“The French air clears up the brain and does a world of good.” Vincent Van Gogh 
France is the most visited country in the world and Paris, predestined by history, is still considered the epicenter of fashion, cuisine, wine, art, history and culture. The first tourists were British, most of whom traveled on a luxurious “Grand Tour” in the mid 1800’s. They began their adventures in Paris, headed east to the Alps, south to the Pyrenees, edged along the Mediterranean and the Côte d’Azur, then crossed the border into Italy. They created the romantic mythology of what it means to be French. Most of what is viewed as quintessentially French today is modeled after something Parisian, except when you head south… 
South of Paris beyond the river Garonne, the people of Gascony are known to be devoted to wine, loquacious, lustful, sarcastic, badly dressed, speak an incomprehensible language, smoke too much, don’t bathe, appreciate a good lie, but are blissfully hospitable with an endearing sense of humor. Stereotypes persist because the mythology they promulgate is richer and more colorful than the truth. 
When I first moved to Gascony I was told the main highways were ancient Roman roads, but historically they are Celtic. I was also told the allées of plane trees were planted by Napoléon to provide shade for marching troops, but have since discovered that the roads are lined with trees simply because they look good. 
Known as an umbrella on wheels, the iconic Deux Chevaux was engineered with a high suspension for farmers to be able to carry eggs across fields without breaking them. Counter to the popular urban myth, t was not created as a prop for the physical comedy of Monsieur Hulot in Jacques Tati’s movies. 
French men have no qualms about using what I affectionately call the scenic bathroom. Even women are known to use the great outdoors because rest stops are far and few between. I’ve even adopted the habit of carrying a roll of toilet paper in the trunk. Most of their indoor toilets are considerably more stylish, though you will still encounter the occasional hole in the floor. 
Inheritance laws and in-fighting amongst family members can go on for generations, but the charming ruins that dot the countryside were originally saved from being dismantled and sold to individuals, turned into housing, factories or stables, by Prosper Mérimée, historian, archeologist and author of Carmen. It is only since the 1970’s that the notion of preserving cultural heritage, French Patrimoine, has become sacrosanct. 
Everything stops for lunch, the main meal of the day. Activity in large towns and villages comes to a screeching halt between 12:30 and 2:30. I, myself, have waited in a long line at the post office while a neighbor waxed poetic for at least 15 minutes about the chicken she slow roasted the day before with a special blend of rosemary and garlic. The French may not talk about money and are generally discreet in matters of the heart, but they openly and reverently love their food. And if you follow the dotted line, there are as many reasons for a party, fête, as there are saint’s days during each month. During the summer months and into the fall, long tables are set end to end in village squares. For a reasonable price you can buy mussels & frites, sausages & baguettes, croustade (the Gascon pastry made with apples soaked in Armagnac) and free local wine is served well into the wee hours of the morning. 
It’s a dog’s life in France. From Great Danes to Yorkshire Terriers, the French take their dogs everywhere. There are many longstanding urban legends, but one that I’ve found to be true almost 100% of the time, is the French do not clean up after their dogs. There are les crottes de chien, everywhere. There are laws and occasional signs, but no one abides by them. It’s worse in the cities – an estimated 20 metric tons of merde, accumulates each year on the streets in Paris alone.
However, after almost 9 years, I’ve become fondly attached to the French paradox – they eat rich foods such as cream, butter and cheese, but they suffer from less obesity and heart disease than Americans. They drink a lot of wine, but always with food. France may still be considered the country that invented love and romance, but once you’ve passed a Gascon in the market after a long day of hard work, it’s impossible to fall under his seductive charm when his body odor is the only thing that takes your breath way…Yet, there is also the romance of place stimulated by the beauty of the landscape. Eighty percent of France is countryside, most of it stunningly beautiful & tranquil. As most of my loyal readers know, this year I have started leading small group adventures (see link in top right hand corner of blog) to Provence, Gascony & the Pays Basque. Come to France and let me take you to some of my favorite places. You’ll meet wonderful people, eat delicious food, drink lots of good wine, have tons of fun and fall in love with the places that make France so quintessentially French.
