From the Letters of D.H. Lawrence

It is quite nice here - but what a mess the French make of their places - perfect slums of villadom, appallingly without order, or form, or place. A ghastly slummy nowhereness - but France seems all like that. And the people, though nice and tidy in themselves, as a whole make a slummy impression, no bigger life at all - a bit thin and boring, too house-keeperishly individual. I don't think I want to live in France.

Hôtel Beau Rivage, Bandol, 15 December 1928

There is something curiously flat and uninteresting about the French - though they are very nice to us here.

Villa Beau Soleil, Bandol, 21 Jan. 1930