French Pizza

Liz says: Okay, so we re getting ready to go back to the -3 temps of Madison after the balmy days of Paris. This is one unhappy camper as far as the weather is concerned. I'm just getting used to the idea of roaming my neighborhood and figuring out which corner leads to which, trying to make a sense of direction.
I've learned to be bold and insist on speaking my pathetic french or as the Fixer says, I will be here in 20 years still getting the english menu.
I have learned that my smile can change the world, or at least the way it looks to me. Even though Parisiens don't walk round smiling, I do and they respond with friendliness.
I've learned that Amy Winehouse appeals for no particular reason other than it sounds good in the background of a cafe at night.
I've learned that the french seem to love pizza and I say no,no, no!
Okay, now there is pizza as we americans know it, Dominoes or the local pizza joint run by Sicilians. The chain pizza is another animal altogether, just casserole on a dense, tasteless crust. The local pizza can be okay to great and maybe even close to authentic. But french pizza is a thing in and of itself. The french do their take on everything. You see lots of curried dishes in french restaurants, they are very light and creamy. Good but not the hot, spicy things you tend to get in America.
But back to the subject a hand, french pizza. I have to begin with Corsican pizza. That was wonderful, bizarre and of course, in Corsica (an island off of France, in case you don't know).
It had goat cheese and corsican honey on a genovese crust. Lots of Italians from Genoa settled there and influenced the cuisine. It was very unique, not really sweet, herby, as the honey there is influenced by the herbs grown there, and rich.
But, it was Corsica, there was an italian influence and I thought, well, this is special.
The first night in Paris we went to the pizza restaurant below the apartment because we were too tired to venture any further out. I had the 'parisien pizza'
it had goat cheese (fresh), ham, bland chopped meat, akin to burger,tomato sauce,
and some other creamy cheese. It was bizarre. Creamy, bland pizza on a so-so crust. Dick remembers his 'margheritta' a classical pizza," as mainly cheese, seemingly mozzerella and a flavored oil to add to your liking, super thin crust, almost like a saltine with that kind of consistancy. Not one of the great pie's of all time."
The owner was sweet and we were so tired I had forgotten all about how mystifying it was until everytime we pass a pizza restaurant here. It will be filled to overflowing. Even Dominoes has take out orders on scooters. The thing is the pizza is so very french. It bears no resemblance to Italian pizza, American Italian pizza, or even Corsican pizza!
They make it very bland, very creamy, almost like a very thin milky casserole with a thin crust. And they love it. The places are chocked full every night.
Especially a place called Cesar's. The waiters are crazy fun, they speak italian to you and swing and swirl around from table to table with utter efficiency. Large families come there and the noise level is synonmous with real live fun.
The pizza is that weird french take on the pie and veal piccata here! Don't get me started! I've had it 3 times, each time it is utterly different, it has no lemon, no capers, is not pounded out and usually resemebles some sort of creamed beef stew without vegatables, but with gorgeous chanterelle mushrooms and sometimes potatoes. The thing I can't figure out is this place is so close to Italy!
I guess I have more to learn about the french, after all if they can change the world, they can certainly change me. Vive la France!