You never know where a good deed will go. When I was a teenager, my parents received a call from a local coordinator for student exchange programs. Would they be willing to host a teenager from France? Yes, they said, but as we have four daughters, it would need to be a girl. Of course–bien sûr! That summer,…

Space comes at a premium in France. There are 64 million people in a geography that is smaller than Texas.     What does that mean? Real estate is high, i.e. apartments and houses are small (in relation to the U.S.). In addition, “renting” a seat at a cafe in France does not come cheap, i.e….

In keeping with last week’s posting about dessert, it seemed fitting to continue with a variation on the sweet theme…though this time with a decidedly artistic tangent! Recently, I was dining with friends at one of Paris’ oldest bistrots, La Fontaine de Mars, in the Rue St. Dominique and ended a classically French meal—steak frites—with an…

Years ago, I did the Normandy ‘grand tour.’ My mother and I had rented a car and we took in the major sights in this rich corner of northern France: le Mont St. Michel, la Tâpisserie de Bayeux (the Bayeux Tapestry), les plages de débarquement (World War II landing beaches), the beachside towns of Deauville…

It’s a good thing Valentine’s Day is in February. I don’t know about you, but I need some couleur (color) during the winter. In Paris, the days leading up to this year’s la fête des Amoureux (the Holiday of Lovebirds) were a riot of hues chez les fleuristes, les chocolatiers et les pâtissiers (in flower shops,…

It’s been a bit of a winter wonderland in Paris this week. As I landed at Charles de Gaulle airport, also known as Roissy, the surrounding fields were covered with la neige (snow). On the trip from Roissy into Paris, the snow was coming down so fast and thick that normally fearless French drivers slowed…

I woke up this morning thinking about Provence…the bright sun, rich colors, intense flavors. As I am not sur place (there in person)—and also as an antidote to winter– I decided to give myself a taste of this special region of France and pull together a short visit via favorite images. Je vous invite à m’accompagner…

Wherever I am in France, I never pass up the chance to visit a garden. Even in winter, I find French landscapes and gardenscapes enchanting and intriguing on many levels. The Sunday after Christmas, I set out to experience the gardens of the Manoir d’Eyrignac (Eyrignac Manor) which boasts of le plus beau jardin du…

Christmas in France is decidedly uncommercial. To be sure, there are les illuminations de Noël (Christmas lights), shop windows decorated to the tune of the season, garlanding and wreaths, and festive edibles as only the French can do them. Holiday lights on the Faubourg St. Honoré in Paris But holiday decorations in France are understated and…