Travel in Europe - Paris 信步巴黎 - 8

You can eat yourself silly in Paris. This is a nation that has raised food to an art form. Experiment, think of it as sightseeing for your taste buds¹. Tonight we are having boeuf bourguignon, regular pork and I'm having best styled chicken in a restaurant that's very popular with the locals and much like restaurants were in turn-of-the-century Paris.

Can you imagine living here in Paris with all these restaurants?...
That would be nice.
That would be great.

Each region in France has its food specialties², but Paris is its wine and cuisine³ melting pot. Lacking a distinctive⁴ style of its own, it draws from all the French provinces. You'll find restaurants with price ranges similar to those at home. Starting with the simple and inexpensive and moving up to the astronomical⁵, I find the famous places are often overpriced, overcrowded and overrated. I head for a good neighborhood and wander. We'll follow up a local recommendation⁶. Once you find a place, here are a few things to remember. In France, if you ask for a menu, you'll get a meal, La carte is the best of what's cooking. The waitress knows the food, I usually ask her advice. Fast service is poor service, it's assumed your dining experience is the event of the evening. And finally tips are usually included in the price. Your menu will say, service compris.

For dessert, it's crepes at Montmartre. This is a fun, but touristy place to bid goodbye to Paris. This was the haunt⁷ of Toulouse-Lautrec and it brings to mind those romantic, Bohemian images that are so Parisian to most of us.

Thank you very much.

For dessert, it's crepes at Montmartre.

From jugglers clubs to jazz clubs, Montmartre is a knockout after dark.

Before we leave Paris, I have a final thought about the French. Some of you may have heard that the French are mean and cold, refuse to speak English. It's not true. With the right approach, the French are as likable as the rest of Europe. They do take pride in their culture and place importance on a kind of sophisticated⁸ politeness rather than that smiley face have-a-nice-day style many of us are used to. So doggedly looking for friendliness and giving them the benefit of the doubt, I enjoy the people of Paris

1 buds   

芽( bud的名词复数 )； 苞； 半开的花； 未长大的叶

参考例句：

• the first buds appearing in spring 春天的初芽
• Willow trees breaking out into buds foretell the coming of spring. 柳枝绽青报春来。

2 specialties   

n.专门，特性，特别；专业( specialty的名词复数 )；特性；特制品；盖印的契约

参考例句：

• Great Books are popular, not pedantic. They are not written by specialists about specialties for specialists. 名著绝不引经据典，艰深难懂，而是通俗易读。它们不是专家为专业人员撰写的专业书籍。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• Brain drains may represent a substantial reduction in some labor force skills and specialties. 智力外流可能表示某种劳动力技能和特长大量减少。 来自辞典例句

3 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。

4 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

5 astronomical   

adj.天文学的，（数字）极大的

参考例句：

• He was an expert on ancient Chinese astronomical literature.他是研究中国古代天文学文献的专家。
• Houses in the village are selling for astronomical prices.乡村的房价正在飙升。

6 recommendation   

n.推荐（信）建议，优点，长处

参考例句：

• I wrote him a good recommendation.我为他写了一封很好的推荐信。
• This method deserves recommendation.这种做法值得提倡。

7 haunt   

vt.常出没于，使苦恼，萦绕；n.常去的地方

参考例句：

• The area was a haunt of criminals.这个地区是罪犯经常出没的地方。
• The college library is a favorite haunt.大学图书馆是人们喜欢的地方。

8 sophisticated   

adj.老练的，精密的，尖端的，高雅的

参考例句：

• She has become very sophisticated since she went to live in London.移居伦敦后她变得世故多了。
• This is a very sophisticated machine.这是一台非常精密的机器。