Paris Is in France; but Is It France?

Not really up to writing all this in my tentative French today.  We'll have to settle for plain ol' English for awhile.

I suppose that 'French' for most Americans always conjures up Paris, much the way New York City comes to mind when Europeans think of the United States.  But just as NYC is only a small component of les Étas-Unis, Paris is merely the largest and most renown part of La France.  

I think that if I ever get the opportunity to visit France, I'd skip Paris (assuming it's the only trip I'll ever make to that country) and give other less glamorous towns and cities a prominent place on my itinerary.  And I would make sure that I sample all the many regions of the country; I'm sure Bretagne has an entirely different flavor than Nice or Cannes.  

And having lived in New York for many years, I think Paris might get tiresome.  I've seen plenty of museums, plays, and trendy bars.  I'd like to see the French alps or the lavender fields of Provence.  

If a Frenchwoman visits the U.S. and only sees New York City, she will go away thinking all Americans look and think like New Yorkers.  Believe me, this is the farthest thing from the truth.  New Yorkers (even the transported ones) are a breed of their own.  You'd need to stop by Houston, Miami, San Francisco, and even Chicago to get a sense of what such a large country as USA is all about.  I'd think the same would apply to Paris.   

A la prochaine.  Bonne  journée.