in fact, the Louvre requires one whole day to visit as it is ENORMOUS.

Your Day 2 itinerary looks more manageable, but day 1 is a killer.

Don't bother with the passes; except for the Carte Orange, the rest are con jobs for clueless tourists and it only encourages tourist fatigue as tourists will end up rushing here and there visiting countless museums. The best is either the Carte Orange (valid one week from Mon - Sun, you need to bring a passport photo I think), or you just buy a carnet of 10 tickets for EUR 11.10 (that's only EUR 1.11 per ticket) which you can use individually; that's what we always do. Just buy your museum passes separately; how many museums can you realistically visit in 1 / 3 / 5 days, and how many Singaporeans actually know how to appreciate art?

Remember to always buy your metro tickets only from sales counters or ticket dispensing machines, and not from strangers; they are almost certainly con jobs either selling you child tickets or expired / spoilt tickets.

More information for metro tickets at:

http://www.ratp.info/touristes/index.php?langue=en&amp;rub=decouvrir&amp;cat=ticket-t&amp;page=tarifs

You should be able to find the metro map there if you click around.

Let us know if you have further questions.

 

[rtan]

Dear Threasher,

What airline did you take to Geneve? Was it good? How much did it cost?

Thanks.

 

[jfcy]

Dear Raymond,

Threasher took airfrance at sgd$850 promotion end april.I took the same promotion n price, total up to ard $1600. I got my baggage delay in Zurich, got it on the next day.My flight transit in Paris.

 

[rtan]

Dear Fioon,

Thanks. However...

SGD$850 promotion is without taxes; the important question is what is the total price with taxes. BA also advertises $998 as a promotional price but it is crap because the taxes add up to over $500 meaning the total price is over $1500 per person.

Do you have any idea how much are the taxes that Threasher paid? Is totalling up to also about $1600 per person?

 

[rtan]

Ah yes found out... he paid $1396 per person inclusive of taxes. That's a good deal because he flew off in April.

I tried searching for cheap Air-France tickets in May but no luck. At the price I found on the website, I might as well just pay a little more and fly SQ.

Dear Threasher, was the plane full on the way to Geneve?

 

[rtan]

Dear Threasher,

Not sure if I mentioned or if you remember, but in France, you do not need to tip in a restaurant. What you see is exactly the amount you pay as all taxes and service charges are already included in the price. So don't try to be too generous and give any tips, unless you were particularly impressed with their service. But it is completely acceptable not to give any tips.

 

[threasher]

Hi Raymond,

Finally managed to get on the Internet. Yesterday there was no network so no update from me.

Yes, we took Air France, and the price is $1396. The flight was full. It's quite cramp as usuall for economy class. We had window seats but because there were 3 seats on the window side, there was one more French man seating with us. Very troublesome when we want to go to the toilet.

We had a transit in Paris CDG. The flight from Paris to Geneva was also full.

Yes, I do know that I don't have to tip in restaurants. There is a MacDonald near our hotel, so sometimes we eat there. We also went to a Chinese/Thai restaurant twice. It's strange how they can keep the business going when there were hardly any people. Today, we were the only patrons in their restaurant. We tried sugar crepes today too. Pretty good, but it is not something new. My mother-in-law knows how to make something similar to that too.

Yesterday, we went up to Aiguille Du Midi. The cable car costs 38 Euros per person. My wife had altitude sickness when we reashed there. Last year at Jungfrajoch she had the same problem too. She was OK after resting for a while and drinking hot beverage. The photos we took there looks similar to those taken at Jungfrajoch. We couldn't really take good pictures here because there were railings around us blocking the scenery.

On the way down, we stopped at Plan De Aiguille. We found that we can take better photos here. There were no railings around us, so we were able to take many photos without obstructions. We didn't leave much time at this place, so today we spent another 21 Euros per person to come up here again. The photos that we took here looks even better than those we took in Jungfrajoch.

This morning we actually went in search of a lake in Chamonix, but we couldn't find it. It was on the map in one of the travel guides (on the northen part of Chamonix). During the search of the lake, we went through some hiking trails, and we managed to take some pictures of the natural part of Chamonix (trees and plants instead of buildins).

I have already bought the train tickets to Annecy today. It costs 39 Euros for both of us. We will leave for Annecy tomorrow afternoon, 27 Apr.

 

[threasher]

Hi Raymond,

I found one shop in Chamonix that sells maps but they don't have the Normandy one. I'll just have to continue to have a look out.

By the way, I want to ask you a stupid question. When you drive in France, and you encounter a toll gate in an auto route, how do you know which lane to go into? When the airport transfer van took us from Geneva Airport to Chamonix, we went throught a toll gate, but it seems that certain lanes are for certain vehicles, or probably for different payment modes??

