The Paris Olympics are over, and what a show it was! From Céline Dion singing on the Eiffel Tower to athletes like Léon Marchand and Simone Biles winning gold, it was quite a sight to behold. But what was it like behind the scenes?
A friend of mine worked in the Olympic Village and has shared her stories with me. Want to know the most popular dish among the six Olympic restaurants? Or what it was like to shake hands with the President of France?
Read all about it in Bonjour Paris!
Imagine sitting in a comfortable seat in an ancient Roman city. As the sun sets, you can see thousands of candles among the ruins, perched on stone walls, stairs, and fallen columns.
The sky darkens and the candles begin to glow. Then a string quartet comes out and starts to play beautiful music. It is an experience that can only be described as magical.
My wife and I enjoyed that magic in June in the ancient Roman city of Glanum near where we live St-Rémy-de-Provence. It was part of a series of concerts being held this summer throughout Provence, and they promise to be spectacular!
Read all about these summer candlelight concerts in Perfectly Provence!
International Living is an excellent resource for people thinking of moving abroad. The magazine has correspondents around the world, experts in different countries, and holds regular seminars for those who want to learn about taking the plunge.
Val and I were interviewed by their French correspondent about our part-time life in St-Rémy-de-Provence. How did we decide to do it, how did we choose where to live, how much does it cost? For those of you dreaming of a French life, you might find it interesting.
Read all about it in International Living!
Jesse Schwartz is a young American winemaker with vineyards in Portugal and the United States. Many such winemakers grow up in families that have been making wine for generations, but Jesse’s path was different.
A few years ago, Jesse was working at a corporate job when he fell in love with Burgundy wine. He wanted to know everything about it and decided to work a harvest there. He learned some basic French, travelled to Burgundy, and started knocking on doors.
He had no luck for a while—who wants an inexperienced American who barely speaks the language? But he persevered and finally came across a small winemaker in Rully who not only took him on for a 3-month internship, but also housed and fed him.
The experience was life changing. Jesse’s corporate job didn’t feed his soul, but this was different! He decided to completely change direction and now makes his own wine. It is inspiring to see someone follow their heart.
You can read more about Jesse at France Today, but the article is behind their paywall (it’s a great magazine, you might consider subscribing!) Or you can learn more about Jesse and his winemaking at his website or on Instagram.
Val and I live part-time in St-Rémy and I’ve written two guidebooks about the area, so I get lots of questions about the town. Some come from family and friends planning a trip to the area, some come from readers who are looking for a bit of advice.
The questions cover all sorts of topics, like the weather, transportation, and where to find great food and wine. One woman wanted to know where she could find the best poppy fields, and a gentleman told me he was moving to France at age 80! I never know what kind of question I’m going to get.
Read about the questions people ask me at Perfectly Provence!
Florence Melin is a French woman who has lived in the United States for half her life, and also visits France every year. We met through a mutual friend and had a very interesting conversation, as I’m a little bit the opposite of her: an American who lives part-time in France.
I really appreciated Florence’s thoughts on how the US compares to France. She is able to see the good points of each country, along with the occasional frustrations. I could relate when she said there are some things you can never really understand about your new country, like events from childhood and are part of the collective cultural memory.
You can read about how Florence sees the two countries in My French Life!
The Olympic Games are the biggest sporting event in the world, and they are coming to Paris. The Games always create breakout stars, athletes who go from relative obscurity to worldwide fame overnight. Who will be the new star for France, host of this year’s games?
Some possibilities are gymnast Mélanie de Jesus Santos, mountain biker Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, and judo champion Clarisse Agbegnenou. All are favored to win medals in Paris.
Another is an incredibly fast swimmer, Léon Marchand. He’s been breaking world records right and left and is known for his “lion’s mentality.” Might he be the French Face of these Olympics?
Learn more about Léon Marchand at Frenchly!
For thousands of years, shepherds have moved their flocks seasonally in search of better grazing—a process known in French as la transhumance. Recently, UNESCO inscribed the European transhumance as a part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This was the result of years of effort, led by France and Spain, and it recognized the important role that the transhumance plays in Europe.
What is a transhumance like and why is it important? And did sheep really march down the Champs-Elysées in Paris??
Read all about it in France Today!
No trip to Provence is complete without a stop in Marseille, one of France’s largest cities and a major port. It has long been a point of entry for immigrants, making for a rich and varied local culture.
Marseille is the home of some of France’s most important churches and museums, and has tempting food establishments around every corner. And don’t forget the views! Gazing out at the Château d’If, perched on its little island surrounded by the sparkling blue sea, is nothing short of spectacular.
One of the downsides of Marseille is that it can be oppressively hot in the summer. Luckily, its long coastline means that Marseille has plenty of beaches, several close to the city center. Most are free and have services like bathrooms and first-aid stations, as well as lifeguards on duty during the summer months.
Read all about the beaches of Marseille in Frenchly!
Jane Satow is an American who has lived in France for 20 years. She has built a sterling reputation as a private chef (TV personality Stephen Colbert is a client) and runs cooking classes for small groups. These are held in a charming old building with a professional kitchen, in the center of St-Rémy.
Jane recently invited Val and me to join one of her cooking classes and it was a real treat. We started by shopping in St-Rémy’s weekly market, then moved to Jane’s kitchen where she put us to work. It was a lot of fun–learning recipes and cooking tips from Jane, chatting with our classmates, and enjoying an apéro on her sunny terrace before digging into our meal. Highly recommended!
Read all about our cooking adventure at Perfectly Provence!