Oct
31
French Life And Living in France
October 31, 2009 | Leave a Comment
France is the world’s leading tourist destination in spite of the derogatory remarks you often hear. French people seem to have a poor reputation in some parts of the world, but the overseas visitors continue to flock in. Can it be that some of us have realised that many of the criticisms are outdated while the long appreciated aspects of French life still continue to give pleasure?
What do we consider common knowledge about French life?
We know that the French have a reputation for good cuisine. It’s true that the great majority place an emphasis on the eating of quality food. Lunch is the most important meal of the day and if there’s someone at home to prepare the meal, children and workers will return for lunch if it’s practically possible. Otherwise children will eat three course meals at the school canteen and adults will go to a restaurant or works’ canteen. You can often learn which restaurant offers the best “menu ouvrier” by counting the number of workmen’s vans parked outside.
With less overweight and the associated health problems, the French are a good example of how to eat. To eat a full meal at lunchtime with several small courses is better for us. We then have the rest of the day to use the energy and a lighter evening meal allows us to avoid going to bed with a full stomach.
Perhaps the most famous symbol of French life has been the French loaf. The term “French bread” is usually taken to mean the traditional baguette, but there’s a huge variety of shapes, sizes and ingredients available. Even going into a boulangerie to buy a baguette, you’ll find that there are a great many other long thin loaves which you might have thought were baguettes! Each of these has its own name (which might vary slightly from area to area). The traditional baguette goes stale within a few hours whereas a growing number of other breads, such as multi-cereal, wholemeal and so on, keep longer and this may be why they are gradually gaining in popularity with younger generations.
We know that the French are famous for their cheese but our knowledge of that cheese is sometimes restricted to just one or two sorts. Some people say they hate French cheese because they don’t like Camembert, not realising that this is just one out of over four hundred French cheeses with a huge variety of tastes, ingredients, maturing processes, textures, etc.
And so to the wine! French supermarkets offer a wonderful selection at very reasonable prices. It’s still a constant topic of discussion and there’s a lot of knowledge about the subject. It’s usual for a household to possess a “cellar” and to add bottles regularly. Every autumn, the majority of wine outlets have special tastings and offers. Driving through wine producing areas is always fascinating and a continual learning experience.
We may be admiring of the French wines and cuisine, but we are not so happy about how they are made. Whilst farmers and fishermen make up a small percentage of Finch workers, we do become annoyed at their apparently widespread power and there are frequent televised images of angry protesting farmers and others.
The French eat and drink in a healthy and enjoyable way; but what else do they do for pleasure while putting up with all those strikes and demonstrations?
Cinema is a very well regarded art form so that school children are taken to films from an early age and there are frequent magazine and television discussions on the subject. New films are shown even in remote areas, often in a Salle de Ftes by the local film society. Similarly, libraries in villages may be run by volunteers. The availability of the arts is regarded as important and voluntary work is vital to keep these going.
The French are also famous for their sophistication and excellent dress and fashion sense.
So, a complicated country and people, but visitors from all over the world readily embrace the French life when given the chance as tourists.
French Life and the joys of living in France have been featured in magazine articles the world over. For a real taste of Living in France take a look at Amanda Lawrence’s new blog at www.frenchvie.com. Lots of real life stories and anecdotes from the Quercy. It takes you right there – you’ll never want to leave. Don’t forget to register for her free newsletter.
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