EDITION: INTERNATIONAL U.S. MÉXICO ARABIC TV: CNNi CNN en Español Set edition preference Sign up Log in Home Video World U.S. Africa Asia Europe Latin America Middle East Business World Sport Entertainment Tech Travel iReport 
PrintEmailMore sharing5 places to find France in North AmericaBy Margaret Loftus, Special to CNNDecember 19, 2012 -- Updated 1311 GMT (2111 HKT)if (typeof cnnArticleGallery=="undefined"){var cnnArticleGallery={};if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList=="undefined"){cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList=[];}}var expGalleryPT00=new ArticleExpandableGallery();expGalleryPT00.setImageCount(8);expGalleryPT00.setAdsRefreshCount(3);//cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Montreal, Quebec", 1);.cnn_html_slideshow_metadata > .cnn_html_media_utility::before{color:red;content:'>>';font-size:9px;line-height:12px;padding-right:1px}.cnnstrylccimg640{margin:0 27px 14px 0}.captionText{filter:alpha(opacity=100);opacity:1}.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:visited,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:link,.captionText a,.captionText a:visited,.captiontext a:link{color:#004276;outline:medium none}.cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{margin:0 auto;padding-right:68px;width:270px}
Montreal is the second-largest Francophone city in the world after Paris.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":true,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":1,"title":"Montreal, Quebec"}Cafes, shops and restaurants recall the city's European roots.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":2,"title":"Montreal, Quebec"}Quebec City's gabled roofs, winding streets and ramparts conjure an Old World feel. Vieux-Quebec (Old Town) is the only fortified city in North America north of Mexico.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":3,"title":"Quebec City, Quebec"}Quebecois celebrate the arrival of their ancestors in Canada at the Nouvelle France festival in the summer.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":4,"title":"Quebec City, Quebec"}The original town of La Nouvelle-Orléans developed around what is now known as Jackson Square.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":5,"title":"New Orleans, Louisiana"}Visitors to the city now are likely to indulge in beignets at Cafe du Monde.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":6,"title":"New Orleans, Louisiana"}The rocky islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, some 15 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, are part of France.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":7,"title":"Saint-Pierre and Miquelon"}Faquetigue Courir de Mardi Gras is a traditional Mardi Gras celebration held near Savoy, Louisiana, that involves chasing chickens.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":8,"title":"South Louisiana"}HIDE CAPTIONMontreal, QuebecMontreal, QuebecQuebec City, QuebecQuebec City, QuebecNew Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, LouisianaSaint-Pierre and MiquelonSouth Louisiana<<<
Cafes, shops and restaurants recall the city's European roots.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":2,"title":"Montreal, Quebec"}
Quebec City's gabled roofs, winding streets and ramparts conjure an Old World feel. Vieux-Quebec (Old Town) is the only fortified city in North America north of Mexico.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":3,"title":"Quebec City, Quebec"}
Quebecois celebrate the arrival of their ancestors in Canada at the Nouvelle France festival in the summer.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":4,"title":"Quebec City, Quebec"}
The original town of La Nouvelle-Orléans developed around what is now known as Jackson Square.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":5,"title":"New Orleans, Louisiana"}
Visitors to the city now are likely to indulge in beignets at Cafe du Monde.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":6,"title":"New Orleans, Louisiana"}
The rocky islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, some 15 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, are part of France.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":7,"title":"Saint-Pierre and Miquelon"}
Faquetigue Courir de Mardi Gras is a traditional Mardi Gras celebration held near Savoy, Louisiana, that involves chasing chickens.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":8,"title":"South Louisiana"}HIDE CAPTIONMontreal, QuebecMontreal, QuebecQuebec City, QuebecQuebec City, QuebecNew Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, LouisianaSaint-Pierre and MiquelonSouth Louisiana<<<
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8>>>Event.observe(window,'load',function(){if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined'){cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image,"Finding France in North America");}});STORY HIGHLIGHTSMontreal is the second-largest city of French-speaking natives in the world after ParisThe rocky islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon off the coast of Canada are still part of FranceFrench is the first language of some residents of Cajun country in Louisiana(CNN) -- With flights to Paris topping $1,000 these days, travel to France can be très cher. But you needn't cross the pond for that Gallic je ne sais quoi.
