On spring break of 2012, my school took a select group of French students to see France itself. Unless one counts going to the Bahamas on a cruise, this was my first time really leaving the country. Little did I know, but this trip would be a life changing experience.
We got a taste of the countryside, as the first place we visited was called Bayeux. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. It was not commercial like America; one could not imagine finding a McDonalds or Walmart downtown. America’s politicians talk about small business all of the time, but they don’t know small business until they visit small town France. Another interesting tidbit about Bayeux was the narrow streets and lack of cars. Sure, there were some people driving around, but for the most part, people walked around to do their shopping. Because the French buy their foods in season, there are few preservatives in their food. They only buy food for one or two days at a time; therefore, they can carry everything that they need. We in America need to think about adopting this healthy lifestyle. We would not only get the exercise we desperately need but also eat naturally as well. Bayeux is a prime example of what a small town could be.
The group then headed on to Paris, my absolute favorite city I have visited. There is a stereotype in this nation that the Parisians are very rude people, but my experiences prove otherwise. If one is not loud and obnoxious, the Parisians do not mind one’s being American. However, it is considered rude to be loud in a restaurant or café. Therefore, it is only polite to abide by their culture, as one is visiting their country. Another piece of French culture that is apparent in Paris is their appreciation of historic preservation. Like any major city around the world, Paris has a financial district. However, it is about two miles out of downtown Paris. Why is this? The Parisians did not want massive, modern buildings to be built next to former palaces and courts. They did not want the historic value of their city to be diluted due to new forms of architecture. They think it would be stupid to have a huge office building next to the Louvre. As a history nerd, I think this is an awe-inspiring concept. Nowhere in America do we have this mindset. In New York, one could have a modern building as a neighbor to a 250-year-old home. Modernism ruins the effect of preserving the past for future generations.
Although there are many things in France I admire, there are some things that I think we do better in America. For example, I did not like the aggressive driving style of the French. Thank goodness we had a bus driver because I would have had a wreck! They accelerate very quickly and are prone to bump into each other. The French have a bad case of road rage.
Overall, I think that there are many things we as Americans could learn from the French. They are a very sophisticated culture that looks back at their extensive past to improve the future. They attempt to resist corporatization, have a healthy lifestyle, and preserve their architecture. Certainly, America is among the greatest nation on Earth; however, we should look to these values to improve our own nation.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
1 Reply to “J’adore France!”
Comment on this article
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Again, politic caused a mess. I do not know what is wrong with politic, but I think it just make everything hard. I never found that politic bring good things to society.
Some kinda bored because you don't know what to do?. Just simply search new things in life that you can learn more. Go to your PC and simply type http://www.seapyramid.net where you can find interesting research papers and articles. Simple but super exciting!
Kurt Mantle
http://www.seapyramid.net
Interesting piece of news but I’d have liked some information about how to get rid of Bed Bug Bites if I find some.
http://www.bedbugbitesinfo.com
very good article, children safety is very important in every water activity, from scuba diving to a simple water park
http://www.pssworldwide.org/en/
A great place you have visited, I like this articles is more like a personal dairy, any way thanks for sharing this.
Jerico at <a href="http://www.one.com/en/" rel="dofollow">cheap web hosting</a> reviews.
Thanks very much. Your post is very informative. keep going on.
Upiq.com actually finds much cheaper flights & hotels prices than Momondo because Upiq compares much more travel sites than Momondo. You can check it out at http://www.upiq.com
The Guardian newspaper has a few great suggestions for those who want a simple, old-style campground geared to tents and relaxation. First off, they like the guidebook "Cool Camping France" (Punk Publishing) which describes 100 campsites for a variety of budgets.
They also recommend the sites ran by Camping Indigo (camping-indigo.com), or those listed on Rural Camping in France (rural-camping.com) and the Dutch site Kleine Campings Frankrijk (kleinecampingsinfrankrijk.nl; in English).
Thanks for sharing that great info.
