6 Things French Do Differently
On my recent visit to Toulouse for a friend’s wedding, I had the chance to plunge into a different reality and lifestyle. I’ve got some impressions I want to share with you – tips to live in a more soulful manner from the French:
- Art is all around
It’s amazing to see people living surrounded by art in various forms – paintings, sculptures, pieces of writing, architectural touch in an artistic way… Obviously art isn’t only limited to the numerous museums and cathedrals but people tend to make their everyday life more colourful and pleasing for the eye.
- Creativity is King
The art atmosphere and the rich cultural heritage inspire people to create and express their unique gifts. A freelance journalist who paints, a rock band musician travelling around the country, a Tibetan ball therapist were just a few examples of the talented people I met who live out of the box and inspired me to do the same.
- Smartphones are not their best friends
Surprisingly for me, I noticed something different – something we’ve already taken for granted – people were not staring in their phones all the time. Instead, parents were playing with their kids in the park and couples were enjoying each other’s company. Even in the public transport, the most common place for killing time scrolling down on Facebook or Instagram, people were talking or just relaxing.
- Love is in the air
We’ve all heard phrases like “To fall in love in Paris” and “French – the language of romance”. It was very sweet to see people expressing their love openly and, actually, really feeling it all around.
- Fashion, style and make-up
Well, another cliché that proved right. I caught myself looking after beautifully dressed women and men, stylish and elegant. Women were wearing make-up and expressing their femininity, I could sense a touch of natural delicacy and grace. Men were also very neat and well-groomed. The look was unpretentious, light and airy but saying – “I take time to look after my appearance and I like it!”
- Boulangeries everywhere
While we, Bulgarians have our kiosks for selling freshly made pastries called “banitsa”, and the fast food chains are almost everywhere, French have their boulangeries – small shops where they sell all kind of pastries, from the widely-spread croissants to the popular macaroоns and, of course, their usual bread – the baguette. I had pleasure trying them but also seeing the local people sticking to their tradition and long queues in front of them all day long, to hear the friendly girl saying: “Bon appetite!”
Do you have any personal impressions you would like to add? Do you think we can implement any of their routines in our lifestyle? Please share your thoughts!
