France? I could take it or leave it

Dave and I are off to Normandy this weekend, which we're both quite excited about.  It seems like forever since we had a weekend away, but that's because our last few holidays have actually been in-country. 

I have been to France exactly 3 times in my life.  And I have hated my visits to France exactly 3 times in my life.  I can't stand the place.  It's a public toilet.  And before your eyes roll out of the back of your head and your jaw drops to the floor, let me expand on that.  I have hated my 3 visits to France because they were to Lille and Paris.  Understand now? 

Lille is possibly the most boring city I have ever been to.  I fell asleep on the tour bus that takes you around the city to... erm... point out the interesting stuff!  Paris?  Hate it.  Public toilet smell throughout the city (both times, so it can't have been a coincidence) and the rudest people in the world - especially those who hold positions which would ordinarily be described in some way, shape or form, as 'customer facing'.  After spending a girls' weekend there for a friend's birthday - which, to give it its due and purely because of the company, did have some good moments to it -  I vowed never to return.

However, France is one of Dave's favourite countries and one in which, if you closed your eyes and listened to him speak, he turns into a veritable local!  Dave's love of languages amazes me.  The fact that he can sit in bed at night and learn a whole language just from reading a book, is incomprehensible to me.  That may be because I have about as much affinity for languages as an anteater has for skydiving, but still, it amazes me.  This extremely impressive talent - about which he is incredibly humble - does have its uses for a deficient linguist such as myself.  I just have to say 'ask him' this or 'ask her' that and voila!  We have our answer... in the native language.  Easy peasy.  I knew I married him for a reason!

And so Dave has finally convinced me to give France another go.  He - and everybody else who has given me the same advice - assures me that anywhere South of Paris is great.  They're apparently friendly, they have good food, relatively good wine (speaking from a South African's point of view, even though I don't drink the stuff) and beautiful scenery.  We are staying at a gorgeous old farmhouse, so I have high hopes that this trip will sway my thoughts on France slightly.  All shall be revealed in my first full travel blog entry next week.

Et jusque-là ... au revoir!