Newsletter from the Pont du Gard, France

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Bonjour,

I hope you and yours are well.

First, thank you so much for all the birthday wishes last week, I really appreciated it. I spent the day scampering along the (dry) canal at the top of the Roman Pont du Gard aqueduct. It was an incredible experience I’ll tell you more about soon.

French people often ask me what it is about France that I like the most. “Of course I love the markets, the gastronomy, the wine” I say, “and I really love how French people respect their heritage, support the arts, hold traditions dear.”

I can guarantee you that nearly all of them look at me astonished at this. “Really?” they say. “You think this is how we are?”

I’ve spent years observing French people and how life is lived here. I am fascinated by French history and culture, from the arts to national characteristics. For instance (and I’m being general here, obviously there are exceptions) French people hate to be wrong about anything and will insist “I never said that” if they give you duff information. They know that they were wrong, will laugh when you point out that actually there are witnesses to what they said, but still hold their stance, knowing you know that they know they were wrong, but not backing down. Generally French people also hate to admit they don’t know something. If you ask the way to somewhere, it’s rare to hear “I don’t know” – instead they will guess, and from time to time, you may end up in a different place that anticipated. Sometimes French people seem to have a different idea of time from the rest of us. “5 minutes that way” they say. 15 minutes later you will arrive. “Come to dinner at 7pm” means you are expected to arrive at 7.30pm.

When it comes to culture, without fail, I see French people love to support the arts whether it be comics, photo exhibitions, museums, galleries, cinema, books – every form of art is respected. Children are encouraged to enjoy the arts from a very young age, and almost all museums are free to the age of 25 (for French or EU residents). Even in the deepest rural part of France where I live, though major cultural venues are scarce but never far away, there are clubs galore for painting, writing, learning to play a musical instrument and many more topics.

Heritage is revered, monuments are preserved – whether fairy tale castles, Cathedrals, a village fountain, a tiny chapel or the site of a battle.

People support local producers and because of that, it’s often as cheap or cheaper to go to a farm shop or street market to buy direct – “if you don’t use it, you lose it” say my French friends, and no one wants to lose it. So, though it may be easier to go to a supermarket at 7pm instead of to a morning market on a set day – enough people make the effort. Enough people shop at artisan boulangeries, though you can buy a cheaper (industrially produced) baguette in a supermarket. Everywhere I travel in France I see this. Not all, but enough.

Not everything in France is good. It’s certainly not perfect. But when it comes to art, culture, heritage – I think the French get a lot right.

If you visit France, going to a market and an artisan boulangerie are as much a part of the culture as the Eiffel Tower – it’s all about feeding the soul, as well as the stomach!

Bisous,
Janine
Editor

PS Top photo: The Pont du Gard – few people know that it’s possible to walk along the top inside the canal, and it’s awesome! I’ll write more about it but in case anyone wants to know how to have this experience – book a guided tour at the ticket office, you can’t go it alone.

Read the whole newsletter here

Janine Marsh is Author of My Good Life in France: In Pursuit of the Rural Dream, My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life and Toujours la France: Living the Dream in Rural France all available as ebook, print & audio, on Amazon everywhere & all good bookshops online. Her latest book How to be French – is a celebration of the French lifestyle and art de vivre.

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