Kitcatt Nohr Digitas

Only the French could do this…

Only the French would do this…

Nipping over to Paris for the weekend, courtesy of a very generous birthday present from our daughter and son-in-law, our package puts us in Standard Premier on the Eurostar.

Next to us, as we bowl along at 180mph, a smart businessman is looking slightly out of sorts. Two stewardesses come along and it appears that he usually travels first class but due to some mix-up he and his soignée companionne are slumming it with us. I have to say that Standard Premier looks pretty much like First Great Western First Class to me, based on what I see of the latter when foraging the carriages at Paddington for a discarded newspaper to read on my long commute home.

But on the Eurostar there is talk of food and the staff explain that we will be served a light cold lunch. Monsieur waves a Paul bag with some poufing and there is further discussion and much debate about who was the most dérangé. The stewardesses promise to return.

Ten minutes pass and they are back, remove his bag, then five minutes later his Paul-bought quiche returns, réchauffé, on proper crockery, with proper cutlery.

Only the French would ask like that. Only the French would respond like that.

The Americans would probably make a fuss too, and American staff would probably respond. But it would all be a lot noisier and brisker on both sides, rather than a sympathetic five minute intercourse based on a mutual understanding of the importance of a proper hot lunch.

Result: one happy regular Eurostar customer.

P.S. Yes, they happily accepted the cold lunch too and left half of that and their quiche.