My unedited life in France

Hunting in France

2011-11-24T08:34:00.000-08:00

My hunting experience in pictures:

Getting ready to go out

on our way

looks like the dogs found something

My first shoot

that was sore!

How to choose a wine glass

2011-11-15T07:13:00.000-08:00

Coming to live in

France

some people can feel a bit intimidated when it comes to choosing a wine for a dinner or even when choosing a glass for serving the chosen wine. Living in

France

, I discovered that wine is a very important part of everyday life and French culture.

If like me, when I just arrived here, you are wondering what type of glass you should present at your table for your chosen wine; I can give you a few hints to avoid a mayor faux pas.

Most wine connoisseurs agree that a wine glass should be made of crystal. The transparent crystal should be thin and without too much ornament in order to let the wine lover appreciate the contents of the glass in all its senses. In some parts of rural

France

you will see short Champagne-shaped glasses in porcelain; these are meant to be for coffee, NOT for wine. To be on the safe side, make sure your wine glasses are of transparent crystal.

A wine glass should have a stand for easy manipulation when wine tasting. I have seen wine glasses with no stands, I suggest you don’t try to be too avant-garde and avoid those glasses, at least when you are in

France

White wines are easier to accommodate to any shape of glass due to their qualities. Red wines can be more complicated depending on their body. In France different regions have created special wine glasses for their wines. The most popular are:

The wide “ballooned” wine glass for wines from the Bourgogne region, because the wine from Bourgogne should “roll” freely in the glass to be tasted at its best.
The smallish wine glass shaped as an egg, for wines from the Bordeaux region.
Very tall wine glasses come from the Alsace region.
Flutes are reserved for the Champagne region.

How to choose a wine glass

An advantage of knowing what type of glass goes with which wine is that if you are served a glass of wine without seeing the bottle, you can at least start locating the wine as being a Bourgogne or Bordeaux.

Remember that a wine glass should never be filled all the way up. The ideal is to fill it up a little bit more than half the way, that is, leaving a third of the glass empty to leave space for the wine to develop.

My selection of best wine gifts under $25 for wine lovers

Argenton Sur Creuse In Pictures

2011-11-03T06:12:00.000-07:00

St Sauveur’s church on the Place Carnot was built at the end of the 15^thCentury, admire its beautiful 50 m high gothic bell tower

The Hotel de Scevole was built during the 17^th and 18^th century.

La Bonne Dame

La Coursiere street leads to the top of the hill where the little chapel of the Bonne Dame stands.This is worth a visit as you can overlook the whole town from there.

The River Creuse on November

Musée de la Chemiserie et de l’Elégance masculine: Shirt and Elegance Museum

This little museum is located on what once was the first lingerie workshop in the area. The workshop opened in 1860 and soon developed to be one of the main sources of revenue in the area. My favourite part in the museum is the floor dedicated to the women who worked there as it is a testimony of the economical development of the town an also testimony of the way of life of the women in Argenton.

Place de la Republique

Microwaved Steamed Ginger Pudding to warm up a cool afternoon

2011-11-02T03:49:00.000-07:00

With autumn here we are having more and more cool afternoons. The sun still shining and during the hottest time of the day you can expect at the most 20°C, but once the sun starts to go down, the cold temperatures climb up and we can be as cold as 5°C already! A fun way to keep warm during these autumn days is to bake cakes and biscuits. Children love to get their hands in the kitchen to grate, mix and decorate their baked efforts.

Some of my favourite recipes to warm up during a cool afternoon are steam puddings, always delicious with a scoop of ice cream or with hot custard. The only thing that ever put me off from cooking a steam pudding was the length of time that it had to be steamed. However, not long ago, I found the solution to this when I found a recipe for steam puddings cooked in the microwave.

Microwaved Ginger Steamed Pudding

Did you know that you can cook a traditional steam pudding in a microwave? Yes, steam puddings can be cooked in a microwave in a fraction of the time. Instead of traditionally steaming your pudding for 1 and ½ hours, you can have your pudding microwaved and ready to serve in less than 5 minutes. Do you want to try? Here we go, you will need:

Ginger Photographed by: Frank C. Müller

225g Self raising flour

2 tea-spoons of ground ginger

25g steam ginger finely chopped

50g butter

50g caster sugar

2 tablespoons of honey

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of milk

A pinch of salt

Ginger jam (for the syrup)

Before you start, prepare all your materials and ingredients. Start by greasing a 1 litre pudding basin.

In a bowl mix the flour, salt and ground ginger. Add the butter and then all the other ingredients. Mix well. That is your pudding ready to steam.

Place the mixture in a basin; make sure you leave room for expansion and cover loosely to allow steam to escape. Microwave on full power for 4 minutes (in a 650w microwave) or 3 and a half minutes in a 800w microwave. Leave to cool.

For the ginger syrup put at least 3 Tablespoons of ginger jam in a bowl and heat it up until runny in the microwave. Pour the syrup over the steam pudding and enjoy!

If you don’t have ginger jam, you can always make a light syrup with sugar, water and a piece of ginger root or caramelized gingers.

November is time for:

Do not forget that November is the month to start preparing your Christmas puddings Remember that once cooked your Christmas pudding needs to be kept in a cool place, ideally a larder. Christmas puddings are often dried out on hooks for weeks prior to serving in order to enhance the flavour.

Photograph by DO'Neil.

Hailstone storm in October and a recipe for carrot cake

2011-10-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

It was a glorious sunny October day, we had just planted our winter lettuces when without warning “cataplun” a loud thunder and hailstone galore everywhere. It was unbelievable how soon the weather changed from our late Indian summer to a winter storm.

We had to come in because of the ferocity of the storm, but we took advantage to warm ourselves up making a delicious carrot and cinnamon cake with the freshly collected carrots from the garden. This is a great recipe easy to make and fantastic to get your little ones to eat their carrots. My little ones love making this cake and usually the cake disappears as soon as it arrives to the table!

Carrot and cinnamon cake

For the cake you will need:

225g of self raising flour
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
150gr dark sugar
150gr carrots
2 medium eggs
150ml sunflower oil
3 tablespoons of milk

For the glazing you will need:

50g butter
2 tablespoons of orange juice
½ orange rind grated
225g icing sugar

To make the cake, place the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and mix. Add the sugar and finely grated carrots. Add the eggs, then the oil and milk. Mix well until evenly blended. You can do this with a mixer or with a wooden spoon.

Place the mixture in a greased tin and bake in a previously heated oven. Cook for 40 minutes at gas mark 4.

To prepare the frosting, melt the butter with the orange juice and orange rind. Add the icing sugar and mix well until you have a smooth paste.

Once your carrot cake has completely cooled down, swirl the frosting over the cake and that’s it, ready to eat!

Just in case you were wondering about our lettuces… they did survive the hailstone storm.

