I heart France

I just noticed that whenever I blog about France or the French, the post usually takes the form of an ugly rant. That's probably because I only post about France when something about the country has just cheesed me off (pun intented). My apologies. I actually really love living here. Since I don't want to give the wrong impression, here's a list of some of the things I love about this country and its people (no order of preference):

• France has many beautiful and very diverse landscapes
• France has a fascinating history
  
• the French are rarely superficial
• the French are less materialistic than people in anglo-saxon countries (no matter what people say)
  
• France is a republic. We have no useless monarch. (But plenty of useless politicians).
• the French language is beautiful (when spoken properly)
• France hasn't fallen for the extreme political correctness of some anglo-saxon countries (though sadly that's changing)
• France has had some great poets, writers and artists
  
• the French are always ready to question the authorities and stand up for their rights
• the wine (no further comment needed!)
• the food, especially the many different salads and cheeses
  
• the weather (in general)
• the urban French usually have a good dress sense
• the French have a cute accent when they speak English
• in France it isn't embarassing or socially abnormal for a man to cook or be interested in gastronomy
  
• ordinary French people are interested in politics
• it's a secular state ; no link between church and state
• many French people are pacifists and are anti-war
• the French kiss to greet one another (how better can it get?)
• the French use their hands when they speak
• in France, you can put your hands on the table when you eat
• French markets aren't only full of hip bourgeois people
• the French dig the Irish
• José Bové (I don't know whether it's his moustache or his alter-globalism which I like best)
• the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
• the French are almost as cynical as I am
• the French are into home-made cooking rather than ready-made meals
• in cases of emergencies, men can pee in women's loos, without being shot down (mentally) by the muttawa
• junk food is considered uncool
• on a religious note (sorry peeps, I had to get this one out), French Christians generally don't give in to the Christian Right-type nonsense about politics and end-times theology that you often find in the US and in Norn Iron
  

(Dedicated to Camille)