Let me begin this post by saying I am by no means a huge fan of McDonald's in the U.S. In fact, when our German exchange student lived with us, the only time she went to McDonald's was when my sister came to stay with us and she took her. I would say I can't remember the last time I even ate at the golden arches...until now.
Switzerland does NOT have ANY fast food restaurants except for McDonald's. It is the only fast-food joint in the country...seriously. To attain that honor, McDonald's is held to some pretty high standards. It is a completely different eating experience compared to it's U.S. franchise. Why, you ask? It is what you are eating. You can eat anything on the menu with confidence, knowing that it is "Swiss approved" without additives or fillers. The beef is all Swiss beef (which is grass fed with cute little bells around their necks). The french fries are all Swiss potatoes (and the only "French" thing the Swiss like to eat..although not really French). The buns are all made in Switzerland as well. Get the point? So, we have visited the golden arches twice now. The second day we were here we each got a 2.50CHF child-size cheese burger...and that was it (because, at the august dollar drop, it was almost $20!). The second time, we used our Swiss Fracs, so it wasn't as financially painful...we added one order of large french fries. They were, I will admit, delicious!
I hope you can read the pricing...11.50CHF ($12.60USD!!!) for a BIG MAC!
Shawn was out of town and we were craving a little night life...since EVERYTHING CLOSES AT 7PM (all shops, stores, etc.), we were happy to see the golden arches of McDonald's still lit up downtown! U.S. convenience and service. We feasted on our little cheeseburgers and split large order of fries.
I've felt compelled to stop in to McDonald's in Paris, London, Seoul, Beijing & Venice--- just to see the slightly varied 'take' on the menu. Don't remember doing it in Lausanne, but not saying it didn't happen. I was at Henry's market the other day and was getting dried nuts, etc... from bins to make trail mix when I noticed "Refried Beans" (dehydrated) that you could add water to and have refried beans. I considered your plight for mexican food and thought perhaps I could ship you some --- but I wondered: Is that too much like eating your canned food storage? Would your kids eat it? So I bought some to make and see if they passed a LaFleur test first. I'll let you know! Anxious to hear how a make shift Swiss Thanksgiving is for you--- as the Swiss won't appreciate a good ol' American Pilgrims & Indians story! You also need to write us about how your household shopping minus big Supermarkets, Costco & Target! How frequently? Cost? How do you get it home? Your readers MUST know! ;-P -Kimber
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