Fun things to do with Children at Royan

2011-10-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

Fun things to do with Children at Royan

Royan is one of my favourite places in the French Atlantic coast. Every time I can, I pack up a few things, get my little ones ready and we go there for a few days. It is a great place to visit with children as there is always something for them to do. Even when it is cloudy or rainy we can just have an afternoon at the cinema or visit a museum or exposition.

However, during sunny summer and spring days, we like to go to the Jardins du Monde, a beautiful park not far from the town centre with lots to offer to curious children and adults.

Visit the Jardins du Monde

The Jardins du Monde is a beautiful park where you will find:

A dwarf goat’s farm: My little ones loved this, I couldn’t get them away from caressing and playing with the dwarf goats.

An Orchids tropical greenhouse, the Japanese gardens, the English garden, etc. Enjoy the 18 acres of exotic gardens!

A water spring esplanade with fountains spouting randomly, ideal to refresh your little ones during a hot day.

A pedal go cart track

A live butterfly hot house where exotic butterflies flutter among the visitors.

The Bouncy village: a fun area with giant slides, bouncy castles, trampolines and adventure tracks to amuse children and parents alike.

Do not miss the bamboo maze.

For older children there are remote controlled boats and electric boats trips through the marshes and the park waters.

At night time, when you leave your little ones at home or the hotel you can come back to the Jardins du Monde and enjoy the party at the Butterfly bar, an open bar in the heart of the Jardins du Monde park, open every night during July and August and during the weekends on May and June.

For more things to do in Royan you can check my Family holidays in France article on HubPages.

Growing raspberries

2011-10-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

Raspberries are very easy to grow as they are tolerant to most types of soil. You can grow raspberries on open ground or in garden pots. Once you have planted your first raspberries there is very little to do but to water them. I usually just let mine thrive for themselves in the garden during autumn and winter and start pruning them in January. I have never applied any fertiliser to my raspberry orchard, it looks like just keeping the old branches and mulch of rotted leaves on the surface of the soil surrounding the bush is enough to keep them going. Once the warmer weather starts showing I just water my raspberry plants when necessary –which is not very often.

Once the fruit starts to show, that is when your work starts and you need to start watering regularly to slowly see your fruit swelling. Raspberries are very thirsty, so make sure that you keep them well watered.

Raspberries are best left to ripen on the tree. Only harvest your fruits when they are ready to eat. Pick individual berries carefully, preferably leaving the white “plug” on the plant -only if the fruit is ready it will detach easily from the white plug. Eat them on the same day or keep them in the fridge for eating the day after. Raspberries start to deteriorate very quickly once they are harvested.

Easy Raspberry Recipe: Crowdie

This is an easy and delicious traditional mixture of oatmeal, raspberries and cream which I learnt to make from my Scottish period.

It only takes about 10 minutes to make and even less to eat!

You will need:

50g. medium oatmeal
300ml whipping cream
25g icing sugar
4 tablespoons of good whisky
225g fresh raspberries

To prepare this delicious and easy to make raspberry dessert start lightly toasting the oatmeal under the grill. Make sure it gets a golden colour and it doesn’t burn. Once the oatmeal is toasted put aside to cool down.

In a deep bowl, whip the cream until is firm and then add the icing sugar and whisky. With a spoon slowly mix in the cream most of the raspberries and the oatmeal.

To serve place in individual glasses and decorate with the remaining raspberries.

Free French Classes

2011-10-11T16:23:00.000-07:00

On September the 5^th I’ve started my new free French classes in my local Licée. The French classes are part of the program of national education. The classes are aimed to adults who want to learn French as part of the GRETA structure.

For those not familiar with the educational system in France, the GRETA is part of the national adult educational system. Greta prepares adults for most jobs based on the local economy; you can do a whole diploma or just a single module.

Greta offers free French classes, but they also offer English classes for the French and a few other free subjects like logical thinking. If you want to take part in a Greta program near your area you’ll need to find the nearest Greta address to your home. The classes are free of charge but the number of students per group is limited to the number of subventions given to the program by your local authorities. For example for this semester, my French class is limited to only 14 students. Anyone else who wants to take part in the class will need to pay its own fees or wait until the next semester starting in January 2012. The number of places available varies from semester to semester and sometimes the classes are separated in different levels so you can take a beginners, intermediate or advanced class, according to your French abilities.

For more information in French about GRETA you can visit their official site in de Indre region.

Free French classes are not easy to find in small towns and villages in France, that is why the Greta program is so good. Also, the French classes are very flexible in the sense that they try to accommodate to the students’ level of French and their main interests for learning the language. This is the second time I am part of a Greta class in my area. The first time was a few years ago, when I just arrived to France and all I could say was “oui” and “merci”. Now my level of French has improved but I am coming back to the classes because I feel that now I need to learn to properly write in French. Hopefully, by the end of the year, I will notice some improvement!

At Chateauroux, Châtillon, Argenton, La Châtre... Get more information on the Espaces Libres Savoirs du Greta about all the courses financed by the regional councel. There are also the visas Centre on: éco-citoyens, Internet, bureautique, languages and-tourisme.

www.els.new.fr

Candle Light Castle Tour: Park and Chateau de Valencay

2011-08-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

The chateau de Valencay is one of my favourite chateaux in the region; firstly because it is family friendly and secondly because it is always trying to deliver new exhibitions and entertaining shows.

Usually the chateau is open from around 10am to 7pm but for the delight of its visitors, this year it opened its doors twice (the 23^rd of July and the 6^th of August) to the general public at night time to offer a candle light castle tour.

I have visited the chateau several times; usually I take my little ones there every year for Easter as they love to go egg-hunting in the Park of the castle. However, seeing the castle at night time is and entirely different experience. From the moment you enter the town of Valencay, you can see in the distance the castle, and you can start admiring the beauty of this building illuminated by candles.

A romantic candlelit evening

We arrived to the castle near 10pm, ready to spend an enchanted evening. The entrance was very different to the day entrance, at this time of the night the garden paths to the castle were illuminated with discreet candles on the floor. Once we reached the main hall of the castle I was surprised to see how well lit it was. I have read that they use more than 3000 candles to illuminate the castle, but somehow I couldn’t imagine it until I saw it. The big Chandeliers hanging of the ceilings with dozens of candles were breathtaking.

Walking through the corridors and rooms of the castle, bumping into people dressed as if they were expecting the Prince the Tayllerand, or even Napoleon at any minute, you couldn’t avoid to feel transported in time. Every room, from the smallest bedroom to the big dining room and kitchens were candle lit, even the outside windows of the castle were lit with candles. The gardens were not exception to this extravagance and they were also candle lit so you could appreciate the beauty of its park in a romantic horse and carriage ride that would have Cinderella green with envy!

It was impossible not to feel transported in time to the great banquets organized by the Prince de Tayllerand in this castle. There were also flamenco dancers all along the castle –I suppose to highlight the fact that the King of Spain lived exiled in this castle for about 4 years.

