Bonjour, my dear friends and subscribers, both new and long-time.

Un grand merci (a big thank you) for being part of this wonderful global family of Francophiles. Your support enables me to continue growing and improving MyFrenchLife™ Magazine and the le Bulletin newsletter, offering more to this growing global community.

Consider upgrading your subscription

Here’s what you’ll find today:

1. This week “16.20.a - Three Generations, 40,000 Bistros, One Curtain That Wouldn’t Close

2. Feature: The Table That Holds France Together

3. The Writers’ Room spotlight #14 - [MyFrenchLife Magazine Contributor Profiles, where you’ll learn more about our contributors than others know!]

4. This week’s ‘What’s happening in ‘MyFrenchLife™ Magazine’ - a selection of new contributors and fresh articles from across France.

5. You can also find the free newsletter ‘‘16.19- What France Does to People Who Weren’t Looking→here during the weekend.

Warm regards
Judy - 23.5.2026

Read more

Today at a Glance: Your FREE weekly newsletter

Bonjour mes ami(e)s !

It’s wonderful to have you back here with me today. Bienvenue !

1. A New Chapter for MyFrenchLife™ Magazine Contributors

2. In this newsletter, you’ll find these wonderful fresh articles taking you to France beyond the cliché,

3. Don’t miss the PAID subscriber edition of le Bulletin in your inbox: “16.20.a - Three Generations, 40,000 Bistros, One Curtain That Wouldn’t Close - It’s not too late to upgrade & read it←

   À bientôt !
   Warmly,
   Judy - 23.5.2026

1. A New Chapter for MyFrenchLife™ Magazine Contributors - check out these profiles

Profile #5 - Keith Van Sickle

• To Find THE LIST of MyFrenchLife™ Magazine CONTRIBUTORS:
  [https://myfrenchlife.org/p/contributors-myfrenchlife-zine ]

• TO FIND Keith Van Sickles’ WORK:
  [https://www.myfrenchlife.org/t/keith-van-sickle ]

Keith in MyFrenchLife™ Magazine: Can be found here
CONNECT WITH KEITH VAN SICKLE - keithvansickle.com→

2. MyFrenchLife™ Magazine: new articles

Introducing New Contributor, Jenny Becker

I’m a former business owner from Seattle who now lives in rural France in a 17th-century stone house in the Dordogne, where everyday life has a way of becoming a story whether I intend it to or not. What started as a leap into a completely different life slowly became a fascination with the rhythms of village life, French culture, food, markets, misunderstandings, bureaucracy, and the wonderfully strange moments that happen when you try to build a life in another country.

I write about the small collisions between expectation and reality usually involving food, language, rural customs, or situations that go slightly off the rails. My stories often begin with something ordinary and end somewhere I absolutely did not expect.

Most days involve writing, renovating, wandering through markets, attempting to understand France, and being outwitted by both bureaucracy and vegetables.

Here you’ll find Jenny’s Substack: A French Table 1—>

Please help me welcome Jenny to our talented Contributor team, writing from rural France.

Below you’ll find Jenny’s first article published in our magazine→

a) I Went to Buy a Dress in Bordeaux
by Jenny Becker - A French Table 1

THE DRESSING ROOM INCIDENT

The zipper stops halfway up my back, and I immediately blame France.”

Not the country. The lighting.”

The dressing room at Galeries Lafayette is aggressively bright, the kind of brightness that makes you aware of cartilage. The curtain refuses to close all the way, which is how I end up stepping backward into Cabin 8 and discovering a man in gray boxer briefs holding a pale blue shirt like we’ve both been assigned the wrong scene.”

We freeze.”

The mirrors multiply us into an exhibit called Poor Timing…” writes Jenny Becker.

Read the full article →

Leave a comment

b) The Room that Holds Everyone
by Judy MacMahon

Why the French bistro was never really only about food — and what disappears when it closes.

“The bistro isn’t a relic. It’s a practice. And like all practices, it survives only if enough people choose to keep it.”

A century ago, France had half a million bistros. Today, fewer than 40,000 remain.”

That number stopped me when I read it. Not because it’s surprising, exactly, but because of what it means to lose something at that scale without anyone quite deciding to let it go. No law was passed. No policy failed spectacularly. The bistro simply became, incrementally, harder to sustain and easier to replace with something that looks similar but carries none of the weight.”

I’ve often wondered what that weight actually is…” I wrote…

Read the full article →

Leave a comment

c) 20 Streets of Paris #5: Discover Rue du Temple
by Pierre Guernier

You can almost feel the ghosts of knights when you walk down Rue du Temple. Once the stronghold of the Templars, it’s now a place of cafés and boutiques, but the air still hums with secrecy. Look up at the street sign and imagine chainmail and whispers — for beneath the shopfronts, the Middle Ages still murmur.

Rue du Temple is named for one of the most fascinating lost landmarks of Paris…” wites Pierre Guernier.

Read the full article →

Leave a comment

d) THE WRITERS’ ROOM: Shining the spotlight on MyFrenchLife Contributors — a new home

The Writers’ Room is where the storytellers become the story.

Our talented Contributor team now spans nearly 40 writers, photographers, and creatives living across France — and in this special series, we go beyond the byline to discover the little-known stories readers don’t usually hear.

The unexpected turns. The private passions. The little-known stories. The moments that shaped a life in France. Each week, one Contributor shares their story, then hands the conversation to another Contributor — creating a growing chain of voices and connection.

There is now a dedicated place to find these, as I’ve now given The Writers’ Room a dedicated home of its own so that you can find it at any time, 24/7.

Until now, these conversations lived only inside the PAID edition of le Bulletin, but with nearly 40 Contributors across France, and a growing archive of fascinating personal stories, it felt time to create one place where Annual subscribers and Mighty Supporters can easily explore them all.

→Find the Writers’ Room — Exclusively for Annual subscribers and Mighty Supporters.

Leave a comment

3. Merci mille fois

“Thank you for subscribing to ‘le Bulletin’, the newsletter of MyFrenchLife™ Magazine.”
Judy MacMahon

Merci mille fois d’être ici, mes ami(e)s. Thanks for being here.

Sometimes, France has a way of arriving sideways.

A former business owner from Seattle steps into the wrong dressing room in Bordeaux and finds the story she didn’t know she was looking for. A Paris street named for knights who vanished centuries ago still hums with something you can’t quite name. A number — 40,000 — sits quietly at the end of a long decline nobody chose.

That’s this week’s FRANCE AS IT HAPPENS.

À bientôt,
Judy
judy@myfrenchlife.org

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🔓 Here you can UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE FRENCH STORIES:
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⭐ How you can BECOME A CHERISHED MIGHTY SUPPORTER:
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🎁 Perhaps you’d like to SHARE THE INSPIRATION:
Gift le Bulletin to friends and family who admire the strength and spirit of French women. It’s the perfect way to share your passion for France.

Gift le Bulletin

💡 And don’t forget… you can always EXPLORE THE ARCHIVES:
Discover even more inspiring stories in our complete newsletter archive. Perfect for satisfying your Francophile cravings whenever suits you, wherever you live.

Add us to your address book: info@MyFrenchLife.org -
Copyright © MaVieFrancaise®- MyFrenchLife™️. All Rights Reserved. -
le Bulletin is the Newsletter of MyFrenchLife.org

MyFrenchLife.org - Come with us to experience France beyond the cliché.
*Photo in the le Bulletin banner at the top of each newsletter © Annewill Stroo

Bonjour, my dear friends and subscribers, both new and long-time.

Un grand merci (a big thank you) for being part of this wonderful global family of Francophiles. Your support enables me to continue growing and improving MyFrenchLife™ Magazine and the le Bulletin newsletter, offering more to this growing global community.

Consider upgrading your subscription

Here’s what you’ll find today:

1. This week “16.19.a - The Clothes Know. So Does the Calendar

2. The Writers’ Room returns next week - [MyFrenchLife Magazine Contributor Profiles, where you’ll learn more about our contributors than others know!]

3. This week’s ‘What’s happening in ‘MyFrenchLife™ Magazine’ - a selection of new contributors and fresh articles.

4. You can also find the free newsletter ‘‘16.19- France Gets Into Everything. Even the School Run→here during the weekend.

Warm regards
Judy - 16.5.2026

Read more

Today at a Glance: Your FREE weekly newsletter

Bonjour mes ami(e)s !

It’s wonderful to have you back here with me today. Bienvenue !

