"France has the only 2 things towards which we drift as we grow older___intelligence and good manners." F. Scott Fitzgerald

Sacre Bleu! Or for those who don't curse in French...Say it ain't so! McDonald's has announced that they are opening a branch in the carousel area underneath the Louvre in Paris. To be more specific, a few steps away from the bottom of the glass pyramid that I.M. Pei created...the one beneath which Tom Hanks was sure laid the remains of Mary Magdalene....you will now be able to order some not-so-french fries.

Now it's not that McDonald's is new in France. There are over 1,100 branches scattered all over...even in Paris...even one on the famed Champs d'Elysees. When our family stayed in a very small village in southern France a few years back, there was a McDonald's in the neighboring town. I hate to admit it, but we made several trips there because The Boy and The Husband needed their American fast-food fix. McDonald's in France is a little different...the food quality is several steps higher on the food chain. The burgers taste homemade...the yogurts are not the grocery-store sugared-up type, but the fresh, healthy type. In fact, it is so different that The Boy was actually disappointed. But that aside, I just hate the thought of seeing those Golden Arches just down the elevator from the Mona Lisa...

I am no elitist food snob. I love IHOp, Waffle House....and I can certainly enjoy a Happy Meal on occasion. But some things just seem out of place, and having a McDonald's under some the greatest works of art in the world just doesn't seem right. A while back, there was an uproar because they opened an Apple store there....and look, it is definitely a mini-mall environment underneath there. But most of the shops are high-end French goods shops, with the exception of a few touristy places. The "food court" as it were, is representational of many types of cuisine...so that's not the problem either. It's just that in these days of heart disease and obesity, it seems ashame that this is the American representation. The French may partake of the burgers and fries...but they are hypocritical enough to still criticize it. And with good reason. It would be like having a McDonald's at the Vatican (there's not one, is there?) ....or in Buckingham Palace in London....or even in the White House. You get the picture. McDonald's in the Louvre is the definition of an Oxymoron... If there is ever a sequel made to the "Da Vinci Code" , perhaps Tom Hanks will discover that Mary Magdalene is instead beneath the Golden Arches...

I'll just remind anyone who may be going to France and touring the Louvre that there are some wonderful cafes inside. In fact, there is nothing more enjoyable than sitting down to an espresso and croissant after viewing all of the wonderful paintings in the Impressionist wing...Please do not spoil your trip by grabbing a Big Mac between floors...

That's it for today...on a personal note, thanks to all of you who sent good wishes for The Boy's test. After review, we think he might of done pretty well. I'll keep you posted...so until tomorrow...au revoir et bon jour...