During the confinement we had a lot of time to walk around our town, Villepreux, 11,000 people situated in the Yvelines department west of Paris. A usually quiet, non-descript town, we hadn’t thought too much about it before but there were a couple of spots that intrigued us while out walking within one kilometer of the house. One of them was the path that we walked called the Chemin entre Deux Murs or the path between two walls. What two walls? What was that all about? Then there’s the old village with a couple of houses that look pretty old including one with visible half timbers. There’s a chateau, in fact there are two, plus centuries-old farms and a neighborhood called the Prieuré or priory. The new center of town is a 1960s construction out of cement. Town houses and a shopping area that hasn’t worn very well over the years. The first impression is that Villepreux is a rather ordinary suburban bedroom community of Paris or closer Versailles. But once you start lookin…
Postcards in books and games
Postcards in books and games
Time and time again we have found that taking a few minutes to hand write a postcard to someone makes a huge impact. Whether your send it from your home town or an exotic place you are visiting doesn’t matter. We recently came across three novels and a game where postcards are central to the intrigue.
Several interesting literary techniques are used are used in Annie Proulx's novel Postcards. For example, postcards begin each chapter. The postcards appear in the novel as graphics, complete with franking, address and message. They introduce narrative sections, keep the reader oriented in the timeline of half a century, give background as well as foreshadow. She also uses lists and some chapters by the omniscient author entitled “What I See” add new perspective and fascinating lists offer deep descriptions. The postcards and lists are metaphors, descriptive vehicles and sources of irony. As for the story, shoo, Loyal, the central character h…
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about Postcards in books and games
Christian Dior entrepreneur and innovator
Christian Dior, perhaps the most well-known French couturier, was born in Granville, Normandy in 1905. You can visit his childhood home still today. It overlooks the sea and has lovely gardens. His favorite colors of grey and very soft pink were inspired from the decor of this home. Dior’s timeless elegance in fashion draws its inspiration from Granville, the childhood home that shaped his creativity. Explore Villa Les Rhumbs, linger in its garden so as to take the first steps towards his creations and discover the very essence of his art.
In 1910 the family moved to Paris, but kept the Granville home for summer escapades. During the roaring 20s, Christian Dior rubbed shoulders with the cultural milieu in Paris and making friends with the artists, painters, writers, musicians, and designers of the time. HIs first foray into business was to open an art gallery to show the works of his favorite painters which included Picasso, Braque, Matisse, and Dufy. The Golden Age ende…
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about Christian Dior entrepreneur and innovator
Yellowstone Jack
Yellowstone Jack, The Life and Times of Legendary Pioneer Jack Baronett
As our frequent readers know we are fans of Yellowstone National Park and go as often as we can. Recently we learned of a new biography of one of the most colorful characters in the Park. Yellowstone Jack lived at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. He, like so many of us, was an expatriate, adventurer, tour guide, world traveler and community and literal bridge builder, so we thought we’d share his story with our readers, who are kindred spirits.
Jack Baronett (1829–1906), born in Scotland, was an important figure in the history of Yellowstone National Park. In his early life he traveled the world, prospecting and mining in Australia, Africa, China, and Alaska. He traveled to the Yellowstone region in 1864—eight years before the Park was established—to join other early prospectors searching for gold and exploring the geyser basins. His first claim to fame came in 1869 when he…
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Spring 2026 exhibitions in Paris
Spring is always a full season of exhibitions in Paris. Here’s our choice of Spring 2026 exhibitions in Paris including selections for celebrating Black History Month (February) and Women’s History Month (March) and spanning 5 continents. Isn't Paris is a fabulously diverse city?!
MICKALENE THOMAS - ALL ABOUT LOVE
Spring 2026 exhibitions in Paris include the Grand Palais's major monographic exhibition dedicated to American artist Mickalene Thomas entitled All About Love. Recognized worldwide for her bold, multidimensional practice, Mickalene Thomas explores the visibility and representation of Black women in art, history, and popular culture. Through a vibrant synthesis of painting, collage, rhinestones, photography and videos, she reimagines classical portraiture with a distinctly queer and Black feminist perspective. At the core of Mickalene Thomas’s work is love – as a force of liberation, self-affirmation, and joy.