The Little Gym sounds a bit like Gymboree, a long time chain of organized play spaces called Gymboree. Gymboree Play & Music classes are available through more than 600 franchised and company-operated centers in the United States, Canada and 30 other countries. Here's a link to the page which describes locations and hours of their international programs, if you ever want to drop in on one in future travels:
http://www.gymboreeclasses.com/index.jsp
We have lots of stories about traveling with kids in New York City and we are happy to help you plan a customized visit, so you can make the most of your time. Get in touch!
When my wife and I wanted to enjoy all the beauty Antwerp has to offer, we just looked if there was a The little Gym for our son (4) Jason!
Back home Jason ( bouncing off the wall kind of child) attends regular classes at Little Gym. But they also offer Holiday programs. 3 hours or full days are available! Jason had a blast with his new (international) friends and my wife and I could really enjoy the city without feeling guilty about walking too much or going in too many Cathedrals 🙂
Thumbs up for this worldwide concept, next stop Amsterdam!
Hi there,
I am planning a 4 night vacation to NYC this May and am looking for a custom itenerary as it is our first time in the big apple and it's pretty overwhelming trying to figure out a logical sequel of events as we do not know what the most efficient way to go about it would be. Do i just let you know our points of interest?? Thanks, Steph
I am off to Orlando in October.
How is the theme park here for under 3 yr olds? anyone been?
We've been. The parks are great for a toddler as long as you plan short days and keep the walking to a minimum; don't wait in a lot of lines. Weather should be cooler in October, that's good. If you can afford one of the hotels that gets you the first in line access, that would be great. It's pretty exhausting but your kids will have fun, and they have a rider swap so that your spouse can watch the baby, while one of you does the amazing Harry Potter ride, and then you can switch duty and the other rides too.
At Universal Studios (the movie themed part of the parks), there are cartoon stars from Nickelodeon shows, and they're in gentle rides or in live shows. The best bet may be Woody Woodpecker's KidZone, where there is a fun interactive playground and sing-a-longs with characters.
At Islands of Adventure, we all loved Suess Landing where you can go on the Cat in the Hat ride, and a very crazy carousel. Just love those books and our son remembered a lot of the words from having them read to him so often. The Jurassic Park ride area has a neat water playground you'll enjoy it if there aren't a lot of teens squirting each other.
Thanks for your article on beg bugs when traveling. Bed bugs are something that I've been very concerned about. I found some information on bed bugs pictures on the Bed Bugs Handbook.
Thanks for your article on bed bugs when traveling. It's something i've been looking out for recently. I found some information on what bed bug bites look like on Bed Bugs Handbook.
http://www.bed-bugs-handbook.com/bed-bugs-bite.html
http://www.justlakedistrict.com
I was looking for a simple medical authorization and found so much more. Excellent resourse. Thanks!
There are great exercises that you can search at http://www.shabsoft.net where you can find right exercise to focus. I’ll tell my friends about this. Your article is effective for us to build knowledge. Thanks for sharing!
Tom
http://www.shabsoft.net
If you are a senior going to travel abroad on holidays, you need to get http://travelinsuranceforseniors.org travel insurance for seniors
Costa rica has great blend of culture and nature and this is very important for any destination to attract the tourism.
It has many things to explore.
<a href="http://www.travelcostarica360.com">Costa rica Vacations</a>
Long time ago all was whiteout documents — Now document are used to protect the Gold acumalted and to Deny acces to foreigns to see that …
Your work is very good and I appreciate you and hopping for some more informative posts. Thank you for sharing great information to us.
My family and I returned a few weeks ago from a wonderful 10 day trip in Morocco that was seamlessly organized by Sahara Magic Tours. After my first phone conversation with Hassan at Sahara Magic Tours immediately felt my anxiety about planning my trip go away. Hassan was GREAT, he was friendly, flexible, very patient with all my questions and requests and always responded to my emails and phone calls promptly. He was extremely knowledgeable in all areas of Morocco. The depth of his knowledge made his advice and guidance priceless as his recommendations all turned out to be perfectly suited to our needs.