To end our magic visit, we were taken back to the gardens where we were treated to a small but beautiful firework display in front of the castle, accompanied by period music.

If all that hadn’t been magic enough, on the way home we stopped in the middle of the fields to appreciate what I call “nature’s fireworks” which is an amazing event that happens every summer in the region, a “rain of stars”, meaning and abundance of shooting stars, so numerous that you don’t even have the time to make up enough wishes…

Who said that magic doesn’t exist anymore?

For more information on tours, opening times and prices you can visit the Chateau de Valencay official site.

Chateau de Valençay

The town of Valençay has a lot to offer to the tourist. A detour into Valençay is certainly worth your time. It is not a surprise that Valençay is known as one of the "Most beautiful detours in France". Located in the Indre department Read More

The French Countryside

2011-08-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

The French regions offer visitors a diversity of landscapes that’s unrivalled in Europe. Add to it the abundant fauna and flora, the high quality of their cultural and historical heritage, and you will easily understand why France remains a favourite tourist destination in the world.

Hiking, biking, horse riding, paragliding, hot-air balloons or camper vans, all means of transport are suitable for exploring France!

A Detox weekend

2011-04-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

Colza fields

Listening to the opera with a glass of Haut Medoc in an empty room overlooking the fields of colza wasn’t my idea of a fun Saturday night. This time however, I felt completely happy just sitting on the window sill tasting the wine and listening to the music, simply enjoying being on my own.

I cannot remember the last time I spent a weekend on my own. Come to think about it, probably never as I am usually not at ease spending time on my own, least of all in the middle of the countryside with the nearest neighbour one kilometre away. I never realized how liberating for the soul it could be to disconnect from everything and just enjoy “being there” being yourself.

My detox weekend did not follow a traditional detox programme. I had no spas, massages or colonic irrigations. All I had was time with myself and nature, plus of course a couple of bottles of Haut Medoc, some local goat’s cheese and freshly baked croissants and coffee. Probably not a very healthy diet, but an enjoyable one. My detox plan involved cutting off from the internet, tv and telephone. A big detox if you come to think how attached we are to these things.

My weekend started on a Friday afternoon when I arrived at an empty country house which a friend kindly let me use . My first impression was “Oh my God, what am I doing here in the middle of nowhere”. For a few minutes I hesitated and wanted to go back to the security of my own home, but I was here now and the sun was shining. I braved it, opened the door and unpacked my few belongings. After I unpacked I sat on the door step with a glass of wine, the sun warming me gently. The rest of the afternoon I just sat there and read a book until the sun disappeared and I had to go in. My dinner for the night consisted of another glass of wine, nuts and raisins.

Fields of Wheat on the front and Rape-seed (colza) on the back

Saturday morning came with yet more sunshine; an opportunity I took to go out on my bike searching for the nearest goat’s cheese farm and baker. By the time I got back to the house it was already the early afternoon. I had taken a long time cycling, stopping on the way to admire hidden castles, rivers, flowers and wildlife. I was exhausted after my long ride and I just sat again by the door to soak up more sun and greedily enjoy two freshly baked croissants I had bought at the nearest village. It was a beautiful day and without a second thought after I finished my lunch I put on my walking boots and wandered among the fields of colza and wheat. For some reason the colza’s yellow flowers looked so inviting that I couldn’t stop myself from going in the fields, the yellow carpet ahead of me just made me want to roll over it!. After a while I reached the woods and continued my walk until I reached a small pond where I sat for a while before walking back. All I could hear was the wind and birds chirping. I never came across another soul on my walk. On my way back I couldn’t believe I’d just ventured into the woods and fields on my own. I have always been scared of the woods (watched too many horror films) but this time I felt secure.

Colza (rape-seed) flowers

Rape-seed (colza) fields

The rest of the Saturday afternoon I just sunbathed and when the sun went down I sat on the window sill listening to the opera, sipping a glass of wine, admiring the colza fields. I felt good.

Learning to drive in France

2011-02-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

One of my resolutions for this year is to learn to drive. Not an easy task considering that I believe that I do not have the motor skills to successfully drive, but mainly because having to study the highway code in French and sitting a French Driving test are, to say the least, scary.

After several visits to my local driving schools I decided on the one nearest to my home. It is only two blocks away so I have no excuse to stop going to the theory classes. To help “push me” to go to the driving classes I also enrolled the help of a neighbour who is babysitting my little ones while I go to the classes.

The first step was to register for the course. Pay the 235€ for the theory classes and hand in photocopies of my passport, 4 photos and an A5 envelope. I was told that I could start as soon as I wanted. The classes are every evening -one hour- from Tuesday to Saturday. My first class was a bit of a disappointment as I realized that by “theory class” they meant to sit a group of people in front of a big screen to do a mock driving test, that is corrected by yourself at the end of the test with the help of the explanations given on the screen.

I’ve been trying to go at least twice a week to the theory classes and I’ve noticed a slight improvement. In a month I’ve passed from having an embarrassing score of 12 out of 40 to a more decent 32 out of 40. Hopefully in another two months I will be able to sit my theory test.

In the meantime, the Prefecture (the ones in charge of dealing with the paperwork) have not accepted my application for doing the test because my British passport doesn’t say in what country I was born. To make things worse I’ve been told that I need a document with my maiden name because unlike other countries, which accept your married name, in France you must keep your maiden name for official documents like a driving license. Now, finding a document with my maiden name is not easy, I’ve been married and using my married name for the past 17 years so I do not have any records of my maiden name in any up to date official document. I tried to provide my birth certificate as proof of my maiden name, but that was not accepted because it was written in Spanish!

I’ll keep looking… maybe I’ll find something…

_________________

The cost of learning to Drive in France

How much does it cost to pass your driving test in France?

For doing my driving lessons I have chosen a driving school in the countryside. After researching through the schools available in my area I found that they all offer a very similar package for almost the same price.

If you are doing your driving test in France, count on spending a minimum of €1,000

Average prices you can expect to pay to learn to drive in France:

Theory classes: 235€
1^st evaluation : 38€
Driving class : 38€ per hour with a minimum legal requirement of 20 hours
Sitting the driving test: 55€

Driving in France (France Magazine)
Frommer's 25 Great Drives in France (Best Loved Driving Tours)

Living in France: Meet Ryan O’Connell

2011-01-19T07:24:00.000-08:00

Moving to France and starting a new life is a wonderful way to broaden your horizons and revitalize your life. True enough it requires courage and a lot of research to move to a different country but if you put your heart in it, you can make your move a success.

Winemaker at O’Vineyards: Ryan O’Connell

Today I want to introduce you to Ryan O’Connell, a young winemaker at O’Vineyards and member of the Outsiders a group of winemakers who have all fallen head over heels for Languedoc Roussillon wines. Ryan also runs a Languedoc Wine blog and is the author of the e-book “Wines of Carcassonne”.