1. A New Chapter for MyFrenchLife™ Magazine Contributors

2. In this newsletter, you’ll find these wonderful fresh articles taking you to France beyond the cliché,

3. Don’t miss the PAID subscriber edition of le Bulletin in your inbox: “16.19a - The Clothes Know. So Does the Calendar - It’s not too late to upgrade & read it←

   À bientôt !
   Warmly,
   Judy - 16.5.2026
   

1. A New Chapter for MyFrenchLife™ Magazine Contributors - check out these new profiles

Profile #4 - Betty Carlson

• To Find THE LIST of MyFrenchLife™ Magazine CONTRIBUTORS:
  [https://myfrenchlife.org/p/contributors-myfrenchlife-zine ]

• TO FIND BETTY CARLSON’S WORK:
  [https://www.myfrenchlife.org/t/betty-carlson ]

Betty in MyFrenchLife™ Magazine: Can be found here
CONNECT WITH BETTY CARLSON - France in Between→

2. MyFrenchLife™ Magazine: new articles

Introducing New Contributor, Kamille Longstreet

I’m an American writer who traded a tiny Los Angeles apartment for a three-hundred-year-old French château - a decision that continues to surprise me.

I live in rural France with my husband Sean and our two young children, and I document the whole chaotic, beautiful project on my Substack, Once Upon a Castle: the château restoration, the village, the seasons, what it’s actually like to raise an American family in rural France, and the ongoing negotiation between the life we imagined and the one we’re actually living.”

Below you’ll find Kamille’s first article published in our magazine. Please help me welcome Kamille.

a) What No One Tells You About Putting Your Kids in Full French Immersion.
by Kamille Longstreet

When we moved to France, we made a very brave - some might say questionable - decision. We enrolled our young children in the local village school. Not an international school, not a bilingual program, just a normal French public school where not a single soul spoke English. Total immersion.”

The logic was sound. Everyone - books, blogs, actual French people - said it was the best way for kids to learn the language and the culture. Also, the nearest international school was forty minutes away, and we didn’t move to the French countryside just to spend three hours a day in a commuting loop. So we did it. We dropped our kids into a completely foreign environment with nothing but love and hopeful stares.”

And it was hard. For them. For us. For our poor, tear-streaked steering wheel…”

Read the full article→

Leave a comment

b) On Time
by Pamela Clapp

Time isn’t a personality trait in France.

It isn’t languid DNA. The French get anxious, too. They get flustered, they rush, they mutter at traffic lights, they curse at steering wheels when the city pushes back. My French husband thinks I drive like someone trying to annotate the street rather than beat it. « Sois plus agressive ! » he says, hand braced on the passenger handle. Paris time lingers, but it honks. Just not on the same minutes Americans honk on…”

Read the full article→

Leave a comment

c) How to Find Your French Family (or, where are you, camille?)...
by Laura L Barkat (LL)

Start by knowing very little.

Commence par en savoir très peu.

That your mother always told you, “We’re French and Indian.”

That she said your grandmother swore in French. But on the day, as a four-year-old, you swore at a car, in English in a parking lot—little black-patent-leather shoes and pretty dress notwithstanding—it was because, so your grandmother admitted, she had sworn in front of you while driving. (You have no memory of ever riding with your grandmother)…” writes Laura.

Read the full article→

Leave a comment

d) Same Building. Two Floors. Ninety Years Apart
by Judy MacMahon

What a bartender’s white jacket, Hugo Matha’s silk neckerchiefs, and George Orwell scrubbing pots in a Parisian cellar taught me about the most French idea I know.

I was supposed to be working. Instead, I was reading a magazine about bartenders’ jackets. Bartenders’ clothing in Paris, does that count as ‘work’?”

It was the Financial Times weekend supplement, How To Spend It, glossy and full of things I admire from a respectful distance. The piece was about the white dinner jacket: why it has never really gone away, what it means when a bartender wears one, and how different bars around the world are reimagining it. London, Tokyo, New York, Copenhagen. Details I adored: one Mayfair bartender sourced a fabric so washable he soaked it in coffee and grenadine for three days to be sure the claim was true. Another bar permits any tie, except green. Red is also out. Don’t ask why.” Judy MacMahon

Read the full article→

Leave a comment

3. Merci mille fois

“Thank you for subscribing to ‘le Bulletin’, the newsletter of MyFrenchLife™ Magazine.”
Judy MacMahon

Merci mille fois d’être ici, mes ami(e)s. Thanks for being here.

Some of the best writing about France starts not with monuments or explanations, but with small moments that don’t quite behave the way you expect — a school gate, a passing remark, a different sense of time.

That’s this week’s France as it happens.

À bientôt,
Judy
judy@myfrenchlife.org

Leave a comment

Please consider upgrading

Thanks for reading ‘le Bulletin’! This post is public, so feel free to share it.

Share

Subscribe now

‘le Bulletin’ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support us, I personally ask you to consider becoming a free or annual subscriber.

Here’s how you can stay in touch & personalise your le Bulletin experience, and deepen your French connection.

🔓 Here you can UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE FRENCH STORIES:
Become an annual member and save! Enjoy exclusive, intimate glimpses into France and French lives delivered straight to your inbox.

Unlock Exclusive French Stories

⭐ How you can BECOME A CHERISHED MIGHTY SUPPORTER:
If you love le Bulletin, you can help us share more stories of remarkable French women and authentic French experiences. Plus, enjoy special perks!

Become a Mighty Supporter

🎁 Perhaps you’d like to SHARE THE INSPIRATION:
Gift le Bulletin to friends and family who admire the strength and spirit of French women. It’s the perfect way to share your passion for France.

Gift le Bulletin

💡 And don’t forget… you can always EXPLORE THE ARCHIVES:
Discover even more inspiring stories in our complete newsletter archive. Perfect for satisfying your Francophile cravings whenever suits you, wherever you live.

Add us to your address book: info@MyFrenchLife.org -
Copyright © MaVieFrancaise®- MyFrenchLife™️. All Rights Reserved. -
le Bulletin is the Newsletter of MyFrenchLife.org

MyFrenchLife.org - Come with us to experience France beyond the cliché.
*Photo in the le Bulletin banner at the top of each newsletter © Annewill Stroo

Bonjour, my dear friends and subscribers, both new and long-time.

Un grand merci (a big thank you) for being part of this wonderful global family of Francophiles. Your support enables me to continue growing and improving MyFrenchLife™ Magazine and the le Bulletin newsletter, offering more to this growing global community.

Consider upgrading your subscription

Here’s what you’ll find today:

1. This week “16.18.a - They Found Us. And France Has Never Been More Inexhaustible.

2. The Writers’ Room returns next week - [MyFrenchLife Magazine Contributor Profiles, where you’ll learn more about our contributors than others know!]

3. This week’s ‘What’s happening in ‘MyFrenchLife™ Magazine’ - a selection of new contributors and fresh articles.

4. You can also find the free newsletter ‘‘16.18 - France Gets Under Your Skin. These Writers Show You How→here, on Saturday.

Warm regards
Judy - 9.5.2026

Read more

Today at a Glance: Your FREE weekly newsletter

Bonjour mes ami(e)s !

It’s wonderful to have you back here with me today. Bienvenue !

1. A New Chapter for MyFrenchLife™ Magazine Contributors

2. In this newsletter, you’ll find these wonderful fresh articles taking you to France beyond the cliché,

3. Don’t miss the PAID subscriber edition of le Bulletin in your inbox: “16.18.a - They Found Us. And France Has Never Been More Inexhaustible.. It’s not too late to upgrade & read it←

   À bientôt !
   Warmly,
   Judy - 9.5.2026
   

1. A New Chapter for MyFrenchLife™ Magazine Contributors - check out these new profiles

Profile #3 - Shelby Chambers

• To Find THE LIST of MyFrenchLife™ Magazine CONTRIBUTORS:
  [https://myfrenchlife.org/p/contributors-myfrenchlife-zine ]

• TO FIND SHELBY CHAMBERS’ WORK:
  [https://www.myfrenchlife.org/t/shelby-chambers ]

2. MyFrenchLife™ Magazine: new articles

→Introducing New Contributor Elizabeth Joubert

I’m a Californian who was a marine biologist before moving to France and trading my wetsuit for pen and paper. “

After three years in Limoges, we made the Paris area home. We have two daughters, who speak perfect Franglais. Thanks to frequent school holidays, I’m an expert at entertaining kids in Paris.”

I love the ballet, opera, and museums; my carte blanche for the Musée d’Orsay is a treasured possession. My writing, which focuses on culture and identity, has appeared in Newsweek, Zibby Mag, The Haven, and my Substack, This Week in France. “

A nature lover, I like to explore the parks and green spaces around Paris where I live with my husband and two daughters. I spend several weeks a year hiking and skiing in the Alps.”

In the land of bread and cheese, I am both gluten- and dairy-free, curse the heavens,” said Elizabeth Joubert.

