Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Marcia DeSanctis to my blog as I continue to seek out writers who are introducing me to France who embody such a beautifully built-in passion for a country of whom winks at me from my ancestral past! I have started to notice a growing trend to where I am leaning more towards non-fictional accounts over fictional stories to help me hinge myself directly into the viaduct of French culture, history, and sensory delights translating straight off the page and into my mind’s eye.
It is not enough to simply devour stories set in a country you have grown to appreciate and hanker for a more intra-personal connection. You have to find a way to breathe in the essence of the country by any means you can. I still remember quite fondly my accidental discovery of a French compilation disc of musical artists who only produced their music in French.
I was wandering around a kitchen & home economics shoppe, whilst enjoying the lovely goodies being given out at a spontaneous tasting as I wandered around with a mind lit alive the with possibilities of which gadgets, gizmo’s, and modern upscaled appliances might whet an interest in my sous chef head of dreams. I tend to lean towards the fundamental pieces you will find in a chef’s kitchen; the ones bent on cooking and baking such sensuous delights that the aroma from the kitchen itself creates an experience.
I find the same can be true by discovering authors such as DeSanctis who do not merely give us a travelogue to absorb, but a transcendence of a state of mind, scope of scale, and a tangible grace towards visiting a place our feet cannot yet tread. She pulls you into the country, but it is more than that, she draws you into the heart of the people and the way in which France translates to the human heart.
Book Synopsis:
Told in a series of stylish, original essays, 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go is for the serious Francophile, for the woman dreaming of a trip to Paris, and for those who love crisp stories well-told. Like all great travel writing, this volume goes beyond the guidebook and offers insight not only about where to go but why to go there. Combining advice, memoir and meditations on the glories of traveling through France, this book is the must-have in your carry-on when flying to Paris.
Award-winning writer Marcia DeSanctis draws on years of travels and living in France to lead you through vineyards, architectural treasures, fabled gardens and contemplative hikes from Biarritz to Deauville, Antibes to the French Alps. These 100 entries capture art, history, food, fresh air and style and along the way, she tells the stories of fascinating women who changed the country’s destiny. Ride a white horse in the Camargue, find Paris’ hidden museums, try thalassotherapy in St. Malo, and buy raspberries at Nice’s Cour Saleya market. From sexy to literary, spiritual to simply gorgeous, 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go is an indispensable companion for the smart and curious traveler to France.
You mentioned on your blog that narrowing the list down to 100 Places in total set your world out of orbit a bit, as you were constantly questioning your motives after interacting with people who were critical of not having a particular location included. At the end of the day, isn’t the book the 100 Places you’d want us to see and in effect see the beauty of the moment of what that particular place gave to you? How did you creatively find a solution to respond when someone comes up to you even now, and questions an exclusion? How do you explain the purpose without losing the person’s attention?
DeSanctis responds: Good question! There is nothing scientific about a list, whether it’s People Magazine’s Most Beautiful, or somebody else’s 100 best rock songs of all time. But we do love them – they can clarify our thinking, help shed our doubts or reinforce our own opinions. No one wants to be dictated to, but in the case of travel it can also be a relief when someone else edits a bit, makes those tough decisions for you. I canvassed friends who know and love France, too, and interviewed over 100 people for their opinions. Each of them added something, from a glimmer of an idea to profound insight, like the scientist I interviewed about the influence Marie Curie had on her.
There are many people who know France better than I do, and they would probably come up with a different 100. It came down to a couple of sub-criteria – is there a story of a great woman that could build a frame around this place? Is it so beautiful that we forget ourselves and our hearts stop? Is it somewhere that has a powerful memory for me, like St. Tropez, a place that is somehow eternal – and gorgeous and deeply, poetically French? Or is it something so iconic that it had to be included – something like shopping for lingerie or perfume in Paris? I tried to avoid cliché in writing this book, but France has a strong identity that can, in the best way, force itself upon you when you are there. You can’t avoid champagne, café crème, chocolate and moonlight walks along the Seine. And nor should you.
But yes, everything in the book was mulled over – agonized over, really. I’m delighted, actually, when people challenge me. What about Chartres? What about Montpellier? How could you not mention Musée Chagall? That’s a common one, and I totally understand because it IS spectacular. Chagall is included in the chapter about Joan of Arc, but not in the chapter about Nice, where the museum is located. I wanted to include my own familiar places, rather than a compendium of everything to see there. By nature, lists leave a lot of great things out. And therefore makes for spirited discussion. Read More
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