"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:12:27 +0000 (UTC), Erilar
wrote:

Martin wrote:
On Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:19:53 +0200, "Tim C."
wrote:

On Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:01:12 +0000 (UTC), Erilar wrote in post :
:

So the local French agency provided poor bread. That doesn't mean
that
the French don't have good bread.

They wanted us to be so unhappy with France that we'd stay away
forever
after???

Probably.

Do you think it was personal?

Inasmuch as I was fairly anonymous in a group of Americans, and there were
some other goodies like downgrading our first accomodations from a hotel
on
the beach to a B&B across town from it and the planned activities, I think
it was more likely the nationality. 8-)

Your nationality?

They must have been picking on you, because I have always eaten well,
often too well, in France, even in a FF6/night for half board Paris
hostel. I don't recall any French person being rude to me. A customs
official in New York was once very rude to me, despite my diplomatic
visa, but I never considered him as being typical. I've avoided
mentioning American bread.

I have met people who were on Elderhostel trips several times in the USA and
everyone spoke well of Elderhostel. Presumably they outsource their trips
outside the USA and I do hope that Erilar made a very strong complaint upon
her return to the USA. My visits to France have been far fewer than those of
Martin and, in general, I have found the natives to be polite. Perhaps less
so in Paris, but that is true of almost any Capital City. And over the past
few years I have found a great improvement in the quality of American bread.
But no-one in that Country seems able to make an edible croissant!
--
JohnT