French Presentation.....is everything.

On Mondays in Vaison-la-Romaine, nothing really gets moving until later in the afternoon. In fact, some stores remain closed all day. So on this particular Monday, there was a lot of strolling going on and I was partaking of this relaxing ritual with the best of the rest of the tourists. And it never ceases to amaze me. The French follow the principle that presentation is everything. And I'm not even certain if this is a conscious effort, it just 'is'. You know that little scarf tied casually, but oh-so-perfectly, around the neck of that French femme strolling down the rue Boulevard Saint Germain in Paris? Or the piece of lingerie just purchased carefully wrapped in the colorful tissue and placed in the magnificently decorated shopping bag that makes the 10 Euro purchase look like you spent a million bucks? Or the window of the local dry cleaner around the corner on rue Amelie near our apartment on rue Saint Dominique that is strung with a clothes line upon which delicate, antique baby clothes are suspended and is surrounded by the perfect antique accessories to match? And THIS - the dry cleaner! You look at this picture of a flower storefront, bursting with color and the wheel barrow of lavender effortessly placed just so ... truly a feast for the eyes.

There is a book I recommend to anyone who wants to truly understand this phenomenon called "Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris" by Sarah Turnball. In this great Francophile read which is one of my faves, she describes a scene she tumbles out of her bed early one morning in the apartment she shares with her then boyfriend, takes a shower, throws on her old sweat pants and unmatching T-shirt and flip flops, hair still damp and stringy, and of course with no make up and heads for the door to go to the boulangerie to get her daily croissant. Her significant other says to her softly but with surprise buried in his tone of voice (and I'm paraphrasing here because I can't remember the exact words), "You aren't going out like that are you?" She answers cooly with a deadpan stare, "Yes, why?" "Well, it wouldn't be nice for the boulanger to see you like that". And therein lies the difference between us and the French. Enough said. I rest my case.