Hooked on France?

A few years ago, I met a girl who said she was hooked on France--she was a "Francophile". She loved France and French culture, she spoke French (she probably still do), and as far as I can recall she wouldn't mind living there. I haven't seen her since, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that I thought being hooked on France, or any country for that matter, was a freaky or at least strange thing. How do you get obsessed by a country?

I don't know if I already am a "Francophile", but some things certainly indicate that I am becoming one. It started Christmas a couple of years ago, when my aunt Arnny (my mom's sister) gave me a book about French cuisine; "Le Cordon Bleu--Regional French". I tried a couple of recipies, including the duck in orange sauce (which I am serving tomorrow, by the way). As any inital sample, this introduction (to French cuisine) got me totally hooked and I ended up writing my master thesis in Strasbourg. Back home in Norway, I am taking French classes, and I have started on a plan that may be the seal labelling me a "Francophile":

Unless I break another bone (I tend to do that...), I plan to visit Strasbourg by bicycle next summer. Yes; this means travelling from Oslo to France (Strasbourg, of course) by bike. Based on experience from this autumn's trip to Barcelona, I will put a lot more effort into the planning this time, both in terms of mapping the route and physical exercise. Cheating a bit, the journey will be approximately the same distance as Strasbourg--Barcelona, as I plan to take the ferry to Denmark and start from there. The idea is to arrive in Strasbourg a couple of days before July 1st, when the pros sets off on their Tour de France. In other words, to experience the circus of Le Tour de France and re-visit "Strasbourg ville." :-)