W Europe Travel
- Open Border Travel in Europe
- Top High-Speed Railways in Europe
- Transportation to UEFA Euro 2008
- Long Night of Museums in Europe
- Gourmet Food in Western Europe
- Traveling and Food
- Princess Grace Exhibit Overwhelms
- Family Friendly Airline
- Trials of Air Travel
- Movie Going in France
Posted by
Henk Bekker
Henk Bekker
The Schengen Agreement allows for open borders free of immigration checks when traveling between most Western and Central European countries (UK and Ireland excluded).
Since March 1995, when the Schengen Agreement came into force, millions of travelers have been able to cross borders in Europe without the need to slow down at customs and immigration. Cumbersome and time-consuming border controls have been eliminated making traveling between different European countries as simple as going from say one US state to another.
Originally, only five countries (France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) signed the agreement but presently virtually all Western and Central European countries participate in this open border scheme. Notable exceptions are the United Kingdom and Ireland; for travelers, Switzerland is will join November 2008.
Border crossings in Western Europe have generally not been a problem when traveling by train. Immigration officials would get onto the train at the last stop in a country and check passports while the train continued to the first stop in the next country. Individual passports were often not checked or stamped – although I cannot recall ever having crossed the Swiss-French border by train without French immigration officials dragging some unfortunate soul off for further investigation.
Europe’s open borders are best appreciated when traveling by car. On weekends and during holidays, long queues no longer form on either side of the border. The only question is – should you slow down or not simply because the traffic signs still call for a major reduction in speed.
Although the border posts are open, the immigration buildings are still in place, if usually unmanned. The Schengen Agreement allows countries to impose border controls again for short periods and many countries do during major events.
Originally, only five countries (France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) signed the agreement but presently virtually all Western and Central European countries participate in this open border scheme. Notable exceptions are the United Kingdom and Ireland; for travelers, Switzerland is will join November 2008.
Border crossings in Western Europe have generally not been a problem when traveling by train. Immigration officials would get onto the train at the last stop in a country and check passports while the train continued to the first stop in the next country. Individual passports were often not checked or stamped – although I cannot recall ever having crossed the Swiss-French border by train without French immigration officials dragging some unfortunate soul off for further investigation.
Europe’s open borders are best appreciated when traveling by car. On weekends and during holidays, long queues no longer form on either side of the border. The only question is – should you slow down or not simply because the traffic signs still call for a major reduction in speed.
Although the border posts are open, the immigration buildings are still in place, if usually unmanned. The Schengen Agreement allows countries to impose border controls again for short periods and many countries do during major events.
- Germany will probably reinstate border controls between Bavaria and Austria during the UEFA Euro 2008 football tournament in June 2008 – a good enough reason to travel by train.
Top High-Speed Railways in Europe
Posted by
Henk Bekker
Henk Bekker
Europe’s high-speed trains (TGV, ICE, and Eurostar) are increasingly crossing national borders to allow for fast railway travel between major European cities.
For almost three decades, the French Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) has brought the countryside into day and weekend trip reach from Paris. In Germany, sleek white Inter-City-Express (ICE) trains provide fast services between all major German cities.
These fast trains now also operate on international routes. French TGV-based trains are crossing the borders into Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland while the German ICE trains can be seen in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria. More recently, TGV trains have made it into Germany (Cologne and Stuttgart) while ICE trains go to Paris.
Eurostar trains go from London to Paris and Brussels and could actually operate on the full TGV network. Persistent rumors that German Railways want to send ICE trains through the Chunnel all the way to London are constantly being denied. A pity, as competition will almost certainly bring prices down.
Just because you are seated inside an ICE or TGV train does not mean the train is actually going at high speed. Trains can slow down significantly on older tracks especially once outside Germany or France.
More than once, on the four-hour ICE journeys between Frankfurt am Main and Amsterdam, I have experienced going flat out at 300 km/h (186 mph) between Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) and Cologne (Köln) just to have the train slow down and outrun by shorter commuter trains once inside the Netherlands.
