Thanks for the great read!

a couple comments:

- regarding the macarons and their pastries in general: Pierre Herme are definitively known (at least for French people) to be of better quality than La Duree. Herme's are handmade while La Duree are processed through machines...
The macaron that has become so popular today worldwide is a recent invention, which is very different from the traditional macaron, essentially a simple almond cookie.
The recipe is different from region to region, and in my case when i think of a traditional macaron the ones from Saint Emilion comes to mind.

- regarding your LH flight back. Bad crews can happen, and you are bound to come accross them. While it does not matter as much in coach where your experience rarely depend on service, in First they can make or break your flight experience. When I was younger and still lucky enough to have found FT and be able to enjoy LH F once or twice a year i would not say anything, because I felt I didnt belong ( I was the young kid, early 20's, flying F on miles). Now I don't care anymore, when something is wrong with service i address the crew member first (ie for your fiancee champagne i would have asked for a different glass immediately), and if the service issues continues I quickly ask to have a chat with the purser. The longer you let it going on, the worse it's going to get and its not going to make your flight experience better. Every time I have thought " oh i'll let this go", I regretted it in the end.