Saturday, February 12, 2011

French holidays

In the spirit of sharing my memories of the country that is the focus of my reading this month let me just share a couple of reflections on holidays in France.

The last few years I have holidayed in Northern Brittany enjoying the sleepy seaside towns inbetween trips to the larger and some might argue uglier cities like Saint Malo.

What I like about France is the sense of space, the determination in the villages to keep the 24/7 lifestyle so dominant in London at arm's length and the quirks that come from being in a culture that is incredibly proud of its own heritage.

Sadly most of the time, at least on the campsite and occasionally on the beach, the voices you tend to hear are British but you do get to hear French being spoken, get to breathe in the atmosphere and enjoy and notice the differences with Britain.