Category Archives: france

Vintage Car Ralley

Posted in activity, Charming, Culture, france, Fun, romantic by

If you have been following my blog for a decent amount of time, you then know that my favorite car is the 2CV! And there is a car service company in Paris that has pulled on my cute-little-car-lover’s heart strings : 4 roues sous 1 parapluie. I even used them for my wedding!

Well they sent me a press release for their second edition of this ralley : Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (the most beautiful villages of France) which takes from Paris to Cannes just in time for the famous film festival, I just had to share it with all of you. Can you imagine arriving in that kind of spectacular style?!? A line of darling and colorful 2CV?!? I wish so much I could do this but alas, I cannot take a week off work in May. But I hope some of you, my readers and fans will take advantage of the event, or plan your trip to France around it next year! This has got to be one of the most delightfully French and charming ideas I have ever heard of doing in France. I would give anything…. (almost)….

SONY DSC Continue reading →

L’Amour (or less) by Jennyphoria

Posted in American in Paris, Expat, france, French, Love!, Paris by

I HAVE GOT TO SHARE THIS WITH ALL OF YOU!

One of my fellow Paris expat bloggers, has made a few serendipitous rencontres, and come up with a pretty fantastic idea, about love in Paris no less. Yes! Jennifer Geraghty is a screen writer and actress who took the precarious plunge two years ago to try to make it in the city of love and light. After much hard work and a huge bundle of her contagious sense of humor, she has launched her project. This lady is determined (just read her posts about getting through the ominous French administrative system in order to stay here), but she is also determined to succeed. And I think she is just about to…

From Jennyphoria

She has a series of shows already written, and shot, all on the subject of love and dating in Paris. Want to know how to snag a Frenchman? Want to know the secrets to dating the French? Want to know what all the mystery is about?!? Well read on…

Continue reading →

Five Frenchie Foodie Faves in Paris

Posted in City of Paris, Delicious!, Foodie, france, French by

Post by Jenny Bailey

Five Foodie Experiences in Paris

French cheese (© Stephanie Watson@flickr CC-BY)

The romance between Paris and fine food has been going on for centuries. As a result, the city has become one of the most renowned foodie destinations in the world.
Paris offers a number of gourmet experiences that tourists can indulge in – from pairing cheese and wine in one of Paris’s famous wine bars, to sampling garlicky escargots (or snails) in a traditional bistro. If snails sound slightly too bizarre for you, then thank your lucky stars you weren’t a visitor during the Middle Ages, when swan and peacock with gilded gold beaks were on the menu! Continue reading →

French Spirit

Posted in france, French by

French spirit

Sometimes, I like to be reminded that the French are proud of being French… You know how they are known to be “râleur” as we say in French (loud complainers). So it’s good to see a little French pride once in a while! Often it takes a sports game to brig out that national spirit, and that’s just fine as it is an innocent and festive reason to display such sentiments! Continue reading →

Tips for moving from the UK to France

Posted in france, Paris, Practical info by
Schepens Removals

Schepens Removals

I often have people write me an email and ask me for my advice on moving to France, or Paris more specifically. This reminds me that it is not such an easy thing to do, and I have been very fortunate to have been able to find a way to live and work here. It isn’t always easy. Even for those of my readers who come from somewhere as close as England. They have the advantage of being in the EU! this takes one big hurdle out of living in France, but it doesn’t mean it makes it less of a mystery for some. Let’s face it, it is not easy to just displace oneself and live on the other side of the pond. There is a whole other culture over here that one has to adapt to.

I got some advice from a man in the moving business in England, who knows a thing or two about displacement on the other side of the pond. Schepens Removals, an experienced family run company offering moving services within the UK and to the rest of Europe, has been helping people move for over 100 years, with a specialization in removals to France. They have kindly offered to give us their top 5 tips for moving to France from England.

These are the basic steps for level one integration. I especially enjoy that he has included the 14th of July in the top five tips! I also find it very interesting that two of the top 5 concern health care!!!

Carte Vitale

Top 5 Tips For Moving To France

  1. Sending Your Child To School – If you plan to enroll your child at a school in your commune, initial inquiries should be made at your mairie (town hall), where you will be advised on who to contact and how to complete the various formalities. Children should be enrolled before June to start school in September. Home-schooling is legal, but you must speak to the mairie if you intend to take this route. France also has private schools and some international schools.               Prête-Moi Paris side note : There are several bilingual schools in Paris where children can get instruction in both English and French.