It’s now my pleasure to ask you to join me in welcoming Elizabeth and learning more about her and her life through her beautiful first article with us: “Finding Nature in the Heart of Paris.”

a) Finding Nature in the Heart of Paris
by Elizabeth Joubert

I’m fanatical about our abundant parks and green spaces, which were an unexpected gift of our move to Greater Paris. When we came to the city from the rural outskirts of Limoges, we knew we’d have more access to culture, but were delighted to realize we’d increased our access to nature, too.”

My French husband and I started our lives together in California, but I had the bright idea to move to France when we had our first baby, so we could all be bilingual (it worked out in the long run, but boy, was that a transition). We’d hoped to go to Paris, but ended up in an agricultural community that was the definition of bucolic. I worked to appreciate the local character, which included lots of farm animals…” wrote Elizabeth.

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

b) Everything You Always Wanted to Know About French Herb & Spice Blends
by Laura Washburn Hutton

There were two choices: fill in the forms for my French taxes or clean the spice cabinet. No prizes for guessing what happened.”

There were the usual duplicate spice jars and a few out-of-date items for keeping, because you never know. And, a surprising number of blends, given that I’m not a huge fan of spice blends.”

Surprisingly, also, hardly any are French.”

There are always exceptions…” wrote Laura Washburn Hutton

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

c) Little French Joys That Keep Me Going
by Shelby Chambers

…I’m not sure if it’s due to age, motherhood, or desperate times, but I’m on a corny and earnest mission of late to try to appreciate the little things in life. “

Maybe some appreciation will make this year a tad more bearable until the midterm elections, until work picks up, until the sun comes out again, both figuratively and literally…” writes Shelby Chambers.

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

d) Four Notes and a Nation
by Judy MacMahon

The man at the centre of the story is Michaël Boumendil, founder of a Paris-based sound branding agency called Sixième Son. In 2004, the SNCF came to him with a problem. The SNCF had always used a jingle, but it was the old one, the Do-Me-Sol of the 1990s, and it had gone stale. The company was going through a full rebrand, new logo and all, and the sonic identity needed to keep pace. Boumendil’s brief was simple: give France’s national railway a sound that people would actually feel something about.”

Before a single note was composed, Sixième Son did something quite unusual…”

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

3. Merci mille fois

“Thank you for subscribing to ‘le Bulletin’, the newsletter of MyFrenchLife™ Magazine.”
Judy MacMahon

Merci mille fois d’être ici, mes ami(e)s. Thanks for being here.

This week feels like a proper gathering.

Elizabeth Joubert joins our community as a new contributor, bringing nature, Paris, and a perspective that’s entirely her own.

Laura Washburn Hutton turns a spice cabinet into a rabbit hole — as they tend to do. Shelby Chambers gives small joys the attention they deserve.

And in Four Notes and a Nation, I was digging deep. I went looking for the story behind the most heard sound in France. I loved writing that piece. Sound is such an intimate thing, and this story took me somewhere unexpected. I hope it does the same for you.

Merci à toutes. To Elizabeth, Laura, and Shelby — thank you for taking our readers deeper into France, beyond the cliché, exactly where we love to be.

À bientôt.
Judy
judy@myfrenchlife.org

Leave a comment

Please consider upgrading

Thanks for reading ‘le Bulletin’! This post is public, so feel free to share it.

Share

Subscribe now

‘le Bulletin’ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support us, I personally ask you to consider becoming a free or annual subscriber.

Here’s how you can stay in touch & personalise your le Bulletin experience, and deepen your French connection.

🔓 Here you can UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE FRENCH STORIES:
Become an annual member and save! Enjoy exclusive, intimate glimpses into France and French lives delivered straight to your inbox.

Unlock Exclusive French Stories

⭐ How you can BECOME A CHERISHED MIGHTY SUPPORTER:
If you love le Bulletin, you can help us share more stories of remarkable French women and authentic French experiences. Plus, enjoy special perks!

Become a Mighty Supporter

🎁 Perhaps you’d like to SHARE THE INSPIRATION:
Gift le Bulletin to friends and family who admire the strength and spirit of French women. It’s the perfect way to share your passion for France.

Gift le Bulletin

💡 And don’t forget… you can always EXPLORE THE ARCHIVES:
Discover even more inspiring stories in our complete newsletter archive. Perfect for satisfying your Francophile cravings whenever suits you, wherever you live.

Add us to your address book: info@MyFrenchLife.org -
Copyright © MaVieFrancaise®- MyFrenchLife™️. All Rights Reserved. -
le Bulletin is the Newsletter of MyFrenchLife.org

MyFrenchLife.org - Come with us to experience France beyond the cliché.
*Photo in the le Bulletin banner at the top of each newsletter © Annewill Stroo

Today at a Glance: Your FREE weekly newsletter

Bonjour mes ami(e)s !

It’s wonderful to have you back here with me today. Bienvenue !

1. In this newsletter, you’ll find these wonderful fresh articles taking you to France beyond the cliché

2. Don’t miss our new Contributor focus feature - Victor Coutard this week.

3. Don’t miss the PAID subscriber edition of le Bulletin in your inbox: “16.17.a - The Long Way to Paris“ It’s not too late to upgrade & read it←

   À bientôt !
   Warmly,
   Judy - 2.5.2026
   

1. This week’s Contributor: Victor Coutard

We’re adding Contributor profiles to the list of the Contributor Page on MyFrenchLife.org — one by one.

Profile #3 - Victor Coutard

Victor Coutard — bilingual writer, Paris-born, but Loire Valley at heart, and the voice behind How to Read France, a Substack devoted to the France that exists beyond the showcase.

Ready to find his work? Come with me…

1. Head to MyFrenchLife.org and select Zine from the menu.

2. Click “READ THIS FIRST” and find our full list of contributors.

3. Scroll to Victor. Click Explore.

You’ll find his full profile there — and everything he’s written for us.

Bonne lecture,
Judy

PS: Any difficulty navigating? DM me or leave a comment below.

Victor’s Substack is: How to Get Lost→

2. MyFrenchLife™ Magazine: new articles

a) Interview: Tilar Mazzeo — Part One
by Judy MacMahon

This interview was conducted face-to-face and is now being republished due to reader request.

Tilar Mazzeo is a cultural historian who has thrown her heart and expertise into uncovering the stories of French luxury brands and the people behind them.”

Her first book,
-The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It, made the New York Times best-selling list.
- She has also written The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World’s Most Famous Perfume and is working on
- The Ritz at War: Luxury in Occupied Paris…”

Tilar researches the historical period, the brand, its industry, and its technology and science, and weaves this information effortlessly into a narrative. Her elegant writing helps bring the characters alive and evokes a true sense of time and place.

Tilar has also written guidebooks on California wine country and is an associate professor of English at Colby College, Maine…”

Read the full article→

Leave a comment

b) Interview: Tilar Mazzeo — Part Two
by Judy MacMahon

Part Two - the continuation of my interview with Tilar:

How did you start writing The Secret of Number 5 and The Ritz?

It’s funny how one thing leads to another as a writer. So I had just written The Widow Clicquot and two guidebooks: one on the back lane wineries of California, one on Napa. I was thinking about what my next project would be.

For the Napa book, I spent three months wine tasting every day, and your nose is something that gets trained with such regular use. At the end of that period, I happened to be at a friend’s house who was an amateur collector of vintage perfumes. He started pulling out really interesting, older, rare perfumes…”

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

c) 20 Streets of Paris #4: Boulevard de Sébastopol
by Pierre Guernier

A journey of discovery through Parisian history, one street sign at a time - Let’s go!”

Stand at Place du Châtelet and look north: a long, straight boulevard cuts through Paris like a knife.

This is Boulevard de Sébastopol, one of Baron Haussmann’s grand creations of the mid-nineteenth century. Its name honours the capture of Sevastopol in 1855 during the Crimean War, a victory inscribed not in marble but into the very geography of the city.”

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

d) Ce n’est pas une Librairie, Part Two
by Judy MacMahon

Dynasties are one answer (see Part One - last week). But Paris isn’t only about dynasties. There’s another kind of bookshop story happening right now, and it’s just as radical.”

It starts with a law. The law nobody talks about.”

Here is the thing about France that the rest of the world tends to miss, partly because France itself doesn’t shout about it. In 1981, the Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, pushed through a piece of legislation so quietly audacious that its consequences are still reverberating forty-odd years later…”

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

e) The Hidden Chapel of Cluny
by Patricia Russo

Most people walk right past it - or don’t even know it exists.”

Even inside the Musée de Cluny, with its soaring Lady and the Unicorn tapestries and the ancient Roman baths, this little chamber sits tucked away like a secret - a quiet pause, a pocket of stillness and breath.”

I found it several years ago as Paris continued to reveal herself to me - or it found me. The air changed when I stepped inside. The room was small, quiet, almost shy. And yet the space felt full, as if the stones themselves remembered every prayer ever whispered into them. Oh my goodness, do I love discovering spaces that feel like this.”