 

[lovetotravel]

Hi threasher,

there is a lookout point at Aiguille Du Midi when there is no obstruction at all. It is on top of some platform on the highest ground.

I encounter toll charges the last time we went and we go into the wrong queue. Some booth is for vehicles with some kind of cards. We do not have it and not able to turn back as there are many vehicles behind. we gave him cash and The guard at the toll gate is very nice. He run all the way to the other side, did something and gave us the ticket and change back.

By the way, there is one cafe at chamonix call the Sandwich shop selling good coffee and avocado wrap. They have a hot or cold wrap quite nice. Another cafe selling curry chicken panini...we tried it and its really good...not our typical kind of curry chicken...haha.

Chamonix is offpeak season now so the beauty of it is you have the whole town to yourself and I really like the peace around it.

 

[lovetotravel]

sorry not the sandwich shop but the mojo sandwich cafe

 

[lovetotravel]

uploaded more pic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kwokwp/

 

[threasher]

Hi Peng,

We didn't go up to the top lookout point at Aiguille Du Midi as my wife was suffering from altitude sickness. The cost of using the lift up there is 3 Euros per person.

We'll be checking out of our hotel in another hour. Our train for Annecy will depart in mid afternoon. I will update again if there is internet access in our hotel in Annecy.

 

[rtan]

Dear Threasher,

For the toll booths, you go to the one with the Car sign (voiture in French), and you go to the one without any of the signs for top-up cards that local French people might have. It should have a barrier and someone in the toll booth, and not one of those that is an automatic drive through like an ERP gantry where there is no barrier. That should do the trick.

Sounds like you're having a great time there. We can't wait to get to France.

One little thing; I notice both of you are mostly eating MacDonalds and Thai/Chinese food. Hmm. Is it because you don't like the local food, or because the local food is too expensive? Have you tried pastries or the local sandwiches? In our opinion, they are a much better deal at roughly the same price as MacDonalds and Thai/Chinese food.

 

[threasher]

Hi Raymond,

We are now at Annecy. To be honest, it was a bit of disappointment for us. We have been to Montreux in Switzerland, and we find that it is better there. I guess when you have been to different places, your expectations are higher, like us. There doesn't seem to be much in Annecy. Well, there is the lake, and and those restaurants along the canel that looks like Boat Quay. We got here after 6pm yesterday. Today, there is light rain the whole day. I think it is better now. It's now 3.10pm, and we are in the hotel room, hoping that the rain will stop completely later.

For eating, I am actually game for anything. But my wife is less flexible. She doesn't take beef and mutton, and she is not fond of anything made of potatoes. There are some people like her who will go for rice if possible. For western stuff, she prefers to have chicken or fish. I find that some of meals in the restaurants expensive. I mean, you pay something like more than 10 Euros but what you get is just a piece of meat and the rest french fries. The price of soda is expensive too. In fact, milk and beer seems cheaper in comparison. We have not tried pastries or local sandwiches. We are not really fond of those things anyway. But I don't really mind trying them. I will suggest to my wife too.

Actually this morning we wanted to check out and go to Tours a day earlier. But the hotel staff told us that we still have to pay for 2 nights instead of 1 because the notice is less than 24 hours. So here we are, still at Annecy. I have already bought the tickets for Tours. It will be a bus trip at 9.30am tomorrow to Lyon Part Deau, follow by train to Tours.

 

[lovetotravel]

Hi threasher,

I agree you have higher expectations of this trip after the previous trip in Switzerland. Annecy and Chamonix are different and cannot be compared. Each has its own charm and it really depends on how you look at it. I guess the rain makes your mood worse but hey, u are on holiday so cheer up. When the sun is up, sit by the cafe and enjoy the peace in the old town of annecy.

 

[threasher]

Hi Peng,

I do know that sometimes expectations can be different for different people. For my wife, she does have this mentality to see as much as possible within a given limited period. You probably will get this when you join a tour group.

We are not in a bad mood, really.

She's taking a nap now, while I surf the net

There's still a bit rain out there, and cold. She bought a pair of walking shoe earlier today, so I guess we still achieve something here.

 

[lovetotravel]

great

Did you walk to the park where u can see small boats dock along the river or lake? There's also this bridge which is hundred yrs old (something like that). Its a great place for photo taking.

 

[rtan]

Dear Threasher,

May I suggest that it is unfair to bring along one's expectations from another country or another region; if you go to the Canadian Rockies expecting the same type of spectacular scenery, you are just going to be disappointed, as you've already found out. I made that same mistake last time too.

This is my take; if we go to someplace and if we are not adventurous and we only want to eat our rice and Chinese food, then what's the point of going? I'm not saying that you have to like it, but we should at least try right? Experiment and see what the big deal is about the local food. It's part of the whole traveling experience, and honestly, if your wife tries to get out of the "tour group" mentality, she will enjoy the trip much more. There is so much to explore in every town, and each area has its own local specialities.

