9781422285831

INTRODUCTION F rance is a country of vibrant culture and traditions, all part of a complex past at the heart of European, even world, history. Its legendary cathedrals in the centers of small towns and cities; its chateaus, or castles, dotting the countryside; and its manor houses are all remnants of the past that still shape its present. While steeped in tradition, France has embraced the new and modern, beginning with one of the world’s symbols of modernity—the Eiffel Tower. The country has produced pioneering innovation and invention, world-class exponents of all branches of the arts, and food and drink of the highest stan- dards. With a diverse geography—from high, snowy mountains to flat and fertile plains, from vibrant global cities to quaint rural villages—the French peo- ple share a way of life that runs deep with tradition and earns the famous French phrase, joie de vivre —a joy of living.

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INTRODUCTION