Since some of my American friends may be thinking I’m giving too much adoration to Europeans lately, I thought I’d continue a rant about something that miffs me and that I deplore: the omniprescent cigarette.
I am sitting at a cafe along a main drag in Corsica’s Ajaccio in France.
Perched up close to her bistro table, she takes another puff of her thinner than average cigarette. Are they not the ones with 10x more nicotine?
Why the F-K do so many Europeans still smoke? I ask myself and others this question over and over again. Ashtrays dress every restaurant and cafe table and the first thing I do when I sit down is move it to the floor.
My poor strangled lungs. They have become so pure from all that good Californian living that even at an outside cafe, my throat and nose feel the ugly effects as the wind blows her puff in my direction. “Save your skin my dear,” I mouth her way.
Both England and France have passed legislation banning smoking in certain public places, although this clearly has not gone into effect yet, at least not in any cafe, bar or restaurant I went to in Paris, London or Corsica this summer. Will there be a revolt? What year will we anti-smoking pioneers be able to breathe freely in Europe?
Check out my Death by Match post for a few more giggles.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
