Enjoy French culture without visiting France

So you’re craving a taste of French culture – the cafes, the food, the bread, maybe even the language – but a trip to France is not in your immediate future. Well, there are places where you can experience French culture even if you can’t make it to Paris or Provence at the moment. Katie Hammel wrote a nice roundup for Boots’nAll on seven places where you can experience French culture outside of France. Here are three of her choices:

New Orleans, USA – Americans don’t have to travel very far to feel as though they’ve been transported to a French town. While the modern culture of New Orleans reflects many different influences (African, Cajun, Spanish, Creole, and French), there’s no denying the impact the French had on the development of the city when it was part of France’s “New France” colony in North America during the 17th and 18th centuries.

That influence is particularly apparent in the aptly named French Quarter, where trellised buildings built by early French settlers call to mind the streets of Paris. Many of the street signs are in French – 7% of the population speaks French – and French cafes line the streets. Creole and Cajun food both have their roots in French (and Spanish) cooking, and of course, the most famous of New Orleans’ pastries, the beignet, was created by the French

Quebec, Canada – The Canadian province of Quebec, home to the large cities of Montreal and Quebec City, is known as one of the most “European” places in North America. Though the land has long since transferred from French control to become part of Canada, French is still the official language of the province, and you don’t have to look far to see the culture reflected in the architecture, streets signs, and layout of the cities in it.

Montreal is the more modern of the two main cities, with a downtown full of towering skyscrapers. But what the commercial center may lack in “old-world” style, the section known as Vieux Montréal (Old Montreal) more than makes up for with its cobbled streets and centuries-old buildings.

Quebec City features even more French touches. It’s one of the few cities in North America to retain its original fortified walls and the center is dotted with postcard-perfect squares where tourists and residents gather to people-watch, sip a latte, and munch on crusty baguettes. Dining on a meal of hearty poutine while the sounds of the French language swirl around you, you’ll almost forget for a second that you are on the opposite side of the Atlantic.

Luang Prabang and Vientiane, Laos - At first glance, Laos looks like it couldn’t be more different from France, and in many respects that is true. A quick look around the towns of Luang Prabang and Vientiane will reveal lush green fields of rice, Asians zipping around on scooters and motorbikes, and monks in brightly-colored robes heading solemnly to gilded Buddhist temples. But a long history with France has left its mark on the oft-forgotten country.

You may not hear much French spoken here, and the culture is decidedly Lao, but it’s interesting to see the small ways that France is still present in the lives of the people, most notably in the cuisine, in the baguettes sold on every corner, in the occasional glimpse of European-style architecture, and in the faces of the many French ex-pats who still reside in the country.

Where else? See Katie’s full story for information on Morocco, French Polynesia, Saint Martin, and the Indian Ocean destinations of Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, and the Seychelles.

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