  1. Finding Work – If your life in France is dependent upon finding employment, the wisest approach is to land the job before making the move. France’s current high unemployment inevitably means keen competition for jobs, so patience is a virtue and good language skills are desirable. Although you must be prepared to go to France if offered an entretien d’embauche (job interview), viewing vacancies and submitting applications can all be done online, either via the government job search site or through private agencies. You can also send speculative applications to potential employers.              Prête-Moi Paris side note : It is not considered uncommon to send a spontaneous candidacy with your CV and a motivation letter explaining who you are and what you can offer to a certain company. If your profile and presentation is interesting enough, it may land you an interview. Don’t be afraid to go beyond the help-wanted ads.

  1. 14th July – Without question, France’s biggest national extravaganza is what the British often call Bastille Day, but the French refer to as ‘le quatorze juillet’. Festivities start on the evening of 13th, with truly spectacular firework displays all over France and partying that is likely to continue all night and into the next day. The 14th is a national holiday, when even shops that opened on Christmas Day will almost certainly be closed. Many towns arrange fêtes, parades and all manner of street entertainments, sometimes a whole week of events. If you’re in France at this time, it’s well worth finding out what’s happening near you and going along. France’s 14th July celebrations are not to be missed.              Prête-Moi Paris side note : The pompiers (firemen) all throw parties for families in each town or neighborhood. Tickets are usually priced around 2€ and it is a great place to meet people in your eare and have a great time, and the opportunity to see of those fire fighters are as hot as people say they are!

  1. Eligibility for Healthcare – If you don’t intend to work or run a business in France, and are not a dependant of someone who is in the French system, you will probably need a form S1 to entitle you, initially at least, to state healthcare. You should apply for an S1 well in advance of leaving the UK. If you’re retired, contact the DWP Overseas Healthcare Team (0191 218 1999); if you’re going to continue working in the UK, contact HMRC. Ahhhh the paperwork begins!

  1. Healthcare – Carte Vitale – This card contains a microchip which confirms your identity and social security number. When you pay for consultations, treatment or prescriptions, you will be asked for your CV. Your reimbursements will then be refunded automatically into your bank account. If you don’t have a carte vitale, or the health provider doesn’t have a card reader, you’ll be given a document called a feuille de soins. This must be presented to your caisse d’assurance, along with proof of entitlement, to claim reimbursement.            Prête-Moi Paris side note : DO NOT lose this card! It seems to have more importance than your credit and bank cards! Of course it can be replaced but not as easily as the other types of cards just mentioned.

And one more little bit of advice from your friendly blogger living in Paris here… <a href="htt

The train : What a way to go! (On vacation)

Posted in france, Funny story, tourist, travel by

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I like LOVE taking the train. I used to love taking planes, but then we all became terror suspects and it’s now a frustrating experience where your rights, dignity and security always seem at stake. So if I can, I take the train. It’s relaxing, no rush, no panic, no stress, you have space to travel in comfort and it’s a treat to watch the countryside swish by. I get to SEE where I am going!

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Chéri and I took the train to Bordeaux for a little break from Paris this summer and booked seats in the TGV from the Gare Montparnasse, but not just any TGV, the iDTGV, a concept train invented by the SNCF which is the national train service in France.

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Chéri tried to book seats on the iDTGV zen, but it was apparently full, and we got seats on the iDTGV zap. Not sure what that meant we found out when the train was just pulling out of the station. I was in the bar car grabbing cups of tea, when I saw a conductor making the announcements over the loudspeaker. (In French) “Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the iDTGV. We’d like to remind you that wagon 14 is the iDTGV zen, where the ambience is to be one of silence, please respect the quiet of the other passengers in that car. Wagon 13 is the iDTGV zap, where the ambiance is one of conviviality, if you haven’t already, do take a moment to say hello to your neighbor.” The few of us in the bar car grabbing breakfast before the line got long, all looked at eachother, the conductor and server alike, and snickered like teenagers! Not that saying hi to your neighbor is unheard of, but it was a funny thing for the staff of the SNCF to be telling us to do. It reminded me of those times when I was a kid and at Sunday church service and we were invited to greet our neighbor with a “peace be with you” and a nod of the head or shake of the hand.