Fortunately, tracks are constantly being upgraded throughout Europe to speed up journeys. Railteam reckons that business travelers prefer trains to planes if the rail journey is less than four hours while leisure travelers will ride the rails for six hours before low-cost airlines are seen as an alternative. Those numbers sound about right to me.
These fast trains now also operate on international routes. French TGV-based trains are crossing the borders into Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland while the German ICE trains can be seen in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria. More recently, TGV trains have made it into Germany (Cologne and Stuttgart) while ICE trains go to Paris.
Eurostar trains go from London to Paris and Brussels and could actually operate on the full TGV network. Persistent rumors that German Railways want to send ICE trains through the Chunnel all the way to London are constantly being denied. A pity, as competition will almost certainly bring prices down.
Just because you are seated inside an ICE or TGV train does not mean the train is actually going at high speed. Trains can slow down significantly on older tracks especially once outside Germany or France.
More than once, on the four-hour ICE journeys between Frankfurt am Main and Amsterdam, I have experienced going flat out at 300 km/h (186 mph) between Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) and Cologne (Köln) just to have the train slow down and outrun by shorter commuter trains once inside the Netherlands.
Fortunately, tracks are constantly being upgraded throughout Europe to speed up journeys. Railteam reckons that business travelers prefer trains to planes if the rail journey is less than four hours while leisure travelers will ride the rails for six hours before low-cost airlines are seen as an alternative. Those numbers sound about right to me.
Transportation to UEFA Euro 2008
Posted by
Henk Bekker
Henk Bekker
Train and bus fares are included in tickets to the UEFA Euro 2008 European Football Championship in Switzerland and Austria. Further transport deals await in June only.
Getting to UEFA Euro 2008 football championship matches in June 2008 will be easy. Match tickets also serve as public transportation passes in both Switzerland and Austria on match day and on the return route up to noon the following day.
I prefer public transportation when going to major events including sports matches, special festivals, and shows. That way I don’t have to deal with unfamiliar roads, or even worse, find familiar shortcuts blocked off for the day. Furthermore, the walk from the train station to the stadium is usually shorter (and not through the mud!) than the trek from the special overpriced parking lots.
For the UEFA Euro 2008 football championships, special transportation passes, valid only during June 2008, will be sold to entice soccer fans to see more of Switzerland and Austria than just the football stadiums and adjacent bars and restaurants.
The Swiss public transportation system offers several further passes and discount tickets that are valid year round.
I prefer public transportation when going to major events including sports matches, special festivals, and shows. That way I don’t have to deal with unfamiliar roads, or even worse, find familiar shortcuts blocked off for the day. Furthermore, the walk from the train station to the stadium is usually shorter (and not through the mud!) than the trek from the special overpriced parking lots.
For the UEFA Euro 2008 football championships, special transportation passes, valid only during June 2008, will be sold to entice soccer fans to see more of Switzerland and Austria than just the football stadiums and adjacent bars and restaurants.
- The UEFA EURO 2008™ Half-Fare Card (Halbtaxabonnement) gives 50% discount on any rail journey on Swiss and Austrian trains and buses. It cost CHF39/USD39 (CHF59/USD59 if bought in June).
- The UEFA EURO 2008™ General Abonnement allows for unlimited travel on the Swiss transportation network and 50% discount on tickets on Austrian railways. It is CHF299/USD299 in second class and CHF459/USD459 in first class (CHF399/USD399 and CHF599/USD599 respectively if only bought in June).
The Swiss public transportation system offers several further passes and discount tickets that are valid year round.
Long Night of Museums in Europe
Posted by
Henk Bekker
Henk Bekker
On a Long Night of Museums (Lange Nacht der Museen / Nuit Blanche) cities in Europe schedule extensive cultural programs while museums stay open until late at night.
Museum Nights when museums remain open until late at night, is a recent but increasingly popular cultural phenomenon in Europe. In German it is usually referred to as Lange Nacht der Museen (Long Night of the Museums), while in French the term Nuit Blanche (White Night) is often used.
