A conviction that they live in the best place on the planet is what makes most French tick. It’s an assumption that accounts for a lot of stereotypes, positive and negative – arrogant, snooty, officious, opinionated, sexy, and super-stylish – but when you consider that the country has produced some of the world’s greatest philosophers, artists, musicians, and literary figures, you begin to wonder if the French have a point. Throw in a timeless land of deep-rooted tradition and modern innovation, a fabled feast of fine food and wine, a place that has unfaltering romance woven into every second footstep, a cinematic trip from opulent Renaissance chateaux to Parisian jazz bars to electric-blue seascapes, and you might just end up agreeing that this really is the best place on Earth.
