You know the situation is dire when I check in at McDonalds. Seriously. I haven't been to one of these "restaurants" in more than a decade. It became pretty clear to me that there is good reason for that. Once upon a time I actually enjoyed a meal here. That stopped in the US long ago and while we've been in Europe I was surprised to see so many of the Golden Arches all over the place. Out of sheer desperation and hunger I decided to pop in here last night to grab a quick bite. Well, as it happens, that was not to be. My only sandwich choice once upon a time was the Filet o Fish. That is no longer on the menu. Oops, ok so it's been awhile. Just give me a large fries and a chocolate shake. Hmm, what? You no longer have chocolate shakes either? What good is this place? Seriously. The fries (the only thing left on the menu for me) were tasteless but at least they were hot. Enough salt and ketchup and they were even edible. Not so for the rest of the food on their menu based on looks alone. I certainly had no interest in sampling the remainder of their disgusting looking selections. The things they do to fries these days, eeek! No thanks. I suspect it will be much longer than a decade before I try this again, maybe never. read more