We all chuckled a bit more and somebody suggested that the conductor add something about greeting their neighbors’ dog with a pat on it’s head too. The conductor smiled and said he’d add that next time.

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Well, we didn’t become lifelong friends with our neighbors, I don’t even think we said hello to their dozing, sleepy faces, but after 3 cups of tea I was certainly in a friendly mood and would probably have chatted with just about anyone! And to boot…there was aisle service in addition to the bar car. Win!

Friday en Français : l’excès et l’amour

Posted in American in Paris, france, French, Language by

Ma citation préférée en français…vient de Balzac, écrivain que j’adore (oui je sais que de nombreux parmi vous avez dû le subir aux bancs du collège et vous êtes las de son style über descriptif…) eh bien moi j’aime beaucoup ce style. Il est chargé et plein de mots, de phrases, de portraits et paysages qui m’ont toujours aidés à découvrir la langue française et ont proposé une sorte de fond d’écran de la France…

Et la citation donc… :

“Tous les excès sont frères. Ces monstruosités sociales possèdent la puissance des abîmes, elles nous attirent comme Sainte-Hélène appelait Napoléon; elles donnent des vertiges, elles fascinent, et nous voulons en voir le fond sans savoir pourquoi.” (La peau de chagrin – Balzac)

Cette citation exprime quelque chose qui est vrai à tout époque, et pour toute chose, aussi effrayante et englobante qu’elle soit… c’est vrai, et nous sommes, chacun d’entre nous, appelé par un excès ou un autre. mais le seul excès qui soit réellement bénéfique, est l’amour. On ne peut jamais en avoir trop.
Le Baiser

Friday en Français : Les Parisiens

Posted in American in Paris, City of Paris, france, French, gaullois, Paris, parisian by

Toujours pas envie de traduire un autre billet… je vous donne un peu de ma vision sur vous les parisiens, mes chers voisins, ces gens si beaux mais agaçant, frustrants, mais chic et créatifs…

Les Parisiens semblent incapable de faire la queue pour le bus ou le métro… mais ils le font sagement à la boulangerie ou à la banque. #Priorités

En salle de classe, en conférence ou autre débat en groupe avec des inconnus, les parisiens semblent être peu nombreux à combattre leur timidité et poser une question ou faire une remarque… mais en manifestation! Ils ont tous une opinion qu’ils défendent à fond!

Les Parisiens semblent créer leur propres règles de route lorsqu’ils sont en voiture, moto, bicyclette ou à pied… mais s’ils sont gracieux, il vous laissent parfois passer devant avec un “je vous en prie madame” et un beau sourire. La politesse avant tout!

Les parisians semblent avoir du mal à ramasser après les besoins de leur petit chien tou-tou… mais ils trient bien leurs déchets! #GoGreen

Les prix de tout à Paris ne cessent de monter tous les ans d’une vitesse ahurissante… mais les parisiens viennent toujours chez vous un cadeau dans les mains.

Vive les Parisiens! Vive Paris!

Behind Paris’ doors

Posted in Charming, City of Paris, france, Free, Paris, parisian by

Sometimes you can catch a glimpse through a large building’s door as it is opened, and there is a whole other part of Paris to be be found there. Masked from the visitors’ eye are the insides of these old stone buildings that date back to the 30′s or 20′s or the end of the 19th century, or even older than that…
I LOVE to catch those doors as they are closing and grab a shot or two to keep of these charming places that are not readily available to the Parisian wanderer.

Here are a few. I won’t put the addresses so as to protect the inhabitants of those buildings from too many curious lookers, but I will tell you the arrondissement :

75011

This courtyard door was open, and therefor I didn’t feel stealth walking in, but it was clear I was walking into someone’s front porch area. A beautiful looking apartment with an expansive artist’s window to let in the light, and a wooden, table for an apéro with friends perhaps…

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75010

The first time I walked through the door on the boulevard where I found this place, I was awestruck. The ground level is lined with 19th century office spaces, and the cobble stone with flower pots scenery seems to come straight from a postcard! Every doorway to the different buildings seems to have a potted tree and flowers with a bicycle in front of it.

Paris courtyard
Paris courtyards

Paris courtyards

Paris courtyards

Paris courtyards

Paris Wedding Wednesday – La 2 chevaux

Posted in activity, bon plan, City of Paris, day trip, france, French, Fun, Paris, parisian, romantic, travel, wedding by

This is a new series, that won’t necessarily run EVERY Wednesday, but I will try to add to it as often as I can.

