Grand Tour: Study during the travel

 

As a travel lover, you’re probably familiar with the term Grand Tour，which referring to the multi-year educational journeys once taken by upper-class British men (Zelazko, n.d.). Back then, the Grand Tour was a privilege of wealth and status. Today, it has evolved into something much more inclusive, which a form of learning through travel that anyone can experience.

For today’s young graduates from the University of Melbourne, a modern Grand Tour means exploring the world beyond textbooks. It’s a journey where cultural differences spark reflection, and moments of culture shock becoming lessons of understanding. When these students return to their communities, they bring back not only knowledge of history and art, but also a broader, more open global perspective.

I haven’t had the chance to start my own Grand Tour yet, but I hope one day to study and exchange ideas in Japan. The country’s strength in cultural storytelling, especially through anime, has fascinated me a lot. Japan’s ability to share its identity with the world in such vividly way is a form of powerful soft power to me. I’d love to learn how they’ve built such a creative and respectful global presence.

In our era of globalisation and digital connection, I imagine the contemporary Grand Tourist as someone dressed in colourful clothes, carrying lightweight electronic equipment, and moving through the world with curiosity and respect. They use the internet not just to navigate, but as a tool of connection. That is, to learn from every culture they encounter, and to turn travel into a bridge for exchanging.

Reference:

Zelazko, A. (n.d.). Grand Tour. In Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved October 17, 2025, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/grand-tour

Learner Rather Than Educator

 

When a social issue in a country gains continuous attention from both local and international communities and especially when it directly affects people’s lives, I will see it as something worth paying attention to. As an outsider, I can observe such issues from a broader, more global perspective. This position gives me a certain distance, allowing for calmer and more objective thinking.

Having studied criminology, I’ve noticed that theft remains a persistent concern in France. When I arrive there, I’d like to explore the deeper social factors behind it-from micro perspectives like daily life, neighborhood layouts, and welfare systems, to broader structures such as class inequality and uneven economic development. My aim is to understand, not to judge, and to contribute a more macro-level perspective to ongoing discussions.

At the same time, my background in psychology that particularly cognitive and social psychology will help me approach to people and cultural differences with a more structured, theory-based understanding. When interacting with locals, I will not take misunderstandings or conflicts personally. In contrast, I’ll see them as natural responses shaped by cognition and context. This mindset allows me to engage in meaningful ways which is rational and empathetical when navigating cultural differences.

Ultimately, as an outsider, my role isn’t to impose change or assume I know better. Any attempt to “help” from a savior’s perspective will be self-centered. I’d prefer join local community activities as a learner and observer, offering alternative perspectives instead of education for others. Meaningful engagement, to me, begins with humility—listening, learning, and sharing rather than leading.

It's illegal in France

In China, covering entire face in public is considered part of personal dressing freedom, and the government rarely intervenes. However, I was surprised to learn that in France, concealing the face in public is illegal (Smartravel, 2025). The law bans clothes that cover the whole face, including burqas and niqabs, though it excludes the chador.

This regulation truly shocked me. In my understanding, covering one’s face is both a form of personal expression and religious freedom. I used to assume that Western countries like France would be more open and tolerant about this. So, I decided to look deeper into it.

According to Open Society (2014), the French government argue that this law is a way to protect women’s freedom and dignity. However, for many Muslim women in France, wearing the veil is a way of expressing their identity and faith, not a result of coercion. 

This made me question whether such a law is kind of protection or rather a harm to the rights of marginalized groups. Does “living together” mean sacrificing the freedom of a few?

This culture shock pushed me to reflect on how national laws often reflect a country’s cultural history and collective character. It also made me think about how minority voices can be heard in societies dominated by majority. Still, while I hold my doubts, I also respect the laws of every country. When I travel, I want to listen to local voices—to understand how residents themselves view such laws—and to use this kind of culture shock as a way to explore the diversity of the world.

Reference:

Open Society Justice Initiative. (n.d.). S.A.S. v France. Open Society Foundations. Retrieved October 17, 2025, from https://justiceinitiative.org/litigation/sas-v-france

Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2025, October 14). France: Exercise a high degree of caution. Smartraveller. https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/france

Beyond Romance: France is a Verb

France is almost always portrayed as a land of romance and style. Travel brochures describe it as “fairy tale” and “refined.” Chanel No.5 sells love found on a Paris train. Time Out places France at the heart of global romance. With images repeateded, it’s no surprise that people picture candlelit dinners under the Eiffel Tower or luxury shops on the Champs-Élysées.

There is truth here—France does carry a romantic charm. But falling into place essentialism, treating romance as France’s only and innate identity (Massey, 1995), is risky. For travelers, it narrows experience to luxury stores, chic restaurants, and photogenic “atmosphere spots.” For locals, it means living up to tourists’ expectation, while more diverse cultural expressions are sidelined and marginalized groups pushed further away. Actually, this image is often shaped by power.

France’s identity is dynamically changing. In the Middle

Ages, chivalry is at its core. During the Enlightenment, streets buzzed with reason and liberty. In World War I, France embodied resilience and courage. Today, global capitalism and consumerism drive the romantic label to France. However, Paris which now as the symbol of romance full of narrow streets and poor sanitation before Haussmann’s 19th-century renovations. Additionally, France’s identity is multiple. Punk bands reflect the struggles of the working class. The Tour Paris 13 street art project demonstrates creativity and the contest over urban space. 

