France
seduces travellers with its unfalteringly familiar culture, woven
around cafe terraces, village-square markets and lace-curtained bistros
with their plat du jour chalked on the board.Gastronomy
Food is of enormous importance
to the French, and each region has its own specialities alongside
French classics. The daily culinary agenda takes no prisoners:
breakfasting on warm croissants from the boulangerie, stopping
off at Parisian bistros, and shopping at the market are all second
nature to the French – and it really would rude to refuse. But French
gastronomy goes far deeper than just eating exceedingly well. Its
experiential nature means there is always something tasty to observe,
learn and try, wherever you are – be it flipping crepes in Brittany or chinking Champagne flutes in ancient Reims cellars, the culinary opportunities are endless.
Cultural Savoir Faire
France
is about world-class art and architecture, outstanding museums, Roman
temples and Renaissance châteaux. It seduces with both iconic landmarks
known the world over and rising stars yet to be discovered. This
country's cultural repertoire is staggering – in volume and diversity.
And this is where the beauty of la belle France lies: when super
stars like Mademoiselle Eiffel, royal Versailles and the
celebrity-ridden French Riviera have been ticked off, there’s still
plenty more to thrill. (France is, after all, the world's top tourist
destination, with more than 80 million visitors a year.)Art de Vivre
The rhythm of daily life – dictated by the seasons in the depths of la France profonde
(rural France) – exudes an intimacy that gets under your skin. Don’t
resist. Rather, live the French lifestyle. Embrace the luxury of
simple, everyday rituals being transformed into unforgettable moments,
be it a coffee and croissant in the Parisian cafe where Sartre and
Simone de Beauvoir met to philosophise, a stroll through the lily-clad
gardens Monet painted, or a walk on a beach in Brittany scented with the subtle infusion of language, music and mythology brought by 5th-century Celtic invaders. Outdoor Action
And then there is the terroir
(land) and the varied journey it weaves from northern France's cliffs
and sand dunes to the piercing blue sea of the French Riviera and Corsica's
green oak forests. Outdoor action is what France's lyrical landscape
demands – and there's something for everybody. Whether you end up
walking barefoot across wave-rippled sand to Mont St-Michel, riding a
cable car to glacial panoramas above Chamonix, or cartwheeling down Europe's
highest sand dune, France does not disappoint. Its great outdoors is
thrilling, with endless opportunities and the next adventure begging to
be had. Allez!
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий