We have now visited several French businesses and given one presentation to our host Emmanuel's Rotary group. The first business we visited was a bottle distribution center that uses a unique and innovative approach to organization and distribution. The genius behind the system has even presented his theories to Jacques Chirac and was featured in this week's newspaper! He graciously took time out of his day to show us all around the plant and describe what each feature was for. They distribute bottles of every shape and size around France. Most of the bottles are for the 5,000 wineries of Bordeaux, but some were for yogurt, whiskey, juice etc. We learned the bottles can only be stored for a short time before they are considered contaminated, so there is a complex system to ensure the turn around is very quick for each pallet.
Next, we visited the headquarters of Pernod, the manufacturer of several French alcohols http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pernod, including Angela's favorite, Patis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastis, which is an anise liqueur. They explained their marketing strategies to us and took us to their lounge at the top of a newer Bordeaux building with 360 degree views of the surrounding rooftops. We enjoyed getting to try a little local "flavor" while taking in the tour and views.
We have also been enjoying our host families very much. They have been incredibly gracious, from hand squeezing oranges for our breakfast, to including us in their family activities and outings. The home stays have greatly enhanced our experience here, and offer a special view into French family life.
Our third business excurion especially appealed to Charity, because it was to an insurance office. Charity works at Group Health, which offers both medical care and insurance, so Emmanuel arranged for us to interview some men in the insurance business here. We discussed the differences beween the French system of insuring health coverage, mortgages, autos, etc. and that of the US systems. It seems in France the health insurance serves to fill the gap between private and public coverage. Also, there are no foreclosures in France; if someone defaults on their mortgage the insurance picks up the tab and the homeowner keeps the house. We found the differences fascinating and the visit was eye opening!
Yesterday morning we had the unique opportunity to assist with a national blood drive put on by Rotary. They had us don bright yellow vests and hand out flyers to passersby advertizing the blood drive. There was an entire network of tents set up to handle donors, and feed them after they donated. They estimated several thousand people would come through in one day! Unfortunately we were not allowed to donate since Americans carry the threat of West Nile disease for 28 days after leaving the US.
Our third business excurion especially appealed to Charity, because it was to an insurance office. Charity works at Group Health, which offers both medical care and insurance, so Emmanuel arranged for us to interview some men in the insurance business here. We discussed the differences beween the French system of insuring health coverage, mortgages, autos, etc. and that of the US systems. It seems in France the health insurance serves to fill the gap between private and public coverage. Also, there are no foreclosures in France; if someone defaults on their mortgage the insurance picks up the tab and the homeowner keeps the house. We found the differences fascinating and the visit was eye opening!
Yesterday morning we had the unique opportunity to assist with a national blood drive put on by Rotary. They had us don bright yellow vests and hand out flyers to passersby advertizing the blood drive. There was an entire network of tents set up to handle donors, and feed them after they donated. They estimated several thousand people would come through in one day! Unfortunately we were not allowed to donate since Americans carry the threat of West Nile disease for 28 days after leaving the US.
We gave our first presentation yesterday at a lunch Rotary meeting in the hotel we have stayed in several nights. Everyone did very well and the presentation was well received. The Rotarians said they were surprised and impressed with the amount of outdoor activities we enjoy, and we showed them pictures of the northwest and the mountains which inspire all our outdoor pursuits. We exchanged flags with them and Angela received a beautiful wine glass as a gift.
Today we had the day off, and went on a walking adventure in Bordeaux. We visited a magnificent church in the center of town called St. Andre. We then burned off a fabulous French lunch by climbing the 231 stairs to the top of the adjacent bell tower. Our tour included a stroll over one of the local bridges, a ride on the solar powered tram, a visit to the botannical garden, and our first European soccer match between the Bordeaux team and another French team. It was a lot of fun to be part of the French enthusiasm for the sport, and luckily the home team won!
We take off for Pau Monday morning, and will take away many special memories from our time in Bordeaux!
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