So I'm back from my holiday in the south of France and I made a few observations about French people while there…

 

Myths

All french women are tall and thin.

Not so. In fact I would estimate that 80% of the population was overweight and about 30% would be classified as morbidly obese. Mc Donalds has ruined France.  

French women have great style.

Not from what I saw. I pay attention to other people I see and what they wear, especially when on holiday. I was surprised to see the vast majority of women wearing non descriptive yoga pants, jeans, and unflattering tops or t-shirts. And on their feet? Runners or flip flops most of the time. I counted three women I saw the entire trip that had a good sense of style. In fact I saw more men than women with good fashion sense. It was sad and not at all what I recall from when I first visited France some 25 years ago. I do realise this isn't Paris…but it is Nice and we were in Cannes as well. 

French people are arrogant snobs.

Not all of them. Even the French people that live there find that other French people are snobs! LOL  My inlaws (who are from Nice) were complaining all of the time how they found people in the south of France to be rude. However, some French people are also wonderfully welcoming and go out of their way to make you feel at home. It is the luck of the draw…like anywhere else.

Facts

French people love to drink.

Very true. They pretty much don't sit down to any meal without some kind of alcohol, the one exception being breakfast, at which time most of them just grab an espresso. 

French people love to eat.

Holler! Who else do you know that closes their stores for 2 hours midday so that they can sit down and have what we would consider a 2 martini lunch daily? Supper requires even longer lingering over each course. More like 4 hours. The days are filled with, "Where are we eating lunch?" and then as soon as that is finished, "What are we eating for supper?" Really every moment of every day and night revolves around food or drinks.

I know what you're thinking…"And that's a bad thing… how…Suzanne?"

French people love to argue.

Well they would call it "discussing". As a Canadian I call it arguing. You say tom-ae-to I say to-mah-to. 

French people smoke. 

Many French people still have not given up this habit. Sad but true. 

French people love to complain.

Yes. But so do many other people given the opportunity.

French people love to sunbath topless.

Yes, but so do many of the tourists in France.

The French make the best bread and pastries in the world.

True dat.

Don't even get me started on their brilliant wine and cheese. You know now why 24/7  they are dreaming about what they are going to eat next…the food is the stuff dreams are made of.

The French people are the best lovers in the world.

Okay…I married a Frenchman…and it wasn't because he could bake bread. That's all I'm sayin'.

 

Do you know of any other myths or facts about French people?  

 

I'll have another post soon with more photos from our trip. The country is so beautiful.