I also found that any flight into CDG is much more expensive than others. I actually flew into AMS. I got direct flights both ways, and it was about $300 cheaper than CDG.
http://www.raileurope.com/us/index.htm is the rail schedule.
The TGV. Love it. Use it. Have railpass, will travel.
I would not be surprised if we join EMU pretty soon.
And oh, Sparculees, Norway and Sweden split the union in 1905.
Hmmm…I would advise you to check www.sncf.com (the french railway company website) instead of Raileurope. If only because Raileurope add a major fee to the price of the tickets it sells (30% or so).
Also, buying a pass, though convenient, doesn’t seem to be a cheaper alternative in many cases (you have to travel a lot on long distances for it to be cheaper than buying point-to-point tickets)
Thanks for the correction Floater… the current constitution was however ratified at the Folketing of 1909…but that’s academic.
The country existed for the first time in 05. You’re right.
Yeah I hope that you do join us soon. If it wasn’t for the fact that I still have familly up there and do the occasional business with the ‘old country’, I’d be more than glad to let you wallow around in the backwaters of history…I even win a little on the exchange usually…but it hurts my wallet and even if I am about as Swedish as our Queen, being a passport carrying citizen subjects me to frequent requests to justify this foolishness of staying with the krona.
The sad thing is that it works - an American friend of mine worked in Belgium, and her job often took her to France. At the border she would invariably be selected to have her car searched by the French border guards. Until one day she replaced her US Flag (patriotic soul that she was) bumper sticker with a Maple Leaf (as an experiment, she said) - voila instant invisiblity!! For the rest of her contract/stay, she was a “demiCanadian”.
Errr, guys, you know you are all being very nice and liberal and hospitable with Ummm… yeah but on another messageboard on this site he is posting messages about how wonderful it is that the Bible prophecies about the end of the world are being fulfilled, including his joy at all the deaths in the Middle East (not that he likes death of course, but they are a ‘sign’ of Christ’s coming, for muck’s sake). He is is fact precisely ’ fanatical about the death penalty/guns/bombing muslim civilians/consuming too much gas/creationism etc etc.’ so hopefully he’ll have a REALLY REALLY BAD TIME here!!! And if he would give me his address in Paris I’d be happy to come round and shout at him myself! He’s a Christian fundamentalist and he’s on his way to Paris??? As a what? Misssionary? Agent?? Give all the niceness a break, guys. Europeand are cynical?? Not enough so, it seems…
astorian, I was kidding with the “jingoistic Canadians” business, though from the responses (or lack thereof), it apparently wasn’t funny. :o
I already knew his/her views from this thread. I disagree with them, but that’s no reason not to be nice and liberal to him/her in the context of this question.
The ‘Canadian Flag Syndrome’ with the French border patrol can be attributed to two things I think.
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The French still pretty much consider Canada the unfortunate extension of a French colony called Quebec…hence no boarder controls.
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A car with European license plates (especially Belgian) and a US flag as bumper sticker… bad idea! This doesn’t make you look American; it makes you look like European white trash. Which in head of boarder patrolman equates with no money, which obviously always equates with smuggling, (how else do poor people earn their living).
BTW I am making this up as I go along…I know that Canadians have an easier time getting fair treatment than people of the US off the continent. It is however true that some people of lesser education in Europe used to display the US flag much the same way some people do the Confederate in the States. This practice is thankfully on the decline and 9/11 saw an increase in display of the Stars and Stripes out of sympathy, which was much more benign.
On a side note: As an avid enthusiast of heraldry and fascinated by the idea of nations…it is sad that such a cool thing as flag display is so intertwined with the ugly face of xenophobia.
Might I ask you all something else… why flags at all when abroad?
I mean hell! I have traveled the world (including lands hostile to the US) while speaking an as American as they come American English and it was enough that I said that I wasn’t American to cool people off if they were hostile (if you are; just lie and say you’re English or Canadian).
Wearing flags in a foreign land is a little weird I think. I understand it, but still. My parents haven’t lived in Sweden for 36 years, in Sweden flag toting has been more or less taboo ever since WW II… however, my folks and all their other ex-patriot friends all have little cute Blue and Yellows (the flag) standing around in kitchens, hanging from golf bags and smacked on bumpers and what-not. I guess it gives them a sense of security and belonging. In the same time it immediately puts you apart and for patriots in their own country getting a visitors same feelings for another place in your face might even come across as offensive.
Think about it, even Americans find the Canadian practice to have flags on every possible travel gear quaint and weird. In Europe our friends from Norway are laughed at behind their backs for the same practice. Now both claim the same reason, to set them apart from their brethren so that nobody thinks them Hoosers are ‘American’ and those Wool-sweaters German or even God forbid, Swedish!
Nah… I say only; leave the flags at home, both your own or those of neighboring countries and once again follow Cervantes advice…‘When in Rome…’.
:mad: Glad to see that you are so eager to stereotype me. How dare you say that I am full of “joy at all the deaths in the middle east”. I never said anything of the sort and I challenge you to find a post where I did say that. The tragedies in the middle east are horrible and I would NEVER condone them. Furthermore, don’t ever assume things about me that aren’t true! I am very much against the death penalty and I am also against Bush’s stance on the environment. You were way out of line in this post and I will accept but not expect an apology.
Yes I am a Christian. Yes I do believe in biblical prophecy. The great thing about this message board is that we can all debate and disagree on issues but still be civil. This thread is about european and US relations. If you want to make it personal, take it to the pit.
Wait I’m not done yet. I will have you know that I am also for gun control. I had a good friend that was shot to death and I’ll take all the guns off the street that I can.