I requested Mohamed as our driver based on the reviews I read here and on other sites. Mohamed was EXCELLENT! We were so happy with him in every way. He spoke good English. He has a great personality and sense of humor. He's such a genuinely good guy, really friendly, caring, down to earth and can get along with all types of personalities and ages. You immediately feel so comfortable and safe with him . Mohamed took care of all of our needs and was very patient and flexible. He was always on time for our daily adventures and was a knowledgeable guide so we learned a lot from him about Morocco. Also, I have to mention how GREAT a driver Mohamed is. Not only does he drive safe but he handles the vehicle really well, whether it's winding roads or BUSY streets, etc.
We chose the Imperial cities tour as well as the desert and Essaouria. We covered 1,300 miles. Morocco is a beautiful country. We found the Moroccan people to be warm and friendly. Each place has it's own look and feel and it's so picturesque as you drive from one place to another. Morocco felt like a bunch of different countries in one country. Be sure to keep a day or so aside for shopping. For us, it was a struggle within our 10 day itinerary since there was so much to see and do. An extra day or 2 would have been perfect.
I would definitely recommend staying in a Riad at least once during your trip. For us after the first 2 Riads we missed some of the conveniences of a hotel so we were glad we stayed in both. Bivouac in Merzouga was really cool, you can literally walk onto the dunes from the Bivouac. In Marrakech I liked Les Jardins De Le Koutaoubia , the hotel was beautiful and the location was stellar, less than a 5-minute walk to the Dejemma el-Fna and all the souks.
As someone who travels frequently I would highly recommend Sahara Magic Tours http://www.Sahara-Magic.com/ to anyone thinking about taking a trip to Morocco. Their knowledge, contacts throughout the country, personal attention to every detail of your trip and excellent service is one of the best I've experienced. I'm so thankful to all the people that wrote reviews about Sahara Magic Tours and Mohamed. Thanks to Hassan /Sahara Magic Tours and Mohamed, my family and I had an AMAZING experience in Morocco. Can't wait to go back!
I agree with several points in the post, the readers of this site have found a treasure of info. I will share the post with my friends who value forums of intelligent depth on subjects the author is an expert. Our forum discusses the oral health of dogs. Our staff at http://www.vitahound.com is currently studying products formulated to eliminate bad breath in dogs.
If you need further info on Wales the government brochures from this site can be really helpful. It's very easy to use, you don't have to register before ordering and the brochures arrive in a couple of days. http://www.wales-holiday-brochures.co.uk
Hope they can be of some help… They were for me!
nice article i like the it is written thoroughly it is excellent.
If you do not speak Turkish, avoid the airlines no matter how good that deal seems. The customer service is non existant.
We had a multi-leg trip with Turkish Airline from Rome to Istanbul to Cairo to Athens. We only ended up taking the flight from Rome to Istanbul.
Their flight from Rome to Istanbul was comfortable and relaxing. The staff was cordial. We only had carry-ons because of the horrible experiences other users have had.
Our overall experience with management, however, turned out to be extremely frustrating and awful. Our first interaction with them was when we tried to cancel our Istanbul to Cairo part of the trip because the US department highly suggested that no US citizens should travel to Cairo. We had called Turkish Airlines prior to the trip, but the staff spoke limited English and didn't understand that we wanted to cancel only one leg of the trip. They would planning on canceling the entire trip which we didn't want.
We then decided to keep the trip but use one of the layovers that was originally intended from Cairo to Greece but stops at Istanbul to get to our final destination- Greece. However, due to their international rule and regulation, they canceled our entire trip leaving us no way to get to Greece. They didn't inform us via email or phone like many other airlines do. We found out the day before we were supposed to leave when trying to check in for our flight.