The first Lange Nacht der Museen was on February 14, 1997 when 12 museums in Berlin remained opened until after midnight. It was an instant hit. Nowadays, hardly a town in Germany with a museum misses the opportunity to stage a museum night.
The exact dates and composition of these museum nights differ from city to city but most involve a varied cultural program including music, lectures, and guided tours. Museums generally stay open from around 7 pm to 2 am. Sometimes museums are free but more common are special passes for the night that include admission to all events, shuttle buses between museums, as well as unlimited use of local public transportation.
Having annual museum passes for several German cities, I’m in for a busy couple of weekends. For me, the cultural programs are the bigger attraction as I prefer visiting museums on weekday mornings when both the museums and their coffee shops are quiet.
Some major German cities that will stage a Lange Nacht der Museen during 2008 include:
Other European Museum Nights during 2008 will be in:
The first Lange Nacht der Museen was on February 14, 1997 when 12 museums in Berlin remained opened until after midnight. It was an instant hit. Nowadays, hardly a town in Germany with a museum misses the opportunity to stage a museum night.
The exact dates and composition of these museum nights differ from city to city but most involve a varied cultural program including music, lectures, and guided tours. Museums generally stay open from around 7 pm to 2 am. Sometimes museums are free but more common are special passes for the night that include admission to all events, shuttle buses between museums, as well as unlimited use of local public transportation.
Having annual museum passes for several German cities, I’m in for a busy couple of weekends. For me, the cultural programs are the bigger attraction as I prefer visiting museums on weekday mornings when both the museums and their coffee shops are quiet.
Some major German cities that will stage a Lange Nacht der Museen during 2008 include:
- Frankfurt – April 26 (and a “short night” on September 5)
- Hamburg – April 26
- Leipzig – April 26
- Dresden – July 12
- Berlin – August 30
- Munich – October 25
- Cologne (Köln) – November 1
Other European Museum Nights during 2008 will be in:
- Paris, most of France, Belgium, and Luxembourg – May 17
- Zurich – September 6
- Austrian cities including Vienna and Salzburg – October 4
- Liechtenstein – October 4
- Amsterdam – November 3
Gourmet Food in Western Europe
Posted by
Henk Bekker
Henk Bekker
Travelers to Western Europe can enjoy fine dining and gourmet food in Michelin three-star restaurants or simply grab a sandwich for a time and money saving picnic lunch.
Even in an era of globalization, eating foreign food is one of the joys of traveling in Western Europe. France is famous for fine dining (26 Michelin three-star restaurants) and the availability of excellently prepared food even in the smallest of neighborhood bistros. How does the rest of Western Europe stack up in comparison? Is it only fries in the Netherlands, waffles in Belgium, and bratwurst in Germany?
Luxembourg and Belgium are close enough to flaunt the French culinary influences. My French teacher, who hailed from Brussels, defines Belgian cuisine in four words: French cooking, German portions! Even to her, it may come as a pleasant surprise that Germany with nine Michelin three-star restaurants is only second to France in terms of fine dining.
True gourmets won’t regret heading to the countryside – Michelin defines a three-star restaurant as worthy of a journey anyways. The small village Baiersbronn, population 16,000, in the German Black Forest alone sports two three-star restaurants while the two three-star restaurants in the Netherlands are in the internationally renowned towns Sluis and Zwolle. In Switzerland, for three-star dining pleasure head straight to Brent or Crissier.
Three-star dining in Europe is even harder on the wallet than on the waistline. When on a tight budget, save money by making lunch the main meal of the day and order the daily specials. These are usually the best value and served fastest. Cafés from Vienna to Berlin serve smaller meals at reasonable prices too.
Luxembourg and Belgium are close enough to flaunt the French culinary influences. My French teacher, who hailed from Brussels, defines Belgian cuisine in four words: French cooking, German portions! Even to her, it may come as a pleasant surprise that Germany with nine Michelin three-star restaurants is only second to France in terms of fine dining.