Since I am planning my own wedding, here in Paris where I live, with Chéri, I thought it would be fun to share some of my ideas, inspirations and plans for this most special day.

This first post for the series will be dedicated what I often call the “car of my dreams”. Granted it’s no Rolls or BMW, but I LOVE these cars. The Deux Chevaux. Created by Citroën in 1948, with prototypes dating from 1939, this car was destined for the social classes as an inexpensive vehicle to rumble around the country side in. They stopped fabrication in 1990. This car is now a cult.

Ceci n'est pas une voiture 2CV

This isn’t a car, it’s a way of life.

Photo courtesy of : 4 Roues Sous 1 Parapluie

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I still see some around Paris. It is just about the most adorable car there ever was.

Today I am visiting a company who has entire collection of them : 4 Roues Sous 1 Parapluie, (this literally translates to “4 wheels under 1 umbrella”! …they offer all sorts of services in these fun little cars. I am considering hiring them for our wedding transportation. Although I do love luxurious things, I really actually have simple tastes. And this car goes so well with my personality. It’s charming, and compact, everybody loves it, versatile, happy and stuck to it’s own style throughout the years, didn’t require a lot of work, but when brushed off and shined up it seemed as sparkly as a Parisian skyline with it’s cute round lights. It’s irresistible!

Photo courtesy of : 4 Roues Sous un Parapluie

The company 4 Roues Sous 1 Parapluie has reasonable prices and is so flexible they will allow you to create a custom made service. Or you can chose from any of their other services that they have listed on their website, for a weddinng or just a night on the town, or a shopping expedition with your girlfriends. They do historical tours or just a romantic drive to the countryside with a picnic and a bottle of bubbly!

Photo courtesy of : 4 Roues Sous 1 Parapluie

I will be looking at their collection of cars to pick out which one I would like to use for our wedding needs, and will post pictures afterwards.

UPDATE :

Shots from my visit :
They were kind enough to let us ride around the parking garage for a couple minutes! They were going to let me drive but I opted out, I didn’t want to be responsible for crashing their little car, even in the safe bounds of the garage.

It was a pleasure to meet Florent Dargnies the director and founder of the company and Aurélie Alix the costomer relationship manager. Absolutely charming people who obviously LOVE what they do! Florent got the ideafor his enterprise when he was still in school. He had gone to Germany for a year of study abroad and had brought his parents’ old 2CV along with him for transportation. When he returned to Paris, he noticed how people would stop and smile at his car. I mean who can blame them it’s got so much personality!

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So Florent, who had been study for a degree in commerce, had the brilliant idea to start a business with these charming car that make people smile! Du génie! And it’s a hit.

His company has grown so much since he started in 2003, and he hope to see it grow to where his fleet of 34, 2CV becomes large enough to where people think of these cars as they think of the gondolas in Venice. These cars should be a part of the Parisian backdrop and the Parisian daily life.

To add to the charm, all of the “chauffeurs” (drivers) were uniforms from the French clothing brand Saint James which has some very “Breton” influence! Très français. And I love their promise that there will be a  “chauffeur poli, cultivé, courtois et sympathique” (meaning a driver who is polite, knowledgeable, courteous and friendly!). But of course!

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Their clients range from internationals here for tourism, to local individuals who are want to offer a unique gift to someone.

They even do organized treasure hunts, or have company events that use their services! Can you imagine, seeing a group of 10 2CV driving down the streets of Paris!?! I LOVE that!

In fact, one of the technicians we spoke with (the one who drove us around the garage to show us how the car works) was on his way later to a 2CV rally of 6,0000 cars! (It wasn’t in Paris, or else you KNOW I would have gone too!). All those cute little cars all in the same place all at once! SO FUN!

I am a HUGE fan of Florent’s endeavor and hope you will become a fan too.

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UPDATE!

We used the car service for our wedding and it was prfect and adorable!!!! It fit well with out circus/carnival wedding theme. The service and driver were falwless and we were thrilled by the whole experience. I will never forget driving down the Champs Elysées with my dad beside me, on my way to marry the love of my life!!!!

Me and my dad on our way to my wedding!
Photo by Elisabeth Perotin