1. The refinement of French gastronomic culture:
specialty cheese shops, fruit tarts, the divine smell in
bakeries, and the enticing vision of pre-prepared meals in
the windows of butcher’s shops
2. A clothing culture of very fine taste, classier than
the street fashion of Italians
3. World-famous history, culture, wonderful countryside
and charming small towns
4. The French have an enviable number of good reasons to
be proud of their country
5. Paris: The corner cafes, rue Mouffetard, the Latin
Quarter, the buildings from their golden age at the end of
the 19th century
6. The good manners of rural French people
7. Provence (particularly Les Baux)
8. The ambience of the small roads leading through
villages, with old gentlemen playing pétanque on the squares
of small towns
9. The châteaux of the Loire Valley (e.g. Château de
Chambord and Château de Chenonceau), and the large number of
wonderful gothic churches (Rouen, Chartres, Amiens...)
10.The creamy, rich country butter in Normandy
1. Many restaurants have no English translation of the
menu – one example of the linguistic chauvinism of the
French
2. Impossible to discover France in just one trip – far
too many must-see sights spread over a large area
3. The Atlantic ocean coast is not that charming (except
Normandy), while the Cote d’Azur is too posh
4. Colmar was my big favorite when I first visited, but
the second time I didn’t find it so sensational
5. The French like to pull an openly unpleasant face when
expressing any dislike
6. The hordes of tourists in August and the pickpockets
in Paris
7. The menacing street presence of some young guys of
North African background
8. Too much rain, and a gloomy
climate in the north of the country
9. The discomfort of walking on cobbled streets
10. The small size of hotel rooms in Paris