True gourmets won’t regret heading to the countryside – Michelin defines a three-star restaurant as worthy of a journey anyways. The small village Baiersbronn, population 16,000, in the German Black Forest alone sports two three-star restaurants while the two three-star restaurants in the Netherlands are in the internationally renowned towns Sluis and Zwolle. In Switzerland, for three-star dining pleasure head straight to Brent or Crissier.
Three-star dining in Europe is even harder on the wallet than on the waistline. When on a tight budget, save money by making lunch the main meal of the day and order the daily specials. These are usually the best value and served fastest. Cafés from Vienna to Berlin serve smaller meals at reasonable prices too.
- Considering lunch a waste of valuable daylight sightseeing time? Most bakeries sell cheap sandwiches made of local bread, fresh produce, cheese, and meats that can be enjoyed as a picnic lunch on a bench in a park or old town pedestrian zone.
Posted by
Bridget Lux
Although I'm not a "foodie" or someone who's travel experience is determined by the meals they consume, eating is a big part of traveling.
There's no way to get around the fact that food is a big deal when it comes to traveling. For some, it is the main reason to travel. For others, it is purely nourishment on the road to some adventure. I fall somewhere between those extremes, but am hopelessly horrible at choosing restaurants.
On a recent trip to Rome, my friend and I had the good, the bad, and the ugly in terms of dining experiences. It's Italy, I thought, how hard could it possibly be to find a good meal? Give us some pasta and a pizza and we'll be fine.
Looking back on the Roman Holiday, however, I realized that this is fairly typical of my vacations. While traveling throughout Western Europe, Australia and North America, my culinary adventures have always been hit and miss. Now, I'd venture to say that it was easier in the U.S., Australia and U.K., if only for the fact that I could actually read the menus and didn't make the mistake of ordering raw hamburger topped with a raw egg (there's a Parisian dining experience I won't soon forget).
I discussed the situation with my well-traveled Aunt, who suggested scoping out dining establishments - especially the actual food on the tables - in advance of hunger. She also said she's had good luck by using suggestions from guidebooks, although my experience has been that the guidebooks are generally for that one special meal that's going to cost you and not for every day lunches. Finally, she said she's found good places by asking at her hotel. My friend and I tried this one, but the place suggested was actually closed.
So, any other suggestions?
On a recent trip to Rome, my friend and I had the good, the bad, and the ugly in terms of dining experiences. It's Italy, I thought, how hard could it possibly be to find a good meal? Give us some pasta and a pizza and we'll be fine.
Looking back on the Roman Holiday, however, I realized that this is fairly typical of my vacations. While traveling throughout Western Europe, Australia and North America, my culinary adventures have always been hit and miss. Now, I'd venture to say that it was easier in the U.S., Australia and U.K., if only for the fact that I could actually read the menus and didn't make the mistake of ordering raw hamburger topped with a raw egg (there's a Parisian dining experience I won't soon forget).
I discussed the situation with my well-traveled Aunt, who suggested scoping out dining establishments - especially the actual food on the tables - in advance of hunger. She also said she's had good luck by using suggestions from guidebooks, although my experience has been that the guidebooks are generally for that one special meal that's going to cost you and not for every day lunches. Finally, she said she's found good places by asking at her hotel. My friend and I tried this one, but the place suggested was actually closed.
So, any other suggestions?
Princess Grace Exhibit Overwhelms
Posted by
Bridget Lux
An exhibit currently on display in Monaco features the life of Grace Kelly who grew up in the U.S., became a film star and then married the Prince of Monaco.
Several months ago, long before the actual opening of the exhibit honoring Grace Kelly, I wrote an article about it. Having now gone through the exceptional exhibit and rereading the article I’d previously written, I’m reminded how different reading about something - a destination, a museum, an attraction - can be from truly experiencing the same thing.
