A few surprising things about France

I study romance philology and in my life I have found out many things about France. But this summer I had the chance to go to France and see those things with my own eyes. I would like to present some things which suprised me in France 

a) first of all, the fact that a baguette is always on the table. Even if we eat dishes which don't need to be eaten with it, this French bread must be present on the table. Finally, I was surprised that dinner was finished and nobody took the baguette during the meal and such a situation repeated a few times.

b) we know that the French people partake in a little alcohol before supper, this pre-dinner drink is called the aperitif. The authorized blood alcohol level in France is higher than in Poland. Nevertheless, it was surprising that 
after a supper with alcohol, they get behind the wheel.

c) thirdly, French women are perceived as very elegant. I don't want to generalize but in my opinion it's an exaggeration. I saw women in a big city and they weren't particularly elegant or even well-dressed.

d) finally, I was surprised by the frequency of little kisses during greetings which are called 'bises'. I received kisses even from little children who I saw the for first time in my life.

I have presented some facts which I found haunting and unexpected. I hope that I will discover many, many more facts about this beautiful country.