Thursday, July 14, 2011

Happy Bastille Day OR What France Does Better...














Yes, I am that annoying person right now who is in the first few weeks of dating someone they really like. That someone happens to be a country.


Called "FRANCE".


So, basically the equivalent of making out on park benches and other public places, talking about the person/place ALL THE TIME.

Annoying as hell. I am in the honeymoon stage.


But, like all people in love I am oblivious to your rolling eyes and your under your breath’s and mumbling's of ‘whatever, lets see you in 6 months’ .


So here we go.


Why I am infatuated with France.


Number 1


CHEEEEEEEEEEEEESE. Mmmm. CHEEEEEEEESE.



















































Supermarket Cheese


I don’t think anyone could argue this with me. Seriously. You could eat a different cheese every day of the year (true fact) and they all practically cost under 3 Euros.


Cheese is so good.


Runny cheese. Stinky cheese. Hard cheese.


Love them all!


Never get tired of them.















Market Cheese


Number 2.


Wine.



















When I see this at the local supermarket, I imagine little Jean and Claudette* skipping off to school with these tucked away in their lunch boxes.

*Note: Totally fictional characters and by no means am I saying children here drink underage. They do. This is lunch box friendly and probably happens. Everyone leads a happier life because of it.



















Amazing.


We have bottles of Bordeaux for $1.99?! Is this a dream?!



















May I also say how wine in general, promotes family and social gatherings, which is one of the benchmarks of French society. European society, in general. (By the way I make this stuff up based on opinionated observations)

Yup. I realize I could say that in a less alcoholic way but, it is a fact.


Yesterday we went to a local village picnic. Locals got together in the town square. They brought some food, some wine and conversation and made it a good old time.















This sort of activity would be illegal back home, as enjoying a glass in public is against the law.

So lets segregate the kids and parents and pretend they don’t drink.


Ok.


Enough of a rant.


I don’t want to hate. I just want to share this experience with the rest of the world.
















Ian, Paul & Tom enjoying the picnic




















Jean-Jacques (in scarf). He is one of my faveourite people here.


Number 3


Fashion.


French Vogue? Blowing my mind. All the spreads are super inspiring, sexy and enchanting.



















Yes, I realize this says Greece. But it is the current issue of French Vogue with a photo shoot in Greece.


It translates so well. I mean I WANT to be this girl. Sometimes I find fashion layouts to be so out there and far-fetched I cannot relate.



















The men? Scarves, tailored suits, beautiful brogues.














Attention to detail.














They care about what they look like and appear to ENJOY shopping.


Imagine that!


Number 4


Le Dejeuner.


Lunch time!!! Here in France NOTHING, and I repeat NOTHING comes between the French and their mid-time meal. You could be giving birth and stop the show for a glass of red, some fromage, charcuterie and salad.


Seriously.


A few weeks ago we went to the local Brocante which is like a massive garage sale that everyone in the surrounding 100kms brings all their old Nana Mouskouri records, mismatched cutlery, dated clothing and other dust collectors to and sells them all in a big field.















By 12:00 all the vendors took a time out, pulled out a fold up table a bottle or two of vino and some grub and chowed down. Yup, food is priority number one.


Number 5


Architecture and landscape.


So gorgeous. I melt and swoon everytime I pass a stone farmhouse, babbling brook, vineyard---you name it.




















































This country nailed it.

You can see why the French get a tad cocky about this place.

It is pretty idyllic.





























3 comments:

  1. Marika, that piece of cheese was obscene, nice gloating!

    I don't know if you do actually eat meat, but please try making and eating Tartiflette while you are in France, or at least eating some roblochon cheese! Stinkiest cheese in the whole world.

    Love reading about your travels! :)

    ReplyDelete