This is the hidden chapel of Cluny…” wrote Patricia Russo

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

3. Merci mille fois

“Thank you so much for supporting my work and reading ‘le Bulletin’.

Merci mille fois d’être ici, mes ami(e)s. Thanks for being here.

This week I’ve been thinking about my republished interview with Tilar Mazzeo — a cultural historian who researches French luxury the way a detective works a case, following the scent until the whole story opens up. Both parts are here today, and worth a slow read with a good coffee.

Then there’s Pierre Guernier on Boulevard de Sébastopol — one street, one Crimean victory pressed into the geography of Paris forever. And Patricia Russo, who found a tiny medieval chapel tucked inside the Musée de Cluny — a room so quiet, she says the stones themselves remember every prayer. I love that Patricia finds these places and brings them to us.

Victor Coutard is this week’s contributor focus — Paris-born, Loire Valley at heart, writing the France that exists beyond the showcase. If you don’t know his work yet, I think you’ll be glad you found it.

And if you’re curious about the 1981 law that quietly saved the French bookshop — that piece, along with a great deal more, is waiting for you in the paid edition. Whenever you’re ready.

À bientôt,
Judy x
judy@myfrenchlife.org

Please consider upgrading

Thanks for reading ‘le Bulletin’! This post is public, so feel free to share it.

Share

‘le Bulletin’ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support us, I personally ask you to consider becoming a free or annual subscriber.

Here’s how you can stay in touch & personalise your le Bulletin experience, and deepen your French connection.

🔓 Here you can UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE FRENCH STORIES:
Become an annual member and save! Enjoy exclusive, intimate glimpses into France and French lives delivered straight to your inbox.

Unlock Exclusive French Stories

⭐ How you can BECOME A CHERISHED MIGHTY SUPPORTER:
If you love le Bulletin, you can help us share more stories of remarkable French women and authentic French experiences. Plus, enjoy special perks!

Become a Mighty Supporter

🎁 Perhaps you’d like to SHARE THE INSPIRATION:
Gift le Bulletin to friends and family who admire the strength and spirit of French women. It’s the perfect way to share your passion for France.

Gift le Bulletin

💡 And don’t forget… you can always EXPLORE THE ARCHIVES:
Discover even more inspiring stories in our complete newsletter archive. Perfect for satisfying your Francophile cravings whenever suits you, wherever you live.

Add us to your address book: info@MyFrenchLife.org -
Copyright © MaVieFrancaise®- MyFrenchLife™️. All Rights Reserved. -
le Bulletin is the Newsletter of MyFrenchLife.org

MyFrenchLife.org - Come with us to experience France beyond the cliché.
*Photo in the le Bulletin banner at the top of each newsletter © Annewill Stroo

Bonjour, my dear friends and subscribers, both new and long-time.

Un grand merci (a big thank you) for being part of this wonderful global family of Francophiles. Your support enables me to continue growing and improving MyFrenchLife™ Magazine and the le Bulletin newsletter, offering more to this growing global community.

Consider upgrading your subscription

Here’s what you’ll find today:

1. The Writers’ Room - MyFrenchLife Magazine Contributor Profiles, where you’ll learn more about our contributors than others know!
   + find The Writers’ Room Archive - now, 11 Contributors exposed :)

2. This week’s ‘What’s happening in ‘MyFrenchLife™ Magazine’ - a selection of fresh articles.

3. You can also find the free newsletter ‘‘16.17 - →here, on Saturday.

Warm regards
Judy - 2.5.2026

1. THE WRITERS’ ROOM #12:

Meet the MyFrenchLife™ Magazine Contributors one by one…

The Writers’ Room is where storytellers become the story. Each week, one MyFrenchLife™ Magazine Contributor shares what shaped them, then hands the microphone to another Contributor colleague—building a chain of conversations exclusively for you, our committed supporters.
Bonne lecture.

Read more

Today at a Glance: Your FREE weekly newsletter

Bonjour mes ami(e)s !

It’s wonderful to have you back here with me today. Bienvenue !

1. Continuing the new profile features of MyFrenchLife™ Magazine Contributors from last week. This week, get to know: Emily Monaco.

2. In this newsletter, you’ll find these wonderful fresh articles taking you to France beyond the cliché,

3. Don’t miss the PAID subscriber edition of le Bulletin in your inbox: “16.16.a - Édition littéraire: Ce n’est pas une librairie—This is Not a Bookshop. This is France - another whopper … It’s not too late to upgrade & read it←

   À bientôt !
   Warmly,
   Judy - 25.4.2026
   

1. A New Chapter for MyFrenchLife™ Magazine Contributors - check out these new profiles

Profile #2 - Emily Monaco

• To Find THE LIST of MyFrenchLife™ Magazine CONTRIBUTORS:
  [https://myfrenchlife.org/p/contributors-myfrenchlife-zine ]

• TO FIND EMILY MONACO’s WORK:
  [https://www.myfrenchlife.org/t/emily-monaco]

2. MyFrenchLife™ Magazine: new articles

“There are many talented Contributors to MyFrenchLife Magazine and I thank all of you for sharing your experiences with us in such an engaging manner.
You take us right across France & deep into many worm-holes.
We delight in discovering
and learning more about France beyond the cliché”

Judy

Our list of valued Contributors

---

a) A city, Molière, and a chair
by Betty Carlson

Pézenas has worked hard to stake a claim on France’s famous playwright

“Say hello to Jean-Baptiste!” joked my French husband as I headed out the door to Pézenas, Hérault, Occitanie.”

“Ah bon? Molière wasn’t born in Pézenas? I was convinced he was…” said my crestfallen French husband as I broke the news to him upon my return.”

Molière, né Jean-Baptiste Poquelin and considered France’s greatest playwright, was born in Paris in 1622 and died there in 1673.”

But between 1650 and 1656, he and his Théâtre Illustre stayed and played a number of times in Pézenas, where he was supported and protected by Armand de Bourbon, the Prince of Conti…” writes Betty Carlson.

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

b) How long
by Lara L Barkat

How long?”

(Combien de temps?)

How long until I find the just-right thing? And do it in the just-right way? To create the just-right result?”

I wanted to do a photo shoot with ma maman’s little blue Limoges creamer and clusters of grapes (les raisins). But then I got blue on my mind.”

The blue took me to another Wedgwood. A Ralph Lauren “Empire” cup with an image on the bottom, in gold, of a man playing polo.”

These tea niceties have nothing to do with the person for whom I wanted to make these photos. And the person for whom I wanted to make these photos will never see them, can never see them.”

Imagine a world where we made beautiful things for people, just because,… writes Laura L Barkat”

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

c) Embracing September
by Kathryn Ivey

This article was originally published in September & republishing here now as we ease into our Spring/Summer ‘26.

How is it almost the last week of September? “

The whirlwind of la rentrée, the official period of back to school and regularly scheduled programming in France, began on September 1 and left me whirling as well. “

The morning rush of getting kids fed, dressed, and out the door has replaced our languid summer mornings of easing into the day with pancakes on a random Wednesday. However, we do try to ease into the weekday mornings by sitting down together for breakfast, even for a quick bowl of yogurt and berries or some speedy scrambled eggs. “

We light the candles on the table in the morning during breakfast, even during the school/work week, as a way to start our day in peace, and our kids love it (and fight over who gets to blow them out!)…” writes Kathryn Ivey.

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

d) Ce n’est pas une Librairie, Part One
by Judy MacMahon

“…In French, a librairie is a bookshop. A bibliothèque is a library. The English speaker wanders into a library expecting to borrow books and leaves having spent a small fortune? This is, depending on your perspective, either a design flaw or the whole point.”

Magritte painted a pipe and wrote beneath it:
- Ceci n’est pas une pipe. This is not a pipe.

The places I’m about to tell you about are not, strictly speaking, librairies.
They are not bibliothèques either.

They are something France has been quietly and with great conviction building for a very long time: places where books are held, loved, argued over, and passed down through families like a form of memory.

Introducing you now to two Paris-based book dynasties…”

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

---

3. Merci mille fois

“Thank you so much for supporting my work and reading ‘le Bulletin’.

Merci mille fois d’être ici, mes ami(e)s. Thanks for being here.

What a gentle, generous edition this has been.

Betty Carlson took herself off to Pézenas with her husband’s cheerful “Say hello to Jean-Baptiste!” ringing in her ears, and came back with a story about a city that has spent four centuries staking its claim on six years of Molière. I love that. The audacity of it, and the devotion. Very French, and very worth the trip.

Laura L Barkat stopped me in my tracks this week. A blue Limoges creamer, clusters of grapes, a Ralph Lauren teacup, and behind it all, a person who will never see the beautiful thing made in their honour. I don’t want to say more than that. Just read it.

