On 7/6/2015 3:15 PM, Bob W-PDML wrote:
I think the golden arches were inspired by two boys in a pissing contest...
I've only eaten at McD 3 times in my life (and that's two times more than I
wanted) but they are handy for toilets sometimes, and in both Russia and
Romania I was told that they did an enormous amount to raise standards of
service and hygiene there.
You should be able to get an Americano in Paris, even in places like Deux
Magots. They're called Americano precisely because Americans can't drink
espresso, so they added hot water to it.
It wasn't that Americans can't drink espresso, it's that Americans
didn't like to drink espresso, there's a world of difference between
those statements. Espresso tastes like old fashioned camp coffee, if
you're not accustomed to it. Why the hell would anyone want to drink
that if they had a choice? Espresso was first brewed around 1900 and
the Americans who first tasted it were probably WWI soldiers during and
after that war, who had probably had their fill of camp coffee.
As for the toilets, well when I was there recently I was bemoaning the fact
that that type of toilet has all but disappeared from French bars and
brasseries, although there are still some in the vespasiennes of the Midi. They
were very common when I first started visiting France in the 70s - I never
understood them, but it's all part of the texture and stopped the world being a
bland homogenised bleh. Since travelling in the 3rd world I do understand them
now, and they are much healthier than the western ones and, on Indian trains at
least, much cleaner. You have to unlearn your western habits though.
B
On 6 Jul 2015, at 14:17, Daniel J. Matyola <danmaty...@gmail.com> wrote:
Thanks, Rick and Alan.
What interested me was the McDonald's logo. Wherever I travel, I am
unable to escape their evil influence. OTOH, I always advise
travelers to look for the McDonald's when they first arrive in a
strange city. Without fail, it is located in the middle of the major
attractions, and it is a reliable source for clean, warm and free
toilet facilities, as well as large doses of decent, if not excellent,
coffee. In Paris, my wife and I had lunch at a famous left bank cafe.
They featured 20 varieties of ham and cheese sandwiches and 2 ounce
servings of coffee. When we asked about the rest rooms, we discovered
there was only one, in the basement, with only a porcelain ring on the
floor. We quickly fled to McDonald's, with its very comfortable
bathrooms and 20 ounce cups of hot black coffee.
Shortly after arriving in Beijing, we took a stroll around the
neighborhood while waiting for our room to be ready. We walked to the
main Beijing train station, which was an overwhelming experience. O,
the humanity! <G> We were the only westerners in sight. We then
crossed the main road to a large shopping center. In contrast to
Tokyo (or even Kyoto) there was no written or spoken English anywhere.
The only Latin letters in sight were on one sign outside a restaurant:
KFC." Nothing else in English, just the three letters. Nearby was
another restaurant bearing the "roof" log of Pizza Hut, but not even
the name of the franchise was in English. It was a most informative
and educational 90 minutes indeed.
In any event, that is why the golden arches caught my eye on this vehicle.
Dan Matyola
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/danieljmatyola
On Mon, Jul 6, 2015 at 12:26 AM, Alan C <c...@lantic.net> wrote:
Imagine trying to pedal that thing uphill with 4 large passengers!
Alan C
-----Original Message----- From: Daniel J. Matyola
Sent: Sunday, July 05, 2015 10:42 PM
To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List
Subject: PESO: Rapid Transit
http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=18048442&size=lg
Pedicabs outside the Summer Palace in Beijing
Comments are invited.
Dan Matyola
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/danieljmatyola
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