A kiss, a hug or a handshake?

Different places, different people, different customs. Learning about cultures is an exciting adventure that starts with the way we say hello. Imagine someone arriving in Brazil for the first time; what would you tell him or her about how Brazilians greet friends and strangers? Who do we hug and kiss? When do we shake hands? Do we greet men and women differently?

When Peter Mayle and his wife got tired of the hustle-and-bustle of London life, they moved to the south of France, and from the experience he wrote A Year in Provence. The book offers a light-hearted glimpse into the quiet life in the French countryside and its fascinating characters. In this short extract , Mayle gives an amusing description of how local Provençal people greet.