Top 5 Things I Love That Are French

As always, go over to Kate's and Tiff's blogs to see their Top 10's (or Top 5) for the week and if you want to join in, just let Kate know and sorry for the late post, I almost forgot!

Back in the day (in a galaxy far, far away), the only foreign language choice we available in school was French. I had three years in high school and then another two in college (before I quit). Granted, I still can't speak a lick of it to this very day, but I can watch a French film without reading the subtitles, so it wasn't all wasted education. Other than a very unhealthy obsession with Notre Dame when I was younger (I'm WAY older than the Disney Hunchback, so it couldn't have been that), I don't really have any access to French things nowadays unless it's Disney-related, so forgive me if the skew here tends towards la maison de la souris (I'm not even sure if that's correct, but it's what came to me when I thought of "house of mouse").

#1: DISNEYLAND PARIS
Never been there, but the desire to go is always there. Now that I've been to Disneyland in California, Paris is my next check-box for Disney park variation destination other than Disney World (which will ALWAYS have priority). Kate's been there a couple of times and she loved it, so I probably will too!

#2: MACARONS
Since I really have no other frame of reference, of course I'm talking about the French macarons you get in Disney World (ignore the beignet, that was my sister's).

And my absolute favorite, the Mickey ones (although we didn't see these this past trip):

#3: CHEFS DE FRANCE
Located in Epcot's World Showcase in the France Pavilion, we had never eaten here because of my innate fear of "different" places. Besides, when I think of French food (well, other than desserts and beverages), I think of snails and raw fish eggs and other equally disgusting things. But to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how good the food was here could quite possibly be the understatement of the year! We LOVED it! Since I haven't touched our trip pictures yet (let alone done my reviews), here's just a little preview of my entree, Gratin de macaroni:

#4: NOTRE DAME
I'm not sure whether it was my art background or my obsession with Gothic architecture, but Notre Dame has always been a fascination of mine (well, OK, obsession, but that's neither here nor there). I wrote numerous papers on it in college (for both French and Art History class) and was probably well on my way to becoming an expert until my collegiate fall from grace. I'm not big on stock photos and since I've never been there, guess I won't be able to post a picture, but you guys have probably seen a picture before, right?

#5: LES HALLES BOULANGERIE PATISSERIE
I live in bum-fudge Arkansas, so the closest we have to French pastries is the bakery section in Wal-Mart, but I like to imagine I'm in France when sitting in Les Halles in the French Pavilion at Epcot (that is when we can find a seat). It's so much nicer than it used to be and the food selections have probably doubled from it's old location, I just wish the Disney Cast Members (the name for Disney employees) were nicer in this pavilion. It's probably one of the worst when it comes to CM's.