Student Exchange France

In France the places have a long and rich history, beautiful landscapes, and a complex, compelling culture. If France were simply Paris, or Provence, or Burgundy, or the Côte d'Azur, it would still be an enticing destination. However, France is all these things and more, a profusion of many small worlds, each exploding with epiphanies of beauty, bounties of great food, and an unbelievable historic and artistic record that begins with cave painters and continues through to François Mitterrand's architectural bequest to Paris, the Grands Projets.

France is also unique in its people. The intensely proud French never doubt that they live at the center of the civilized world. This self-assurance can seem disconcerting to the traveler who skims along the surface of the culture. But after a few days in Paris, or after a quiet tour through the provinces, it's easier to grant the French the benefit of the doubt. In fact, long after you've seen the museums and the monuments, you'll find yourself wanting to return to France, simply to be with the French people in that sometimes peculiar parallel universe known as France.