Contrary to what we hear in the US, the French people are not rude.
They are more formal than Americans--greeting each other with "Bon jour, Madame" or "Bon soir, Monsieur. And even strangers at the next table say "Au revoir" to you when they get up to leave. They prioritize politeness and expect it from others, even Americans. We think this is a good trait.
We found the French to be quite helpful and friendly, especially if your French is really bad when you approach and try to speak to them in their native language. They feel sorry for you and will speak to you in English.
The French have a different way of living. They prioritize personal time and relationships. People are more important than projects. They live at a slower pace. Lunch commonly takes 2 hours. In short, they work to live, they don't live to work as we do in America. And even starting positions of employment receive 5 weeks of vacation per year.
Pets are important. So much so, that dogs are allowed almost everywhere--in stores, restaurants, shops, and on the Metro.
The national dog of France is not the poodle. It's the Yorkshire terrier. For every poodle we saw in France, we must have seen 30 Yorkies!
The French can find a reason to have a celebration--rollerblading, techno music, a full moon. Any reason is a good reason to celebrate life.
Bread has great historical importance in France. Revolutions have started over the price of bread! Nothing will do but a daily fresh baguette from the bakery around the corner.
The French smoke too much. And some of them like really stinky cigarettes! But only outside, because 3 years ago, they outlawed smoking inside any public venue including shops, bars, and restaurants. Sadly, some of the sidewalk cafes can get a little foggy.
They don't pick up their dogs' poop. They don't even curb their dogs. It is a daily sight to see smeared and stepped-in piles of poop on the sidewalks as you walk along. This is especially treacherous if you are wearing flip-flops! They really should have a law for this. If they can outlaw burkhas, why can't the make it illegal to leave your dog's poop for others to step in?
Their fashion sense is different--in a good way. They are very creative in their dress. Scarves are a common fashion accessory on men and women, and they are appropriate with and will dress up any outfit--even a t-shirt.
Mixing colors and patterns of fabric in unusual ways is also common, and fun to see. They seem to have the attitude, "Try it! If it works, great. If it doesn't, don't wear that again."
But there are parameters. If you get too far off their "norm" they look at you funny. Like this guy who walked through Paris wearing Vibram 5-Finger shoes. He got lots of "Don't wear that again" looks.
When they find out you are American, they want to know what you think about George W. Bush. If you say you are glad he is out of office, they smile and will engage you in conversation. If you say he was a great American president, they smile at you with pity and move on. Guess is was the "Freedom Fries" thing.
They eat a lot of butter and cheese, and for the most part, they are thin. Maybe it's related to the smoking. And in Paris, they walk a lot. Maybe that's it.
Like the light in France, the butter is different. Special. If the Greeks got nectar from the gods, then that must be where the French got their butter. It is delicious. On anything. Which is why they put so much of it in their cooking, I guess.
Love the taste of Camembert cheese. Just wish it didn't smell so bad!
Good ideas we saw in France:
Cargo trucks load from the side and have heavy plasticized canvas sides that close in the cargo. Surely it takes less time to load a truck this way.
All the highways have climbing lanes on the far right side for trucks, and the trucks are required to go up hills in that lane. Wish Costa Rica would adopt this one!
Facilities such as parking garages, especially the ones underground, and some hotel hallways have lights with motion sensors that turn the lights on when someone enters and turn the lights off when no one is present. Great energy saving idea.
Energy-saving escalators only move when someone steps on the entrance plate to get on. Sadly, thinking the escalator was simply out of order, we walked up and down a lot of stairs before we figured this out.
Toilets all have two flushes: big flush and small flush, depending on your current situation. This saves water. We have this in Costa Rica too. Unfortunately, in France, as in Costa Rica, it works about half the time, so the water savings may no be so great.
At intersections, all the traffic lights have a big light above the intersection and a small set of lights mounted on the light pole to the right at eye level for the first few drivers in line at the red light. Better than craning your neck to see the big light above.
Many of the old buildings have been fitted with new windows. The look just like the original windows, but they are made of modern materials, open side to side like the originals, but can also be tilted open from the top. This preserves the historical architecture of the building.
In Paris, taxis and buses have their own dedicated lane on the street, so if you are in a taxi, you go faster than if you are driving your own car.
But the Metro is the best and fastest way to get around. We loved using it.
Outside of Paris, most intersections have round-abouts, which we call traffic circles. They avoid the need for stoplights and thus avoid the need to sit at red lights with no cross traffic coming. Traffic moves faster this way.
We were blessed to be able to spend such a long time in France touring the country and getting to really know some of the people by spending relaxed time with them instead of running from monument to monument. But the castles and monuments are wonderful too, and reflective of a long, proud, and at times, turbulent history of a great country. We are ready to be at home in Costa Rica with our friends and with our puppies. So "Au Revoir" to France and "Buenos Dias" Costa Rica!
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