I don’t agree with the bombing of innocent civilians any more than I do crazy dinks that fly planes into buildings. I think you’ll notice in my threads that I always try to respect others opinions. You can see this yourself in the thread JJim referenced. The fact is, my religious views have nothing to do with the context of this conversation and for you to bring them up and make stupid stereotypes about me is rude and offensive. You want to challenge my “fundamental” beliefs do it somewhere else.
Well if Razor’s right, the joke is on Ummm… yeah.
First of all the world will not end. The King will not come and there will be no Apocalypse…at least I am fairly certain of that, and all the fellers that predicted it hence far got egg on their face.
And as Razor put it… what on Earth will you do in Paris Ummm… yeah? You might as well be Jew that moves to Baghdad. It’s going to be living hell for you over there! For Jesus H. Christ’s sake! It’s the City of Lights, the Chief Den of Sin, the Throne of Hedonism and to boot they’re catholic socialists…they hate eschatology…well most don’t care cause they’re too busy sinning… take my advice: stay away or be very, very, very quiet about your beliefs if you must go there!
But you see they do I am afraid. This is the whole basis of the issue. From a historical perspective as well as a current one. The American colonies were founded partly as a result of religious conflict between the fundamentalist protestants and the more liberal ones.
The protestant catholic strife in Europe is at the heart or maybe the result of (hen and egg) more than 500 years of warfare. Europe doesn’t want any of that any more! Anyone who comes across as mixing politics and religion is viewed not only sceptically but with hostility…whatever their creed is.
Moreover, the further North you go In Europe the more like America it is and the more acceptance you will find as an American. Funny coincidence is it then not that the further North you venture the more protestant and fundamentalist the land. Sweden even has its own bible belt.
Fundamentalism and bible true interpretations of history is specifically the one biggest cultural issue that Europeans in general have with America.
It is also at the heart of some of the more secular differences, such as abortion and the death penalty (an eye for an eye and what-not).
Now Gun Control and all that must be seen out of another historical perspective… the right to bear arms back in the late 18th century was restricted to the upper classes in Europe. In a time of great turmoil this left the masses unable to defend themselves. When we split our legislations and the social revolutions took off on both sides of the big lake we choose the complete opposite ways of dealing with it.
The founding fathers made it an inalienable right for all while the successors of the Jacobines in Europe made it the right of the state only. It still has to with protestantism though…good, nice and healthy aspects like equality of all peoples (as long as they embrace God and the second coming…OK OK I am being provocative). So there you go even social differences can be linked to the religious differences.
Maybe this is all good practice for when I do move. So thanks I guess. Honestly, what I am doing in Paris would be considered “missionary” work. Am I going to be bible-banging in town square? No. Will I be telling people how they will go to hell for not believing? No. Will I be preaching the apocolypse? No. Will I be going to school? Yes. Will I be making some international friends? Hopefully. Will I force my opinions and beliefs on others? No. Will I stand for what I believe in and let others decide for themselves? Without question.
If Paris is a “den of sin” and the “throne of Hedonism”, where else would I go? Look at it from a Christian standpoint. If I had this great news that I thought could change lives, wouldn’t I want to go to the most adverse, non-receptive place as possible. But this is all getting off the point. The way I see it, this thread has nothing to do with my belief system. I started this thread because I want to respect the Parisian people and the French culture. I was looking for tips and suggestions for how to do that. And if people like Razor can’t get passed that then whose the one being narrow-minded?
Well I always admired that about you guys with Christian conviction, there’s a certain spirit to doing things the hardest possible way! In all cases you’re in good company, many a man and woman has tried to save the Parisians before you, thus far with little impact - but who knows? I wish you the best of luck even if I’d hate to see you succeed…I like Paris to be for ever the City of Lights and as sinful as Gomorrah (these days it’s even not sinful enough in my view).
I take it we are going to bible school and that we will be in the company of likeminded (there are astonishingly enough quite a few in France as well). If so, you’ll be all right. You won’t see Paris from its best side, but you would probably not enjoy that anyway, and you’ll make some friends and get at least a whif of the most fascinating city in Europe.
Gee wiz though… protestant missionaries in Paris… what has the world come to?
Um, what? Scandinavia and Holland are pretty much the most secular countries in the world.
Atheists outnumber christians here – I don’t think there’s ANY place in Sweden even coming close to the bible belt.
I’d say that Jönköping with environment comes pretty close and Evangeliska Fosterlandsstiftelsen are very stron in the Skellefteå area.
No on the private school thing. I am planning on taking a few classes at a public university. I would like to really learn French history and language. Like I said, I am not going to be approacing people and confronting them on their “sin”. I mean, we ALL have sin and I am no better than anybody else. I have no dillusions about converting the entire city of Paris. My philosophy is this: Live your life as an example to others. If they like what they see then great, you have an opportunity to share your faith. If they think that your a right-wing wacko, oh-well. This may sound weird but I have a real heart and passion for the Parisian people, though I have never lived there. I am just excited to take in the culture and do what I believe a higher power has called me to. Geez, I wasn’t expecting to get into this! And thank you Sparculees for your great insight!
Yeah, you’re right they are! Followed pretty closely by the US of A. The fact remains that these three cultures are based on a long standing protestant tradition. To boot it’s the extreme views that people see best from the outside.
I take it you are Swedish… ‘Bibel Baeltet’ (i never remember how to do the umlaut in HTML) would be the area tha stretches east west around Jonkoping in Smaland. More than 50% of the population down there give their creed as ‘fri kyrklig’ best translated as independent protestant, read fundamentalist. You remeber KDS? The christian fundamentalist poilitical party that is no more, after it was found out that Alf Svensson preacher and party chairman was a full blown adulterer and a filanderer of the first water. Were do you think they came from?