A Year In The Merde

<p><strong>What are the French <em>really </em>like?</strong><br /><br /><strong>Paul West, a young Englishman arriving in Paris to start a new job, is about to find out. </strong><br /><strong>_________________</strong><br /><br />They <strong>do</strong> eat a lot of cheese, some of which smells like pigs' droppings.<br /><br />They <strong>don't </strong>wash their armpits with garlic soap.<br /><br />Going on strike really <strong>is</strong> the second national participation sport after petanque.<br /><br />And, yes, they <strong>do</strong> use suppositories. <br /><br />Less quaint than <em>A Year in Provence</em>, less chocolatey than <em>Chocolat</em>, <strong>A Year in the Merde</strong> will tell you how to get served by the grumpiest Parisian waiter; how to make perfect vinaigrette every time; how to make amour - not war; and how not to buy a house in the French countryside.</p>