15.49 - Life in France: Thrift, Thunder & the Roads Less Travelled
In this FREE le Bulletin: Why French grandmothers are the original budget chefs, where rivers carve cathedrals through stone, and the glorious detours that make France infinitely more interteresting.
Today at a Glance: Your FREE weekly newsletter
Bonjour mes amis !
It’s wonderful to have you back here with me today! Bienvenue !
In this newsletter, you’ll also find wonderful fresh articles taking you to France beyond the cliché,
Watch out for and don’t miss the PAID subscriber edition of le Bulletin on Saturday this weekend: “15.49.a - The Cultural Psychology of Seeing: How France Built a Nation of Film Intellectuals“ - It’s not too late to subscribe or upgrade←
À bientôt !
Warmly,
Judy - 6.12.2025
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
a) Thrift and Flavor: A Guide to the French Pantry
by Keith Christiansen
French food has a reputation for being fancy, but most of it was born out of thrift and availability. Before the cookbooks and Michelin stars, it was about making lentils, onions, stale bread, and wild greens stretch as far as possible. Or whatever you had on hand.
TL;DR
French food isn’t expensive by default—it’s built on cheap pantry staples, repetition, and thrift. Think diner logic: same few ingredients, shuffled around, create endless meals. This is a great basic pantry for a lot of flexibility…” wrote Keith Christiansen
b) Série Vidéo: 7 Sites sur la Rive Gauche du Lac d’Annecy - #4
par Pierre Guernier
Autour d’Annecy : 7 sites à découvrir au-delà du lac
Autour d’Annecy, la Haute-Savoie révèle des paysages d’une incroyable diversité : gorges spectaculaires, villages perchés, plateaux fleuris et panoramas grandioses sur les Alpes. Dans cette vidéo, Pierre vous emmène explorer les environs d’Annecy, au-delà du lac, pour une immersion entre nature, patrimoine et curiosités locales.
Le voyage commence aux gorges du Fier, impressionnant canyon creusé par la rivière, où une passerelle suspendue offre un spectacle saisissant. Tout près, le château de Montrottier déploie ses tours médiévales, ses collections insolites et ses vues sur la campagne annécienne…” dit Pierre Guernier.
c) Off the Beaten Path: Le Courant d’Huchet
by Nick Garnett
If you ever feel like you haven’t had enough adventure in your life, and your thoughts turn to that trip down the Amazon that you wish you’d done in your twenties, it could still be within your grasp, and a lot nearer than you think.
Lac de Leon, a fairly unimpressive lake, in the Landes department of Nouvelle Aquitaine, France, feeds one of the marvels of France, a small but much more impressive river called the Courant d’Huchet.
Joining Lac de Leon to the Atlantic and around 9km in length, this really is your opportunity to experience that Amazon adventure, without the poison darts and the very poisonous ‘Machaco Parrot’ snakes…” wrote Nick Garnett.
2. Merci mille fois
“Thank you for subscribing to ‘le Bulletin’, the newsletter of MyFrenchLife Magazine.”
Judy MacMahon
Chers amis (dear friends)
Today’s FREE le Bulletin is about the quiet French life: Off the beaten path and inside the kitchen, away from prying eyes.
Can we talk about how French cuisine is basically the art of being broke but making it delicious? Keith’s dismantling the myth this week, and I’m here for it - turns out cassoulet and ratatouille were just “what’s in the cupboard” meals that happened to be genius. Love that energy.
Meanwhile, Pierre’s got me completely obsessed with the Haute-Savoie spots that don’t make the guidebooks - we’re talking gorges where the river’s carved its own little universe, villages perched like they’re defying gravity.
And Nick? He’s wandered off to Le Courant d’Huchet, which sounds mysterious enough that I’m already intrigued.
Oh, and I’ve just published something that’s been rattling around in my head for ages… It’s about why maybe… France doesn’t actually want you to understand it (and why that’s the point). It’s part two of my series on French cultural defiance, exploring a culture that chose precision over politeness, where three-hour lunches produce more breakthroughs than any hustle mentality ever could. Honestly? It might change how you think about everything. And it’s my second recent article about the French film industry. PAID subscribers can dive in now - it’s deep and fascinating: “Maybe France Doesn’t Want You to Understand It: A Love Letter to Cultural Defiance”.
All of these are about the France you find when you veer off the autoroute and follow your curiosity instead of your GPS. Which is really the only way to do it, non?
Which one did you enjoy most? Or all of them!
Judy x
judy@myfrenchlife.org
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