"France" a France Travel Page by traveldave

Of all the countries in Europe, France is the one that I am most experienced and familiar with. I studied French for seven years in high school and college. In studying the French language, I also learned a lot about French history, culture, government, gastronomy, and economics.

After high school, I went to France and lived with a French family for five weeks. No one in the family spoke any English at all, so I really had to apply the French I learned, and living en famille offered a great opportunity to learn more of the language, and to see how typical French people live.

In the United States we frequently hear stories about how the French are rude and do not like Americans. However, I found that if visitors can speak, or try to speak, the language and try not to impose themselves on them, the French are more tolerant than their reputation has them. One of the most touching experiences I had occured when I visited a small town where no tourists go. When one of the old ladies of the village learned I was from the United States, she got tears in her eyes and expressed her gratitude for American help in liberating France during the Second World War.

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