Observations on France:

Broadcast radio in France

Listening to one of the radio stations here is an interesting experience. The station calls itself "Alpes Un" or "Alps One" in English. The name arises from the fact that Grenoble is embedded in a steep sided river valley at the very beginning of the Alps mountain range in France (I'm about a 90 minute drive from Geneva, Switzerland here). The station is pop radio, but the format is completely unlike the United States. They are playing the latest music both from the United States (Dido, Alanis Morissette) along with music from French groups, but they are also playing music from the 70s and 80s (The Who is on now, Won't get fooled again). This strange mix with the intense blasts from the past make me think that here the radio stations, along with the inexpensive wine, are definitely better than the US.

I do miss my Kraft macaroni and cheese, though...