Economy of Anjou
Before I chose to go to Angers, I already knew some things about France and its economy. The French economy is #5 in the world, and France has the second largest economy in the EU after its neighbor and ally Germany(1). I also knew that these two countries form the backbone for the European Union as its founding members. The French economy includes many fields, such as energy (the majority of French energy being nuclear), agriculture (France is very fertile), heavy industry (from great natural resources), banking (French investment has built nations from the ground up), technology (such as the renown TGV) and, of course, wine and luxuries(2). Another noticeable feature of France’s economy is the fact that workers are much more prone to striking than their American counterparts. Americans typically scoff at this, but the French see strikes as a form of political participation, and thus a citizen’s civic duty. The French are in reality hard workers who just want fair compensation and time to spend with their families.
What I did not know about the French economy is the double blow it has recently taken. First, strikes slowed the economy in December of 2019 when President Emmanuel Macron proposed a new reform to pensions(3). France’s economy is quite strong, so the people have not been too upset with pro-business legislation, but I have heard about consistent irritation with just how much “Manu” favors (both in reality and in perceptions) the elites above the common French citizen. While these strikes do not seem to have garnered the same level of momentum as the « Gilets Jaunes » or “Yellow Vests” fuel tax protests, I can definitely see how they could get to economy-disrupting levels. However, the Elysée seems to have come up with a compromise and the economy was rising again as 2020 began(4). But, of course, nothing is ever that simple. As we all know, early 2020 is also when the new coronavirus rapidly spread from China across the world. France alone has almost 2,000 known cases as of the time of this writing, according to French news source Franceinfo. We can only wait and see how this will impact the French economy in the long term, but that’s not really important at the moment.
Chateau d’Angers
The Anjou region in the Loire Valley (where we find Angers) has had an especially important role in French history, being the place where much of the fighting occurred during the 100 Years War between France and England. Because of this, the region is absolutely chock full of medieval fortifications, such as Angers Castle with its roofless towers and Revelations tapestry, Chenonceau Castle built over the Loire river, and even many private castles still owned by the same families that owned them centuries ago. These testaments of power are ample fuel for the busy French tourism sector. Of course, wine is also a major industry in the Loire valley, in competition with Provence and Champagne. Wine is not my personal favorite beverage, but in my opinion the Loire wines were the best ones I had when I was there last.
Something I did not think about was that wine is not the only alcohol in this region. Cointreau orange liqueur is also made here – right next to the city of Angers, as a matter of fact(5). My book about the Loire Valley also tells me that the finest fruits and vegetables in the Loire province are gown in Anjou(6). I knew France was a very fertile land, but I never thought about Anjou as a center of fruits and vegetables. I guess we learn something new every day.
Vineyard in Loire Valley
1,2 https://www.focus-economics.com/countries/france
5 https://www.cointreau.com/fr/fr/carre-cointreau
6 DK Eyewitness Travel: Loire Valley, edited by Stephanie Driver. ©1996, 2018 Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. ISBN 978-1-46546-829-1