Honestly if one doesn't even TRY the local pastries and fruits, and food of course... then what's the point of going overseas? Might as well just eat in SG; cheap and good.

Having said that, we're the adventurous type; and there's nothing in the world that beats French pastry or French cuisine; Chinese cuisine is quite good too but it is different so they are not really comparable. If you come away from France not even trying their local cuisine or foodstuff, then you will never discover what many Singaporeans have.

When we talk about the heavenly millefeuille with the layers of custard and crunchy pastry, or the freshest juciest oysters, or the rich and tasty bouillabaisse, or the fantastic confit de Canard (which we had in Annecy!), or that super-cheap EUR 14 demi-bouteille of Mumm Champagne that we bought from the local supermarket and enjoyed with our home-cooked dinner, or that AOC Butter we had with toasted Baguette, or the fragrant and delicious Miel de Romarin, you will just stare blankly at us and wonder what you missed out on.

Also it seems like you've been to the wrong restaurants; but then again, if you pay peanuts, you expect to get... well you know. Good and reasonably priced food is not hard to come by in France, but it's kinda hard to explain where to find it... somehow when I see it I know.

A few hints are crowds, French-only menus, specialities written on a chalkboard, small outfits, recommendations from a local, etc.

Oh... another reason you find Annecy boring is because you don't have a CAR to drive around the lake or to go up the surrounding mountains. The view from above is just great. You could do the next best thing, that is to rent a bicycle and cycle around the lake. That's quite nice too; only when it's not raining of course.

Just my two Euro cents worth, no offence. Thanks for posting the updates, it makes us look forward to the trip. Whatever it is, do enjoy Annecy and the rest of your holiday. You can only enjoy what we described if you both are a bit more adventurous.

Of course you could also just choose to do as you are doing, but then you might just find that France doesn't live up to your expectations and it's not France's fault.

 

[rtan]

Dear Threasher,

BTW what are you doing drinking SODA in France? You should be drinking champagne or wine; they are ridiculously cheap (compared to SG) and fantastic. When in Rome, do as the Romans do... and that means go for the local products; the stuff that is cheap there and expensive here. Like milk and beer as you said. And wine. And how can you go to France and not drink Champagne? C'est La France!!!

Well bread has less calories than rice; maybe that might persuade your wife to try it more. Furthermore with the rising prices of rice, it might be time to switch over to bread one day. Haha.

 

[rtan]

Errr... ok let's just say that France's strength is not in steak and fries with coke. Eat that in USA, but not France. Well they DO have good steak but often you have to pay more for that; so you might have been eating the wrong thing. You should try snails, duck, and other local specialities; there are all sorts of interesting fish you can try, but probably not in Annecy since it is so far from the ocean; though the lake fish might possibly be interesting. Know what to eat depending on the season and on the location.

 

[rtan]

We are so going to cart back cartons of demi-bouteilles of Mumm Champagne... haha... empty the supermarket shelves!!!

Have you tried any cherries yet? You should be able to find them at any fruit stall. Cheap and a good tasty nutritious snack. Remember to give them a good rinse first and watch out for the very occasional worm at the stem.

 

[threasher]

Hi Raymond,

I checked some web sites, including MSN, and it seems that there is rain everywhere. Tomorrow we leave for Tours, but it seems that here in Annecy there will be no rain! But in Tours, there will be rain. On Friday, we leave Tours for Caen, and it seems that there will be no rain in Tours on Friday! Well, it is very demoralising if it's going to rain here and there.

 

[threasher]

Hi Raymond,

I don't drink so even if you give me the best champagne, I would not be able to appreciate it. Hmm... isn't the champagne the same in Singapore since they come from the same region in France?

I guess when you say do as the Romans do, we need to draw a line somewhere. A lot of people says that when you go to Paris, you need to buy branded bags like LV. So if we really eat good food and buy branded goods, we will be spending an awful lot of money. As sight-seeing is our main priority, we try to cut down on other things like eating, since it is secondary to us.

My wife does not have problems with eating breads. In fact, she likes croissants. The problem is that in Switzerland and France, some of those breads that they eat is too hard for her.

Still, I think your opinions and advices are quite useful to me. So you can be sure that we will be trying our some of the things that you suggested.

 

[threasher]

Hi Peng,

There was hardly any rain after 5pm today, so we went out to take some photos. We found many smalls boat here and there, on the lake and the rivers. We also saw a bridge and the river mouth, but don't know if it is the same one that you mentioned. After 8pm, we went to a restaurant. My wife had fish and I had fondue. When we finished the dinner, and walked back to our hotel, it was after 9pm, and the rain started to get a bit heavier. It is still drizzling outside now.

