Pvoyageuse

" What would Balzac write about now ?"

He might wwant to ask Zola.

kerouac

<i>Stupidly xenophobic and anti-American, as usual. The article clearly laments the fact that provincial cities may well become for tourists only.</i>

Naturally, NewbE, you're right. American tourists are the only ones that count, all 4% of them. I guess Donald's friend Bob counts double, but he's not here anymore.

On the odd assumption that someone would be anti-American, does that make them automatically xenophobic? Is an American who doesn't like Syrians automatically xenophobic?

I am really very stupid, so please explain.

Fra_Diavolo

>>>It's hard for me to respect criticism from one who reads so carelessly.<<<

It's on the front page of my morning paper, and does indeed say "Albi Journal." Although I have subscribed to the Times for 30 years, and read it for many more, I have never noticed that the word "journal" signals a distinction between hard news and an essay.

I don't know who you are, but I assure you your opinion of my "criticism" is of no importance to me. (I'd never dignify my casual opinions with such a title.)

dfourh

In smaller German cities and towns the central streets (in general, from the train station to the market square) are wall-to-wall typical chain stores. It's very predictable and repetitive as you go from town to town, but it has been easy to bring the commercial chains to the centers, as the areas from the train station to the market square in nearly all German towns were flattened in WWII, and rebuilt in ugly, anonymous haste shortly thereafter.

Most of the best churches and sights were rebuilt too, but if you look at a city like Luebeck, you see a fantastic city hall, fantastic churches, and in between nothing but cheap commercial storefronts - - though some of the side-streets are still pretty, with the original houses restored.

WoinParis

'He might wwant to ask Zola.'

Ah, someone with culture. the germ is in all details (the Germ in all detail) - ok, c'est pourri, mais bon, faut bien que je remonte mon niveau d'une façon ou une autre.

Why is everybody having an opinion that differs from the times becomes automatically anti-US ?

Times writes a lot of BS when it comes to Europe.

A LOT OF BS !

Kerouac lives in Europe, so do I : do we find that Europe is faltering ? Is France losing it spirit because we have cars and want to shop efficiently ?

Should we still go every day to the 'boulangerie' (so exciting) with a french beret and go back with the baguette under the left arm so that France stays French ?

Times could even be called insulting actually. That is just rubbish that only US disneylandish like to read, indeed.
Live with youtr time for God's sake.

Sorry guys, world evolves ! we even speak English now in France - do they lose their spirit because they speak foreing language ? Would US lose their spirit if they started learning French or German or Chinese ?

Bon c'esqt l'heure du cognac, c'est pas bon pour moi de m'énerver. D'un autre côté c'est Français, au moins...

PalenQ

Times could even be called insulting actually. That is just rubbish that only US disneylandish like to read, indeed.?

Like those books on rural France - like A Year in Provence - make French sound like dolts and the Brits or Americans, etc so smart.

<Stupidly xenophobic and anti-American, as usual. The article clearly laments the fact that provincial cities may well become for tourists only.>

If they are famous tourist cities to begin with - but most are not and locals still go there for various things - schools, universities, doctors, dentists, movie theatres, etc. Orleans downtown hums during the day -but is deserted at night because so few folks want to live in old cramped apartments without parking.

frencharmoire

I sometimes been struck by the appearance that the French disliked their their historic physical culture, especially their rural physical culture, more than any other nation in Europe. It's always seemed to me that French most of all valued their language & their capacity for abstraction, and that they loved the shiny baubles of modernity (perhaps starting with their embrace of electricity). Many other countries in Europe didn't have a chance to toss away their traditions and towns in favor of the new. Their nations were dstroyed for them, so it's a different mindset. The Italians are incredible preservers, hugging their tradtions so tightly, restoring everything, making tiny museums of everything in danger of disappearing. Being so strick about their food. The Portuguese are also to me incredible with their resistance to the trendy. Maybe because they had their fill of globalization, practically having invented it? But they make few concessions to "progress" -- except in their wonderful modern architecture.

But it seems to me the French just loathe so much of what seems to get in their way as old-fashioned, yesterday, for bumpkins, for tourists. Even outside of Paris. Cheese and wine making survive but so much else has been binned. Curious.

frencharmoire

https://twitter.com/alcarbon68/statu...346185/photo/1

FuryFluffy

frencharmoire: I wouldn't say that the French (appear to) dislike their historic physical culture. It's more like, they are an innovative people and they prefer to move forward. The Eiffel Tower, when it was built, surely was an eyesore of the city. But it was simply ahead of its time. When you look at their history of arts or science, they have been avant-garde too.