France has always been among my favorite places to travel ever since I first visited the country many years ago. This nation is known for its sophistication, its rich cultural heritage, and its romantic atmosphere, and I find these descriptions pretty accurate. I admire how proud the French are about their country and their culture. Even though I respect the French people and culture very much, I do not consider myself a Francophile. My personality is too industrious and competitive for me to spend hours at a French cafe slowly savoring the delicious food and sipping on wine, though I do find it enjoyable to do so every once in a while (especially on vacation in France). Meals in France generally last a long time, which is great when you’re on vacation, but can get in the way of productivity when you’re not.
So, here are my thoughts on the French.
1. French Etiquette
One of the things I really like about France is that people often greet you with a “Bonjour” or “Bonsoir” when they talk to you. Especially when talking with someone I don’t know very well, I find small pleasantries like these to be polite and, well, pleasant. Social niceties make interactions with other people more agreeable, and the French are pretty good with that. I always find myself friendlier and more willing to help after exchanging pleasantries with someone. Directness is great, but when people are blunt and coarse and ignore social pleasantries, I don’t feel any need to be agreeable and I tend to just focus on what I want out of the interaction because it isn’t worthwhile to build a positive connection with an unpleasant person.
I also find the two cheek-kisses that French people do when they greet a friend or say good-bye quite endearing. Every time I do the two cheek-to-cheek kisses with a French female friend, I feel very cultured and sophisticated. In France, the cheek-to-cheek kiss is a common form of greeting between two women, and between a man and a woman (the handshake is used between two men, thank God).
2. French Restaurants
The quality of French food is amazing. In pretty much every French restaurant I’ve been in the chef pays a lot of attention to detail and I find each bite delicious and savory. The amount of sauce and seasoning on the food is always just right, and even the arrangement of the food on the plate makes the food look like a work of art.
I have never had better wine than the wine I drank in France. Every time I asked for wine recommendations, my waiter or waitress would give me a very detailed description of which wines best fit the food I ordered. In France, people often have wine to accompany their meals. I personally had at least 2 glasses of wine for every meal (not including breakfast), and for dinner, I would have 3 or 4.
3. French People
Contrary to the stereotype that the French are rude, I generally found the French to be very nice people. I think a major reason why other people may find the French rude is simply because of a difference in culture. The French tend to value social etiquette and when people jump straight to the point without so much as a hello (which is acceptable in other countries), they can feel annoyed or disrespected.
Something I noticed while traveling in France is that quite a few people in the country have a cannot-do attitude. In America, we tend to admire those with a can-do attitude. In France, however, there were multiple occasions where I hear “I’m very sorry sir, that is not possible” because of some unnecessary rule or procedure. For example, at the Tuileries Garden in Paris, I was trying to buy a bottle of water with my credit card but the store had a 5 Euro minimum for credit cards. The bottles of water were 2 Euros each, so I asked for two bottles of water and said they can keep the change. However, they refused the free Euro I was offering them and said it was impossible for them to accept a credit card unless its exactly 5 Euros or more. So I ended up buying three bottles of water because of that. In America, I get to bend the credit card minimum rules all the time.
I also noticed that French people place a great emphasis on leisure and enjoying life. French people would spend hours at a cafe with friends and/or family, slowly enjoying the wine and smoking cigarettes. It’s a cozy feeling that I find common in Europe, especially where I am now in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Another thing I noticed in France is that there is a lot more PDA than in America. It is very common to see couples making out in public and being affectionate with each other. It creates the romantic atmosphere that France is famous for. I find this very refreshing. As someone who grew up in a very reserved family, it’s heartening to see how open the French are with their warmth and affection.
4. Smoking
I find smoking cigarettes very common in France, and in Europe in general. It creates a leisurely vibe that Europeans tend to like. Though the French smoke a lot, they have a very high life expectancy of 82 years, higher than the American life expectancy of 79 years. I guess while the French have one bad habit, their overall lifestyles are generally healthier. They eat healthy foods, they walk and bike a lot, they are less overworked than Americans, their culture places a greater emphasis on family and friends, etc.
5. French History
France is one of the oldest and most influential countries in Europe. Europe is the heart and center of Western Civilization, and France is the heart and center of Europe. The palaces, museums, and landmarks I visited contain history of hundreds if not thousands of years. The customs of France have been formed through many generations, dating back to the Roman Empire. Great men from Charlemagne to Napoleon ruled over this land, and you can see monuments to them throughout the country.
Because of the swift French defeat to Nazi Germany in World War II, France isn’t seen in as positive of a light as it once was. But people forget that during Napoleon’s time, France dominated Europe militarily and won victory after victory. The German states suffered many defeats at the hands of Napoleonic France, and it took a large allied coalition to take down l’empereur. I had the pleasure of visiting some of the glorious monuments dedicated to Napoleon and his great triumphs, my favorite of which is the Arc de Triomphe on the Avenue de Champs-Élysées.
France is one of the most visited countries in the world, and not without good reason. Everything from the food, to the people, to the historical sights attract many people from all over the globe. I had a great time in France this summer, and it won’t be my last time either.