We accepted the fact that there was nothing we could do but when we asked on the phone what we could have done to have prevented this, the manager started yelling that she couldn't help us, and that it was our fault for losing the tickets. We asked again. She admitted that she couldn't understand our question and started shouting at us that it was our fault and hung up on us. I was furious.
Looking at the other posts, I think the moral of the story is – Do NOT book with Turkish Airlines unless you speak Turkish. The staff's English is very limited, and trying to change flights or dealing with management is just a pain, ends up with customers losing money and valuable time.
I've had such bad experiences with the customer services at Turkish Airlines. ON the phone, the managers who are supposedly "English" do not understand simple sentences and when they don't, they get frustrated and hang up on you.
We had a multi-leg trip with Turkish Airline from Rome to Istanbul to Cairo to Athens. We only ended up taking the flight from Rome to Istanbul.
Their flight from Rome to Istanbul was comfortable and relaxing. The staff was cordial. We only had carry-ons because of the horrible experiences other users have had.
Our overall experience with management, however, turned out to be extremely frustrating and awful. Our first interaction with them was when we tried to cancel our Istanbul to Cairo part of the trip because the US department highly suggested that no US citizens should travel to Cairo. We had called Turkish Airlines prior to the trip, but the staff spoke limited English and didn't understand that we wanted to cancel only one leg of the trip. They would planning on canceling the entire trip which we didn't want.
We then decided to keep the trip but use one of the layovers that was originally intended from Cairo to Greece but stops at Istanbul to get to our final destination- Greece. However, due to their international rule and regulation, they canceled our entire trip leaving us no way to get to Greece. They didn't inform us via email or phone like many other airlines do. We found out the day before we were supposed to leave when trying to check in for our flight.
We accepted the fact that there was nothing we could do but when we asked on the phone what we could have done to have prevented this, the manager started yelling that she couldn't help us, and that it was our fault for losing the tickets. We asked again. She admitted that she couldn't understand our question and started shouting at us that it was our fault and hung up on us. I was furious.
Looking at the other posts, I think the moral of the story is – Do NOT book with Turkish Airlines unless you speak Turkish. The staff's English is very limited, and trying to change flights or dealing with management is just a pain, ends up with customers losing money and valuable time.
My husband and I need a good get outdoors and clean the city off our body and minds trip. We have a week to travel from Chicago… to somewhere… and back. I will definitly look into this!
I've been using Corningware for decades simply because I was brought up on it. My children use it in their home. It's pretty much just always been around without any of us giving it much thought other than it works. So, this was a fascinating article to see what is actually involved in Corningware.
http://www.cottagecountry.com/ontario/
Our family had been so excited to go on our make a wish trip.My daughter was diagnosed with a terminal cancer at age 2,and we waited till this month to go,so we knew she would be healthy enough to enjoy herself.When we got there we were very tired and it was around 5 in the afternoon.I first noticed the strange odor when we walked in the room,it was like they were trying to cover up something.Then later that night I started seeing little bugs everywhere.I am not native to Florida,so I thought it might be just some outdoor bugs.Then as the days went by,i kept seeing more and more.Knowing this trip was free,I didn't want to complain to much,but by the 3 rd night I was horrified.I got up to check on my daughter and there were bugs all over the kitchen counter.I was so disgusted,I slept in the car that night.My husband complained the next morning,and they sent a technician in.They were water bugs.That is so nasty.We did get moved,but the next room wasn't that clean either.This is a place for sick kids,and the rooms aren't clean.Come on.Then as we were walking to the restaurant,and man was spraying chemicals around the side walk,and he had a respirator mask on.So whatever he was spraying must have been really poisonous.And here he is spraying it around sick kids!!! I'm glad others had a good time,and loved this place,but I was not impressed.
I think you are good in writing articles about school's life. That's really like a real story. Is it your experiences or you interviewed people around you about their school ? But I like it all.. Pop Up Canopies
Just a note to let you know that the Holiday Inn SunSpree has been renamed and is now known as the Holiday Inn & Suites North Beach. See news article annoucement here . Just want to make sure there is no confusion when people click on their listing and arrive at the new site. The renovation was great and the hotel is still very family friendly. Keep it in mind if visiting Virginia Beach.
