There are lots of ways to learn French, like taking classes, using language learning software and watching movies. But once you get past the basics, what you really need to do is talk. And there’s nothing like talking to a native French speaker. So why not find yourself a language partner?
It’s easy!
Find out how at My French Life.
One of my favorite restaurants in St.-Rémy-de-Provence is L’Aile ou la Cuisse. The food is great and the setting is beautiful, right in the middle of the old town. Best of all is the gigantic display case where you pick your dessert. It’s like Christmas every day!
You can read all about this fun restaurant at Perfectly Provence.
France is famous for its breads, like crusty baguettes, flaky croissants, and rich pain au chocolat. The best! But what if you live a gluten-free life? Can you still visit la belle France?
Bien sûr! France has plenty of gluten-free (GF) options, whether you are dining out or cooking in. Here are some pointers to get you started.
Read about how to live GF in France at Frenchly. Bon appétit !
Despite having deep Catholic roots, France has the third-largest Jewish population in the world, after Israel and the United States. Jewish communities have existed in the country since the first century and it has long been a center of Jewish learning.
You might think that Paris, with its famous Marais neighborhood, is the center of French Jewish life. And while that is true today, it hasn’t always been. For centuries, it was Provence.
Read more about Jewish history in Provence at Frenchly.
Have you ever seen a mysterious red license plate on a French car and wondered what it meant? Was the driver a diplomat? A military officer? A French James Bond saving the world from an evil genius?
No, the car was from the French Buyback Lease program. If you need to rent a car in Europe for more than a few weeks, this may the way to go. You get a brand new car with 100% insurance for less than the price of a normal rental.
Find out all about it at The Good Life France (page 106.)
This past spring I had the pleasure of meeting Janice Chung in Provence. Jan runs the great website France Travel Tips, with information about things to see and do all over the country. I love reading her stories about hidden corners of France that most tourists never see. An example is this story about sculptured seaside rocks in Brittany.
If you aren’t already a subscriber to Jan’s website, you should be!
There are a lot of great restaurants in Provence, with Michelin stars galore, like Le Petit Nice in Marseille and Baumanière in Les Baux. But for my money, the best fine dining in Provence is at L’Atelier de Jean-Luc Rabanel in Arles. Val and I go there every year to celebrate her birthday and it’s always great.
Find out all about L’Atelier at The Provence Post.
It’s that time of year again, and what better gift than a copy of One Sip at a Time? It’s the perfect stocking stuffer for the francophile in your life! And it’s available from Amazon in paperback, Kindle or audiobook format—all under $10.
My best wishes to you and yours this holiday season.
Keith
Provence shares Christmas traditions with the rest of France, like sapins de Noël (Christmas trees) and Père Noël (Father Christmas.) But they also have unique ones of their own. Thirteen desserts? Little dolls that fooled the zealots of French Revolution?
Read all about it at The Good Life France.
San Francisco was known in its early days as the Paris of the Pacific. You might think this was because it was beautiful and sophisticated, like the City of Light, and you would be right. But it was more than that. It was also due to the city’s large French community.
Read about France’s outsized influence on early San Francisco at My French Life.