in short : we have our share of prettythang hole too ...
looks like you found the worst of our ass-hole
I can't believe he didn't know anything about Indochina ... it's one scar of our history and ignoring it is ... strange ...
btw about military tradition... we have Charles Martell, René d'Anjou (for the older) and some other not only Napoléon
Westy going to the "Touristic Alley" as I call this region is not the better way to know how are the average French.
Come to Normandy,Anjou and you will find other kind of people with other mentality
Btw I often has hard time with Parisian and south east people myself ... they have a behaviour ... detestable ...