Here are five enclaves in North America where French culture thrives:Montreal,Quebec Settled by French fur traders and later captured by the British, Montreal grew into a bilingual city with dual identities. And while myriad other tonguesare spoken thanks to a thriving immigrant population, it remains the second-largest Francophone city in the world after Paris. You'll hear bonjours and ca vas in every borough, but the most solidly French neighborhoods are east of Boulevard St.-Laurent -- the de facto border that separates it from the largely English-speaking west side.Linger over an espresso at one of the terrasses (patios) that line Rue St. Denis in the Latin Quarter. Then head to the vaunted L'Express, a classic Parisian bistro in Plateau Mont-Royal, where everything from the zinc bar to the tight quarters to the duck confit will spark flashbacks of Montmartre.Go for: The FrancoFolies is a festival celebrating Francophone music with some 250 live acts. June 14-22.Quebec City, Quebec Founded by French explorer Samuel de Champlain more than 400 years ago, Quebec City, like Montreal, fell to the British crown a century and a half later. Its Gallic culture, however, remained firmly intact. Today, nearly 95% of the residents are native French speakers. The city's gabled roofs, winding streets and ramparts conjure an Old World feel. Vieux-Quebec (Old Town) is the only fortified city in North America north of Mexico.Get the full scoop on Quebec's French heritage at the Musée de la Civilization, where a new exhibition tells the story of Francophones who pulled up stakes to settle in North America with interactive features such as a hallway meant to evoke a departure dock. Around the corner, the cozy Café Le St. Malo, with its exposed brick walls and roaring hearth fire, serves up the kind of rustic fare you find in the French countryside, such as cassoulet (a one-pot dish of white beans and meat such as pork sausage and duck confit) and boudin noir (blood sausage).Go for: Quebecois celebrate the arrival of their ancestors in Canada at the Nouvelle France festival. August 7-11.New Orleans, LouisianaClaimed by France as part of the Louisiana Territory in 1682, La Nouvelle-Orléans rose from a swamp on the bend of the Mississippi River to become a strategic port city.Named for the Regent of France, Philippe, Duc d'Orleans, the original town developed around what is now known as Jackson Square. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, a mix of nationalities flooded the city, creating the unique French/Creole-infused melting pot that is the Big Easy today.Nonetheless, remnants of its French heritage are evident throughout. For one, snacking on beignets and café au lait at the venerable Café du Monde in the French Quarter is as de rigueur for tourists as taking home Mardi Gras beads.History buffs who can't make it to the Louvre to see one of Napoleon Bonaparte's famous marble bathtubs -- he supposedly signed the Louisiana Purchase while in the tub -- can book Suite 730 at the 100-year-old Le Pavillon Hotel, near the French Quarter, to take a plunge in one said to have been owned by Napoleon (there are three total).A short walk away on Esplanade Avenue, the Degas House, a bed and breakfast and former home of artist Edgar Degas, hosts "Bottles and Brushes" evenings, where amateur artists can drink wine, paint and soak up the atmosphere in the studio of the French Impressionist master.Go for: In a nod to New Orleans' Gallic roots, French statesman Charles de Gaulle gave the city a Joan of Arc statue, an exact replica of one that stands in Orleans, which today presides over the French Market and is feted annually with a parade. January 6.Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, French territoryA remnant of France's exploits in Canada, these rocky islands some 15 miles off the coast of Newfoundland were deeded to the republic in 1816 under the second Treaty of Paris after a century-long tussle with England. Settlers eager to work in the islands' rich cod fishery came from Acadie, Brittany and Normandy in France and the Basque country, which includes parts of Spain and France. Another boom came during Prohibition, when smuggling spirits to the U.S. made some islanders rich.Today, the archipelago -- a "territorial collectivity" of France -- retains much of the character of its mother country.Most merchants close up shop at midday to lunch with their families at home. The baguettes and croissants are the real deal. The euro is the currency of the land, though many businesses accept Canadian and U.S. dollars.You'll find the most action on the tiniest and most populated island, Saint-Pierre. With its colorful clapboard houses, narrow streets, classic cafes and Peugeots zipping around, it's Greenland-meets-Normandy. Join the locals as they break for la collation, a light meal, in the late afternoon; duck into Délices de Joséphine on Rue General LeClerc for a spot of Mariage Frères tea and a Paris-worthy pastry.Go for: Bastille Day, the anniversary of the storming of the infamous prison in Paris in 1789, is celebrated at Place du Général de Gaulle in St. Pierre. July 14.Cajun Country, LouisianaExpelled by the British from what are now the Canadian Maritime provinces and northern Maine during the French and Indian War (1754-1763), many Acadians settled in south Louisiana, spawning a rich culture and their own dialect, Cajun French, that is still very much alive today.In some pockets, such as the small town of Arnaudville, French rules -- on street signs, in radio broadcasts, political ads and even as the sole language of some residents.At the Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park in Lafayette Parish, a replica of an Acadian village depicts life circa 1765-1890. For a modern taste of Cajun life, landmark Lafayette restaurants Randol's and Prejean's host live Cajun music and specialize in local favorites such as crawfish étouffée.Go for: Unlike the glittery spectacle in New Orleans, Mardi Gras in Cajun Country has changed little since its early days. Revelers on horseback dress up in costumes made from flour sacks or burlap, and ride from house to house collecting ingredients -- including live chickens -- for a communal pot of gumbo. February 12.0Comments »PrintEmailMore sharingvar OB_permalink='http://edition.cnn.com'+location.pathname;var OB_langJS='http://widgets.outbrain.com/lang_en.js';var OB_widgetId='AR_1';var OB_Template="cnnedition";if (typeof(OB_Script)!='undefined'){OutbrainStart();}else{var OB_Script=true;var str="cnnad_createAd("102417","http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn_international&cnn_intl_pagetype=mmst&cnn_intl_position=607x95_adlinks&cnn_intl_rollup=travel&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs","95","607");cnnad_registerSpace(102417,607,95);cnnad_createAd("487748","http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn_international&cnn_intl_pagetype=mmst&cnn_intl_position=336x850_rgt&cnn_intl_rollup=travel&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs","850","336");cnnad_registerSpace(487748,336,850);
Part of complete coverage on CNN recommendsHow we'll travel in 2022November 27, 2012 -- Updated 1345 GMT (2145 HKT)
Fliers, drivers and rail riders, heads up: the next 10 years will dramatically transform America's traveling landscape.4 must-sees for military buffs November 8, 2012 -- Updated 2003 GMT (0403 HKT)
Hundreds of American travel destinations honor the nation's history of military readiness and sacrifice. Here are four fascinating examples.7 gross wonders across AmericaOctober 19, 2012 -- Updated 1245 GMT (2045 HKT)
Gross is everywhere. It's in the food we eat, it's in nature, and of course, we ourselves might be the greatest source of grossness. 8 hotels worth a tourAugust 14, 2012 -- Updated 1405 GMT (2205 HKT)