How long have you been living in France Ryan?

I lived in France on and off as a child, but I have been here more regularly since 2005

What inspired you to come to France? Why France rather than an English speaking country?

My mom is French and my parents purchased a vineyard in the south of France.

Does the dream match reality? Did you find in France what you were expecting?

I thought I knew what French life would be like since I had lived in Paris as a child, but I found rural life to be a totally different experience, in a good way. It's been wonderful here. Although, country life means everybody knows everybody. Without the anonymity of the city, I sometimes feel like I have no privacy. But it's worth it for the beautiful landscapes and great wine.

Ryan O'Connell

What is it that you like the most about living in France?

WINE! and unpasteurized cheese.

What has been so far your worst experience living in France?

All the paperwork, bureaucracy here is exactly as bad as people describe.

What advice would you give to any foreigners who want to come and start a new life in France?

Learn about what part of France you're going to. Each region has its own history and culture. Don't expect all of France to be the same or all French people to be the same as it’s one of the most diverse and culturally rich parts of the developed world. And people still latch onto their regional heritage (especially in rural areas), so know your stuff if you want to integrate!


Wines of Carcassonne. A book by Ryan O'Connell

For more information or to visit O’Vineyards you can call email them at ryan@ovineyards.com

Taxes In France

2011-01-15T08:43:00.000-08:00

We just finished 2010, finished paying for all my 2009 taxes (taxes are paid one year in arrears in France) and I have to start worrying about my 2010 tax form for this year. This is because the French tax year runs for the calendar year (ie. from the 1^st January to the 31^st December). Very soon I will be receiving my annual tax return form called declaration des revenues. Notice that in France, even if you have no income to declare you are obliged to fill in a tax return form, the French tax authorities will then send you a statement saying that you have no tax to pay.

Taxes are high in France and as you would expect in a country with millions of bureaucrats, the French tax system is complicated even for the French! It doesn’t matter how much you inform yourself, just when you think you finally understand it and you know it all… paffff they change the rules or even worst hit you with a new tax.

Having said that taxes are high in France, you will be pleasantly surprised to know that Personal Income Tax (Impot sur le revenue) in France is below average for EU countries, especially for large families, as the amount of income tax paid is based on the number of dependant children. But before you get too happy, I’ll bring you back to the crude reality… once you add social security contributions (regarded as a form of tax) and other taxes, French taxes are among the highest in the world!

Every individual is responsible for paying and declaring their own Income Tax in France. Late payment of tax bills will add a surcharge of 10% penalty to your bill.

Who pays tax in France?

Under the French tax code if you are a resident in France you have to pay taxes in France. You are considered a French resident if:

You are living permanently in France.
You spend over 183 days in France during a calendar year.
Your business is based in France
You work in France

Allowances

Your taxable income can be considerably reduced by an array of allowances such as social security payments, home improvements and others.

For more information on paying your taxes in France, the 2011 tax calendar and some useful vocabulary to understand the French tax system you can click here.

Marche de Noel Franco-Allemand 2010

2010-12-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

The 27th and 28th of November 2010, the French-German Christmas Market took place in Argenton Sur Creuse. Here are some photos.

Liqueurs and wine from the Charentes

Martinelli's Christmas cakes


Martinelli's cakes


Fresh Oysters

oysters on the spot


buying crepes

Wines


An Ukranian Stall

and yet, more wine!

The Beaujolais Nouveau

2010-11-19T12:38:00.000-08:00

The wine we were all waiting for...

Finally the 18th of November arrived, the day when corks pop around the world as lovers of Beaujolais nouveau mark the start of a new French vintage by enjoying large amounts of the popular drink.

At one past midnight on the third Thursday of every November over a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau start their journey from little villages through a sleeping France to Paris for immediate shipping to all over the world. For a few short days, banners everywhere proclaim “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrive”

Once a local tradition, has now become an international race to bring the Beaujolais Nouveau to markets all over the world. When you read this more than 65 million bottles representing nearly half the region’s total production, will have been distributed and drunk around the world.

What is so special about the Beaujolais Nouveau?

When the tradition started, the wine producers of the area created a “wine of the year” to celebrate the end of the harvest. The wine was only fermented for a few weeks, as was meant for immediate consumption. But then just before the Second World War it was established an AOC for the Beaujolais Nouveau and the release date for the Beaujolais Nouveau became fixed each year.

With time, wine producers began to see the marketing potential of the Beaujolais Nouveau and by the 1970s its release and the race to get the first bottles to Paris became a national event. The race to deliver the first bottles soon spread all over the country and to other European countries. In the 1990s the race extended to Asia and North America. The race to deliver the first bottles is so tight that one year even a Concorde was used to deliver the Beaujolais Nouveau.

Is a Beaujolais Nouveau “that” especial?

Not really... Many people agree that the Beaujolais Nouveau comes from the region’s worst vineyards; a wine barely removed from the fermentation vat; a wine that is just pleasantly tart.

However, I still run to my nearest wine provider yesterday to be able to get a few bottles of the Beaujolais Nouveau 2010. I was a week late last year and I couldn’t find a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau left in my local wine provider’s cave. I didn’t make that mistake this year, I was there right on the spot the 18^th of November, I had a try at several bottles and came out triumphantly with my load of Beaujolais Nouveau ready for this weekend degustation party.

I find that it is not much about the taste but more about the game. I am sure plenty of us will still enjoy getting caught up in the ritual. It is always fun to meet at the local restaurants and bars to try a glass of Beaujolais Nouveau with friends. Cheers!

Wine: its therapeutical uses:

Wine has been used to relieve conditions such as anaemia, hypertension, hypotension, rheumatism, gout, obesity, dyspepsia among many other things. Unlike modern medical advice, the French used to drink wine even during pregnancy due to the richness in minerals of certain wines such us the rouges from Bordeaux.

You can learn more about wine's therapeutical uses here.

A Museum for Male Fashion

2010-11-08T05:56:00.000-08:00

The Musée de la Chemiserie et de la elegance Masculine is a museum dedicated to the shirt and male fashion. We had been there many times but, little as it is, we always find something new in this museum. Located in the Indre department, in the town of Argenton Sur Creuse, the shirt museum rends homage at an industry that lead the lives of the locals during the 1900s.

Why a museum of the shirt in Argenton Sur Creuse?

The museum opened on 1993 to the public thanks to an incentive started by the French ministry of culture. At the time, Jean René Gravereaux ex industrial in the fashion world and his wife had the idea to create a museum dedicated to the shirt and textile industry as it represented a professional activity created and exploited heavily in the area. This is how they created an association and looked for the input from ancient workers and anyone who had to do with the clothes industry in the area.

During the past few years, thanks to local subventions the Musée de la Chemiserie et de la elegance Masculine has been able to improve its collection, buying more items.

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 to 12 at from 2pm to 6pm.

