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Snow covers France Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jan 19, 2021
Unusually cold temperatures brought challenges for some and treats for others as snow covered much of France this past weekend. La France sous un manteau de blanc Le week-end dernier brought de la neige to much of the northern half of the country, covering the country in a blanket of white. From Alsace dans l’est…
French Culture – Helpful voices Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jan 12, 2021
Robust public transportation options make getting around Paris and many parts of France easy. Whether you’re taking the bus, le métro, or the train, a host of helpful voices help to make sure that your journey will be safe and efficient. Les voix des transports en commun From announcing the prochain arrêt or directing riders…
French Culture – Paris’s new Metro line Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jan 5, 2021
Paris’s new metro line adds 4 nouvelles stations between la gare Saint-Lazare and la Mairie de Saint-Ouen. Originally planned for 2017, la ville de Paris and the RATP finally made things easier for people to get around the city and suburbs with the prolongement vers le nord de la ligne 14. Paris s’élargit This next phase…
French Culture – Oh what a year bis Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 29, 2020
This time last year I shared a post called “Oh what a year!” … after les gilet jaunes and l’incendie de Notre-Dame it seemed surely 2020 would be a better year. And like 2019, 2020 has had des hauts et des bas, but « Oh quelle année ! » once again seems like a fitting…
French Christmas – To fill your shoes Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 22, 2020
Despite the current pandemic, people around the world are preparing to celebrate Noël. For many enfants in France, that preparation includes leaving une chaussure ou une paire de souliers au peid du sapin on Christmas eve. Chaussures, bottes, ou chaussettes … The custom of leaving shoes, boots, or stockings/socks beneath the Christmas tree (or by…
French Music – A song for Christmas Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 15, 2020
Christmas is a time for joy and the season is full decorations, songs, and festive treats to remind us of that fact. But la Noël et la Saint-Sylvestre can also be melancolie. While les souvenirs des fêtes passées can keep us warm, they can also, as in this song, remind us of missed opportunities. Le dernier…
French Culture – A Covid Christmas Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 8, 2020
Life’s celebrations, the big and small alike, are especially important to the French. I’ve rarely met anyone who takes the art of celebration as seriously … especially Noël. Sadly, this year, due to the on-going Coronavirus pandemic, like many of us, les Français.es are having to rethink les fêtes de fin d’année. Comment les Français…