Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [1]
With an eye toward reelection in 2012, however, Sarkozy was looking to regain the upper hand. Among the feathers in his cap is a ground-breaking carbon tax on fossil fuels hailed by environmentalists. Once-sacred Sunday shopping rules have been eased, no small feat given France’s boisterous unions.
And Sarkozy’s legacy project Le Grand Paris—a €21-billion plan to remake Paris into an economic and cultural mega-capital—was creeping ahead as construction was set to begin in early 2013 on key components, including an 80-mi-long automatic subway system ringing Paris.
CAPTIVATED BY CARLA
Lucky for Sarkozy his best asset may be his popular wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy—the supermodel-turned-singer-turned–demure First Dame, whose every move is slavishly tracked by French magazines. The former bad girl has made headlines as much for her turns in the spotlight (performing for Nelson Mandela; signing on for a part in a Woody Allen film) as for her philanthropy (she’s an anti-AIDS ambassador; she has her own charitable foundation). The Italian-born Carla B holds considerable influence over her lovesick husband, and isn’t afraid to wield it.
SIZING UP
Despite a diet dripping in butter and fat, the French are among the world’s thinnest people, with one of the world’s longest life expectancies to boot. The so-called “French paradox” may help keep them skinny as éclairs, but that hasn’t stopped the French from obsessing about how to stay that way.
Warning bells were sounded, furthermore, after studies showed obesity rates creeping up. French health experts declared war against junk food. Ads for everything from candy to McDonald’s cheeseburgers come with warnings to indulge modestly. Fizzy sodas are not allowed, and butter on bread is frowned upon (though cheese is not).
Even the Elysée Palace has gotten into the act. Avid jogging and a crash diet are said to be behind the slimmed-down figure of Nicolas Sarkozy. Much to the dismay of guests, even the Elysée menu has been pared down to Weight Watchers proportions.
THE FRENCH MODEL RECONSIDERED
And the winner of the global financial crisis was … France? Not quite. But long criticized for maintaining a socialist economy out of step with the modern world, France found itself on the rare receiving end of praise for an economic model that helped the country weather the worldwide downturn more gently than its Anglo-American rivals. France-bashers were caught short as the economy they love to scorn enjoyed a slightly higher rate of growth coming out of the recession than other developed countries. With banks tightly regulated, French homeowners were spared an equivalent of the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis. Experts credited France for its long-term formula of economic fairness, with a less-pronounced gap between rich and poor than in other countries. Education is inexpensive; and the health care system, often called the world’s best, is available to all. President Sarkozy even floated the idea, however briefly, of adopting a happiness index to replace traditional measures of progress, taking into account quality of life factors.
UNDER SIEGE: THE FRENCH CAFÉ
The 2007 anti-smoking law came as a breath of fresh air in France, making meals in cheek-to-jowl bistros far more enjoyable for those who prefer their foie gras without their neighbor’s Gaulois an accompaniment. Since the rigorously observed law passed, cigarette sales have plunged to all-time lows in France, proof the French could live without their clopes. One tragic victim, however, has been that icon of French society—the neighborhood café. Many French workers who would pop in for a