Most beautiful drives in Europe

Nice article with photos from Yahoo travel. Not sure that I agree with the rankings but certain agree that drives along Amalfi Coast in Italy and the three Corniche roads in southern France must be included. It is hard to pick the best drives because there are so many that are beautiful, but list is a good starting point: http://travel.yahoo.com/ideas/europe-s-10-prettiest-drives.html;_ylt=An137IpRJ5frxQwPdrndKAPc6cB_;_ylu=X3oDMTIwM2czczls

Can ancient vines be a national treasure? The French say oui!

Can't imagine that a cow or a vine would be declared a national treasure in the US, but in France, their heritage is so important, especially these ancient vines which are the only original ones left in France after a blight destroyed so many. http://www.vancouversun.com/life/French+classify+ancient+vines+national+treasure/6843474/story.html

Cancer treatment in France

Definitely not like the USA, coordinated care, less stressful, more comprehensive, and not having to pay because you have paid into the system via taxes. Note, in the article, France is number one for industrialized countries, US is last. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92362918

Weight Loss in France - Jenny Craig et al

Sorry haven't posted for a little while due to illness but I'm back. It's nice to know that even French women do worry about their weight. So, it's interesting to find that Jenny Craig is making some significant inroads in France along with Weight Watchers which has about 1500 meetings per week. Naturally, to make it in France, Jenny Craig has had to up its game and improve its food, making it more palatable for the picky eaters in France. Bon Appetit: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/10/magazine/can-jenny-craig-conquer-france.html?pagewanted=all

School buses in France

Driving my son to school this morning it was as if I was seeing a swarm of bumble bees flitting around on their daily rounds, with great purpose, as I maneuvered through the big yellow school buses traversing their routes and the traffic to find their way to the schools. Naturally, it made me consider whether the French engage in such organized chaos, and so comes this post with the link to an article about just this, who gets a bus, until what age etc.: http://www.french-property.com/guides/france/public-services/school-education/operation/school-transport/ But the article does not say whether the buses are yellow. Interesting question - what is the origin of the yellow school buses in the US? Any comments?

Food Trucks in Paris - a la New York

A new food trend in Paris actually imported from the US and described in this article from the NY Times, who knew Brooklyn would become so chic - as you will see in the article, "tres Brooklyn" has become a new term for hot imports from NY: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/04/world/europe/food-trucks-add-american-flavor-to-paris.html