Paris without Parisians!

Okay, this post has absolutely nothing to do with Midland except for the sentence you are reading right now, and maybe one I toss in later: we did this trip on the cheap by using car rental points, airline miles and hotel "award" points to pay for it all. (We had some pretty big unplanned expenses a bit earlier in the year and I figured I'd cash in some of what I'd earned before the points became devalued further.)

But while composing the previous post a message came in from Accor Hotels, announcing various offers including one with the above title. If you don't know Accor, it's okay: it's a European chain that apparently bought Motel 6 (Tom Bodett?) not too long ago.

I only signed up for Accor's program in Paris in February -- Kathy was with me, since she has family roots in Paris and Parisian French is her other native language. (Never ask her a question when she's running numbers; she does that in French and it takes her a few seconds to switch.) Somehow I've already been elevated two status levels from Classic to Silver and now Gold.

But I found "Paris without Parisians" --from a European hotel chain-- so funny! (Think of "Midland without Midlanders"; Kathy will tell you you have nothing!)

She and I have yet to meet the infamous rude Parisian (and that includes me when I have been on my own). It's a lovely historic city, even in February. Learn a few words and phrases ("Lonely Planet" publishes excellent pocket guides -- I have a shelf full) and you're golden. And if not, you can point to the book!

Midlanders and Michiganders seem to get about quite a bit more than other Americans, so take this as a pointer. (Had I mentioned that waiting in line to ascend the Eiffel Tower on my first visit to Paris I learned that the couple in front of us lived only blocks from my house in MI just before we moved to Midland?)

Accor. I am almost ready to book a trip for a committee meeting in Switzerland in a month. It looks like Accor will get some of my business there. Unlike my preferred airline; it's going to be coach class and probably middle seat all the way. Oh well.

But maybe I'm just accumulating points we can use for the 50th Reunion.