I’ve traveled a bit in my time (the image above is Sly and I standing below the Sacre Coeur in Paris, July 2014) and enjoyed my fair share of “continental breakfast” but I’m not sure I feel exactly the way this guy does.
However…
I must admit a certain excitement when I get the chance to partake of something that reminds me of my travels. Sometimes it’s something as simple as a continental breakfast which reminds me of my trip to Europe with Sly and the Bessons.
Sitting in the tiny dining area at the base of our small hotel(see below). Collecting the bits and pieces that go into the breakfast there: fresh croissant, yogurt, coffee, tea, real butter, muesli, fruit. Seriously good stuff and all of it, seemingly, fresh from a market. Surrounded by other travelers, some from within France, some from without. Yes, the portions are smaller than I’m used to but there’s probably a reason I come back from vacation in Europe 20 pounds lighter after a month!
With this bounty spread out before you, a sense of preparation for a day of exploration and excitement unfurls in your mind! What will the day hold? What new things will you see? What experiences will occupy your day? Will you get lost on the Metro? Will you find a neat little ‘hole in the wall’ restaurant serving traditional French fare at a reasonable cost? Will you walk among the locals without giving away your status as a traveler? So much potential for new adventure!
So I can really appreciate the joi de vie he expresses over something so simple as a free breakfast. There’s plenty of things that remind me of my travels and the continental breakfast at some chain hotel is actually one of them. The Shining twist at the end was something that my cinephile core can really appreciate.
The Hotel Modern, if you’re looking for a place to stay in the middle of Paris, was quite nice and is the memory I use when describing the breakfast above. Decent enough with some very nice people manning the desk. If you’re looking for a cheap two star in the middle of Montmarte you could do worse than book this hotel.
Hahahaha yeah I could imagine it being a bad experience but I’ve never been disappointed so far. Perhaps it’s just being in another country that makes it all the better?
Speaking of continental breakfasts, the first hotel your Dad and I stayed at in Athens while we waited for the return of our luggage (it had gone on to India) offered a free breakfast. They actually brought it to our room. It consisted of Greek coffee, (yuck) no cream, no sugar, and a crispy rusk with some butter and jam. I don’t drink Greek coffee so I gave mine to your Dad and spread butter and jam on my rusk. I took a bite out of it and a huge black beetle crawled out of the bitten end. YUCK!!! After that experience I became very suspicious of Continental Breakfasts.