In the movie “Good Will Hunting,” Robin Williams’ character explains to Matt Damon’s character the same idea using the Sistine Chapel, as an example. Now, I’ve heard people touting the benefits of Second Life, the Internet-based virtual world, and how great it is to experience hot travel destinations without the issues involved with air travel, hotels and money. Personally, although I have admittedly not entered Second Life, I can’t see how the virtual vacations could possibly hold up to the real thing. More on this in another blog post.
From the exhibit, located in the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, one gets an overwhelming sense of how much Princess Grace was loved: first by her family, then her fans and finally the people of Monaco. And from the memorabilia, photographs and displays it’s easy to see why. Princess Grace was an intelligent, beautiful, caring woman. Above all, however, she had class.
It’s also evident that much time, effort and creativity went into the exhibit. The eighteen rooms that focus on specific areas of her life include short film clips, multi-media displays and an overwhelming amount of personal letters, clothing and photographs.
If you happen to be in Monaco between now and Sept. 23, I’d highly recommend visiting the exhibit. Beyond Princess Grace’s life, the exhibit gives an interesting insight into the recent history of the royalty in Monaco as well as the current reign of Grace’s son, Prince Albert II.
In the movie “Good Will Hunting,” Robin Williams’ character explains to Matt Damon’s character the same idea using the Sistine Chapel, as an example. Now, I’ve heard people touting the benefits of Second Life, the Internet-based virtual world, and how great it is to experience hot travel destinations without the issues involved with air travel, hotels and money. Personally, although I have admittedly not entered Second Life, I can’t see how the virtual vacations could possibly hold up to the real thing. More on this in another blog post.
From the exhibit, located in the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, one gets an overwhelming sense of how much Princess Grace was loved: first by her family, then her fans and finally the people of Monaco. And from the memorabilia, photographs and displays it’s easy to see why. Princess Grace was an intelligent, beautiful, caring woman. Above all, however, she had class.
It’s also evident that much time, effort and creativity went into the exhibit. The eighteen rooms that focus on specific areas of her life include short film clips, multi-media displays and an overwhelming amount of personal letters, clothing and photographs.
If you happen to be in Monaco between now and Sept. 23, I’d highly recommend visiting the exhibit. Beyond Princess Grace’s life, the exhibit gives an interesting insight into the recent history of the royalty in Monaco as well as the current reign of Grace’s son, Prince Albert II.
Posted by
Bridget Lux
Rather than separating families, or people flying with children, from the rest of the passengers, why not create an entire airline devoted to people traveling with kids?
A recent survey of 1,000 travelers found that 73% of them were in favor of a separate family section on airplanes. An AP article said Southwest was considering the idea, although a Southwest spokesperson said that wasn’t true.
But isn’t having a family section on an airplane a bit like having a “no-smoking” section in a restaurant separated by little more than an imaginary line? The proverbial “no peeing” section of a pool.
Of course, if I’d taken the survey, I would have said yes, I’m in favor of a separate family section. Anyone who flies much has had a flight made nearly unbearable by seat kicking, screaming and general mischief of a little one. If you haven’t, consider yourself lucky and just know that it’s coming.
Personally, I think the airlines are going about this all wrong. Instead of a family section, why not a family airline? Sure. Disney Air could brand itself as a family airline. (Honestly, how much marketing would they need? Just saying the name yells “family friendly.”) They could feature coloring books next to the SkyMall and inflight magazines. Serve mac and cheese, pb&js and milk. Run all Disney movies.
It would take a bit of the stress off people with kids. They wouldn’t have to worry about their kids screaming or throwing Cheerios or whatever because chances are, the other people on the flights would have kids, too.
People without kids would avoid the airline like the plague.
Yes, I think Disney Air might just fly, pun intended.
But isn’t having a family section on an airplane a bit like having a “no-smoking” section in a restaurant separated by little more than an imaginary line? The proverbial “no peeing” section of a pool.
Of course, if I’d taken the survey, I would have said yes, I’m in favor of a separate family section. Anyone who flies much has had a flight made nearly unbearable by seat kicking, screaming and general mischief of a little one. If you haven’t, consider yourself lucky and just know that it’s coming.