And Kathryn Ivey, lighting candles at the breakfast table before the school run, even on a Wednesday, even when everyone is scrambling for their shoes. That lovely image has evocatively stayed with me all week. La rentrée (back to school season) as a philosophy: the belief that even the ordinary morning deserves a little ceremony. I think France understands something about that which the rest of the world is still catching up to... I know that Autumn has passed us by, but we know it’s back with us every year :). However, right now we’re celebrating the early signs of summer!

Thank you, Betty, Laura, and Kathryn, for bringing your France to us this week.

Oh, and not forgetting our new Contributor profile feature - looking at you, Emily Monaco - we’re in awe of your energy, skill, and work - félicitations.

And thank you, dear readers, for being here, for reading wth such care, and for being part of this wonderful global community of francophiles. It means more than you know.

À bientôt,
Judy x
judy@myfrenchlife.org

PS: Oh, and there’s an article from our French Culture Deep Dive Collection, Part One of a two-part series exclusively for Annual Subscribers and Mighty Supporters. It’s all about two Paris-based book Dynasties. I loved researching and putting this one together. …and next Wednesday you’ll receive Part Two.
Are you ready?

Leave a comment

Please consider upgrading

Thanks for reading ‘le Bulletin’! This post is public, so feel free to share it.

Share

‘le Bulletin’ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support us, I personally ask you to consider becoming a free or annual subscriber.

Here’s how you can stay in touch & personalise your le Bulletin experience, and deepen your French connection.

🔓 Here you can UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE FRENCH STORIES:
Become an annual member and save! Enjoy exclusive, intimate glimpses into France and French lives delivered straight to your inbox.

Unlock Exclusive French Stories

⭐ How you can BECOME A CHERISHED MIGHTY SUPPORTER:
If you love le Bulletin, you can help us share more stories of remarkable French women and authentic French experiences. Plus, enjoy special perks!

Become a Mighty Supporter

🎁 Perhaps you’d like to SHARE THE INSPIRATION:
Gift le Bulletin to friends and family who admire the strength and spirit of French women. It’s the perfect way to share your passion for France.

Gift le Bulletin

💡 And don’t forget… you can always EXPLORE THE ARCHIVES:
Discover even more inspiring stories in our complete newsletter archive. Perfect for satisfying your Francophile cravings whenever suits you, wherever you live.

Add us to your address book: info@MyFrenchLife.org -
Copyright © MaVieFrancaise®- MyFrenchLife™️. All Rights Reserved. -
le Bulletin is the Newsletter of MyFrenchLife.org

MyFrenchLife.org - Come with us to experience France beyond the cliché.
*Photo in the le Bulletin banner at the top of each newsletter © Annewill Stroo

Bonjour, my dear friends and subscribers, both new and long-time.

Un grand merci (a big thank you) for being part of this wonderful global family of Francophiles. Your support enables me to continue growing and improving MyFrenchLife™ Magazine and the le Bulletin newsletter, offering more to this growing global community.

Consider upgrading your subscription

Here’s what you’ll find today:

1. Writers, Books, and the People Who Never Stopped Believing in Both.

2. The Writers’ Room - MyFrenchLife Magazine Contributor Profiles, where you’ll learn more about our contributors than others know!
   + find The Writers’ Room Archive - 10 Contributors exposed :)

3. This week’s ‘What’s happening in ‘MyFrenchLife™ Magazine’ - a selection of fresh articles.

4. You can also find the free newsletter ‘‘16.16 - →here, on Saturday.

Warm regards
Judy - 25.4.2026
PS: These PAID EDITIONS of le Bulletin are chock full of interesting writing from France, so make sure you read right to the end… some of the best gems are there- really :)

Read more

Today at a Glance: Your FREE weekly newsletter

Bonjour mes ami(e)s !

It’s wonderful to have you back here with me today. Bienvenue !

1. A New Chapter for MyFrenchLife™ Magazine Contributors

2. In this newsletter, you’ll find these wonderful fresh articles taking you to France beyond the cliché,

3. Don’t miss the PAID subscriber edition of le Bulletin in your inbox: “16.15.a - From Cuban Slave to French Clown, Autumn Harvests & the People Who Fill Your Cup. It’s not too late to upgrade & read it←

   À bientôt !
   Warmly,
   Judy - 18.4.2026
   

1. A New Chapter for MyFrenchLife™ Magazine Contributors

You’ve been reading their work for years. Some of you have been reading certain contributors since the very beginning, following them through their adventures, their discoveries, their quietly brilliant observations about France and French life. But apart from their bylines, most of them have remained a little mysterious. Who are they, really? What brought them to France? What keeps them writing about it? Earlier this year, I started a weekly spotlight feature in the PAID edition of le Bulletin called The Writers’ Room, where each contributor stepped out from behind their articles and became the story.

Our paid subscribers loved it. But it always felt like something that deserved a wider audience. So I’m changing that.

From now on, as I build out our Contributors page on the site, each contributor will have a proper profile: who they are, with the best of what they’ve shared about their life and France. And each time I add another contributor, I’ll introduce them here, in the FREE edition.

We’re starting with Suzanne Grosso Vidal, a long-term and generous contributor to MyFrenchLife™ – MaVieFrançaise® whose writing and photographs have brought the South of France to life for our readers for years. Thirty-plus years in France. French citizenship. An American accent she has never lost and long since stopped apologising for.

Let’s find her new profile.

Ready? Come with me.

1. Head to MyFrenchLife.org and select Zine from the menu.

2. You’ll see an article marked “READ THIS FIRST.” Click it, and you’ll see this page

3. Inside, you’ll find a link to our full list of contributors, ~35 talented writers, most of whom live in France. Click through…

4. Scroll toward the bottom of the page. There she is.

Click Explore, and you’re in: Discover all of Suzanne’s articles that have been published on MyFrenchLife Magazine - Lots of lovely reading and wonderful photographs as Suzanne tucks you under her arm and invites you into her French life.

”Avec toute ma gratitude, Suzanne”

Bonne lecture

Judy
PS: If you have difficulty navigating, please let me know by DM or a comment below

Leave a comment

2. MyFrenchLife™ Magazine: new articles

a) Domaine Évremond
by Caroline McCormick-Clarke

I began writing this article on the 1st September 2025. Summer has come to an end, and the seasons are changing the season began changing weeks ago. Autumn has definitely arrived, and Harvest is early as I write this.”

Photo: author, Wild Autumn Berries

The blackberries, rose hips, hawthorn and sloe berries on the hedgerows ripened weeks earlier this year; the swallows and swifts began their return journey to Africa much earlier this summer and in suburbia, the leaves were falling on the lawns and pavements far too early.”

In France, some wine growers began harvesting their grapes as early as 19th August this year…” wrote Caroline McCormick-Clarke.

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

b) From Cuban slave to beloved French clown: the story of Chocolat
by Jenn Bragg

As we began March, Black History Month had just come to a close in the U.S. I felt this was a great opportunity to tell you about a man who once entertained the masses in France, mostly Paris, as the clown ‘Chocolat’.”

Young Rafael becomes ‘Chocolat’”

Rafael Padilla was born around 1868, the son of slaves working on a plantation in Cuba. For reasons unknown, he was taken from the plantation to Havana and placed under the care of a woman there. The woman then sold Rafael when he was about 10 years old to a wealthy merchant from Bilbao, Spain. He sailed for Europe and left Cuba behind…” wrote Jenn Bragg.

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

c) How to Become Your Best Self in 2026 (And Why the French Don’t Try So Hard)
by Pamela Clapp

Hopefully, you rolled your eyes when you read the title.”

By now, you’ve already heard how to become your best self in 2026.
In podcasts, on social media, in listicles that promise clarity before the year has even begun.”

With Love From Paris is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.”

In the U.S., this moment comes with a particular intensity. Intentions aren’t just something you hold; they’re something you articulate, share, and sometimes perform. They show up everywhere — promising discipline, transformation, reinvention. As if the new year were a blank slate, waiting for you to start over.”

In France, it doesn’t quite work that way…”

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

4. The Man Who Vouched for the Chairs at Versailles
by Judy MacMahon

A Parisian dynasty. A scandal at the Palace of Versailles. And a very warm welcome from a city that forgot to ask why he left France.

Note: This article is part of our French Culture Deep-Dive Collection…

Read the full story→

Bonne lecture…

Leave a comment

3. Merci mille fois

“Thank you for subscribing to ‘le Bulletin’, the newsletter of MyFrenchLife™ Magazine.”
Judy MacMahon

Merci mille fois d’être ici, mes ami(e)s. Thanks for being here.

This week, something new began, and you’re part of it. Suzanne Grosso Vidal is on the site, properly, with her story and every article she has ever written for MyFrenchLife™ – MaVieFrançaise® waiting for you. She is the first, and other Contributors will follow, every week, right here in the free edition.