Chateau Guillaume

2010-10-04T05:43:00.000-07:00

Chateau Guillaume: "Castles in France:

Last May we visited Chateau Guillaume during a special day called Journee du Patrimoine. The Journees du Patrimoine are held twice a year, in May and in September. It lasts two days during which castles, museums, churches and gardens are open to the public free of charge. The program aims to be an incentive to visit and discover the area.

Last May there were 73 sites open to the public in the region, plus 13 concerts offered free of charge in historical buildings.

If you are planning to visit Chateau Guillaume free of charge, you would need to go during one of the journees de patrimoine.
Otherwise, the chateau is open for a small fee from June to September from 2pm to 6pm.

For more information and group visits you can call 0033 254 25 62 81

If you want to read more about Chateau Guillaume and see more photos before you visit, I suggest you visit this site where I wrote about our family visit, with loads of photos of Chateau Guillaume.

Another good time to visit Chateau Guillaume would be during the local festivities the last Sunday of July. During the Saint Christophe festivities you can enjoy a little brocante (antique outdoor market), a small parade and a fair.

Also a good time to visit is during the “Fête de château Guillaume” the first Sunday of October and near Christmas time when there is a Christmas market where you can find local produce.

Chateau Guillaume

For more information about family holidays in France click here

Laser eye surgery in France

2010-09-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

France has excellent medical care and the World Health Organisation rated it as number 1 out of the 196 countries it accredited. If you are considering having laser eye surgery in France, then many of the same rules that apply in the UK also apply in France. As is the same in the UK, there are 2 main types of laser eye surgery and they are Lasik and Lasek (also called PRK).

Lasik is likely to be your first choice as the recovery period is quicker and more comfortable. As well as this, you will be offered two additional treatment options which are:

Intralase and
Wavefront (also called custom-laser eye surgery).

Intralase is a type of Lasik and it has slightly fewer complications. It is also a bladeless procedure which appeals to the more squeamish people amongst us!

The following are things you should consider when choosing your clinic and surgeon:

Ensure your surgeon is a qualified surgeon who had undergone the full 11 years training.

Ensure your surgeon is registered with the French Medical Council.

Check your surgeon has a low complication rate. Complication rates should be less than 1%.

Check to see what percentage of the surgeon’s patients achieve 20:20 vision. The higher the better and you should expect it to be over 90%.

Make sure you have a good rapport with your surgeon and that you feel comfortable with them carrying out your treatment. You need to be able to ask them questions if you are unsure or uncomfortable about any part of the procedure.

Depending on the size of the clinic, your laser eye surgery consultation may or may not be carried out by the actual surgeon. If you are considering a smaller independent clinic then you are more likely to be seen by the actual surgeon. The larger multiple chains often employ an optician to do your initial checks.

Check you clinic is fully accredited by the Autorité de Santé (French Health Authority).

If you are a Brit living in France then you may feel more comfortable using a clinic that was founded in the UK. Optical express are a company that you could consider as they have clinics throughout France and the rest of Europe. The most important thing when it comes to choosing where to have laser eye surgery is to go with your instinct. If it feels like the right clinic and surgeon for you then the chances are it is!

If you would like to read more about laser eye surgery you could visit Treatmentsaver.com

If you would like to know more about Laser eye surgery you can read this interview with an optometrist and specialist in laser eye surgery to have all your questions about laser eye surgery answered.

A Taste of Italy in Argenton Sur Creuse

2010-09-14T03:04:00.000-07:00

At the start of the Summer I discovered with delight that a new Pizzeria had opened near my home. What it used to be a shabby café has in no time transformed into a true taste of Italy in the outskirts of Argenton Sur Creuse.

People say that the best advertising a place can have is through word of mouth and that was the case with Cinecitta. In only a week I heard several stories from friends recommending the new pizzeria. Obviously, a lover of good cuisine like me had to go and try this new place, so off we went in a family night out to eat at the new pizzeria.

Much to my surprise when we arrived at 8pm all the tables in the improvised terrace on the street were already taken. So while we waited for a table we met Emilio. Emilio is the Italian cook and owner of this Italian jewel. With the characteristic friendliness of a Southern Italian Emilio greeted us like old friends and invited us to wait for a table to be set for us. We immediately clicked on once we told him that not long ago we had visited his hometown in Calabria, and that was it, we were friends!

The menu at Cinecitta is composed of around twenty different pizzas, a few pasta dishes and three veal dishes. My little princess and I went for a Capri pizza composed of goat’s cheese, fresh cream and honey. My little hooligan chose the old classic Margarita while my husband more adventurously chose a Calzone. The wine list only has a few Italian wines, but they are all very carefully chosen and for around 16€ a bottle you can enjoy a very good Italian wine. The desserts are typical Italian ice creams, and homemade cakes, tiramisu and crème caramel. After our meal we were delighted with our choice and closed the night with a Limoncello. A delicious night on a balmy evening, and all for under 60 euros for 4 people.

We have been back several times after that. Emilio and his girlfriend are always welcoming and their little restaurant is always busy. Not a surprise considering the good quality offered.

To know more about other restaurants in Argenton Sur Creuse you can click here.

Argenton Sur Creuse

Skydiving my new passion

2010-08-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

Skydiving my new passion

Last year while visiting the resort town of Royan on the French Atlantic coast I made several friends from Royan’s school of parachuting. They invited me to see them skydiving. It was great to see them performing all sorts of acrobatics in the air. Since then I went back several times just for the pleasure of seeing my friends jumping and of course for enjoying the parties afterwards. I loved the environment; it is like a big family where everybody knows each other. Every body gets dressed and undressed in the same open hangar which also serves as a living room, parachute folding area, bicycle garage and nursery for the children.

My children too, loved the place, running around the aeroplanes, seeing the skydivers land with their colourful parachutes, playing around while waiting for their parents to jump, barbeques at the fall of dawn and much more.

Skydivers come here from all over France and Europe, some to experience the thrill of their first jump while others come to improve their skills.

That is how for more than a year I faced the temptation to skydive. I had attempted to do it a couple of times before but I always got “cold feet” at the last minute. But finally my time came and I did it. Much to my surprise all my fears had disappeared and I was very reassured about the jump as my Tandem “jumpmaster” Francis Joinville, is the best at the sport. With more than 22000 jumps under his belt, an experienced Army man, and the experience of having captained the French Skydiving team for several years I gathered that I had nothing to fear with him.

You can learn more about my first skidiving experience here.

Living in France, an Interview with gite owner Brian.

2010-07-20T12:16:00.001-07:00

This is the first of a series of interviews that I’ll be having with foreigners living in France. I want to give you a hint of what it is really like for a foreigner to live in France on a day to day basis. For this purpose I have gathered a few friend writers from HubPages who have agreed to let us have an insight into their life in France.

