Enemy Territory

For the past 10 weeks, anything I have heard about London and have found to be false I have blamed on the French. It seems fitting since the British could not consider any society lower on the totem pole of cultures.

           

“British food is ordinary and bland.”	the Michelin-star-giving French
“It always rainy in London.”	Until 3 weeks ago, the French
“London’s public transportation is filthy.”	The French Actually, this might be truth or at least half-truth.
“The British have no sense of style.”	A blind Frenchmen (Have you not seen the sweater vests – particularly on the small British children?!?!?)

Why, you might ask, has this animosity formed? Well, the Battle of Dunkirk, William Blake & God is an Englishmen, the Grand Tour, Victor Hugo’s visit to England, Sarkozy & the 2012 Olympic Bid….and so much more.

A few weeks ago when reading the Evening Standard (one of the FREE newspapers given out every evening), there was an opinion piece about why England was the ideal home and why it will make a great venue for the Olympics. The author, a Brit, cited the single-best characteristic of England was that it was not France. Hold the phone, yes. This was printed by a respected newspaper.

So, it seems fitting that tomorrow morning, I will leave the safety of my London home for enemy ground – Paris. Let’s hope it goes better than the English say it will!

5 days until the Motherland [Kentucky] and the Mother!