French lesson on vacation

“Je suis venue chercher l’Amerique profonde”, says Nicolas Sarkozy during today’s press meeting, reports Le Parisien

That would translate to “I was looking for the real America, the back country.”

I think it’s time somebody should break the news to President Sarkozy. Lake Winnipesaukee is a really nice place - but it sure ain’t ‘L’Amerique profonde’. Not even close.

Please, next time you decide to go stateside, let me know and I can steer you toward ‘profonde’.

Meanwhile, I still don’t get it concerning the photographers’ intrusion. Today’s Le Parisien story states that none of the photographers in Wolfeboro were French-speaking.

However all of the photos posted with the articles were taken by AFP (Agence France Presse photographer Don Emmert). AP Photographer Cole has no photos posted with any of stories - in fact Emmert’s photos of Sarkozy frolicking in the lake were already in the news by the August 3rd.

My question is, was it an issue of Agence France Presse having an ‘exclusive’ to cover this vacation? Another Le Parisien story today reported that the Sunday meeting between Sarkozy and the media was attended primarily by French-speaking reporters (in Wolfeboro). Were any English-speaking reporters invited?

But getting back to today’s French lesson. La France profonde normally refers to the most remote parts of the countryside i.e. someplace where your cell phone won’t work and you won’t find internet access. We’re talking Andy of Mayberry. Tourists say this is what they want but when they get there, they somtimes realize that ‘profonde’ is also synonymous with ‘poverty-stricken’. When you can recognize the beauty of ‘profonde’, then you are no longer on vacation.