Until 5 April at Le Grand Palais, Gallery 7 En…
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about Spring 2026 exhibitions in Paris
Small Is Good: Les Petits Plaisirs
Small Is Good: Les Petits Plaisirs
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by Harriet Welty Rochefort
A minuscule espresso, a petit piece of chocolate, a morsel of sharp cheese, a half-filled glass of wine: the French prefer tasting and sipping to gorging and guzzling. Small is good.
Small Size, LargeWhen I came to France, I discovered small. It seemed that everything was diminutive, and the word petit was everywhere. I go on a petit tour around the block to drink a petit café. Then I may do a few petites courses (small errands) before I wend my way back to my definitely petite home sweet home. On the way I might sample a piece of fromage, but it won’t ruin my appetite, samples being petit (as in thumbnail). Time for dinner? The meat or fish and accompanying vegetables barely fill, and certainly don’t overlap, the plate. My wineglass is not filled to the brim.
Do you wonder why the French aren’t fat? Here’s the answer: portions are petites.
In Ame…
Emblems and Symbols of France
Symbols and emblems of France are part of the new Civics test for applying for French nationality or residency. Since they are back in the news here's an overview of the emblems of France. An emblem is "a heraldic device or symbolic object as a distinctive badge of a nation, organization, or family or a thing serving as a symbolic representation of a particular quality or concept." as per the Oxford English Dictionary.
The symbols and emblems of a country are defined by their constitution or simply by usage. Thus France has only one official symbol, the flag. There are of course also the national anthem, the language and the motto which are official and designated in the Constitution. France also has several other symbols that have come into use over the years such as Marianne, the fasces and the rooster. In this article we'll present the history and development of the official and non official symbols of France.
Article II de la Constitution:
La langue de la République…
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about Emblems and Symbols of France
Navigating the Tax Maze: U.S. Taxes for Americans Living in France
Navigating the Tax Maze: U.S. Taxes for Americans Living in France — FAQ
Living the vie française comes with world-class healthcare, incredible food, and a high quality of life. However, it also comes with a unique set of administrative challenges. For American expats, the most complex of these is often the U.S. tax system.
Because the U.S. is one of the only countries that taxes based on citizenship rather than residency, your tax obligations don’t end when you cross the Atlantic. Below are the most common questions Americans in France ask, with clear, practical answers to help you stay compliant.
Do Americans living in France have to file U.S. taxes?
Yes. The United States taxes its citizens and green card holders on worldwide income, regardless of where they live. If your income exceeds the IRS filing thresholds, you must file a U.S. tax return every year—even if you already pay tax in France and haven't earned a dollar in the States for years.
Do I have to pa…
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Laughter in France
Laughter is the best medicine they say. According to scientists, we laugh an average of 18 times a day. Laughter is therefore an important part of our everyday lives and even the French know how to rire. Here's a few reflections on laughter in France, the land of La Vache qui rit! By the way, La Vache, a French institution, (She was 100 years old in 2021) has her own maison and museum in Lons-le-Saunier.
The city of Bordeaux seems to be the center of laughter in FranceOne might say Bordeaux likes to laugh more than elsewhere in France (is it because Bordeaux is also the rainiest city in France?). The city is host to the Festival Les Fous Rires de Bordeaux in March each year http://lesfousriresdebordeaux.fr/. The city also presented an exhibition called "Rire!" in 2019 at their science and nature Muséum. But Bordeaux doesn't own the market there are many other spots are also holding annual festivals and for some funny reason most are in…
“French Louie” and his Hotel de Paris: a gourmet in the Wild West
“French Louie” and his Hotel de Paris: a gourmet in the Wild West
After the wave of French trappers who participated in the first exporations of western North America there were relatively few French people who emmigrated to the USA. But those who went brought a part of France with them. For example Louis Dupuy founder of the Hotel de Paris in Colorado.
People in Georgetown, Colorado know very little about Louis du Puy. His obituary starts “Death of Louis Dupuy Man of Mystery”. He simply arrived one day with a donkey named Florette, a tent and camping equipment. He had come, like so many, in search of the quick riches of the silver boom. In March 1873 he was nearly killed in a mining explosion and that ended that career. He said in later years that he chose hospitality as his next reincarnation simply because a good cup of coffee was not to be had in Georgetown. He launched his dream by washing dishes in another establishment. He saved his money and finally in 1874 began to…
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about “French Louie” and his Hotel de Paris: a gourmet in the Wild West