France is expensive, especially Paris. It would be expensive even if the Euro and the dollar were on par. A 4 ounce glass of wine costs 6 to 10 Euros; $9 to $15.
Hotels in the historic areas are small, often up 3 flights of stairs, without elevators. Modern hotel rooms at reasonable rates are available just outside the main historic districts and often have little kitchens. Our rooms in Paris were tiny, the toilets were down the hall, and the second time we stayed there, the shower was on another floor. Our hotel room in Chablis looked like a B&B. But it was on the third floor. No elevator. The staircase was a narrow circular staircase with a loose banister. Our hotel 1 mile outside the historic center of Avignon was a French chain, Citea. It had a small kitchenette, 2 desks, a good view, a full modern bathroom, lots of closet space, and not much character. It cost 60% of the room in Paris and 75% of the room in Chablis.
There apparently is no equivalent to OSHA. It is possible to touch the cables that raise the elevator on the Eiffel Tower. Look at the staircase to the clock tower in Roussillon. How would you like to be the one that winds that clock? In the US great efforts are taken to protect us from ourselves. Maybe the French are just smarter and wouldn’t touch the cables.
If you get frustrated when things are unfamiliar then travel to Europe isn’t for you. Doors open in different directions. Handles on everything work differently. Things don’t come with directions.
As a woman, you haven’t experienced grossness until you have used a pisserie.
France is clean. We saw very little litter. But graffiti was everywhere. It appears to be a real problem.
Traffic was crazy in Paris but it is in D.C. as well. Let the cabbies do the driving.
France is not friendly to the mobility challenged. Cobblestones, curbs, blocks of granite, and 2000 years of building materials do not make for smooth sidewalks. The library/art gallery in Nimes had 5 floors. The elevator only went to 2 of them. The parking garage there had 3 levels . There was an escalator from the top level to the surface. This was typical.
I don’t think there is a French paradox. That’s the belief that the French eat high fat foods but are still slim because they drink red wine. The average population wasn’t slender, just average. There were few obese people but there were some, and they were French. What I have observed is that portions are small compared to the US. Rich sauces just nap the main food; they don’t provide a swimming pool. Three of 4 parties seated near us our final evening at the nice restaurant were drinking water. Only one couple drank wine. The average glass of wine is smaller than in the US, probably 4 ounces. Food is expensive in the city. People in the country looked well fed to me. But everyone had a garden and fruit trees. French people walk a lot. It’s easier to take the subway than to maintain a car. Subways are 2 to 5 flights of stairs underground. Few have escalators or elevators.
All churches are on top of hills. The biggest churches are on top of the highest hills.
Walking downhill isn't easier than walking uphill.
I still wonder if I would have gotten brains or calf cheeks if I had ordered the calf head for dinner.
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