Jenn Bragg gave you Rafael Padilla, born into slavery in Cuba, adored across Paris as the clown Chocolat. Caroline McCormick-Clarke took you to Champagne country as the harvest came in early and the swallows left ahead of schedule. And Pamela Clapp made an airtight case for the French art of not trying too hard.

Bonne lecture, mes ami(e)s.
À bientôt.

Judy
judy@myfrenchlife.org

Leave a comment

Please consider upgrading

Thanks for reading ‘le Bulletin’! This post is public, so feel free to share it.

Share

Subscribe now

‘le Bulletin’ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support us, I personally ask you to consider becoming a free or annual subscriber.

Here’s how you can stay in touch & personalise your le Bulletin experience, and deepen your French connection.

🔓 Here you can UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE FRENCH STORIES:
Become an annual member and save! Enjoy exclusive, intimate glimpses into France and French lives delivered straight to your inbox.

Unlock Exclusive French Stories

⭐ How you can BECOME A CHERISHED MIGHTY SUPPORTER:
If you love le Bulletin, you can help us share more stories of remarkable French women and authentic French experiences. Plus, enjoy special perks!

Become a Mighty Supporter

🎁 Perhaps you’d like to SHARE THE INSPIRATION:
Gift le Bulletin to friends and family who admire the strength and spirit of French women. It’s the perfect way to share your passion for France.

Gift le Bulletin

💡 And don’t forget… you can always EXPLORE THE ARCHIVES:
Discover even more inspiring stories in our complete newsletter archive. Perfect for satisfying your Francophile cravings whenever suits you, wherever you live.

Add us to your address book: info@MyFrenchLife.org -
Copyright © MaVieFrancaise®- MyFrenchLife™️. All Rights Reserved. -
le Bulletin is the Newsletter of MyFrenchLife.org

MyFrenchLife.org - Come with us to experience France beyond the cliché.
*Photo in the le Bulletin banner at the top of each newsletter © Annewill Stroo

Today at a Glance: Your PAID weekly newsletter

Bonjour, my dear friends and subscribers, both new and long-time.

Un grand merci (a big thank you) for being part of this wonderful global family of Francophiles. Your support enables me to continue growing and improving MyFrenchLife™ Magazine and the le Bulletin newsletter, offering more to this growing global community.

Consider upgrading your subscription

Here’s what you’ll find today:

1. Celebrating the energy-givers in my life

2. This week “16.15.a - From Cuban Slave to French Clown, Autumn Harvests & the People Who Fill Your Cup

3. The Writers’ Room returns next week - [MyFrenchLife Magazine Contributor Profiles, where you’ll learn more about our contributors than others know!]

4. This week’s ‘What’s happening in ‘MyFrenchLife™ Magazine’ - a selection of new contributors and fresh articles.

5. You can also find the free newsletter ‘‘16.15 - →here, on Saturday.

Warm regards
Judy - 18.4.2026

Read more

Bonjour, my dear friends and subscribers, both new and long-time.

Un grand merci (a big thank you) for being part of this wonderful global family of Francophiles. Your support enables me to continue growing and improving MyFrenchLife™ Magazine and the le Bulletin newsletter, offering more to this growing global community.

Consider upgrading your subscription

Here’s what you’ll find today:

1. This week’s SPOTLIGHT: Down the Rabbit Hole: Welcome to the Collection

2. This week’s ‘What’s happening in ‘MyFrenchLife™ Magazine’ - a selection of fresh articles.

3. The Writers’ Room - MyFrenchLife Magazine Contributor Profiles, where you’ll learn more about our contributors than others know!

4. You can also find the free newsletter ‘‘16.14 - →here, on Saturday.

Warm regards
Judy - 11.4.2026

1. SPOTLIGHT: Down the Rabbit Hole — Welcome to the French Culture Collection

There’s a particular kind of curiosity that doesn’t resolve. Mine is insatiable. Incurable, if we’re being honest. You pull one thread and find seventeen more underneath it. You file a note, then another, then a folder, then a folder inside a folder. Years pass. The questions don’t go away. They get more interesting.

That’s how this Collection began. Not as a product. Not as a content strategy. As an accumulation of things I never stop thinking about the why’s of. Why France treats its film directors like philosophers. How a white dress nearly brought down an industry. What it means that a street newspaper hawker in Saint-Germain-des-Prés has been shouting the same word for fifty years and France just made him a knight.

I’ve been filing these questions for years. Now they have a home.

The French Culture Deep-Dive Collection.

No clichés. No Eiffel Tower romance. No beret-wearing stereotypes. Just the France that argues, contradicts, refuses to simplify, and occasionally pulls off the most magnificently botched heist you’ve ever read about.

It’s been quietly growing for months now, the Collection, I mean. Fortnightly, at least, a new piece lands. And I think it’s time to show you what’s in it and what’s behind it.

A few pieces are free, including this one. The rest are exclusively for Annual subscribers and Mighty Supporters, because this kind of research takes time, and time is what your subscription makes possible.

If you’re already an ‘Annual subscriber’ or ‘Mighty Supporter’: everything below is yours. Installez-vous (make yourself at home). Every last delicious word of it.

If you’re not yet? Oh, but you will be.

Three pieces to start. No subscription required. Consider them a gift or a dare.

The Beautiful Impossibility of French Culture (French Film Series #1) opens the Collection where France itself begins: with contradiction as a philosophy. The piece I’d press into the hands of anyone who asked why France is worth this much attention. Start here. Everything else follows.

I Fell Down a Literary Rabbit Hole at Chanel is exactly what it sounds like. A rendez-vous littéraire rue Cambon (a literary gathering on rue Cambon), a fashion house that takes books more seriously than most publishers, and one writer who didn’t come up for air for quite some time. A rabbit hole with exceptionally good taste.

Paris After Hidalgo — because before you meet the new mayor on his bicycle, you need to understand what twelve years of Anne Hidalgo actually built. The bike lanes, the cleaned Seine, the debt, the car wars. The Paris that exists now because of decisions that outraged half the city and thrilled the other half.

Read any of those and you’ll know exactly whether this is your kind of France and your kind of Collection.

Spoiler: it probably is.

Read more

Today at a Glance: Your FREE weekly newsletter

Bonjour mes ami(e)s !

It’s wonderful to have you back here with me today, at the beginning of a new year! Bienvenue !

1. In this newsletter, you’ll find these wonderful fresh articles taking you to France beyond the cliché,

2. Don’t miss the PAID subscriber edition of le Bulletin in your inbox: “16.13.a - Château Dreams, Sacred Nights and a Spring Arriving Before You Can See It.“ It’s not too late to upgrade & read it←

   À bientôt !
   Warmly,
   Judy - 4.4.2026
   

1. MyFrenchLife™ Magazine: new articles

“There are many talented Contributors to MyFrenchLife Magazine and I thank all of you for sharing your experiences with us in such an engaging manner.
You take us right across France & deep into many worm-holes.
We delight in discovering
and learning more about France beyond the cliché”
Merci
Judy

Our list of valued Contributors →

---

Introducing new Contributor: Valerie Rivera

Valerie introduces herself:

Hi! I’m Valerie Rivera — a retired Air Force veteran, twin mom, Stanford MBA, and professional offsite facilitator turned small-town France storyteller.”

These days, I’m gently deprogramming myself from a lifetime of productivity and rediscovering the quiet joy of presence. I’ve traded checklists and deadlines for shutters and market days.

From our petite ville near Saint-Émilion, I write about the humor, surprises, and small joys of starting over in France — from navigating la belle langue and the local brocante scene to learning how to slow down enough to savor the moment.”

Welcome to our talented Contributor team, Valerie, we’re looking forward to ‘reading’ you often :)

Here is Valerie’s first contribution.

---

My first in a quarterly series is live! I’m calling it “Seasons in the Southwest.”

It’s the perfect excuse to capture the flavors, the scenery, and the vibe of my life in France… things that otherwise might not make it into a post.

a) Seasons in the Southwest: Early Spring
by Valerie Rivera

Notes from the in-between, when printemps has not quite arrived

The rain — which had been falling for a record 36 days in a row — stops just as quickly as it started. Sun peeks through the clouds. The river waters recede, and their flooded banks begin to dry out. This is a typical series of events as spring struggles to break forth from the gray winter days, though an inundation like this hasn’t been seen in 25 years. And while it’s still early, the migration of the cranes around the third week of February — squawking and filling the sky with a mesmerizing formation — makes you realize you’re almost there. Spring is coming. You can feel it before you can see it.

Please help me welcome Valerie→Read the full story→

Leave a comment

b) The Most Sacred Experience in Paris
by Patricia Russo

A Night of Adoration at Sacré Cœur

I’m always just a little bit stumped when someone asks me what my favorite church in Paris is; not surprisingly, because there are nearly 200 churches in Paris. Even though I’ve lived here for seven years, I am constantly discovering my newest “favorite church” each week.”

