There is a tradition ingrained deeply in the French people. Manners are considered highly important in this country and are said to be the glue that keeps the inevitable friction between citizens at a minimum. The manners are such a daily ritual that when you walk into a shop and if you don’t “Bonjour!” a Monsieur or Madammes, your service will not be the same.
France is a country bursting at the edges with cultural history, stunning landscapes, beautiful coastlines, and panoramic mountain ranges. Whether your looking for serene and picturesque rural villages secluded in the heart and depths of France, or the liveliness, animated bouyancy of the larger more classy cities like St. Tropez, you can be rest assured France will cater for all your needs. France boasts some of the most beautiful coastlines in Europe including the stunning Bayonne and La Rochelle. France has 1,500 miles of beaches lining the 3 main seas: the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel. The Mediterranean provides calm serene warm waters in which to relax and bathe, the Atlantic offers a rougher coastline in parts, ideal for water sports such as surfing and windsailing. The English Channel can be just as good for surfing but mainly provides more rural towns and docks situated right on the coast for perfect views while enjoying a meal. Altogether more than 35 million people enjoy France’s beaches every year.
France is also renowned for its vast mountain ranges including the Northern and Southern Alps, the Vosgues, the Pyrenees, Massif Central and the Jura. Each mountain range has its own unique environment, and the possibilities for exploration are endless. The Northern Alps or the Rhone-Alps is home to the largest specialist skiing are in the world. The Vosgues mountain range is surrounded by breathtaking scenery consisting of lakes and pinewoods. A winter break in the Vosgues is also the perfect opportunity to find out about all the local living traditions in visiting nearby restaurants with extraordinary cuisine. France and in particular the Alps is home to Western Europe’s highest point, Mont Blanc. This powerful mountain is one of France’s main tourist attractions and is well worth a visit for those who are keen hikers or extreme skiers.
France has been firmly pasted on the map for hundreds of years and this is mainly due to its many different traditions; the hundreds of delicate, sophisticated cheese, the many different delights of French cuisine and the hundreds of matured wines. The cuisine of France is remarkably a result of many varied regional differences based on their produce and gastronomy. Culinary traditions that have been developed and perfected over the years have made French cooking a highly respectable, sought-after, refined art. Food and eating well is of great importance to the French nation, that’s why they can take up to four or five hours just to finish their courses. They savour and appreciate their food to the best they can and spend a large amount of time, not only eating it, but thinking about it and discussing it also. France is home to an astonishing 600 different types of cheese. The French didn’t even invent cheese yet no other nation can lay claim to such an impressive and vast array of delicate and unique examples of cheese. French cuisine is a growing trade and although you come across very few French restaurants in this country like you do with Italian or Chinese ones, they are set to become more and more popular in countries abroad such as Britain. The French do not like to boast about their admirable culinary talents. Their polished gateau’s, impeccable cassoulets and flawless beef bourginions go uncomplimented but thoroughly enjoyed.
It is hard to generalize about France, yet there is something about this magnificent country which brings back millions of Francophiles year after year for that taste of “la vie francaise”. Could it be the glittering ski slopes of the Alps, the chic boulevards of Paris, a dusty mid-afternoon game of boules, its endless stunning coastlines, sun-lit vineyards or a coffee and croissants in an undiscovered village? Or perhaps it’s a tour of the majestic monumental chateauxs such as the Loire, the glamorous lifestyle of the Mediterranean, or a relaxing picnic in Provence? However, consider also the delights of the other lesser-known regions such as Gascony or Franche-Comte in the green heart of France, such sleepy villages offer visitors a chance to sample the true
“douceur de vivre” or “softness to live”, of Provincial France.
France has an exquisite and exuberant history. The French gave the world champagne and camembert, de Beauvoir and Debussy, The Tour De France and the Tour Eiffel. There’s a French term that goes, “Douce France” or “Sweet France” that sums up the seductive lifestyle of an incredible nation in a majestic country.
