Three Scourges of Provence: Scourge #2

Scourge #2: Smoking is a national past-time. The ubiquitous cigarette is a culture shock for these two smoke-free-clean-air Vancouverites.

It seems as though almost all of Provence participates in polluting the air: the very old, the middle-aged, young adults, teenagers a-plenty and even twelve year-olds. Just as seduction is an art in France (See De Nîmes Look, March 2010), so there is an art to smoking. As a hallmark of maturity, it must be done with great style.

Ironically, French women are renowned for dressing well. Their style is impeccably elegant. They learn it at a young age - even the French teenagers outclass their counterparts in North America. It's not just how they dress but also how they carry themselves. That same deportment and elegance extends to how they suck on their cigarettes.

But really, no matter how much refinement is executed in how you hold the cigarette in your fingers and between your lips, there comes a time when this epitome of sophistication shows in extra lines on the face and a dull complexion. Ultimately, it flies in the face of all things chic.

That, apparently, isn't much of a concern to the French. Returning to Nîmes by train from Marseilles, we were entertained by an elegantly dressed woman who made sure her make-up was proper and her unlit cigarette in hand before the train pulled into the station. And others still, continuing on the trip, take advantage of the brief train stops to jump off, light up and take a few puffs before the train heads off again.

Very elegant indeed!