Posts filed under ‘About France’
A few of my favorite quotes about one of my favorite places in the world…more to come…
Continue Reading October 2, 2012 at 3:11 pm
An idiosyncractic, beginning list of titles of books written (mostly in English) about France, or that take place in France (outside of Paris.) For books about Paris, see my Paris Bookshelf.
Continue Reading September 7, 2012 at 12:32 pm
A reading list for those who would like to understand French people and culture better, and particularly how to bridge the cultural differences between la France and les États-Unis…
Continue Reading May 12, 2012 at 10:46 pm
Why is Paris one of the most beautiful cities in the world?
Well, largely because people in France care about the way things look, and they pay close and careful attention to it–down to the smallest detail, pretty much all the time.
Continue Reading May 5, 2012 at 12:28 pm
In her very helpful book, Polly Platt urged her readers to learn what she calls the “Ten Magic Words” that will open the doors of the French heart and soul, and turn potentially sour encounters into sweet ones. Here are the first five words…
Continue Reading April 27, 2012 at 5:41 pm
Today’s tip is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing anyone going to France can possibly know. It will make more of a difference in how well you are treated there, and the quality of your social interactions in France than most Americans would believe possible, and it is so very simple to do…
Continue Reading April 22, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Though I love the French and admire many things about them, I think of them as “requiring special handling.” Whereas I think of Americans as being easygoing, freewheeling, and much more flexible in their approach to life. I don’t think of us as holding to a “right” way of doing things. But perhaps we’re just as difficult for them to understand as they are for us…
Continue Reading April 22, 2012 at 12:59 pm
My little village in the heart of France offers a kind of peaceful and deeply satisfying daily life that is quite common in many little French villages–and hard to find many other places in the world. In Essoyes the connection between past, present and future is easier to feel, somehow–in the continuity of traditions as well as in the slow, inexorable change that is one of life’s constants.
Continue Reading June 24, 2011 at 7:54 pm
My French-speaking Australian friend Lincoln Siliakus celebrates his love of bicycling, the French countryside, and French wines in a wonderful new, prize-winning book, Visages de Terroir. Check it out!
Continue Reading July 29, 2009 at 2:40 pm
The “village Renoir” becomes “village de velo” for part of one very exciting day.
Continue Reading July 8, 2009 at 9:08 pm
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