Congestion of the French Countryside and Other Disruptions

I know many of you out there think France as a European getaway, but nothing is perfect, so they say.

For example, in the French town of Draguignan, there is already a considerable population of Dutch and British; naturally, the locals are not too happy to be annoyed by foreigners. But, there is nothing they can do because traveling from one part of Europe to another became very easy since the assimilation of the European Union.

In this part of the world, the city included, smoking can also drive anyone silly, but men and women alike engage heavily in this pricey pleasure. You try to relax in a petite corner and find yourself choked by cigarette smoke. The folks don't care about the people around them, as long as their nicotine lust is satisfied. Whether you choose to hide in a restaurant, rest on the beach, or even stay inside your running car, second-hand smoke will unavoidably find you. So, I really pray that liberation will come when Parliament adopts the bill banning smoking in public places. Ireland and Italy are already smoke-free spots, so why not this awe-inspiring country?

I also found a very aged book in a place which sells antiques and second-hand items. It is an anthology of narratives from the Bible published in 1875; it is cost-effective but it is written in both Latin and French! Now, where did the value of the on sale price go, especially for us trekkers?

No wonder the smoking, the disliked bureaucracy, and the confusing charges are the top three problems I have on visiting this country.

Viewing People in a French City

Nice, with the bright Mediterranean Sea in the background, is probably the finest place to watch people in the plazas and on the beach. The sunbathers, usually tanned, topless, and in their revealing bikinis, populate the place, especially the beach area. On the other hand, the city center is like a act with beautiful women in their tiniest bikinis, like models in diverse fashion magazines.

The boyfriends are very proud of their fashionable girlfriends and show off their girls like medals. It definitely seems that the gents are confident enough to flaunt their own assets and the things they carry with them. The women, meanwhile, speak and laugh in a very demure tone so that one would not hear any sound at all. The women remain mysterious, very conscious of propriety, not to mention that they walk with such polish that one would assume they learned it in a finishing school.

Watching people in Nice is such an enjoyable pastime and it has become an habit that infects a majority. The place is a giant runway where one can freely express himself or herself, so if you are a tourist visiting this place, prepare to be seen in your most lovely self.

The Charming French Lasses

Women seem to always understand how to look like models; for some unknown reason their human scars become invisible to the audience. What's left is the unique, attractive self and it is amazing to find that distinct charm in each French woman.

Every girl shows her own style of dressing by deciding on appropriate accessories, arranging her hair, and manipulating standard wardrobe items. On the other hand, what French women have in common are thin figures, nice eyelashes, and accessories that accentuate the body.

When it comes to outfits, the French ladies generally prefer clothes that show off the silhouette and the curves of their bodies nicely, showing just a tiny spot of skin to charm in a subtle way. They usually stay away from the very short skirts and sexy blouses and instead, wear long skirts or dresses where the seduction resides in the minute details like slits, exposed backs, tiny tops that flaunt the lower abdomen, or pants that expose sexy underwear. Lastly, their shoes supplement their femininity; sexy is too vulgar a word to describe their legs and feet -- "elegantly charming" is the more appropriate phrase.

French women are also experts in cosmetics, particularly in applying make-up that is not brash; one would just know that whatever they did emphasizes their faces, so people notice the woman in them and not the make-up per se.

Trips in Picturesque France

If you ever get the occasion to fly to Europe, take the coastal road in Italy from Ventimiglia to San Remo. This area is called Via Aurelia and it is the oldest Italian road, made by the Romans.

You may just find the area to be the most awe-inspiring road that you can ever see in the world since it is a very colorful place, thanks to the bougainvilleas and the many charming flowers growing everywhere. You can leave the house on a Friday night and drive by car to Fontan, a minute medieval village, which has very few people in the winter. The path is also positioned very close to the border of Italy so you can actually travel between two countries in two days.

As for us, our first day started in San Remo in Italy; unexpectedly, there was a sale in the stalls, hence we ended up shopping. The prices are very attractive and you can find a scarf and a blouse for a hardly anything price. We ate in a traditional restaurant, relaxed on the beach, and wandered on the hills. The next day we organized a picnic in Casterino, an nice alpine village; we visited Saorge after, a village considered as one of the most beautiful in France.

The Worth of the Calling Gardening

In the ladder of all things, gardening can be placed at the summit because gardening keeps you feeling young enough to enjoy life's other marvels. This is generally the view of those of us who reside in France. In this hobby, we pass along the value for life to our children, with whom we can plant cabbage and onion seeds and get as energized as they do when the seedlings poke out of the ground. In addition, common sense tells us that adolescents who grow vegetables are more likely to feast on them.

I've known a fair number of the elderly who do gardening and I've observed that they are more quick and have less knee and hip problems. Older gardeners may be able to plant fewer shrubs and find that weeds usually infest their yard, but they walk through life with a joy that companionship with the grasshoppers can give.

Only a real gardener would spend currency on a single uncommon ornamental plant and not feel guilty. Only a devoted gardener would spend long evenings absorbed in garden catalogs. Only a real gardener can derive patience from the experience of finding out that his rare plants have been eaten by pests.

Gardening also shows us the bliss of cleaning a garden and the delightful responsibility of caring for a tiny seedling that blossoms in time. When your gardening days are finally over, there is no lack of children who can prolong what you have done.