Thus, as travelers, we shouldn’t reduce France to “romance.” France is better understood as a verb—alive, shifting, shaped in every social interaction. So, during your travel, talking to the people who live here, stepping into everyday life, peeling away the labels, and letting yourself have a real conversation with the city.

Reference:

Concept: Doreen Massey, Places and Their Pasts (1995).

Delorme, A.-C. (2022, February 16; updated 2025, March 19). 15 must-see chateaux in France. Explore France. https://www.france.fr/en/article/top-chateaux-must-see-france/#the-most-alternative-chateau-de-chambord-centre-val-de-loire-1

The Guardian. (2025, July 15). Oi! la la: Meet the new wave of French punks making noise. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jul/15/oi-french-punk-rancoeur-oi-boys-syndrome-81 

Time Out. (2025, January 13). The 12 most romantic restaurants in Paris. Time Out. https://www.timeout.com/paris/en/restaurants/romantic-restaurants 

  

CHUUUTTT : The City's Mute Button

“Chuuuttt!” is in Paris’s Beaubourg district, at Igor Stravinsky Square, close to St-Merry Church and the Centre Pompidou. This mural was completed in 2011 by Jef Aérosol and his team. This four-story stencil mural is striking in its simplicity—black and white colour. The only different colour is the artist’s red arrow signature . 

As a creative form open to everyone, street art provokes reflection on what is familiar or unfamiliar, and in doing so contributes to a kind of resistant rewriting of the city (Millner, 2017). This mural's restraint clashes vividly with the riot of colour from the nearby Stravinsky Fountain, inviting passersby, whether tourists or locals, to pause and reflect on what public art means in the heart of the city. 

The title chuuuttt—French for “shh”—sets the theme. The monumental face with a finger pressed to its lip’s commands silence, pressing an invisible mute button on the urban soundscape. In that moment, it seems to ask viewers to tune out the noise of social rules, expectations, and assumptions, and to listen instead to the city’s authentic chorus: perhaps the cries of children, the flutter of pigeons, the melody of foreign tongues, or the conversations of tourists drifting from the Pompidou (Travel France Online, n.d.). 

So, when you arrive in Paris—between trains, shopping arcades, and grand monuments—take a detour to this corner. Stand beneath the mural, follow the silent gesture, and listen—to the sounds of this city and this country that are not written in brochures, sounds that come from those who truly live here, sounds that go beyond the cliché of romance.

The following video shows conception and making process of "chuuuttt!".

Reference:

Millner, J. Visual poetics: The critical impulse in street art.

Travel France Online. (n.d.). Chuuuttt – Street art in Beaubourg. Travel France Online. https://www.travelfranceonline.com/chuuuttt-street-art-in-beaubourg/ 

Travel France Online. (n.d.). Stravinsky fountain in Paris. Travel France Online. https://www.travelfranceonline.com/stravinsky-fountain-in-paris/ 

Baguette: Simple Yet Not Simple

The baguette may look like nothing more than a long, crusty loaf with a soft heart, but it’s France symbolic food. Its recipe couldn’t be simpler: just flour, yeast, salt, and water. However, through this bread, you can trace the rise of French industry and technology and catch a glimpse of the cultural spirit that defines France itself. It’s the kind of food that proves how the simplest things can carry the most complex meanings.

The baguette as we know it first appeared in Paris in the 18th century. But the story of the baguette’s beginnings is controversial. One legend credits Napoleon, who supposedly demanded long, thin loaves so soldiers could slip them into their pockets. Another explanation is more practical: with its relatively light dough, the baguette could be baked in large quantities, making it cheap and accessible to all, which is an answer to the government’s call for a “bread of equality.” Whatever the true origin, the myths themselves reveal something essential about France: a pride in history and a deep-rooted pursuit of freedom and equality, expressed even through the nation’s most everyday food.

In France, the baguette is cheap and ordinary—the “bread of equality.” In China, the same loaf costs over ten yuan and feels like a luxury. It’s a reminder that when we travel, what looks exotic to us may be everyday fare for locals, repackaged with a glossy label and a higher price tag. The best way to cut through the tourist premium? Ask the locals. They’ll often point you to the most authentic flavours at the fairest price.

Reference:

Martin, R. (n.d.). Baguette. In Britannica. From https://www.britannica.com/topic/baguette-bread 

Upper Crust. (n.d.). The history of the baguette. Upper Crust. From https://www.uppercrust.co.uk/the-history-of-baguette/ 

 

ABOUT ME

Hi, I’m Simiao, the travel blogger behind Rendezvous France. I come from China and now study in Australia. I’m passionate about to travel to other countries which have really different culture with mine. These cultural collisions enables me to think more deeply about the world and see things from different angles, opening up both my vision and my mind. However, what attracts me most about travelling is the freedom to escape the judgments and rules of others during travel. This allows me to live in my most genuine, passionate, and romantic state. As Pico once said, “We live without a past or future, follow impulse and find ourselves as wide open as when we are in love."

France has long been a dream destination for me. From the golden light on the Seine, to the café corners of Paris, to the lavender fields of Provence, every image carries poetry and romance. My travel blog invites you into this world through the lens of romance and cultural encounters — celebrating beauty, food, and architecture, while also preparing you for the culture shocks, challenges, and risks that make travel transformative.

Through Rendezvous France, I hope you cannot only fall in love with the country, but also step into it with confidence, curiosity, and an open heart.