How is France for you?

[RockLee]

I've been to the Netherlands uncountable times..I live near the border and YEAH they can't drive either...NOR park lol...(2 places instead of 1 parkingspace), bout Italy...never been there so I don't know :relief:

 

[Maciamo]

I totally agree with you RockLee about French arogance on the road, but I think you never been to Netherland or to Southern Italy, right ? Here are the worst drivers in the world.

Actually, Dutch drivers are among the tamest in Europe (after the Nordics ?). They respect speed limitation so scrupulously that in countries like Belgium or France, if you see a car driving at a constant 120km/h, they will very likely be Dutch (locals just don't care about speed limit). One more thing, they usually bring their car-a-van to travel (so they can save on accommodation :blush: )

 

[bossel]

Maciamo, you must be kidding!:shock:
The Dutch drivers the tamest? Not on German roads! They have a very bad name here.

BTW, the caravan thingy is a constant reason for jokes on German TV.

I know germans are good dredgers... LOL No?

Probably a lack in vocabulary on my side, but what are dredgers?
:?

And the cheese....for crying out loud...who the h*ll likes lettuce wit wine vinegare and stinky cheese as dessert ??? *HMPHF* xD

Well, I like French cheese, but as a dessert? Are you sure? Sounds more like some kind of salad that you ate.

 

[RockLee]

after we ate the main dish(which was tasty but not enough) we got lettuce with winevinegare and a collection of their finest stinkcheeses kashii:

 

[Riven]

Well, I see what you mean RockLee. In France, we eat salad after main dish, then we eat cheese (there can also be some in the salad), and then dessert. We are not crazy enough to eat cheese for dessert maybe some French are :?

Those tasty "little" dishes you had are very fine dishes. It looks so beautiful in the plate that you don't want to break it, or even eat it. I have been to some restaurant and I was as much hungry when I left as when I arrived. But good retaurant are those where you can eat fine cuisine and feel "ponpon" (as the japanese say), full I mean. I haven't been to restaurants called "Grandes Tables" which are the finest, the most expensives and with a famous chief, but I was told that when you live, you are full, and it's a realy celebration for tastes (I don't know if you got what I mean )

Yes that's a funny thing about car-a-van. I saw many driving on the middle line of the highway on my way holiday when i was kid. My father was always saying "damned dutch" when then seem to having a car that prevented them from going faster.

 

[Porl]

I've been to france a couple of times when i was younger with my family. We went to a couple of campsites and then started renting little houses in villages. They were the best. I really liked being in the little villages and playing bowls with the old people. they were always really cool and funny! even though i couldn't understand french they still would make you laugh.

I really like the food in france!! especially chocolate eclairs!!! haha :wave:

I would really like to go to france again, even just for the weekend..i will have to get im my little car and go for an adventure!

Porl''

 

[EscaFlowne]

Me, Myself, I love France. I love the language...its like if you could make love with your words...then Your speaking french. I even like the that attitude they have. ITs foreign, new, bold.

 

[ElleN]

Probably a lack in vocabulary on my side, but what are dredgers?
:?

:souka: In France, we says "dragueur" and I didn't know how to translate this word. Well, I watched in the dictionary and I readed "dredger".
A "dragueur" is a man who's chassing woman all the time.

 

[Hachiko]

France is great, especially in July with Le Tour, which is going on in your neighborhood right now!!!

GO LANCE!

 

[Arch]

Well in Britain, i guess the French are seen abit arrogorant. I think france and britain have a love-hate relationship. The recent politcal differances doesnt help and also the recent euro 2004 match =P.But france are our oldest and closest allie.But i like france and have been many times, i really like paris. The air seems alot fresher than what it is in Britain lol.
But alot of Brits are envious of the french i feel, in france it goes:
1.life
2.work
as in the uk it is the other way round. Thats why man older british people go to live in france when they retire. I hope to visit france again pretty soon. A very nice country indeeed

 

[bossel]

:souka: In France, we says "dragueur" and I didn't know how to translate this word. Well, I watched in the dictionary and I readed "dredger".
A "dragueur" is a man who's chassing woman all the time.

I see, thanks for the explanation. Cannot say I ever heard that in English, only know womanizer. Interestingly we have a similar expression in German for a similar activity: anbaggern, which means "to hit on" (& is, as I just noticed, the exact translation of French draguer).