 

[threasher]

Hi Raymond,

Yesterday I ordered Lake Fish with fries. The lake fish is actually ikan bilis! Well, at least the ikan bilis are a bit bigger than what we have in Singapore. It is a bit strange with ikan bilies and french fries. In Singapore, I think people will laugh when they see this.

 

[inix]

Raymond Tan (rtan)

I might actually be around France around 1st / 2nd week of Jun. Lets meet up for some coffee then.. haha

threasher (threasher)

Since you're heading up north slowly, look for a type of wine called Pineau de Rose. Its sweet, and easy for wine newbies to appreciate. Cheap too. Less then 5 Euros for a bottle.

I love it but it can't be found in Singapore.

 

[rtan]

Dear Threasher,

Sure I understand... well you don't have to mortgage your house to find good and reasonably priced food in France; pastries and sandwiches are relatively cheap compared to eating in a restaurant, and they are always very filling. So it may look expensive but you can often buy one and share with your wife, and both of you would still be quite full.

It's just that we think that honestly, MacDonalds and Thai/Chinese food (in France) are a complete waste of money; you can find similarly-priced and better tasting food for the same price if you know where to look or how to eat.

And really, the Macs in France is so inferior to that in SG, at least in our limited experience.

Sorry it is my mistake; it is not bread that has less calories than rice, it is potatoes that has less calories than rice. There are so many different types of tasty potatoes and many different ways of cooking it. Most potatoes we get in Singapore are big and bland. Don't get me wrong; I love my rice too; but if the price of rice should shoot up so high that it becomes ridiculous, I am just as happy eating potatoes for the rest of my life.

The potatoes that come with confit de canard are fantastic because it is cooked in duck fat... definitely not for those on a diet, but it is so tasty and fragrant.

Hehe it looks like the rain is following you... anyway the weather forecast is not always very accurate. When in Tours, are you going to visit the Chateaus? I think you and your wife would like it. Try not to miss the Gardens of Villandry if possible. If you have the chance, go rent a bike and cycle around, it is a very lovely way to discover the countryside.

 

[rtan]

Dear Inix,

Sure, when you have confirmed your trip, do let me know. You can PM me or post here. Our trip is confirmed and we will be in Paris from 1 - 6 June. We can meet up and share Paris tips.

Will you be there alone or your wife is coming with you? I guess you're going for a work trip?

 

[rtan]

Cheese... ah that is something you must also try. There are so many types of French cheeses, from the mild type for newbies to the stinkiest blue cheese (e.g. Roquefort) that can challenge any durian. They say our durian smells like unwashed clothing; we say their blue cheese smells like *censored*. Haha.

But cheese with the right wine or honey is just absolutely amazing.

We started off just like you; not being able to appreciate wine and Champagne. It just tasted bitter and alcoholic to us and we wondered what the big deal was about alcohol.

Then we went for a wine appreciation class (3 hours) in Singapore, paid SGD 35 per person, and it started us off; the only way to learn is to drink more (and of course the lesson helped tremendously). We've never looked back since and we wondered why we were so ignorant. Haha.

Now we try to order Champagne with every other meal when in France; just lovely. But still the amount we drink is nothing compared to the French; often a couple will be sharing a whole bottle between the two of them while two of us will be sharing one glass; maybe they think we are very stingy when the real reason is we can't drink. Haha.

Except for Champagne of course; my wife can easily drink three glasses; I don't drink much because I am often driving, and I turn red easily. But it's just heavenly and incomparable; nothing comes close.

There is a French joke that the Magnum is the perfect size for two people...

Ah that's what I thought so too initially... all Champagne comes from the same region, so wouldn't they all taste the same? Later I realise this to be completely untrue (though it is also true that a newbie drinker wouldn't be able to tell the difference). It's just like us in SG saying all durians from Malaysia taste the same. There's D24, D1, D minus infinity (joke joke!), etc. So many different types depending on the area it's grown, the weather that year, how the grapes are blended, etc.

 

[rtan]

When in France, try not to keep comparing things with SG; e.g. people in SG will laugh at this, or we would never eat this in SG, or we do this so much better / worse in SG, etc. I think that's not the best attitude. Appreciate each nation's culture and food for their worth, and there is no point comparing because there is no basis for comparison. France and Singapore are so different and they do not share any common history nor were they ever our colonial masters.

No matter how tempting it is, it is also pointless to compare prices; e.g. Macs is so much cheaper in SG, food is so much cheaper in SG, etc. Many factors contribute to higher prices in France; the strong Euro, the high cost of labour, and the lack of hawker-style food. French people seldom eat out, that's how they save money and it's also their culture. Here, for Sunday lunch, the typical Singaporean family will troop down to a restaurant for tim-sum; in France, Mum will cook and everyone will gather for a leisurely home-cooked Sunday lunch. I've had the privilege to attend one such genuine French Sunday lunch and it is an eye-opener.