Fodors [Fodor’s] - Fodors Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North

It may be a clich to say the French fret over their place in the world, but they do. Faced with the ever-dominant Anglo-American axis and hobbled by the global economic crisis, the French are rallying to protect their institutions, their language and, above all, la vie franaise their treasured lifestyle. Still, polls show the French are optimistic about the futureand theres plenty of good news.

Tourism is thriving, with France maintaining its rank as the worlds top tourist destination, with more than 80 million visitors each year. The French remain leaders in science and technology. France is the worlds leading producer of luxury goods, and fashion remains the nations birthright.

Once nicknamed LAmricain for his U.S.-loving ways, French President Nicolas Sarkozy isnt exactly waving the Stars and Stripes these days. Miffed that President Barack Obama has repeatedly snubbed his overtures for a close and personal relationship, Sarkozy has taken to dissing his American counterpart in private as wet behind the ears. Obama isnt the only world leader who has kept Sarkozy at arms length. The irreverent Sarko has watched as European heads of state have refused to go along with the brash Frenchmans view of himself as their self-proclaimed leader.

The price at home has been steep, moreover, with the Presidents popularity rating sinking steadily. In the face of noisy street protests, Sarkozy has backed off from many of his promised reforms. With the first whispers of the financial crisis came a hasty retreat from the free-market restructuring Sarkozy had trumpeted when he was elected in 2007. These days, in classic Gallic fashion, he has enjoyed tweaking his friends across the pond, even lecturing about the need to remoralize capitalism.