3rd part- 3ème partie - 3 teil...

  Thank God.......!   

Of course France and the French partake of breakfast as well....but....
*****
Natürlich - Die Franzosen nehmen das Frühstück zu Sich...........aber....
*****
Bien sur, les Français participerons au Petit Déjeuner, mais.....

 It's called "petit dejeuner" and is generally dreaded by Tourists who are not too happy to see the words "Continental Breakfast" on their Hotel plan!
They know this generally means something - very petite!
A piece of bread - maybe, a little portion of confiture - maybe, even a pat of butter - maybe, but definately an enormous bowl (generally a cup with no handle) of weakish, over milky coffee!
But....French breakfast can also be an event. Closely resembling the German version, without the savouries (wurst, cheese etc) the "petite déjeuner" tends to the sweet variety. Without doubt an energy booster for the morning, it's just that I personally am more into the savoury styles.

An occasional croissant or petit pain (sweetish style), sometimes Brioche, rarely "petit pain au chocolat" - all smeared with confiture or honey, sometimes unsalted butter, and then - HORROR of HORRORS - the whole lot is "dunked" into the milky coffee.
"Dunking" is the act of plunging   the article into the beverage (hopefully hot). This practice is generally frowned upon in other "more civilized" countries, it is considered "bad table manner" but in France, it is traditional!
Of course, for the non French, and therefore less skilfull "breakfasters" the practice inevitably leads to catastrophes, forcing one to search around in the dregs of the coffee - looking for the debris of the jam/butter/bread etc that has fallen into the cup. It's either that or one frantically tries to clean the mess from that pretty little holiday dress/skirt!
Either way, one looks around the room and can instantly tell WHO is French and WHO isn't!
And.....that "bol" (bowl in French) - Who the devil thought it up? It's got no handle, it hold about a litre of doubtful coffee, "enriched" with another half litre of "steamed, frothy milk" making it totally undrinkable. It isn't for drinking in the normal sense anyway, it's for DUNKING!  (being dunked!)
 A further critic I have is particularly at home. It has become the practice to warm up, in the microwave oven, the coffee remaining from YESTERDAY! How heathen, abominable and unworthy!

 In a country so famous for it's bread, whenever I see it at breakfast, or whenever I can ask for and get it at Breakfast time, I do so. Smeared with butter - salted preferably - NOT DUNKED, but crisply crunched, it's heaven. If I can get 2 or 3 little cups of "expresso" café, strong - no milk, NOT for dunking, my French breakfast is complete, and I'm ready to attack the

 "sightseeing" things!

Recent trends have permitted the French to add such strange things as "muffins" - even pancakes - to the menu early in the day, but the bol of milky coffee still remains! Try dunking a pancake, not easy, but they roll it up and it's a bit less messy than the other things!
All in all, "Petit Dejeuner" is NOT one of my preferred meals in France, but I can always console myself with the thought that lunchtime is never toofar away!
Thank God.......  something edible..

Bonne Appétit!