Richard Smokes Europe - Step 2 : France

Looking at a map of France, you quickly realize the geographical diversity of this country makes it impossible to experience all in one visit. Landscapes change from wild coast lines to limestone hills, to canyons, to mountains, to islands, and so on. From the wooded valleys of the Dordogne and the gentle meadows of the Loire valley to the glaciated peaks of the Alps, each region looks and feels different. Though the French word 'Pays' is the term for a whole country, people frequently refer to their own region as 'mon pays' – my country – and this strong sense of regional identity has persisted despite centuries of centralized government, from Louis XIV to date with Sarkozy. Centralized by government, but decentralized by tradition. These regional traditions are lived and vehicled through such areas as music, language, 'haute couture' (fashion), art, architecture and, of course, food and wine, just to name a few. My trip to France this time was devised with a single goal in mind; to visit areas not infected by the hustle and bustle of bland modern day life. Although I take pride in thinking and acting globally, my palate is definitely more locally inclined. I do not want to have the same tasting McDonalds burger wherever I go in the world, I want to try an Angus beef burger if I am in Scotland, I want to try a Kobe beef burger if I am in Japan. Why dilute everything in life, when what makes life worth continuing (apart from spreading our genes) is diversity, variety, novelty, creativity, ity, ity, ity, isn't it a pity to make everything so watery! Paris may be one city, but the different 'quartiers' have a heart and identity of their own and spending time in Montmartre is a very different experience than spending time in Saint-Germain-des-Près, both of which are in Paris. Eating a Camembert off a super-market shelf is a cheese-life away from savoring an AOC (Appellation D'Origine) Camembert de Normandie, where the cheese-maker knows the name of the cow that produced the milk to make the cheese. So go out and learn to love where you are from. Remember the grass is rarely greener on the other side.