Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Dommage

The visitor season has begun. And though it's not a long one this year, my visitors are arriving back to back. So in the few hours in between, I'm washing sheets, toilets and my hair (yes, in that order) and trying to put some order back into the refrigerator.

Last week, I picked up my friend Judy from the Marseille airport. I haven't been to Terminal One since last fall and this time I was greeted by a nasty surprise. Gone is the little coffee bistro where you could get yourself a tiny cup of coffee and perhaps a pastry. I don't even think they had sandwiches. Nonetheless, it was a typical cafe and well within the ambiance that should greet visitors as they arrive in France.

However, all that has changed. The bistro is gone and in its place they've built this.


And if you want a cup of coffee, you've now got this.


Both are a bad idea in my opinion and it never ceases to amaze me why nobody asks ME before they embark on projects such as this. This is like the 'malling of America' only worse.  C'est tellement dommage. It's really too bad.

My friend and business partner, Libby, is on the train from Paris as I write this and I'll be picking her up at the TGV station in a few hours. I know they've been doing some work on the interior. I hope I'm not going to be greeted with any more horrible surprises.

Have a great week,



Photobucket

12 comments:

  1. isn't this one of the joys of living outside of the USA? not having to see these places! i would be fuming! what, no pizza hut yet?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Welcome to France!
    Just like the airport here...American brands,nothing local to be seen...pshaw!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm not delighted to see Starbucks either. The last coffee I had there tasted like gnat's pee.

    That's quite a coup for Burger King though. They are just coming into the French market.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ye gods, how awful.
    These companies get everywhere. Nothing and nowhere is safe from them.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have been bitching about this and mourning the old coffee bar for months now! But you know what? That new place (no, I am not going to name it...) is usually empty and people are having their coffee at the new (French) sandwhich place where at least some of the employees of our beloved old coffee bar work.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It is pretty bad and it's happening everywhere!
    When I was in Paris now, I was surprised (shocked)at how much all these chains had proliferated all over the city since my last trip.
    Oh well...c'est la vie! And if these places didn't have a demand they would not "reproduce" this fast, so who is to blame?

    ReplyDelete
  7. These damm chains are in practically every UK high street peddling their horrible wares. So depressing. I always thought the French had more sense than to let these companies in.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh boy, Delana, your friends are arriving, that means good stories to follow cause I know you'll be getting into mischief. It is a shame when the worst parts of our homeland are exported to the Old World.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I find this so depressing. It seems like an airport should be showing local goods.

    ReplyDelete
  10. That is the most atrocious site I have seen. I thought that the French had more class than allowing a Burger King into their country. I actually was talking to a French journalist who said that Starbucks is not faring very well in France at all. I like it for the bathrooms and unlimited napkins-but it is sad to see all these US corps in France.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh no! My France (that I have yet to visit) is being North Americanized. That's terrible news :-(

    On the bright side: Great times and writing material coming up. Looking forward to reading about your adventures :-)

    ReplyDelete

Talk to me!