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:
Picture the scene, my first day at a new job in a new country. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the entire team decided that we should go out for lunch. (It rains in Paris almost as much as it…
The French take their food very seriously. They also take Christmas very seriously, so as you can imagine French Christmas traditions are quite the affair! In North America, we tend to cook a big turkey, some stuffing and side dishes,…
I hesitated to write about this next item on the list of French table manners because it certainly smacks of sexism. It doesn’t belong in the 21st century. But if you happen to be dining with an older French person, even en famille, they…
The first time I came across it, I was baffled. And then irritated. We were at a beachside hotel near Saint-Malo and they seemed to be missing a few cups and mugs at morning breakfast. My husband helpfully pointed me…
If there was ever a word to give you that warm fuzzy feeling, Coucou is it. In French slang, it means bonjour or hello. but in an informal “my darling” kind of way. The formal way to say hello in French is…
After living in a foreign country for several years, it’s funny how suddenly you notice something that you never noticed before. With hindsight, I realized that being an etranger no one will tell you “Oh that’s rude!”. They just put it down to you…
When I got married, a lovely French friend offered me an elegant set of cloth table napkins. I'm sure I looked at her oddly, but she let it slide. Was I supposed to use these at home? Weren’t cloth napkins just…