Wondering what life is like in France? Whether you are planning on living abroad or just dreaming about the French way of life, get ready to hear about our adventures in daily life, family life, and learning French. The mistakes expats make, the cost of living, we uncover the truth about living in Paris.
If you are not sure where to start, I recommend starting here:
Young kids are wonderful (most of the time). Full of learning, enthusiasm, and chatter. I have two of them, so I know! So for my list of the top French songs for kids, I picked songs that are popular in…
Raising two toddlers in France, we have these songs on repeat chez nous (at home). Known in French as comptime, these songs for babies and toddlers are simple and sweet. It is interesting as an anglophone to read the lyrics…
"Mise au Placard" is one of those French expressions for which there is no English equivalent. It literally translates to being "put in the closet", and is only used in the context of the French workplace. The reason there is…
You will notice I said "how to cut cheese", not "cut the cheese". I say this because my grammar-checker is currently trying to tell me I'm writing it incorrectly. Grammatical issues aside, there is an art to cutting French cheeses…
You may not have realized that there was a full set of french etiquette rules just for cheese, but now you know. The cheese course is a mainstay in France. So it stands to reason that there is a certain…
If you are wondering what a "Goûter" is, you've come to the right place. To translate literally from French, it is a verb meaning "to taste". In this case though, it has become a noun, referring to the mealtime in…
Once upon a time, the French tried to change time. Or rather how we tell time. You might think it was at a time when people thought the world was flat, but it was actually to embrace logic and coherence…
Figuring out what is the cost of living in France is like figuring out how long is a piece of string. The answer is "it depends". And when it comes to prices in Paris, it gets even harder. Paris isn't…
Christmas may be celebrated in many parts of the world, but in France, that celebration may involve hot wine and oysters. And a lot of other things that you may or may not consider unusual. Here are 16 French Christmas…
The expression "faire le pont" probably happens in everywhere around the world, but the reason it is a notable expression is that it happens so often here in France. Or at least in the life of the average French office…
You know it is soon going to be Christmas when you hear the carols playing on the radio and see the decorations go up. Whether you are in Paris in winter or elsewhere in the world, there is always a…
Full confession: we may be Snippets of Paris, but my OH is a born and bred Marseillais (pronounced mar-say-ay). And he is none too pleased that our kids are born and bred Parisians. The roots of Paris vs Marseille go…
There has always been a bit of debate as to whether the French National anthem should be taught in French schools. This might sound surprising to foreigners until you hear the lyrics and their translation. In effect, you might say…
France has always been concerned about encouraging French women to have large families. Having been the battlefield for centuries for the wars with England, Prussia (Germany) and more, there has been a constant need for young soldiers. Over the years,…
There are 11 public holidays in France. But there are a lot more French holidays, celebrations, and traditions during the year that don't necessarily come with a day off. And having lived in France for over 10 years now, I've…
It is the middle of March and there was a mad scramble this week chez nous, to try to find a fancy dress costume for one of my little Frenchies. It isn't Halloween of course, that would be too simple.…
She has been called the saddest "Queen of France". But I suppose that is a lot better than what she was called during her lifetime. Marie Antoinette, the heartless foreign Austrian, who is purported to have said "Let them eat…
There are times when you just want to get rid of someone. Ok, maybe not. But since we had a bit of fun with the Bonjour in French (how did you do on the quiz?), you knew we had to…
Does news travel across oceans? You bet it does, sometimes with a charming French accent and sometimes not. Can you spot your local French celebrities? Brigitte Barbot and Marion Cotillard may be household names, and I know I've seen both…
Time to brush up on your French Geography! Now, first of all, I should note that France consists of much more than just the land that the Eiffel Tower sits on. Just as "the sun never sets on the British…