I'm baaaaaack

Just got home. My Air France flight was, as usual, great. Delicious food, and great service, even in economy. I vowed years ago to never fly a US carrier abroad ever again until they clean their act up, and I'm doing all I can to stick to that promise. They stink. I had the misfortune of flying Delta, business class no less, my last flight back from France a few months ago. What an atrocious experience - disgusting food, I couldn't even finish the pasta surprise they gave us, downright rude flight attendants, and more. And this was business class (paid for by a client). US carriers think you're doing them a favor by crowding into their cramped, obnoxious airlines - well, guess what, that favor is over. Perhaps it's time a few carriers finally moved on to greener pastures. And in the meantime, there's always Air France.

Speaking of nice French people, it's actually amazing to me how NICE the French were over this entire trip. From salespeople, to strangers in stores, to the security people at the airport, they were a hell of a lot nicer than Washingtonians. Yes, it helps if you speak French, but some of my friends don't speak French and with a smile and a "pardon" they were given the red carpet treatment.

I also found out from US Customs an hour ago, just FYI, that you CAN bring back fresh croissants and baguettes from France without a problem. While baguettes get stale pretty quick, next time I am SO bringing a box of pain au chocolat aux amandes!

Ok, more unpacking to do. I'll check back in a bit.