Personally, I think the airlines are going about this all wrong. Instead of a family section, why not a family airline? Sure. Disney Air could brand itself as a family airline. (Honestly, how much marketing would they need? Just saying the name yells “family friendly.”) They could feature coloring books next to the SkyMall and inflight magazines. Serve mac and cheese, pb&js and milk. Run all Disney movies.
It would take a bit of the stress off people with kids. They wouldn’t have to worry about their kids screaming or throwing Cheerios or whatever because chances are, the other people on the flights would have kids, too.
People without kids would avoid the airline like the plague.
Yes, I think Disney Air might just fly, pun intended.
Posted by
Bridget Lux
Am I seeing the past through rose-colored glasses or did flying used to be less eventful?
Yesterday, one of my closest friends, Sunday, flew in to Nice for a three-week holiday with me. Because I read travel disaster stories all day long for another job, I was nearly convinced she was not going to arrive on time.
I didn't want to leave her in a lurch, however, so I was there at the appointed arrival time. Amazingly enough, her flight was only about 15 minutes late and she was actually on it (which was even more amazing after I heard her story). Unfortunately, her luggage was not.
Sunday is an experienced traveler, however, so she had stuffed some extra clothes in her carryon (limited to one because she was flying British Airways). After an hour of waiting for her, convinced she missed a connection or something, she called. She had borrowed a phone from another woman whose luggage had been lost and they were standing in line waiting to fill out the forms to, hopefully, retrieve their luggage at a future date.
About an hour and a half after her flight landed, Sunday finally emerged, luggageless, and we were headed to my apartment. On the way, she relayed the story about how she ended up buying another ticket for the Boise to Seattle leg of her trip because the airline said she was supposed to have paper tickets (who gets paper tickets anymore?), but she never received them. Once in Seattle, she paid a fee (British Airways, luckily, didn't make her buy new tickets) and was on her way on the flight from Seattle to London.
My past several flights have involved some sort of drama. Missed a connection in Chicago and had to stay the night (at my expense). Pilot didn't show up in Colorado, forcing my flight to be late and I missed another connection. On our way back from San Francisco, the airline didn't assign Sunday a seat. When we got to the gate, they asked her to take another flight. Eventually, after a lot of discussion, she was given her seat, but it was touch and go for awhile.
My point is, at what point are people just going to get fed up and quit flying? Will it happen? If it does, will it be noticeable? I'm considering flying home for Christmas, but I'm hesitant to fly. It's a long flight to begin with, and I just don't want to deal with any "events."
I didn't want to leave her in a lurch, however, so I was there at the appointed arrival time. Amazingly enough, her flight was only about 15 minutes late and she was actually on it (which was even more amazing after I heard her story). Unfortunately, her luggage was not.
Sunday is an experienced traveler, however, so she had stuffed some extra clothes in her carryon (limited to one because she was flying British Airways). After an hour of waiting for her, convinced she missed a connection or something, she called. She had borrowed a phone from another woman whose luggage had been lost and they were standing in line waiting to fill out the forms to, hopefully, retrieve their luggage at a future date.
About an hour and a half after her flight landed, Sunday finally emerged, luggageless, and we were headed to my apartment. On the way, she relayed the story about how she ended up buying another ticket for the Boise to Seattle leg of her trip because the airline said she was supposed to have paper tickets (who gets paper tickets anymore?), but she never received them. Once in Seattle, she paid a fee (British Airways, luckily, didn't make her buy new tickets) and was on her way on the flight from Seattle to London.
My past several flights have involved some sort of drama. Missed a connection in Chicago and had to stay the night (at my expense). Pilot didn't show up in Colorado, forcing my flight to be late and I missed another connection. On our way back from San Francisco, the airline didn't assign Sunday a seat. When we got to the gate, they asked her to take another flight. Eventually, after a lot of discussion, she was given her seat, but it was touch and go for awhile.
