In Praise of France

Dear Readers
I love France, l have a french friend who lives in Corsica and is very dear to me, l love the perfume and the way your lips have to pout if you want to get the accent right. I especially love the way that the french have found a way to enjoy their time without entering into the materialistic free for all which l experience on a day to day basis in Miami.
BUT...why does a culture so enamored of style live in such a mess ? From the Auto-route you can see pretty little villages with trees and a spire but if you turn off to find it you end up in a dilapidated heap. When l travel in France l never pay attention to the star rated system for hotels but if you want to here is a rough guide
* - don't even go there - the whole place smells like a toilet
** - it might burn down sometime in the next week because everything in the place was updated 50 years ago
*** - The front of the Hotel looks pretty good but once you've paid and they open the door to your room you realize that it is in fact a ** and the above caution applies. The food however might actually be good but it might not.
**** If you can find one outside of a Metropolis, the front of the hotel is very nice, the foyer is nice and clean and if you want to eat in the restaurant they will look you up and down to see if they think you are suitable. Once in your room you realize that this is a *** hotel with extra carpet in the lobby.
*****There aren't any - except in Paris where you will PAY big time for a view of a wall.
The only exception to this rule that l have found are the Logis chain who run motels that although they look like the set for 'No Country for Old Men' provide very clean modern spacious rooms at a reasonable price.
Now everyone says that the French are rude and l disagree - they just want to be in front of you - in a store - on the roads- on the ski lift and they just forget in their rush to be first that you are also human. A word of warning to American skiers - you will be mown down - there are at least 300% more skiers on piste than you are used to and you are in the way.
When l first moved to Miami l thought that people there could do with learning a few manners but in comparison with the average french ski resort Miami runs like a Jane Austin novel.
So if you are ready for the fray - enjoy the fabulous wine, the great coffee and get ready to fight for your place in line.