France

In the year gone by, I've been to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
I've walked over sands leading to the Mont Saint-Michel
I've even gazed into the eyes of the Mona Lisa, and realized
This is not what living in France is about.

Listen:

Life in France is driving through the green tides of the countryside
And eating crêpes beside a dark-grey storm of a sea

It is asking friends over for just the appetizer
And discerning the importance of petits cafés

It is summer nights and live music calling from café doors
And wandering about a town gone dead come Wednesday

On Thursday, it is eating galettes at the morning market; 
It is discovering always new things of an old town

It is passing a hand over a stone wall and thinking of
The number of centuries your fingers have just felt

Our river la Rance is more beautiful than the Mona Lisa
I prefer the castle on the corner to Mont Saint-Michel
And our little church inspires me more than the Eiffel Tower
Because this is what living in France is about.

Listen:

It is knowing it's everyday beauty
the slightest details that are what makes it great

Mostly, it is the sound made by sneaker soles on cobblestones
And the scent of fresh bread on the air

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Andrea Dietrich

Date: 5/29/2012 5:57:00 PM

I love this. I could say the same about the time i lived five months in Spain. I had wanted to see all the typical tourist spots but once there, I reveled in the REAL Spain, the little places and moments that cannot be found in a textbook. I wish I could have done that in France too though I spent a few weeks in Paris and loved it.