My point is, at what point are people just going to get fed up and quit flying? Will it happen? If it does, will it be noticeable? I'm considering flying home for Christmas, but I'm hesitant to fly. It's a long flight to begin with, and I just don't want to deal with any "events."
Posted by
Bridget Lux
I've wanted to visit Europe ever since I saw the film "An American in Paris," and I continue to seek out Europe-based movies.
Movies have a greater power in our society these days than I think many of us realize. There are those films that are obviously produced for political purposes, such as “Sicko” or “Fahrenheit 9/11,” but for me, it was a film made for entertainment purposes that changed my life. “An American in Paris” features Gene Kelly and a very young Leslie Caron, but it was the setting that intrigued me. I fell in love with the little cafes and even the tiny apartments, the patisseries and cobble-stone streets.
That first viewing of “An American in Paris” was years ago, and since then, I’ve sought out films, along with books, based in Europe. When I told friends and family I was moving to Europe, at the time, I was planning to head to Italy. It wasn’t long after the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun” had come out, so many assumed that was my inspiration. Little did they know the seeds of this trip had been sown many, many years ago.
Even now that I live in France, I seek out movies set here. I’ve recently seen “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer,” which takes place in Paris and Grasse, among other French locations, I also watched “Ratatouille” and plan to rewatch “To Catch a Thief,” which actually takes place on the Riviera.
Movie going is much different in France, however. OK, so the biggest difference revolves around the lack of concessions. I feel very American when I say this, but popcorn, Junior Mints and other snacks are as much a part of going to the movies as the films themselves. Not so, here in France.
But that’s not the only difference. Since my French is not good enough for me to watch a movie in French, I go to the theaters that show films in their original version. The problem, however, is that I’m drawn to movies set in Europe and they often have portions in foreign languages. In the U.S., I imagine, those portions would contain subtitles. Not so, here. The English portions have French subtitles.
Last May, I watched “The Da Vinci Code” and yesterday I saw “2 Days in Paris.” Both films have large portions in French. Of course, both times, the people I was with spoke French, so they didn’t have any problem following the films. Another time, a friend and I went to “The Black Book,” which we thought was going to be in English, but turned out to be in Dutch with French subtitles! Ugh. Nearly three hours of concentrating incredibly hard on the subtitles gave me a huge headache. My friend, naturally, was Dutch.
So, while my movie going experiences here in France have been a little more challenging than I’d like, it is the differences of living in France that make it interesting and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
That first viewing of “An American in Paris” was years ago, and since then, I’ve sought out films, along with books, based in Europe. When I told friends and family I was moving to Europe, at the time, I was planning to head to Italy. It wasn’t long after the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun” had come out, so many assumed that was my inspiration. Little did they know the seeds of this trip had been sown many, many years ago.
Even now that I live in France, I seek out movies set here. I’ve recently seen “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer,” which takes place in Paris and Grasse, among other French locations, I also watched “Ratatouille” and plan to rewatch “To Catch a Thief,” which actually takes place on the Riviera.
Movie going is much different in France, however. OK, so the biggest difference revolves around the lack of concessions. I feel very American when I say this, but popcorn, Junior Mints and other snacks are as much a part of going to the movies as the films themselves. Not so, here in France.
But that’s not the only difference. Since my French is not good enough for me to watch a movie in French, I go to the theaters that show films in their original version. The problem, however, is that I’m drawn to movies set in Europe and they often have portions in foreign languages. In the U.S., I imagine, those portions would contain subtitles. Not so, here. The English portions have French subtitles.
Last May, I watched “The Da Vinci Code” and yesterday I saw “2 Days in Paris.” Both films have large portions in French. Of course, both times, the people I was with spoke French, so they didn’t have any problem following the films. Another time, a friend and I went to “The Black Book,” which we thought was going to be in English, but turned out to be in Dutch with French subtitles! Ugh. Nearly three hours of concentrating incredibly hard on the subtitles gave me a huge headache. My friend, naturally, was Dutch.
So, while my movie going experiences here in France have been a little more challenging than I’d like, it is the differences of living in France that make it interesting and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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