For the first interview I invited Brian who bought a lovely former watermill in France and turned it into a gite, Le Moulin de L’Argentouire, A spacious and comfortable gite situated in the Aude region of Languedoc-Roussillon in the South of France, midway between Carcassonne and Toulouse. The perfect destination for an action packed holiday or simply a relaxing vacation.

How long have you been living in France Brian?

We first bought our house in the Easter of 2007 and moved into it permanently in March 2008. So doing the math it means we will have been here living for 2 years in March 2010.

What inspired you to come to France? Why France rather than an English speaking country?

If I am honest when I first thought about coming to France it was with a view of getting a job with Airbus and living close to Toulouse. We probably first thought about doing this about seven years ago when I read an article in a magazine about Toulouse describing the industry of the area and everything else Toulouse had to offer. I worked for a technology company that had a lot of synergy with the aerospace industry and at the time there were quite a few jobs available for English speaking ex-pats. That all changed rather rapidly and the jobs available with Airbus suddenly disappeared, causing us to re-think our options.

Both my wife and I had a long term desire to work and live abroad and my wife was very interested in running a bed & breakfast or self catering business. So that became the focus of our attention and with the property prices in France it seemed to us that we should be able to find a property that was large enough to offer part as holiday accommodation and retain part as our accommodation. It was certainly more feasible than buying a property in the UK for a similar arrangement or many other places for that matter. So adding up all that France had to offer, affordable property, Mediterranean climate, mountains, skiing, proximity to the UK for family and a potential business that could be set up to provide a basic income, the fact we didn’t really speak French seemed to be a compromise worth making.

Add to that, many holidays spent and enjoyed in France from teenage years to the current time; then it really did become a question of ‘pourquoi pas’, why not indeed. Lets face it when you get older then you do not want to be asking yourself too many of those ‘what if’ questions. Life is about living and taking reasonable risks and yes it was and still is a risk.

Does the dream match reality? Did you find in France what you were expecting?

Good question, honestly, no dream matches reality there are some days when I would happily go back to my mother country. But there are many more days when I have to pinch myself to remind me about what I live in and where I live. France is a truly beautiful country with a history and culture to match our own; the days I do think I would like to go back to my own country are nearly always related to the frustration of not speaking French fluently. I would just love to be able to have a proper conversation with the French people we meet, who are nearly always friendly, helpful and welcoming. I think properly integrating into the community would be much more easily achieved for French speakers.

What is it that you like the most about living in France?

The diversity of the environment, I can be in the mountains skiing in an hour and a half, likewise I can be on the Mediterranean coastline, even closer we have amazing countryside, scenery and views. The cities are also absolutely amazing, Carcassonne, Toulouse, Montpellier, Beziers, Narbonne all have architecture that has to be seen to be believed and a history that underpins everything that has formed the character of the places and the people.

If you want to find more reasons why living in France is a dream come true don’t forget to check Brian’s article on Moving to France

What has been so far your worst experience living in France?

Not sure I have anything that I could report as a worst experience, I got pretty ticked off once when I bought a chainsaw that seized within a couple of months and I was told I hadn’t put oil in the fuel so the warranty would not be honored. Now I know I put oil in the fuel and argued my case vehemently, but to no avail. So having paid a small fortune for the saw in the first place I then had to pay a small fortune for the repair because apparently the damage was my fault; now there is no way a retailer in the UK would have got away with that one, I would just have blinded them with my technical knowledge (English of course). But all in all still pretty trivial and I guess I am over it now, well nearly.

What advice would you give to any foreigners who want to come and start a new life in France?

Just to be sure they want to do it really, and understand that there will be some fairly serious challenges and obstacles to overcome e.g getting a job if you don’t speak French. Learning the language is a must, just to be able to function normally, and if anyone is really not sure they want to make the move, then they would be wise to think long and hard before committing; especially if they are leaving friends and family behind. That said if you are truly committed and sure you want to do it, then you will cope with the challenges and obstacles and you will realise that the reward of a life in the France Lane was worth the effort.

If you want to be guided by Brian in how to by a property in France, you can read his article How do you actually buy a house in France

You too can start making money now writing for HubPages, Publish your insights and expertise online with easy-to-use, non-techie tools. It is easy to sign in and get started publishing and earning money.

La Palmyre zoo

2010-07-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

La Palmyre zoo A French Zoo

Looking for entertaining and educative attractions, my latest discovery has been a Zoo located in the heart of the wild Côte de Beauté and the beaches of the Charente Maritime, not far from one of my favourite holidays destinations in the Atlantic coast, Royan; it is one of the best known zoos in Europe: The Palmyre Zoo.

The Palmyre zoo houses around 1600 animals from all over the world, all living comfortably in the same environment. And to prove the success of the Palmyre zoo as a zoological park every year this zoo registers between 200 and 300 births, an astoundingly successful birth rate for a zoo.

This are some of the pictures from a fantastic day at the Palmyre zoo

Easy and quick recipes with Roquefort cheese

2010-07-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

About 5 years ago I would have never eaten a piece of Roquefort. I found even the smell of such a strong cheese pungent. Little did I know that only a few years later this blue cheese would become one of my favourite cheeses and that I wouldn’t mind travelling for hours to get to the famous Roquefort region just to buy a piece of Roquefort straight from the caves.

Considered a European luxury product in the United States, in France a piece of Roquefort along with a freshly baked bread is staple food for farmers!

What is so special about Roquefort Cheese?
The Roquefort is a blue cheese made exclusively with raw ewe’s milk and produced in the Roquefort region of the South of France. Like many other products in France and Europe Roquefort cheese is protected by legislation to conserve the quality and uniqueness of the product. Thus, since 1925 Roquefort cheese benefits from a protected designation of origin (AOC Appellation de Origin Controllé) which means that only the cheese aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon can be called Roquefort.

Some Roquefort Cheese Recipes:

One of the main things I like about French cooking is that unlike what most people might think, French traditional cooking can be rather easy, relying mainly in the quality of the ingredients to achieve delicious results quickly and without too much fuss.

To be able to prepare quick, easy and delicious dishes with only a few ingredients, something I have learned from my French friends is that you need to carefully choose your ingredients. Even if sometimes carefully choosing your ingredients means travelling several kilometres to get to the source of that magic ingredient that will enhance the flavour of your dish. You can find here some Easy and quick recipes with Roquefort cheese

Aromatic Gourmet Oils

2010-06-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

I live in Central France, in what is known by the French as the Campagne Berrichone, meaning the Berry countryside, or as Parisians would say « the middle of nowhere, the land that time forgot”.
It is true that living in the countryside can be rather basic but that is one of the things that I love about living here. Waking up in the morning to pick up some fresh raspberries from the garden for a hearty raspberry smoothy, or popping round to see the next door neighbour to get some fresh honey that is just being extracted from their own bee hives, are some of the gastronomic delights of living in the countryside.

