I passed through Nice a couple of years ago when I was going into San Remo, Italy, and I thought that Nice was incredible. It was very nice. I've also been to Paris, but I think it's not as good as people make it seem. I think the French people are very nice; the girls are pretty, nice fashion style, good cuisine, but I don't like French arrogance and French nationalism. I don't like the French who think that they should lead Europe and that they are better than the rest of us.
France itself is a beautiful country and in fact the most touristical in the world, so that means lot's of people like France. Rare are the countries in the world that have as much historical heritage (castles, churches, cities...) combined with some great scenery (Alps, Cote d'Azur, Provence, Cevennes...).
French people are usually seen as rational, cultivated, stylish and open to the world but also as argumentative ("always right"), chauvinistic or difficult to understand (because of "French logic").
I absolutely love France! I have always loved France. I took French for 4 years and that was my intended major in college. I've only been there twice, though. I want to go back very, very soon!
Not in Germany. We get a rather differentiated picture. If you watch the good programs, that is. The reporting in the private media is more sensational, but not necessarily more negative. It all depends, actually.
I always love German ; they are educated and they are never excessive.
Together we have a chain of television ARTE (it speaks the two languages) whom I love so much and I often look at.
I am very glad that the German journalists give you a truth picture of France.
Yoroshikuuuuuu !!!! I live in Nice, and I am always looking for foreigners who came here. I love Nice because living in there is very confortable. Girls are really pretty here (ok, I know my girlfriend is Japanese ... but still I can find them pretty ). But the biggest problem with Nice is that people are not as much welcoming as elsewhere in France. I met a girl one week ago and she was from Israel. She said she is very surprised that people in Nice are arrogant (french are said to be) and not nice at all. She said that everywhere else she went, she could ask her way to people in the street, but in Nice, people were so reluctant to that. Hehe, don't worry, everybody is not like that.
That's so great to hear that the world like France in general.
As I am keen on History and Cuisine, I love travelling in France. Nice has a so great history because if you go back to 150 years ago, Nice wasn't part of France ;)
I'd like to visit the South of France thorougly well one day, when my French is fluent . I think the south of France and North of Italy, that area there, is very a very nice place to visit. Forgot, I also been to Normandy, that was very nice indeed.
Yes, southern France and Northern Italy are very beautiful. I live in Nice, but I have my family ( on my father's side) in Lombardy and I love going there.
I also went to Belgium two years ago. I stayed in Oostend and visited Bruge and some cities at the border with France. It was really really good, and I really like Belgium (I love it ).
Most foreigners like myself, don't really like Belgium. I however think is nice, and that every country has somethin nice to offer if you just give it a chance, so for the time I have left, I try to figure out more about Belgium and its culture rather than simply sayin "Belgium sucks" and be bitter. The only negative aspect of Belgium is its weather. I only saw Nice for a little though. I took the bus ride from the airport to the train station, and also the same thing on the way back. But the bus went by the beach for most of the route so my impression was very good of the city.
ARTE is one of the better channels, they often have very good documentaries.
Well, Reader's Digest has done a poll about who the most liked Europeans are: 16% liked Spain the most, then came Italy (12%), 3rd was France with 10%. Germany is on a shared 5th place with Holland (6%).
The most sex appeal has Italy (a whopping 34%), followed by Spain (15%) & surprisingly only on the 3rd rank France (14%). Germany? Oh well... forget it!
If we are going to discuss the merits and demerits of Belgium too, then I can certainly help. The good points are :
- the food (not just chocolate, wafles, biscuits, beer and cheese, but the gastronomy in general, very similar to French food, but more hearty)
- the history : there is probable no other country in the world (not even France) with as many castles and churches per square meter. In average 2 castles (or "chateau-ferme", ie those converted into a farm) per village !
- multiculturalism, openness to the world, capital of the EU and very pro-european feeling...
Bad points :
- weather : can't rain more, even in England
- bureaucracy
without thinking of "THE FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION"!!
In the late 50's or early 60's there was a weekly TV show
about the Foreign Legion.Anytime things got bad at home,
I wanted to run away to France and join! When I learned to read, comic books and magazines & paperbacks all told
how brave they were and how well they died for the glory
of France! I think they still exist, but you hear very little about them now?
Frank
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TAKE WHAT I SAY WITH A GRAIN OF SUGAR !!
Not agree! Each year, the State gives them legions of honor.
They are not forgotten ; French knows it although they made and they always will be grateful. However, it's true at your home anyone doesn't speak about them.
