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Kim Clarke

Romance in France: Oh là là!

Ah, April in Paris. Where romance spawns from every outdoor café, passion pirouettes down from the cherry trees, and the Eiffel Tower photo-bombs every picture.

 

But I just spent three whole hours in Paris, and I saw none of that. I did, however, see a herd of marathon runners galloping past, and I can contest to the fact that none of them were making out.

 

After finishing my bag of croissants, I ventured forth on a tour of four French cities, each one bursting with latent romance novel potential.

 

Let me take you there now…

 

Strasbourg

Couples Canoodling by Canals and Cobblestones

 

In this modern medieval city, half-timbered houses reflect the water like a scene from a French painting of a modern medieval city. Lovers trip along the cobblestones, whispering sweet nothings and a few obscenities in German and French—bilingual love at its finest. And what better place for a meet-cute than the Strasbourg Cathedral? (That's rhetorical. There is no better place.)

 

Lyon

Swooning Sweethearts and Saucisson

 

Lyon isn't just about extraordinary food. Or so I've heard. To my family, it was all about the food. My teenage daughter is still blathering on about the lentil salad we made in a cooking class. (My attempts to recreate said salad were not met with quite the same enthusiasm. Must be those magic French lentils.) Another delicious discovery was red pralines. Oh là là! (Which our guide assured us is the perfect response to pretty much anything.) Less fun was learning that the red dye was made from crushed bugs. Oh là là!

 

Another exciting find was the venerable saucisson de Lyon. Romance novels have a long history of venerating sausage, so this shouldn't be surprising. Lyon takes this love for saucisson to a whole new level. One of their favorites? A short, fat sausage swaddled in netting. They call it Baby Jesus. Yeah, that took a surprising turn. Probably won't see that one mentioned in your favorite novels.

 

Annecy

Partners Paddling Past Pastel Places

 

They say Annecy is the Venice of France. Who says that? Mostly the travel agents and tour guides, but I tend to agree. A canal winds through the picturesque old town, flanked by colorful houses, flowers on balconies, and more cobblestones. There's nowhere for love to hide! There is something truly magical about seeing water right outside your door. Unless it's due to flooding. Then it's just annoying.


Annecy: the Venice of France
Annecy: the Venice of France

Chamonix

Amour Amongst the Alps

 

Finally, our cobblestone road led us to Chamonix. Where true love will take your breath away on the highest peaks in Western Europe. (Just give it a few minutes. The oxygen usually comes back.) We and fifty new friends crammed ourselves into an enormous contraption the French called a cable car. In my vast experience, a cable car is that airy bus-like thing that looks like it escaped from the Disneyland train. The airborne version is a gondola. But I see how that could be embarrassing when a mob of Italian gondolieri arrive at the mountain with their oars.

 

Anyway, we scaled the mountain peak of Aiguille du Midi in our magic bubble. Then in unison, we all spread our arms like wings and yelled "I'm the king of the world!" Okay, nobody actually did that, but we were all totally thinking it. And as for romance? Nothing says "I’m falling for you" quite like dangling over a 12,000-foot drop (safety gear included, of course).

 

So Many Questions!

 

Now, I know you have questions. Like, if these places are so romantic, why haven't we heard "April in Annecy?" Or "Strasbourg in Springtime?" And what's your obsession with cobblestones? These are all great questions. Mysteries that may never be solved.

 

Proof of Romantic Comedy Potential

 

Let me assure you, each of these cities has mega-romcom potential. I can prove it! On our last night in France, I "invited" (forced) my husband and daughter to each make up a romcom plot using one of the French cities we visited as their setting.

 

My husband's story was essentially Romeo and Juliet in Annecy, but the feuding was over her being from Germany and his being from France. Everyone died, the end. We showed him article 5, section c, subheading iii in Ye Olde Romance Rulebook where it states Thou Shalt Showest a Happiest of Endingseth. But alas, he was not open to outside edits.

 

My daughter's Chamonix romcom starred a heroine passing herself off as an expert skier to spend more time with the cute instructor. Chaos ensues, but the very athletic heroine learns quickly, impressing the hero with her smooth moves. Smooth moves indeed!

 

My hero opened a healthy juice stand in Lyon, right next to my heroine's Michelin star, butter-filled restaurant. A clash of flaxseed and foie gras. A recipe for disaster! And love, of course.

 

Romance in France: Conclusion

 

Romance and comedy is alive and well in every corner, canal and cobblestone of France. Highly recommend. Five stars. Oh là là!

 

 

 

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