Lisa

French cheese is a lot like fruit

«Un dessert sans fromage est une belle à qui il manque un oeil» – Brillat-Savarin 27 March is National Cheese Day in France (And World cheese Day too!)

Ah French cheese! It's one of the first things that comes to mind when someone mentions France. It is an industry that is progressing, increasing output each year. Cheese consumption in France has risen 30% over the last few years. National cheese day celebrates artisan French cheese made from raw milk, reminding us to look for cheese beyond the idustrial brands and the supermarkets. On March 27th be sure to pay a visit to your local cheesemonger and support French culture, savoir-faire and art de vivre! There will be special tastings going on all day long.

Cheese is a lot like fruit

Cheese is a lot like fruit: it has to be just ripe, it is seasonal, is best when it is not refrigerator cold, each type has a different way to be cut… Here's a 1-2-3 of cheese to give some background a…

Songs about Paris and France

Sooooo many songs have been written about Paris. By some counts there are more than 2800! And sooooo many songs about France. But we never tire of them and listen to them again and again. Here's a few of our favorites, feel free to send us yours and we'll add them to the collection. Yves Montand sums up the number of songs about Paris with his own:

Tant de poètes ont écrit Des couplets des refrains Sur Paris Que je n'sais plus quoi chanter Pour vanter ta beauté Mon Paris

Au soleil, sous la pluie, à midi ou à minuit, il y a tout ce que vous voulez aux Champs-Elysées. -- Joe Dassin, "Champs-Elysées" Douce France Cher pays de mon enfance Bercée de tendre insouciance Je t'ai gardée dans mon cœur! -- "Douce France" de Charles Trenet Paris sera toujours Paris ! La plus belle ville du monde Malgré l'obscurité profonde Son éclat ne peut être assombri Paris sera toujours Paris ! Plus on réduit son éclairage Plus on voit briller …

Happy 7th Birthday Sophie Marseille, French baby

“Can’t this thing go any faster?! My French baby is on the way!” I cursed, barely squeezing into my lane before the impact of an oncoming truck. Less than 24 hours into our vacation, my wife Susan and I found ourselves in hot pursuit. Provencal hillsides blurred past the windows as I struggled to keep our tin-can Renault from going off the road. She was in the ambulance up front. I hung on behind. Above the engine’s whine, the fateful words of the sage-femme still echoed in my mind: “You will have a French baby …” On September 27, at six months pregnant, we’d arrived in southern France for a two-week beach vacation—a “babymoon”—with the blessings of our doctors back home in California. “Everything looks great,” they’d said. “Bon voyage!” But somewhere over the Atlantic, Susan started complaining of stomach pains. “Maybe it’s just the airplane food” we reasoned. We had no inkling of the adventure that had already begun. As we flew on to Nice and settled into our little renta…

Marianne? A new version on the stamp

First of all who the à#@H!! is Marianne? She is one of the symbols, one of the incarnations of France! If you take a minute to look around you'll find her everywhere. On coins, stamps, a bust in every town hall, in sculpture such as in the Pantheon, on official stationery and tax documents as part of the logo of the Republic. There is even a magazine called Marianne, which is independent from the government. She is a version of Lady Liberty and wears a phyrgian cap and sort of Grecian robes usually over one shoulder. The capped female allegory was first used in France at the time of the Revolution to symbolize Liberty. How she got to be called Marianne is uncertain. We do know though that Marie and Anne were very common first names during the 18th century and the contraction often referred to “the people”. Under the Third Republic (1870 and forward) statues and busts of Marianne popped up in nearly every town hall. Sometimes she was sculpted with a diadem or crown rather tha…

Explore new territory on your bike, Forest of Senart

Here’s an idea to get out of town, hop on the train with your bike to get out of the city a little ways. Then pedal to another station to ride back to Paris. You can travel with your bike on the SNCF Transilien (suburban) trains on weekdays before 6:30, between 9:30 and 16:30 and after 19:30 and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, for no extra charge! And now that Navigo covers all zones there’s nothing to stop you. To whet your appetite here’s a set of rides along the Seine and in the forest of Senart beginning and ending at RER C/D stations. 3 different lengths make them accessible for all riders. The family - 6 km loop begin/end at Juvisy. Ride along the water’s edge of the «Port aux Cerises» recreation area. Touring - 10 km begin at Evry Val de Seine, end at Juvisy. A ride along the Seine and ponds in the recreation area. Longer - 13 km begin at Evry Val de Seine, end at Montgeron Crosne. Ride between the valleys of the Seine and the Yerres, then in th…

