I have never and will never claim to be an expert about France or its history. I know slightly more than my French husband but I attribute that to my studies. In High School, I took an advanced placement U.S. History exam and scored very poorly. I fared significantly better with the European History exam which, to me, was the first, unmistakable sign that I was meant to be in Europe.
But as you have noticed from the topics I generally cover, the emphasis is very rarely on the historical implications of buildings, sites, streets and restaurants. I leave that sort of thing to guides like my friend Bryan who offers incredibly informative and entertaining walking tours of Paris.
Still, I’m fascinated by what people know about France because, more often than not, they’re amusing factoids. Until Friday, I’m running a giveaway exclusively on the Lost In Cheeseland Facebook page for a cute DoItInParis.com tote bag (enter! Makes a great gift!). To enter, participants must simply leave a comment on the giveaway post with their favorite fact about France.
I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the comments thus far and thought I would share:
- Cinderella didn’t have glass slippers until Parisian Charles Perrault made his own version of an old Chinese tale. It is often thought that this came from a mistranslation in the English version but Perrault specifically refers to glass, not squirrel fur. The confusion comes from the similarities between the words “verre” (glass) and “vair”
- There is still a French law on the books that states it is illegal to call a pig Napoleon.
- France has invaded all 8 countries around them.
- La Marseillaise was composed in Strasbourg in 1792, not in Marseille
- In France, around 650 people end up in the hospital each year after slipping on dog poop (seriously?!)
- The first restaurant in the world was said to have opened in Paris in 1765
- Labor union membership is actually lower in France than in the U.S.
Feel free to add your favorite facts to participate in the contest or if not, leave your thoughts here!
{Updates}
|| Cupcake Camp II was a smashing success! I baked and participated in the charity event with my company, Lola’s Cookies. For the recap with drool-worthy photos, click HERE.