I love the Belgians very much. For us French, they are like close cousins or brothers. And they have qualities that we don't have : they are always obliging and pleasant, they are less arrogant. They understood that is necessary to take the best things of foreign countries. And we don't know how to do the same because we are too chauvinistic.
I know germans are good dredgers... LOL No?
I was born in Normandy, in Dieppe, the saylors 's city. It's a beautiful region.
I just came home from my cousins wedding in France...yeah she married a french guy ...well yesterdaymorning 7 am we left for a 520 km long trip to Dreux(somewhere in the vicinity of Paris)and we were VERY late due to a traffic hold wich is common in Paris....*rolls eyes*...well these Frenchies CAN'T drive normal...they are THE worst drivers the world has... they are just so damn arrogant on the road you couldn't believe it!!!well...for dinner we got nice food....but(you can guess it) NOT ENOUGH...I like a full plate of tasty food....not just some small portion of food that's doesn't fill your stomach at all...the party was nice n all....but there were like a SHITLOAD of tiny flies all around the damn place *evil eyes* >_<
the food was like filled with flies b4 you put something in your mouth!!
God I like Belgium better!! *sighs*
And the cheese....for crying out loud...who the h*ll likes lettuce wit wine vinegare and stinky cheese as dessert ??? *HMPHF* xD
AND it's sooooooo freaking expensive....!!!
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I totally agree with you RockLee about French arogance on the road, but I think you never been to Netherland or to Southern Italy, right ? Here are the worst drivers in the world. Southern Italy's streets are such a mess !! People goes on the wrong way to make their way shorter, policemen talk to girls (lol) while there is a traffic jam in front of their eyes, scooters drives so fast, and without helmets. But ironicly, Italy has less car crashes than France. Everybody knows that the other won't respect things (according to my eyes), so they expect driver's behaviour.
About the Foreign Legion, it is still consider as Elite in French army. Since The Legion was created in 1831 by the king Louis-Philippe, it joined all the most important battles and is still involved in nowadays conflicts. There are still sometimes TV programs about The Legion, and as ElleN said, French President gives every year the Legion of Honor to the Foreign Legion
I've been to the Netherlands uncountable times..I live near the border and YEAH they can't drive either...NOR park lol...(2 places instead of 1 parkingspace), bout Italy...never been there so I don't know
Actually, Dutch drivers are among the tamest in Europe (after the Nordics ?). They respect speed limitation so scrupulously that in countries like Belgium or France, if you see a car driving at a constant 120km/h, they will very likely be Dutch (locals just don't care about speed limit). One more thing, they usually bring their car-a-van to travel (so they can save on accommodation )
Well, I see what you mean RockLee. In France, we eat salad after main dish, then we eat cheese (there can also be some in the salad), and then dessert. We are not crazy enough to eat cheese for dessert maybe some French are
Those tasty "little" dishes you had are very fine dishes. It looks so beautiful in the plate that you don't want to break it, or even eat it. I have been to some restaurant and I was as much hungry when I left as when I arrived. But good retaurant are those where you can eat fine cuisine and feel "ponpon" (as the japanese say), full I mean. I haven't been to restaurants called "Grandes Tables" which are the finest, the most expensives and with a famous chief, but I was told that when you live, you are full, and it's a realy celebration for tastes (I don't know if you got what I mean )
Yes that's a funny thing about car-a-van. I saw many driving on the middle line of the highway on my way holiday when i was kid. My father was always saying "damned dutch" when then seem to having a car that prevented them from going faster.
I have always loved France. I took French for 4 years and that was my intended major in college. I've only been there twice, though. 
I want to go back very, very soon!
I live in Nice, and I am always looking for foreigners who came here. I love Nice because living in there is very confortable. Girls are really pretty here (ok, I know my girlfriend is Japanese ... but still I can find them pretty 
). But the biggest problem with Nice is that people are not as much welcoming as elsewhere in France. I met a girl one week ago and she was from Israel. She said she is very surprised that people in Nice are arrogant (french are said to be) and not nice at all. She said that everywhere else she went, she could ask her way to people in the street, but in Nice, people were so reluctant to that. Hehe, don't worry, everybody is not like that. 
they are just so damn arrogant on the road you couldn't believe it!!!well...for dinner we got nice food....but(you can guess it) NOT ENOUGH...I like a full plate of tasty food....not just some small portion of food that's doesn't fill your stomach at all...the party was nice n all....but there were like a SHITLOAD of tiny flies all around the damn place *evil eyes* >_< 
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