Michel Houellebecq has been called France’s greatest living writer, a worthy successor to the likes of Camus and Céline. He has also been called an enfant terrible and a provocateur.
His books have sold millions, been translated into dozens of languages, and won many awards.
I love Houellebecq’s books, and I also hate them. But love them or hate them, I can’t stop reading them.
Who is Michel Houellebecq? And should you read his books?
Read all about it in My French Life!
Today is one of the most important dates in the basketball calendar, when the teams of the National Basketball Association (NBA) select the players who will join their teams the following season. The selection process takes the form of a player draft, with teams selecting players in a predetermined order. The worst teams pick first and the best teams last, to try to give weaker teams the chance to improve.
There has been considerable buzz this year, as the first player selected will be Victor Wembanyama of France. He’s the most anticipated young player in decades, so good he’s been called an “alien” (meaning his talents are otherworldly.)
What makes young Victor so special? Is it his immense height, his slick ball-handling skills, or perhaps his 3-point shot “as smooth as crème Chantilly“?
Read all about it in Frenchly!
One of the highlights of any trip to Provence is visiting the fabulous Carrières des Lumières. This former stone quarry now hosts an immersive sound and light show…inside a mountain! It is so popular that other sites have been created in many countries, and recently the Immersive Van Gogh program was shown around the world.
But the best place to see it is still where it started, in that enormous cavern. This year’s program is all about the Dutch Masters, from Vermeer to Van Gogh. It’s fitting that the program finishes with ol’ Vincent, as many of his greatest works were painted in nearby St-Rémy and Arles.
Read all about it in Perfectly Provence!
We seem to live in a world of STEM Über Alles, where if a young person doesn’t learn to write computer code, he or she is condemned to a life as a dog walker. But are engineers destined to rule the world? Perhaps not.
The ultimate STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) archetype might be Mr. Spock of Star Trek fame, but let’s think about who is it that commands the Starship Enterprise. It’s not the ultra-logical Mr. Spock, but rather the clever and quick-thinking Captain Kirk.
What does this mean for today’s college students, faced with choosing a major field of study that will set them on a course for life? Should they pick a ‘practical’ major in the STEM field, or—god forbid—something useless like French?
Read all about it in My French Life!
I recently joined several other Frenchly writers for a webinar where we shared some of our favorite things to see and do in France, those that might not be on the usual tourist agenda. We discussed Paris, Provence, the Dordogne, and other beautiful parts of this beautiful country.
The webinar is about an hour long, and things get going at about the four-minute mark (after various commercial announcements.) It might give you some good ideas for your next trip here!
You can watch the webinar here.
If you’d like to taste some of the best olive oil in Provence, look no further than the Moulin Castelas, situated just below the famous fortress of Les Baux-de-Provence.
Castelas is owned by Catherine and Jean-Benoît Hugues, a French couple who lived in Arizona before returning to their native country when they “fell in love with some old olive trees.” The Hugues make their olive oil much like a winemaker makes wine, with great care at each step of the process. And the results are spectacular: Moulin Castelas has won top awards in national and international competitions.
In addition to pure olive oils, Castelas produces oils infused with different flavors, like rosemary, basil, and citrus. And unlike some producers, they don’t just add chemical flavorings to their oils. Instead, they macerate them with ingredients, for example adding fresh rosemary to their olives before milling them together.
The Castelas staff is friendly and English-speaking, and welcomes you to taste all the olive oils you like. You can also tour the olive mill itself if they are not too busy.
Read all about it in Perfectly Provence!
A few months ago, headlines ricocheted across France: “30% of French Women Don’t Want Children” and “Nearly One Woman in Three Doesn’t Want Kids.” They were the result of a survey for Elle Magazine by France’s leading pollster.
If a third of French women is not having kids, the media surmised, then this is a demographic earthquake!
So, what’s actually going on and what will it mean for France’s future? I spoke to one of France’s leading demographic researchers and learned some surprising things about the survey (hint: the devil is in the details.)
Read all about it in Frenchly!
Thousands of young Americans are speaking French daily, in a place you wouldn’t expect: Utah. In a state better known for its vast open spaces and beautiful national parks, kids are chattering away in a multitude of foreign languages. It is part of Utah’s “dual language immersion” program, offered in French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Russian.
The program was launched in 2009 to help students integrate into the international economy. Today, over 65,000 students are enrolled in the language program, nearly 10% of all students in the state!
Read all about it in My French Life!
Let’s say you’re vacationing in France and have a medical problem—not a serious one like a broken leg, but still something that needs attention. Maybe you’ve fallen and scraped your leg. Or maybe you’ve got a scary-looking rash, or a headache that won’t go away. Your dream vacation is ruined! Where can you turn for help?
You might think of finding a doctor, but that’s hard to do on short notice. Instead, go to a pharmacy, the first line of defense in the French healthcare system. The staff there will be able to help you with many of the problems that might occur during your vacation.
French pharmacies can be a traveler’s best friend, but they are different from American pharmacies, and it’s important to know the differences.
Read all about it in Frenchly!
Last year, Val and I discovered a great new place in St-Rémy called Chez les Frangins (“at the brothers’ place” because it’s run by two brothers). It’s a rotisserie with fabulous takeout food. They specialize in roast meats like chickens, lamb, and sausages but also have a wide variety of side dishes–roast potatoes, salads, and more. They also do complete meals that you just pick up and take out.
We’ve hosted several dinner parties where most of the meal came from Chez les Frangins. Dinner for eight? No problem!
The next time you are in St-Rémy and want a simple meal at home, or a memorable picnic, drop by and see what goodies the brothers have for you.
Read all about it in Perfectly Provence!