Bonjour!
I hope you wore your elastic banded pants, because we are headed to France, where the Mona Lisa smiles, the Eifel Tower sways, and cheese, butter and cream line the streets.
Located in the southern part of Europe, France is known for many things:
Not just for painters and golfers, the French beret is worn by all kinds of Frenchmen and women. Even the military wears these fun, flat, hipster hats. Not only do you look smarter and more cultured when you put one of these on your noggin, you might actually paint better as well. Sante!
What is that enormous looking metal structure full of iron lattices? Why, it’s the Eiffel tower. The tower, located in Paris, is THE most visited spot in the entire world. So just how many visitors kiss under the tower of romance every year? Almost 7-million. Wow! Now that is a lot of smooching. Kiss kiss.
Give this leading lady a smile and she might just smile back. Or smirk, depending on how your look at the picture.
THE most famous painting in the world (boy, France has a lot of THE’s), this madam attracts a lot of lookers. In fact, she has an entire security team, bullet-proof glass, security cameras and a room of her own. How did she get so famous? For starters, she was painted by Italian artist Leonardo Da vinci, aka, that guy who also did a bunch of other famous painting such as The Last Supper. Then, she was stolen for two years giving her sense of notoriety. Then people couldn’t decide who she was. Was she a princess? A duchess? A woman? Leo himself? And then this came along….
Because who doesn’t enjoy a good defacement of an international treasure. But it keeps her in the spotlight. This one, who calls her home Paris, France, is so much more creative then the other Paris (Hilton) when it comes to keeping herself relevant. Go Mona!
Mandatory Credit: Photo by REX/Photosport
Whoa, who’s that guy dressed in yellow spandex? It must be Tour De France time. But calm down Lance Armstrong, you didn’t get the invite. Tisk tisk. This event salutes bicyclists, spandex, aerodynamic helmets, and Gatorade Gel Packs in one big 21-day race. Bicyclists from all over the world race through cities, mountains, and the countryside hoping to be win a win a medal and wear the coveted yellow spandex shirt. These adventurous athletes race their bikes super fast during the day and camp in tents during the night. If it sounds like hard work, it is. The Tour de France is listed as one of the most grueling events in the world.
People speak French in France. Can you learn to say a few things in French? Give it a try.
People eat a lot of dairy in France. The French people love their cream, butter and cheese. In fact, the country produces over 1,000 different types of cheese. Wow! That is a lot of curdled milk coming out of one place. The most famous French cheeses are Brie, Bleu, and Cheve cheese.
For some recipes that use a lot of cheese and other dairy products, check out our French recipes. Just be sure you are wearing something loose….