Over here, most people have their own vegetable garden and we are used to eating seasonally. Do not be surprised if you come here at lunch time and the restaurant’s waiters cannot tell you what is on the menu for the day because they are waiting for the head cook to come back from the local market with whatever fresh produce inspired him that day.

As I said, most people have their own vegetable garden or potager and often they end up with surplus vegetables that they have learned to keep in the form of richly flavoured conserves prepared either with oil or vinegar. I am not talking about ordinary oils or vinegars here. I am talking about vinegars and oils flavoured with anything from rose petals, herbs and fruits to hot chilli peppers. You would be amazed at the variety of oils and vinegars that you can find for sale, and even more at the creations that the locals make according to their seasonal ingredients and refined taste.

Here you will find some Aromatic Gourmet Oil recipes to tickle your taste buds.

France travel information: Hubtrails Capstone

2010-05-14T02:18:00.000-07:00

France is my favourite country in the world. Here I have found most of the things I ever wanted: great cheeses, delicious food, good wine, awesome scenery, a good education system, a helpful health care system charming men, outstanding architecture, history and much more.

Here in France travel information: Hubtrails Capstone I have gathered the best articles in HubPages about France. They are written by people who have either visited France, or like me, people who overtime fell madly in love with France and moved here to follow their love affair. They call us Francophiles, I call us bonne viveurs...

Mother's day chocolate gifts

2010-04-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

Mother's day chocolate gifts :Show mom your love her with Ghirardelli chocolates

When I don’t know what to buy as a present for my mom, grandma and aunts who live in a different country from me then I always get them a Decadent Chocolate Gift Basket. Sweet toothed as they are, chocolates are their favourite gift and thanks to the internet I can buy chocolates online from the comfort of my seat at any time of the day and have the chocolates delivered to my relatives doors perfectly wrapped and even with a personal note.

Skiing in the Auvergne

2010-01-26T05:14:00.000-08:00

Friday 22nd January

Last week I went to ski with friends for a few days in the Auvergne. We choose the skiing resort of Le Lioran in the Cantal Mountains or as the French call it, the Massif Cantalien.

We left for the Auvergne at 9am. We were a caravan of 3 cars with a total of 12 people. This was my first time stopping to ski in the Auvergne. After a 3 hour trip mostly on motorway, we arrived at our destination, Le Lioran.

Le Lioran is a family winter resort in the heart of the Cantal mountains. To get there after you leave the motorway you need to take small roads and pass through picturesque little villages. We arrived at Le Lioran at midday, and headed straight for the first decent restaurant we saw. After a kir (white wine and liquor de cassis) we had one of the specialities of the region, Auvergne ham with truffade.
The truffade is basically potatoes cooked in the pan with onions, once ready you add tomme cheese and cream. Of course the main course was followed by some regional cheeses, dessert and coffee.

Truffade with ham.

We spend the afternoon skiing until dawn when we decided to go on a cheese hunt. One of our friends knew a cheese farm and promised to take us there to see how the cheeses were made. We drove through the Cantal mountains, climbed up snowy roads and just made it down sloppy ice roads for about two hours, we saw foxes, snow and more snow, but we never found the cheese farm! Disappointed we return to our rented chalet without cheese. Later that night we went out again, this time for dinner. We had booked in a little family restaurant where we had enjoyed some hot mulled wine earlier during the day. The dinner was delicious, some of us had a raclette and the others a foundue. Both dishes are made with cheese. The raclette is basically a piece of cheese which is heated on a special apparel, the “raclette”. The melted cheese is then poured over potatoes and hams. The fondue is melted cheese with white wine; it is served in a little pan with a source of constant heat to keep the cheese runny. To eat a cheese fondue you use special sticks to grab old pieces of bread and dip it in the cheese. The dinner was delicious, followed by baked apples in caramel sauce and a glass of calvados.

Raclette

Fondue

My Detox finally finished

2010-01-21T15:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my last detox day. After 3 days only drinking water, herbal teas and fresh fruit juices, I am feeling better. It was hard to be on liquids only for 3 days, but I think it was worth it.

As promised, my friend came yesterday to prepare me a vegetable broth. She used:
2 large potatoes
4 celery sticks, including leaves
2 carrots
2 uncooked beetroots
1 leek
2 medium onions
1 clove of garlic
An unknown quantity of obscure fresh herbs and spices from which I could only recognize parsley, root ginger and chillies.

She washed all the ingredients but did not peel the potatoes or beetroots. I was really wondering whether she really new what she was doing or if this was one of her culinary experiments. While she was preparing the vegetables, she kept lecturing me about the cleansing virtues of every single vegetable she was using. Eventually I just switched off and saw her chop the vegetables and put them into a large pan with water. Once her concoction boiled, she covered the pan and left it simmering while she kept lecturing me, this time about the virtues of slimming soups. After 45 minutes suffering her lectures and rotten cups of tea –I haven’t had a coffee in 3 days- she switched the fire off, strained the soup and poured me a big bowl of vegetable broth.

Then she sat there in front of me waiting for me to drink the soup while she was peeling the potatoes and beetroots with which she made herself a luxurious salad with plenty of vinaigrette, pieces of cheese and roasted chicken that I had in the fridge from the day before.

I felt miserable with my broth in front of me while she was enjoying her salad with a glass of red wine. Bois ta soupe ma petite is all she said and continued enjoying her salad and wine. Next time I'll buy one of those ready made detox soups and I won't tell any one I don't know how to make a vegetable broth!

Going to the cinema

2010-01-21T07:52:00.000-08:00

Wednesday 20th January.

Another non-school day. I am wondering whether to take the children to the cinema instead of taking them to the library like any other Wednesday.

We have a small cinema in our town. It is actually very cute, none of these horror massive cinemas that you find in the city. Our cinema is a little cute hall that resembles one of those cinemas that you see in very early films. The seats are modern and comfortable, but the hall and the décor are very old fashion looking. You won’t find any popcorn or drinks in this hall. Here people come to see the film; the eating is done before or after.

Going to the cinema in my small town is not as easy as you might think. It requires strategic planning. For a start, they are only open certain days during the week, from Wednesday to Monday. On Wednesday there are always two shows one in the afternoon, usually at 14:30 and one at night around 20:30. For some reason on Wednesday you only pay 5 euros a ticket, instead of the usual 6 euros. Usually on Thursdays and Fridays, the cinema is only open for one show at 20:30. Saturday is a funny day, it really depends on how the cinema operator is feeling because sometimes they offer only one show and other times two. Sunday is a big day with 3 shows. Mondays, we go back to only one film a day, unless of course it is a holiday week, then we have the right to 3 films. Of course, living in a small French village, there are also days that the cinema is supposed to be open but it is either too hot or too cold, so the cinema operator decides to keep the cinema close for the day. You never know here…

My Detox plan and an encounter with a flock of sheep

2010-01-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

Tuesday 19 January,

After a busy weekend I had a very slow start to the week. I had eaten and drunk far too much during the weekend and I was feeling with the energy of a snail. Not even a sunny Monday could “wake me up”. I had planned to do a million things. At the end of the day I had only achieved to start a 3 day Detox plan and set up the HubMob for the week. Maybe not too bad for a Monday…

My Detox plan started with a glass of hot water and half a lemon. The rest of the day I only had herbal teas and plain water. I managed to do one set of crunches with my Swiss ball but that was all the exercise I did. I was so tired that by 10pm I was already in my bed.

