Reasons to love France…

It’s the lofty Eiffel Tower that makes some fall in love with France. For others, the vineyards of Bordeaux, or pétanque under plane trees. For me it’s a mixture—not least the French love of tradition and the friendly locals where I live in the rural north… 

 

Apéro or aperitif.

A way of life—both a drink and an event. A time for socialising, and a pre-dinner drink. Nowadays, anything goes—wine, pastis, champagne, or cocktails. Add nibbles, music (try Indila’s Dernière Danse, find it onYoutube), and conversation. A perfect French moment.  

 

Boulangeries.

Bread is a cultural experience. From queuing at your favourite bakery, to eating the end of the baguette (called le quignon) on the way home – impossible to resist. As much a symbol of France as the Eiffel Tower.

 

Cheese.

Fromages of France charm all cheese-lovers. No matter that other countries produce delicious cheeses, too. What makes it different is difficult to describe. A combination of history, legends and love, the fact that it’s made with raw milk sometimes, and sometimes, small bugs (Mimolette). It might be dipped in ash, or covered in mould. Distinctively shaped or available only certain times of the year. French cheese has that certain je ne sais quoi.

 

Paris.

No one thing makes the City of Light so special. The architecture for sure, all those gorgeous Haussmann buildings, gothic churches, medieval sites, the modern Pompidou Centre, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe. The list is long, very long. 

 

Then there’s the history.

Kings and queens who’ve left legacies (and their heads) behind. The bars, restaurants, street markets, and book sellers on the Seine’s banks. The flower market in the shadow of Notre Dame, wandering Montmartre, touring the Paris Opera looking for signs of the Phantom, the museums and galleries, and the fabulous shops. Ladurée with its macarons, hot chocolate at Angelina’s Tea Room, listening to a concert in the 800-year-old Sainte-Chapelle church. Paris seduces, captivates, enchants… 

 

Châteaux.

No one knows exactly how many castles there are in France, around 45,000 is a good guess. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some are huge, like the Château de Chambord with its 426 rooms, 282 fireplaces and 83 staircases. The tallest is Château de Brissac in the Loire Valley, a whopping seven storeys (it’s also the poshest B&B and said to be France’s most haunted castle). Some are petite, like the Château du Clos Lucé where Leonardo da Vinci lived and died. All are glorious. 

 

Annecy.

The jewel of the French Alps, this small city nestles on the edge of a translucent turquoise lake. Known as the ‘Venice of the Alps’, it’s criss-crossed by canals and winding cobbled streets lined with ancient buildings and is simply breathtakingly beautiful.

 

Words — Janine Marsh

 

Janine Marsh is editor of thegoodlifefrance.com and author of My Good Life in France: In Pursuit of the Rural Dream and My Four Seasons in France: A Year of The Good Life.