But when someone asks me for my opinion on the most sacred experience in Paris, which has come to be my most recent expertise as the Founder of Sacred Paris, I do not hesitate for a second…”

I will never forget, and it never gets old, the first time…” writes Patricia Russo.

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

c) Chromo-cartes: clever advertising in 19th-century France
by Jenn Bragg

The 19th century saw many changes in Paris. Perhaps the biggest change was the massive modernization push under Baron Haussmann that lasted nearly 20 years. This is the Paris we know today.

During that century, the middle class grew, and many urbanites had more money to spend. That meant shopping was no longer just for the very rich. Then, in 1852, a new department store — Au Bon Marché, said to be the world’s first — revolutionized the way people shopped…” writes Jenn Bragg.

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

d) Restaurant Review: Helen, Paris 8
by Claude Kolm

Helen (not Hélène) opened in 2012. In 2015, the restaurant received a Michelin star, which it still holds.”

It is located on a quiet side street just off the avenue de Friedland in the eighth arrondissement, north of the Champs-Élysées and south of the Parc Monceau, an area where few tourists ever wander. Certainly, there’s little about the restaurant from the street that would attract the attention of a casual stroller…” writes Claude Kolm.

Read the full story→

Leave a comment

2. Merci mille fois

“Thank you so much for supporting my work and reading ‘le Bulletin’.

Merci mille fois d’être ici, mes ami(e)s. Thanks for being here.

If you’re enjoying the FREE edition, there is a lot more waiting for you in this week’s PAID le Bulletin newsletter. It’s not too late to upgrade and join us there.

Four writers this week, four very different corners of France, and yet something runs through all of them: the quiet satisfaction of finding what you weren’t quite looking for.

Valerie didn’t go to Saint-Émilion to write. Patricia didn’t expect adoration to become her expertise. Jenn followed a chromolithograph down a rabbit hole into 19th-century commerce. Claude turned left off the avenue de Friedland and found something worth remembering.

That’s the France I’ve always loved best. The one that turns up when you stop rushing past it.

À bientôt,
Judy x
judy@myfrenchlife.org

Leave a comment

Please consider upgrading

Thanks for reading ‘le Bulletin’! This post is public, so feel free to share it.

Share

‘le Bulletin’ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support us, I personally ask you to consider becoming a free or annual subscriber.

Here’s how you can stay in touch & personalise your le Bulletin experience, and deepen your French connection.

🔓 Here you can UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE FRENCH STORIES:
Become an annual member and save! Enjoy exclusive, intimate glimpses into France and French lives delivered straight to your inbox.

Unlock Exclusive French Stories

⭐ How you can BECOME A CHERISHED MIGHTY SUPPORTER:
If you love le Bulletin, you can help us share more stories of remarkable French women and authentic French experiences. Plus, enjoy special perks!

Become a Mighty Supporter

🎁 Perhaps you’d like to SHARE THE INSPIRATION:
Gift le Bulletin to friends and family who admire the strength and spirit of French women. It’s the perfect way to share your passion for France.

Gift le Bulletin

💡 And don’t forget… you can always EXPLORE THE ARCHIVES:
Discover even more inspiring stories in our complete newsletter archive. Perfect for satisfying your Francophile cravings whenever suits you, wherever you live.

Add us to your address book: info@MyFrenchLife.org -
Copyright © MaVieFrancaise®- MyFrenchLife™️. All Rights Reserved. -
le Bulletin is the Newsletter of MyFrenchLife.org

MyFrenchLife.org - Come with us to experience France beyond the cliché.
*Photo in the le Bulletin banner at the top of each newsletter © Annewill Stroo

Bonjour, my dear friends and subscribers, both new and long-time.

Un grand merci (a big thank you) for being part of this wonderful global family of Francophiles. Your support enables me to continue growing and improving MyFrenchLife™ Magazine and the le Bulletin newsletter, offering more to this growing global community.

Consider upgrading your subscription

Here’s what you’ll find today:

1. This week “16.13.a -Château Dreams, Sacred Nights and a Spring Arriving Before You Can See It-

2. The Writers’ Room - MyFrenchLife Magazine Contributor Profiles, where you’ll learn more about our contributors than others know!

3. This week’s ‘What’s happening in ‘MyFrenchLife™ Magazine’ - a selection of new contributors and fresh articles.

4. You can also find the free newsletter ‘‘16.13 - →here, on Saturday.

Warm regards
Judy - 4.4.2026

Read more

Bonjour, my dear friends and subscribers, both new and long-time.

Un grand merci (a big thank you) for being part of this wonderful global family of Francophiles. Your support enables me to continue growing and improving MyFrenchLife™ Magazine and the le Bulletin newsletter, offering more to this growing global community.

Consider upgrading your subscription

Here’s what you’ll find today:

1. This week “16.12.a - New Voices, Old Streets and the Magic of Living With a Language”

2. The Writers’ Room - Let’s get to know the Contributor team one by one.

3. This week’s ‘What’s happening in ‘MyFrenchLife™ Magazine’ - a selection of new contributors and fresh articles.

4. You can also find the free newsletter ‘‘16.12- →here, during the weekend.

Warm regards
Judy - 28.3.2026

Read more

Today at a Glance: Your FREE weekly newsletter

Bonjour mes ami(e)s !

It’s wonderful to have you back here with me today, at the beginning of a new year! Bienvenue !

1. In this newsletter, you’ll find these wonderful fresh articles taking you to France beyond the cliché,

2. Don’t miss the PAID subscriber edition of le Bulletin in your inbox: “16.10.a - .“ It’s not too late to upgrade & read it←

   À bientôt !
   Warmly,
   Judy - 21.3.2026
   

1. MyFrenchLife™ Magazine: new articles

“There are many talented Contributors to MyFrenchLife Magazine and I thank all of you for sharing your experiences with us in such an engaging manner.
You take us right across France & deep into many worm-holes.
We delight in discovering
and learning more about France beyond the cliché”
Merci
Judy

Our list of valued Contributors →

---

a) Leavers Lace and Cité de la Dentelle et de la Mode, Calais
by Caroline McCormick-Clarke

Image credit: Caroline McCormick-Clarke

Lace, Fashion, and Lingerie at the City of Lace and Fashion, Calais

Traditionally, Lace can be described as a natural textile made of fine threads of silk, cotton, linen, or wool, interwoven into a net tulle and typically decorated with patterns…” writes Caroline McCormick-Clarke.

Read the full article→

Leave a comment

b) Point of view interiors
by Kathryn Ivey

Designing your home from your personal point of view will always be on the IN list”

I remember the first time I walked into the home of a former boss and instantly felt comforted, surrounded not only by beauty but by a marked point of view. I was working as a design assistant, and her office was in the lower level of her home. As I passed through her dining room, painted in a sumptuous carnelian red with a pair of screens upholstered in an antique Italian fabric flanking two corners of the room, I followed the notes of classical music softly emitting from a radio located in the adjacent kitchen. “

There was a Jacobean antique eat-in table with the morning newspaper and a coffee cup still lingering from breakfast. Past the table, a pair of French doors opened out onto her small, charming garden. An energetic Irish terrier suddenly bounded around the corner…”

Read the full article here→

Leave a comment

c) Haute-Savoie: Mountains, Lakes, and the Occasional Fondue
By Nick Garnett

Hmmm, I’ve never tried eating Fondue whilst swimming.

Where is Haute-Savoie?

Haute-Savoie sits in the far eastern corner of France, pressed up against the Swiss border like it’s trying to escape from the rest of the country. It’s part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, one of the post-2016 mega-region creations. I live in the Limousin, well, I did, because it was dissolved in the same geographic pogrom. Perhaps it really is trying to escape and reclaim its lost identity. Sorry, I digress.

The department shares its eastern border with Switzerland - specifically Geneva, which is so close to parts of Haute-Savoie that thousands of French residents commute there daily for work. To the south, you’ll find Savoie (the non-Haute version), and to the west, Ain. Italy is just a mountain range away to the southeast.

This is proper Alpine territory…” writes Nick Garnett

Read the full article here→

Leave a comment

2. Merci mille fois

“Thank you for subscribing to ‘le Bulletin’, the newsletter of MyFrenchLife™ Magazine.”
Judy MacMahon

Bonjour mes ami(e)s, every time I sit down to put le Bulletin together, I’m reminded of how lucky I am — lucky to have found such extraordinary voices to share this journey with me. This week, Caroline took us deep into the intricate, luminous world of Calais lace, a story I genuinely didn’t want to end. Kathryn reminded us that a home with a true point of view is really just a home that knows itself — and isn’t that something we’re all reaching for? And Nick — well, Nick made me want to pack a bag, drive east, and eat fondue in the mountains immediately. No apologies.