Today, I felt more energized. It is my second day of my Detox plan. Again I started the day with a glass of hot water an half a lemon and then I went for a 2 hour walk in the countryside.

I felt a bit dizzy at the start but after the first few kilometres I started to feel like if I had wings! It is incredible the energy that I can draw from nature. Just walking at a brisk pace in the countryside, feeling my body warming up in a bitterly cold morning; seeing all the vibrant colours around me, feeling the smell of the damp wood, feeling the ground changing under my feet whenever I step on dry leaves, mud or stones… I used to be a city girl, now things have changed. I love walking and cycling in the countryside. You never know what surprise you will find. Today I was face to face with a flock of sheep. They were absolutely gorgeous, almost half of them were babies and they were so cute that I stopped to take a few photos. The lady herding the sheep was very friendly. We had a short chat and I had to pull myself away to continue my walk because if I had accepted her invitation for a hot drink I know I would have spend there at least the rest of the morning!

After my two hour walk I arrived home full of energy, directly to do a few crunches with my Swiss ball and then I went off for a body brush before I showered.

I am taking it easy the rest of the day. I still have another Detox day to go. Tomorrow I should be able to start adding some vegetables and fruits to my diet. A friend of mine suggested I should make a vegetable broth. I told her I have never made one, so she is coming tomorrow to make me one. We’ll see!

It's Wednesday, there is no school.

2010-01-13T15:46:00.000-08:00

Too sore and too tired today to do the Swiss ball. The snow had melted overnight and it was a sunny day, warmer than what it has been for the past few weeks. But despite the good weather, for some reason even putting one foot in front of the other has been a struggle today. At least it was Wednesday which means that I can have a long sleep in the morning. Why? Because Wednesdays there is no school for children attending primary schools in France, and being winter my little ones also have a long cosy sleep.

The French educational system can be something of a puzzle for foreigners. Starting with the Ecole Maternelle which children can attend from 2 ½ years provided that they are potty trained to all the puzzling letters and numbers that form the primary educational system.

Thankfully, at least this part of living in France is easy. Schooling your children when you come to France is a priority for the authorities. I remember finding the local school one day and going to ask for information only to be surprised by the fact that my girl could start attending school the next again day, even though she did not speak French yet. This happened in April, only 2 months before the end of the school year. The school’s director was delighted to have a new student and the teacher was very friendly and welcoming.

That was 4 years ago and my little ones still attending the same school. We have a free bus service that comes to pick them up almost to the door and brings them back in the afternoon. Most of the time they eat in the school’s canteen, at 2€ for a 3 course meal per child, it is really a bargain. The school and school materials are also free. The only things we need to buy at the start of the year are the school bags and knick and knacks. The children also need a private insurance which is called assurance scolaire. We pay around 30€ a year for this and it covers a child for any accidents at school and/or during extra curricular activities and for any damage that they might cause to a third party.

Schooling in France has been so far a pleasant experience for us.

The weather today

2010-01-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

Finally the weather is starting to get better. Below there is a map of France showing the already improving temperatures this afternoon.

The Swiss Ball and my love handles

2010-01-12T03:20:00.000-08:00

Temperatures still fighting to go over minus numbers. Another cold dark morning. It finally stopped snowing. The snow has started to melt everywhere, giving way to icy roads and pavements. The school bus service has been restored for most schools in the region, except for ours. It has been more than a week now since the school bus service was suspended. Now the children are almost use to walk to school. My Hooligan still complains every now and again on the way up the hill, but soon he gets distracted with the snow or some wild animal. My little Princess doesn’t complain, she just shivers! Daddy is the most stoic of the group; he carries the heavy rucksacks and tells us all the fantastic stories of how he used to walk to school alone -rain or snow- in Scotland when he was only 6 years old.

Times have change, and despite living in one of the safest places in the world, I wouldn’t like my 5 year old walking alone to school every morning. Perhaps I am too apprehensive, perhaps just careful.

I have very tender tummy muscles this morning. I think that is good. Maybe I over did the Swiss ball exercises yesterday. It is just that it is so easy to do the crunches with the Swiss ball, and it feels so good in my back that I feel compelled to go back to the ball every time I have a few minutes to spare. I am not one for spending hours doing a workout, I get bored easily. Instead I prefer to do short sessions of 10 to 15 minutes several times a day. I don’t know if that is good or not, but it suits me. For example, yesterday I did 3 rounds of 50 crunches and 50 oblique crunches each time. I am desperate to get rid of my “love handles”. My darling told me the other day that is was great to finally have somewhere to “hold on to” while he was tenderly caressing me and grabbing my love handles. I know he meant well, probably he even likes them like he said, but I felt awful. Me, with love handles… what a nightmare. I am giving myself a month to get rid of them. I found a clip on you tube especially with a Swiss ball workout to get rid of love handles. I am starting today.

A cold snowy Monday morning

2010-01-11T07:01:00.001-08:00

Monday morning, the alarm gently wakes us up at 7:30, we have 30 minutes to get ready and go down for breakfast. It is a cold morning, it has been snowing for the past few days and there is no school bus today. There are hardly any cars on the road, but the major of the town phoned me last night to assure me that the school and the school canteen were going to be open. The roads are too slidy to take the car out, so we will need to walk to school.

Eight o’clock and we are all ready having breakfast; we need to leave at 8:30 if we want to make it on time for school. After a bowl of hot porridge we are ready to go. Behind our house there is a mountain path that takes us to the ancient town of Saint Marcel where the school is. Apart from the steep heel at the start, it is a lovely walk; we need to pass through the Roman ruins and the Saint Marcel’s walls to get to the town. It is freezing cold, but we have fun walking, following and guessing which footprints belong to what animals. The children are delighted to identify rabbits poo. They learnt all the different types of poo last month at school. Now they are attentively looking around trying to spot the rabbits.

Fifteen minutes singing and hoping to school when all of a sudden we find a deer staring at us from behind the bushes. He must think we are not danger because he comes out of his shelter and crosses the path in front of us. We look at each other in surprise, when a second and then a third deer do exactly the same. I feel blessed, despite the cold, we are having a great morning.

Mornings like this one, remind me why I moved to France, why I moved from the city to a small village in the middle of France. Where else would my children see wild rabbits and deer running in the morning? Where else would we have to cross a field of snow and Roman ruins to get to school?