Paris en Citations

Paris en Citations (La France, La Seine) Paris est tout petit pour ceux qui s'aiment d'un aussi grand amour. -- Jacques Prévert On ne peut aimer mieux qu'à Paris, il n'est pas meilleur endroit au monde pour attendre un être aimé qu'une place parisienne en fin d'après-midi, sous la pluie. -- Jacques Attali Sous les ponts de Paris, lorsque descend la nuit, Toutes sortes de gueux se faufilent en cachette Et sont heureux de trouver une couchette, Hôtel du courant d'air, où l'on ne paie pas cher, L'parfum et l'eau c'est pour rien mon marquis Sous les ponts de Paris. -- Lucienne Delyle Paris l'Athènes de l'Europe moderne. -- Francis Parkman J'aime Paris parce que l'on peut y être anonyme. -- Raymond Depardon Errer est humain. Flâner est parisien. -- Victor Hugo, Les Misérables, 1862 J'étais à Paris, et le monde était devant moi. -- Will H. Low Douce France Cher pays de mon enfance Bercée de tendre insouciance Je t'ai gardée dans mon cœur! -- chanson de Charle…

Jim’s Paris Kiosk

Jim's Paris Kiosk Jim Howarth, the only Englishman amongst the 409 kiosquiers in Paris, was born in Nottingham and has been in Paris since the mid 70s. He carries 1500 titles from the French dailies to specialized magazine press, including titles in English such as the British newspapers, Time, Newsweek, Vogue and of course FUSAC's LOOFE. The best selling items are the gossip magazines also TV, satire and news weeklies. Cultural history magazines come and go too. Back in 2009 when we first met Jim his kiosk was one of the larger Paris Kiosk spaces on the streets of Paris when open onto the square in front of it. This gave plenty of browsing room for customers. In 2017 his spot was selected to be the guinea pig for the prototype of the new modern (and controversial) kiosk brought out by the city of Paris with a budget of 52.4 million euros. The new structure brings better insulation and keeps the weather out. There is also a closet for Jim's personal items and the display…

Hogtied in the Hexagon? Understanding France part 3 of 3

Hogtied in the Hexagon? Understanding France Part 3 Our choice of 15 Books to help better understand France. Part 1 of this article Part 2 of this article First of all what is "hogtied"? To hogtie is an Americanism that goes back to about 1890 literally meaning to tie an animal, in particular a hog, with all four feet together. Figuratively the phrase mean to thwart or hamper. So here is part 3 of our list of 15 books that'll help you feel less bewildered and understand France. What is the Hexagon? The Hexagon is a nickname for France! (due to the mainland's nearly hexagonal shape) La puce à l’oreille: anthologie des expressions populaires avec leur origine Claude Duneton Fistfuls of everyday expressions are analyzed in their social and historical contexts. A marvel of curiosity, this book will teach you a great number of things about popular expressions. Tomber en quenouille, avoir la poisse, la veuve poignet, être un pigeon, rouler une pelle, pas piqué des…

To be honored in France

Have you ever noticed a tiny ribbon or rosette on someone's left lapel? This is a distinction worn by those who have been officially honored in France. There are several different orders. The Legion d'Honneur is the oldest, most prestigious, best known and highest award, but there is also the National Order of Merit, then ministerial order for academia, agriculture and culture. Each of the orders has a different color: red for the Legion of Honor, blue for Merit, purple for Academic, green and red for Agriculture, green and white for Culture, and blue and green for Maritime. Three times a year, 1 January, Easter and 14 July, a new list is published of those honored in France with induction into or promotion within the Legion of Honor. The Legion of Honor is the highest French decoration and one of the most famous in the world. Napoléon Bonaparte, First Consul of the First Republic, established the French Legion of Honor in 1802. As a leader Napoleon knew he had to honor tho…

David Lively, An American with rhythm in Paris

His name is Lively, David Lively. With a name like that he's got to have rhythm, so much so that he's put out an album called I Got Rhythm (La Musica). David Lively is a French concert pianist with origins in the United States. He was born within spitting distance of the Ohio River in Ironton, Ohio, then grew up near Chicago, Milwaukee, and finally in Saint-Louis. When he was 16 his piano teacher in pulled some [piano] strings and got David a university scholarship to study in France even though he hadn't finished high school. He spent the next couple years in the late sixties getting an education in life and piano in the land of Debussy and Ravel. Then he stayed. And stayed. He's been in France ever since and is called the most American of French pianists. But, as we all are, he's still hard wired to his roots even after nearly 50 years abroad and although he performs many different composer's music he has an attachment to American piano music. The album I Got Rhythm is a r…