Well, I'm certainly none of that kind. :bluush: & I didn't ever notice that Germans were seen like that. Germans tend to see French or Italian men in such a way. They're always after our women when on holiday. :shock:

Hachiko just mentioned Le Tour. I must say, to me that's the most interesting in France! When I still got Dutch TV I always watched the live commentary. Sadly, German sports reporters are not as good as their Dutch counterparts. They take away some of the fun of Le Tour.

 

[justin]

I have been to France when I lived in Europe for about five years. I loved the French country side, but I hated the cities with a passion.

The city that I visited was Paris and it was awful. The people were rude, the city was dirty, and there was a smell that made pig pens seem like roses.

In general, I think France is a nice place that suffers because of Paris.

Though I don't agree with the French on most things I will not hold it against them. If the French had not come to America's aide during the American Revolutionary War there would be no United States of America. I feel that the World Wars help even things between us.

France is okay in my book!

 

[Maciamo]

I have heard an expression that I think characterise well the opinion that French people have of their country : Heureux comme Dieu en France (Happy like God in France) ! That is actually the title of a book.

If God is so happy in France, then it must surpass paradise. :blush:

 

[Elizabeth van Kampen]

France is lavender, wine, le Tour de France, les chansons, very charming people, are so enthousiastic when you speak even just a bit of French.
France is in my eyes the most beautiful in Europe because of its variety in landscapes. The French language is most beautiful of languages.

I find it a real shame that the Dutch highschools put all their energy in English and neglect French and German. We can hardly find French and German books overhere. In my eyes, this is a lack of culture.
Holland is very americanized.

 

[Ma Cherie]

Aside from the stereotypes. Every time I think of France, for some reason I think of fashion. I never really held negative views towards like many Americans are taught, but there some things we could learn from them. I like French cuisine and wines (yeah that's another thing that comes mind when I think of France).

 

[^ lynx ^]

France is great. I adore Roland Garros and Le tour de France. :grin:

 

[Carlitos]

I want to visit France, but first I want to visit Portugal and Italy. The French have known that I liked. I have to go in the coming years and I can get a better conclusion.

 

[edao]

I get the impression the French are the spoilt kids of Europe. With austerity hitting all countires and governments having to make hard decisions about where the pain is going to land. I can understand the unrest seen in Greece, Spain and other parts of Europe as the working people know their lives are going to get much harder for the forseeable future.

Yet in France all I hear is they may have to work only 2 years more before retirment and they will still be well below the European average. Yet they are on the street indignant at this horrid attack on the French lifestyle.

All credit to the French they work less than most Europeans yet are more productive in the time they work.

My heart felt sympathy goes out to the French people, be sure that the rest of Europe feel their pain as they work 2 more years while the rest of Europe toil with crippling poverty.:disappointed:

 

[Yorkie]

I totally agree with you RockLee about French arogance on the road, but I think you never been to Netherland or to Southern Italy, right ? Here are the worst drivers in the world. Southern Italy's streets are such a mess !! People goes on the wrong way to make their way shorter, policemen talk to girls (lol) while there is a traffic jam in front of their eyes, scooters drives so fast, and without helmets. But ironicly, Italy has less car crashes than France. Everybody knows that the other won't respect things (according to my eyes), so they expect driver's behaviour.

About the Foreign Legion, it is still consider as Elite in French army. Since The Legion was created in 1831 by the king Louis-Philippe, it joined all the most important battles and is still involved in nowadays conflicts. There are still sometimes TV programs about The Legion, and as ElleN said, French President gives every year the Legion of Honor to the Foreign Legion

The Foreign Legion has always had a very large German component. Many brave Germans have fought for the Legion and ultimately for France over the years. Many fell at Dien Bien Phu against the Viet-Minh communists,and some endured years of captivity in Vietnamese hands. France, being a relatively 'secret' society in comparison with the USA, was able to successfully gain the release of a fraction of these Legionnaire [and non-Legionnaire] POWs by paying ransom to the Vietnamese communists. Some returned quietly to France up to nearly 30 years later. Most simply vanished into a 'Black Hole'. See 'The Bamboo Cage' by Nigel Cawthorne, and 'Kiss the Boys Goodbye' by the Jensen-Stevensons.

I bet there are not many tv programmes about the French MIAs and POWs of the Vietnamese, but France lost thousands at Dien Bien Phu, never to return. Does the French President remember these 'ghosts'? I think perhaps that he should.

 

[Aristander]

Personally I love France but I think the people in Paris are quite possibly the rudest most arrogant people on Earth! Outside of Paris I found most of the population to be extremely pleasant and helpful and a joy to be around.