This little corner of the internet we’ve built together — it means everything to me. You, reading this right now, are exactly why I do it. France is endlessly generous with her stories, and I am endlessly grateful to the writers who help me tell them, and for you, who show up week after week to receive them.

And if today’s edition left you wanting a little more France beyond the cliché — well, there’s a reason for that. 😉 The paid edition of le Bulletin, ‘16.10.a- What does France smell, look, and feel like right now?’ is waiting quietly in your inbox, and if you’ve already upgraded, you will be able to immerse yourself completely — and if you haven’t yet, it’s truly not too late. Consider it your own little French wormhole this week.

À bientôt, mes ami(e)s.
Warmly, always

Judy x
judy@myfrenchlife.org

Leave a comment

Please consider upgrading

Here’s how you can stay in touch & personalise your le Bulletin experience, and deepen your French connection.

🔓 Here you can UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE FRENCH STORIES:
Become an annual member and save! Enjoy exclusive, intimate glimpses into France and French lives delivered straight to your inbox.

Unlock Exclusive French Stories

⭐ How you can BECOME A CHERISHED MIGHTY SUPPORTER:
If you love le Bulletin, you can help us share more stories of remarkable French women and authentic French experiences. Plus, enjoy special perks!

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🎁 Perhaps you’d like to SHARE THE INSPIRATION:
Gift le Bulletin to friends and family who admire the strength and spirit of French women. It's the perfect way to share your passion for France.

Gift le Bulletin

💡 And don’t forget… you can always EXPLORE THE ARCHIVES:
Discover even more inspiring stories in our complete newsletter archive. Perfect for satisfying your Francophile cravings at any time that suits you, wherever you live, and at any time.

Add us to your address book: info@MyFrenchLife.org -
Copyright © MaVieFrancaise®- MyFrenchLife™️. All Rights Reserved. -
le Bulletin is the Newsletter of MyFrenchLife.org

MyFrenchLife.org - Come with us to experience France beyond the cliché.
*Photo in the le Bulletin banner at the top of each newsletter © Annewill Stroo

Bonjour, my dear friends and subscribers, both new and long-time.

Un grand merci (a big thank you) for being part of this wonderful global family of Francophiles. Your support enables me to continue growing and improving MyFrenchLife™ Magazine and the le Bulletin newsletter, offering more to this growing global community.

Consider upgrading your subscription

Read more

Today at a Glance: Your FREE weekly newsletter

Bonjour mes ami(e)s !

It’s wonderful to have you back here with me today, at the beginning of a new year! Bienvenue !

1. In this newsletter, you’ll find these fresh articles taking you to France beyond the cliché with our talented contributors, and

2. Don’t miss the PAID subscriber edition of le Bulletin in your inbox: “16.10.a - .“ It’s not too late to upgrade & read it←

   À bientôt !
   Warmly,
   Judy - 14.3.2026
   

1. MyFrenchLife™ Magazine: new articles

“There are many talented Contributors to MyFrenchLife Magazine and I thank all of you for sharing your experiences with us in such an engaging manner.
You take us right across France & deep into many worm-holes.
We delight in discovering
and learning more about France beyond the cliché”
Merci
Judy

Our list of valued Contributors →

---

a)The Restaurants of Wrath
by Betty Carlson

Throughout last summer, the French tourism industry was taking stock of how la saison was shaping up…or down, in the case of the French restaurant business.

The previous year, industry news had been dominated by recruitment difficulties and trouble housing summer hospitality workers.

In 2025, the problem wasn’t so much finding restaurant staff as keeping them busy. And restaurant owners’ tempers started to rise to a slow boil,…” writes Betty Carlson…

Read the full article→

Leave a comment

b) The Email of Paris Recommendations I Send to Everyone
by Shelby Chambers

“…A few times a quarter I get the classic DM requesting Paris recommendations. Maybe an old colleague will be in town for a few days and wants to eat like a local. Perhaps a friend from business school is passing through and wants to know where they can get a great cocktail in Paris. Or a friend of a friend of my parents wants activities recommendations even though they already booked a hotel near the Arc de Triomphe and nothing I say is going to save their trip at this point.”

I take Paris recommendations extremely seriously because I don’t want to ruin someone’s vacation or let them down or cause them not to like me anymore. I always reply with a heartfelt, overly detailed set of restaurant, monument, museum, leisure time ideas, all with too much context and too many caveats. (Yes, I know over-explaining is a trauma response. No, I’m not going to work on it.) It’s likely that no one even reads these lists I make, but at least I know if their vacation sucks, it won’t be my fault…” writes Shelby Chambers.

Read the full article→

Leave a comment

c) Why Poetry, Music, and Literature are the best tools for French Pronunciation
by Morgane Andersson

“If you’re learning French, you’ve probably heard the usual advice:

“Study IPA. Drill nasal vowels. Memorize silent letters.”

And sure, those have their place.
But what if the secret to truly speaking French, with beauty, with emotion, with flow, lies elsewhere?

Let me present you with a different path. A softer, more powerful one:
Poetry, music, and literature.

We learn to speak by listening. By repeating. By feeling the sounds.

This is how children learn. This is how actors train. This is how language becomes not just accurate, but alive.
And this is why I believe:

French pronunciation is best learned not through drills, but through immersion in rhythm, sound, and meaning…” writes Morgane Andersson

Read the full article→

Leave a comment

---

2. Merci mille fois

“Thank you for subscribing to ‘le Bulletin’, the newsletter of MyFrenchLife™ Magazine.”
Judy MacMahon

Mes ami(e)s, what a week to be a lover of France.

Betty had me nodding along with a kind of bittersweet recognition, because anyone who has watched the French restaurant world up close knows that behind every beautiful terrace is a story far more complicated than the menu suggests. She tells it with such honesty and warmth. And then Shelby… oh, Shelby made me laugh out loud, genuinely. That particular mixture of helpfulness, anxiety, and sheer love for Paris? I felt that in my bones. I think many of you will, too.

And Morgane. I want every single one of you who is learning French — or dreaming of learning French — to read her piece slowly, with a cup of something good beside you. She reminded me why language is never just language. It’s music. It’s feeling. It’s the reason a poem can teach you something that a grammar book simply cannot. I am so glad she is part of our little world here.

This community — you — continue to be the reason le Bulletin exists and the reason I keep showing up every week, grateful and full of things I want to share. There is, as always, a little more waiting for you in the paid edition of 16.10.a —A Quieter Summer, Paris Secrets & a Writer Who Nearly Chose Springsteen Over France, consider it the next course. 😊

Avec toute mon amitié
Judy x
judy@myfrenchlife.org

Leave a comment

Please consider upgrading

Here’s how you can stay in touch & personalise your le Bulletin experience, and deepen your French connection.

🔓 Here you can UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE FRENCH STORIES:
Become an annual member and save! Enjoy exclusive, intimate glimpses into France and French lives delivered straight to your inbox.

Unlock Exclusive French Stories

⭐ How you can BECOME A CHERISHED MIGHTY SUPPORTER:
If you love le Bulletin, you can help us share more stories of remarkable French women and authentic French experiences. Plus, enjoy special perks!

Become a Mighty Supporter

🎁 Perhaps you’d like to SHARE THE INSPIRATION:
Gift le Bulletin to friends and family who admire the strength and spirit of French women. It's the perfect way to share your passion for France.

Gift le Bulletin

💡 And don’t forget… you can always EXPLORE THE ARCHIVES:
Discover even more inspiring stories in our complete newsletter archive. Perfect for satisfying your Francophile cravings at any time that suits you, wherever you live, and at any time.

Add us to your address book: info@MyFrenchLife.org -
Copyright © MaVieFrancaise®- MyFrenchLife™️. All Rights Reserved. -
le Bulletin is the Newsletter of MyFrenchLife.org

MyFrenchLife.org - Come with us to experience France beyond the cliché.
*Photo in the le Bulletin banner at the top of each newsletter © Annewill Stroo

Bonjour, my dear friends and subscribers, both new and long-time.

Un grand merci (a big thank you) for being part of this wonderful global family of Francophiles. Your support enables me to continue growing and improving MyFrenchLife™ Magazine and the le Bulletin newsletter, offering more to this growing global community.

Consider upgrading your subscription

Here’s what you’ll find today:

1. This week “16.10.a - A Quieter Summer, Paris Secrets & a Writer Who Nearly Chose Springsteen Over France.”

2. The Writers’ Room - MyFrenchLife Magazine Contributor Profiles, where you’ll learn more about our contributors than others know!

3. This week’s ‘What’s happening in ‘MyFrenchLife™ Magazine’ - a selection of new contributors and fresh articles.

4. You can also find the free newsletter ‘‘16.10 - →here, on Saturday.

Warm regards
Judy - 14.3.2026

Read more