So long, farewell…
Hello from somewhere other than the French Alps. Above is a pic I took of my husband in March, unaware it would be our final day skiing in La Clusaz for the foreseeable future. And what an awesome day it …
Hello from somewhere other than the French Alps. Above is a pic I took of my husband in March, unaware it would be our final day skiing in La Clusaz for the foreseeable future. And what an awesome day it …
“Fermeture exceptionnelle” is a phrase that everyone who lives in France is familiar with. Literally, it means “Exceptional closure” — a one-off, unexpected business closure, but there’s absolutely nothing exceptional about it. Why? Because every business seems to unexpectedly close …
It’s been a while since I’ve written about an English translation fail, so here’s a sign I saw when visiting an ancient walled city near Nîmes last week. ‘Interdit de monter‘ means ‘Forbidden to climb (the staircase)’ in English. Apparently, …
Living in France when you don’t speak French can be isolating — and of course, frustrating. Cultural differences simply add to the confusion, and the first few years in France can be challenging on many levels (let’s not even mention …
Beaujolais Nouveau is a relatively new wine in France, and one that cops a fair amount of cynicism from the French (see my post about Beaujolais Nouveau here). The 2017 batch of Beaujolais Nouveau hit the shelves last week, and …
My friend Jane sent me an image from a business that went something like this: There’s a French business for baby food called Good Gout. I guess the business owner liked the alliteration of the ‘G’ and the rhyming of …
The fidget spinner has been a huge retail success in many countries, and France is now in on the act too. But wait, what’s that? The ‘Hand Spinner’? Yep! In France, where English words are creeping in despite the efforts …
France has announced its Euro 2016 football anthem, and nobody is all that happy. The anthem, sung by popular French rock band Skip The Use, is a cover of a song by American band, Kiss. Their hit from the late …
Learning how to speak French can be challenging, especially for those who move to France knowing only croissant, un, deux, trois, and merci, like me. Everyone has their own methods to improve their language skills, and mine began with driving. I started …
Lately, doggy bags have made French news. There’s a push to prevent food wastage, and to allow people to take the rest of their meals home with them. Restaurants in France are now legally obliged to provide doggy bags. When …