Tuesday, October 5, 2010

McDo


After a Paris weekend filled with culture, I decided to enjoy the beautiful weather we were blessed with that weekend, and stroll along the Seine River. It was almost too pretty to be inside that day, even though, as I've posted preciously, what I was seeing inside the typically closed buildings was incredibly beautiful.



I walked across the Alexander Bridge,



passed by the Petit Palais,



and then hopped on the metro to go and see the new phenomenal Apple store



in the Carrousel du Louvre, an underground section of the Louvre with shops and a food court.



Having worked up a thirst from all the walking, I headed to the dining area of the Carrousel, where I found the recently opened McCafé,



or "McDo" as the French call it. I remembered there had been quite an uproar over the insertion of McDo into the underground area attached to the Louvre, but 



I was unprepared to see the view afforded those dining in style. While enjoying your Big Mac, you have the view of the remains of the original fortress built by Philip II in the 12th century, the earliest foundations of what is known today as the Louvre.

Interestingly enough, this cafe marks the 30th anniversary of the first McDonald's in France. With restaurants numbering almost 1150, the French market is the biggest market outside of the US.



I found some of their new technology to be fascinating. You can step up to this kiosk, place your order on the screen, pay with a credit card, and then,



Voilà, you pick up your order at the EasyOrder counter. How cool is that?



And what's a French McDonald's without fancy pastries,



and an assortment of those ubiquitous French macarons,



offered for your take-out pleasure?



You may think it's sacrilege to stop at a McCafé while in the gourmet capital of the world, but when you want a cold, icy Coke and a bathroom in a pinch, McDo's is my kind of place!


As they say in France...C'est tout ce que j'aime--

I'm lovin' it!

10 comments:

  1. So so true! McDo's has been our traveling saving grace for your exact same reasons. How were the macarons, Iwonder? I finished reading the Julia Stuart book you are now reading. I would love to work with a Valerie Jennings and so enjoyed the quirky, lovely and whimsical book. I got a tickle out of the fact that the "salt tower" where Balthazar and Hebe are supposed to live was the tower I tried to sneak into on our last vist (Aug 2009). I mortified the girls with my bold curiousity....but alas it was locked...now I know possibly why, if it is actually a residence and now I know I am one of those aggressive pestering tourists that the Warders must loathe...ah well.

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  2. This post made me laugh out loud...because it seems to be the same all over the world: if you're desperate for the loo, Mc Do's always the best option - I wonder if they're aware of that... Lovely photos - including the Mc Donald ones :-) Hope you have a good week, Love from London x

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  3. Hi Debi~ what a lovely day and walking across the Pont Alexandre is always special. The McDo's looks nice and clean~ I would definitely use it for a drink and toilet stop.
    and maybe even one of those delish pastries.
    ~Dianne~

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  4. gotta' love mcd's, i mean mcdo's! never could
    imagine one in paris!

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  5. Do they include macarons in their Happy Meals? :)

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  6. Oh, how gorgeous. Mc Donald's in Paris, well now they are everywhere! When I was vacationing in London we went to Victoria Station to catch a train to Windsor to visit with a close friend who lives there. When I saw the trains to Paris, I was so tempted to change my plans.

    What a lovely time you must have had.
    Karen

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  7. Hello Debi .. Thank you for your wonderful comment on my blog just now .. wow that was quick off the mark .. :-) It is a beautiful area, and these photos are just the beginning. I have been back a while but had to get back into work , was busy, then edit photos etc. More to come.

    Thank you also for sharing these fab photos of Paris. I know of two friends going this weekend .. One is there already .. just arrived and the other is going tomorrow. :-) :-) I miss it and my friends , I have quite a few good friends there now, who I meet up with.

    Take care Anne

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  8. Girlfriend, you sure get around! I've enjoyed your museum posts of your latest trip to Paris but have to confess I enjoyed this one the most. Apple stores ... McDo's ... my kind of place!
    Two more reasons for me to make my first trip to Paris ... hah!

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  9. Oh, Debi, I just love your take on these wonderful capitol cities, from the sublime to the outrageous and back again to the sublime. Loved seeing the Apple Store and the crash course in "McDo". Too much! I don't even go to them here so I don't think I would there, but an emergency loo stop, maybe so. And macarons? Unbelievable. Thank you so much for yet another treat. – g

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