Regards,
Hampton Roads Travel Guide
Flights To Nigeria
safari is most attractive and fascinating place.
Belize is always been a heaven, especially for tourist that love travels. It must be a rare chance to go there. Nice trip, I'm really jealous to this family.
Long Island Web Design
Dear Collegue,
Kind regards from New Orient Tours in Vietnam.
We like to introduce to you our new website with several special tours like our new Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam tour.Almost 20 years we offer our clients service and expertise.We hope we can cooperate if you are planning to add Vietnam as a new destination.Even if you already offer tours in Vietnam, please don’t hesitate to contact us for a quote.
| Bui Binh | Director | New Orient Travel Domestic and International Co.,Ltd.
I dont think there should be a mixture of kids and casion on same vacation as it will leave a wrong impression at such an early age….We know every kid will be adult some day…. I belive kids childhood is so enormous for him/her that he/she requires a very good surrounding. This will always help in creating a very good future.
Thanks/////
Vacation destinations
A friend tweeted this post to several colleagues and caught my interest. Social media seems to alert the masses as to the pop culture idea of the moment. The humanization of pets is new and well accepted among the modern dog owner although dog breath is as undesirable as fleas. Dog owners rely on the advice provided by organizations considered experts in the field of dog health. For example http://www.VitaHound.com provides research on dog oral care products.
you have very grateful adventures, congrats
whm reseller hosting
T he good news is that you will be able to book more activities online before your departure date than ever before, and we encourage you to take advantage of that option.
Thanks for such a nicely written. Your article is very informative and a useful one. You have filled me with knowledge and I really appreciate you for this. So, You can plan your vacation there.
Sorry for any inconvenience, but the migration of our site to new servers has made the Permission Letter forms temporarily unavailable to users. Should be resolved by 8 March 2011. Please contact us by email if you need a copy before that date. Thank you for your understanding.
I need to get a International Travel Consent form. I'm sorry but I can not wait until March 8th. My exwife is taking our son on a Carribean Cruise. Should I also get her an Authorization for Medical Consent form? I want the two of them to be covered no matter what may happen. Thank you for your help!
I also wanted to recommend another hotel in Victoria BC that is family and locally owned, dog friendly, and hugely community oriented! Check out Accent Inns Victoria if you plan on visiting Victoria British Columbia.
If you are looking for gift for kids, then you have to visit Giftbasket4kids. Here you find gifts for kids for all age group. As parents of young children, we are passionate about creating long lasting memories, and therefore, we are committed to bring more joy to your special occasions.
The cast when I saw it was fabulous… most of them had appeared in other shows, so I can’t imagine they had lost their talent in the
The site was informative and contain useful content for the visitors. It got good posts as well. I will bookmark this site for future viewing. Thanks for sharing.
Asian Adventure Treks and Expedition is small group nature-based tours for the active traveler. An extensive range of tours are available exploring the highlights and hidden delights of the Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India. Our tours and trekking in Nepal have an emphasis on the unique scenery, wildlife, culture and Nature of each area. We arrange tour packages which are camping and accommodated safaris catering for budget travelers as well as private charters and deluxe 'Safari in Style' tours in Nepal & Tibet. A customized trip is an excellent way to reconnect with friends and family, or to celebrate special occasions. We love working with special affinity groups, clubs, schools, associations and societies to create unique small-group experiences, educational trips and corporate training programs. Choose from one of our existing itineraries, or work with us to design with a tour that is guaranteed to fit your needs.
http://www.asiantreks.com
Email:- trekajima@wlink.com.np,asian_adv@wlink.com.np,info@asiantreks.com
Tel: 977-1-4269888
It's the great post..
that's nice
I really like following your blog as the articles are so simple to read and follow. Excellent. Please keep up the good work. Thanks.