Immerse yourself in insider stories & interviews – pick up valuable tips & advice on mastering the French language and living the French dream wherever you live…
Bonne Année ! But Not Until Midnight
In general, we’re not party people, but our good friends, Patrick and Jocelyne, had urged us to go with them to the local Le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre. They thought it would be a good way for us to learn more about France and meet some people from the village.
Ten very normal things to do in France that will make you feel lighter
Ten very normal things to do in France that will make you feel lighter. While thinking of your experience of France, what big or small activity would you add to this list?
Moving to France: Finding my toddler-like footing in always-enchanting France
Moving to France: With my sense of wonder heightened, I began the chapter I define as “my second childhood.” I’d be role-playing as a toddler this time—and a French one at that!
My Days in Paris: Anything but ordinary
Hammam in Paris: It’s an almost mystical experience without the hymns, ritual god-eating, and guilt. Sometimes called Moorish or Turkish baths, the hammam is a ritual that moves the client through ever-increasing temperatures and periods of relaxation, treatment, and socialization.
French Language and French Learning
How important is learning French in today’s world, in which English dominates in so many ways?
Cote d’Azur: Our Olive Tree Harvest
Our Olive Harvest: There is something quite magical about the taste of olive oil fresh from the press. The rich aromas, the grassy, buttery flavor, as you dip your baguette into the thick green-yellow oil, savouring the peppery, spicy aftertaste—it is an experience you will never forget.
Tell your story: A French village memoir writing workshop experience
Tell Your Story: Most of the tales told by the local seniors were not written down. It was storytelling in the true oral tradition of the “conteurs” (storytellers), an activity still happening today in France.
Female Agents Behind Enemy Lines—Diana Rowden: Part 5
Diana Hope Rowden had a privileged background. Born in London in 1915 she spent her early years at Cap Ferrat and the Italian Riviera where her mother rented a villa and yacht. Coincidentally, the yacht was named the Fearless One, it was a name that would later describe Diana perfectly. After boarding school in England, she returned to France with her mother, embarking on a career in journalism at the Sorbonne.
A Fleur by any Other Name
The importance of your name in France: Why its wise to keep all the documents that confirm our identity in see-thru plastic pocket folders in files that we carry with us to any and all official meetings
Books, Books, Books: Feeling Overwhelmed
Books: With just 12 months or so until we move to France, I am feeling a little overwhelmed today with how much “stuff” we have accumulated over 36 years together. I have a taste for modern Irish fiction, cookery books, and anything feline-related.
