I don't know about you, but I love seeing distant lands, tasting their food, sleeping in their odd rooms, and going places, finally, on public transportation.

But I reach a point during every trip when I'm absolutely, unconditionally, guiltlessly thrilled to see a McDonald's.

Getting off a train in the ancient city of Padua, I spotted one across from the station, and instead of thinking I should have yet another plate of pasta, all I could imagine was biting into the most famous of all burgers.

I think they're tasty, but they're not gourmet fare; no one would disagree here.

But they're largely predictable and reliable, and in this sense these items constitute the ultimate in "comfort food, ? especially for homesick Americans.

McDonald's are also great stops to make if you need local directions, whether the folks behind the counter or some other travelers supply them.

You'll find different tastes in the McDonald's you find in various European countries. The best, so far for me, are the French outlets, especially in Paris, followed by the Italian, and surprisingly, the London units are the worst I've encountered.

I understand McDonald's will be selling many of its worldwide restaurants to investors, who will become franchisees. That will be an interesting development on a few fronts.

First, will they be able to maintain quality control?

And second, with local ownership, will these venues become less subject to being targets for anti-Americanism?

We'll see. All I know is the farther away from home I am, the more grateful I am to see those Golden Arches.