Sometimes you don't even have to leave the hotel to take in the sights, because what's right there under your nose is worth further exploration. 7 breathtaking clifftop hotelsNovember 13, 2012 -- Updated 1436 GMT (2236 HKT)
Some of the world's most desirable lodgings are clifftop aeries that transport guests far above the fray.Five guys take same photo for 30 yearsJuly 28, 2012 -- Updated 0101 GMT (0901 HKT)
When five teenagers sat down and posed for a picture at Copco Lake in 1982, they didn't plan on making it a tradition. But that's what it became. Is the photo better than the vacation?July 23, 2012 -- Updated 1322 GMT (2122 HKT)
Brent Larson and his bride look like an ad for their resort, glowing, in love and sun-kissed in paradise. The photo doesn't tell the whole story.Best new cruise shipsNovember 29, 2012 -- Updated 0059 GMT (0859 HKT)
Seagoing vacations have come a long way since TV's sunny "Love Boat" sailed across 1970s screens. .cnn_strycrcntrnwsp .cnn_mtpmore { padding:10px 0px 1px 0px; }.cnn_stryccnwsp2 .cnn_stryccnwsp3 { width:100% }Most PopularToday's five most popular storiesFake eagle video, real Obama photo go viralObama: Proposals to address gun violence due by JanuaryA Newtown teacher's boyfriend remembers his loveThe world's toughest sportsman?Opinion: India must teach men not to rape 
cnnad_createAd("423171","http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn_international&cnn_intl_pagetype=mmst&cnn_intl_position=300x150_rgt&cnn_intl_rollup=travel&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs","150","300");cnnad_registerSpace(423171,300,150);cnnad_createAd("543953","http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn_international&cnn_intl_pagetype=mmst&cnn_intl_position=336x280_adlinks&cnn_intl_rollup=travel&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs","280","336");cnnad_registerSpace(543953,336,280); Loading weather data ...
Home | Video | World | U.S. | Africa | Asia | Europe | Latin America | Middle East | Business | World Sport | Entertainment | Tech | Travel | iReport Tools & Widgets | RSS | Podcasts | Blogs | CNN Mobile | My Profile | E-mail Alerts | CNN Radio | CNN Shop | Site map | CNN Partner Hotels CNN en ESPAÑOL | CNN Chile | CNN México | ??????? | ??? | ??? | Türkçe 
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of service | Privacy guidelines | Ad choices
| Advertise with us | License our content | About us | Contact us | Work for us | Help CNN TV | HLN | Transcripts 
cnnad_ugsync();var cnn_edtnswtchver="edition";msQueueManager.init('requestFrame',ms_blankURL);$$('.cnn_sectbincntnt2 ul').each(function(bulletlist,idx){while(bulletlist.getHeight()>145){bulletlist.childElements().last().remove();}});if(ms_isLoggedIn()){CNN_setCookie('CNN_member',true,854400,'/',document.domain);}// This code is not really related to JSMD. It was simply a convenient place to add a quick hack to all pages that use this SSI.// removes a cookie that grows too large and causes a 400 error// CNN-17021 try {document.cookie = "mrvPages=http://www.cnn.com; expires=Fri, 13-Apr-1970 00:00:00 GMT; path=/; domain=" + document.domain;}catch(e) {}var jsmd=_jsmd.init(),pageURL=location.href.toLowerCase();if (pageURL.indexOf("/.element/ssi/ads.iframes/")==-1&&pageURL.indexOf("/doubleclick/dartiframe.html")==-1&&pageURL.indexOf("/search/")==-1){if (_jsmd.plugin.gQuery("refresh")){jsmd.trackMetrics("dynamic-autoRefresh","autorefresh","cnn-autorefresh");} else if (_jsmd.plugin.gQuery("is_LR")){} else if (cnn_metadata.template_type_content!="gallery"){jsmd.send();}}/*globals CNN_CB*/$j(document).ready(function () {'use strict';loadChartbeat("travel", "Margaret Loftus, Special to CNN");CNN.initFlipperTicker();});var cnn_sharebarconfig = {'url' : 'http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/19/travel/france-in-north-america/index.html','analytics' : 'o','instances' : 2,'platform' : 'd','plugincodes' : {'facebook' : '','googleplus' : '','twitter' : 'Tweet','linkedin' : ''}}window.cnnWidgetBaseURI = 'http://z.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/widget';