It’s easy to think that France has always been one big ‘happy hexagon’ (referring to its current six-sided geographical shape), a uniform cultural entity that was and always has been FRANCE. But this is far from the case. France’s official borders have expanded and contracted over the centuries like an accordian, and various French regions…

The new French Affaires website has been up and running for a while now. Cheers to the new look and feel! While my previous website served a great purpose for many years, it was time to enhance this virtual window into all French Affaires has to offer with a big make-over. Now, I am delighted…

Bonjour France friends! It has been a spectacular fall in the French countryside near Paris. Lately rain and grisaille have set in but sun, mild temperatures and beautiful days have been the menu de la saison both chez nous in the village of Courances and while I have been on the road sharing Normandy, Corsica…

A few years ago, my husband and I had the good fortune of landing in the charming French village of Courances near Paris. Though only about 45 minutes by car (without traffic!) from la Capitale, it is full-on, spacious countryside where we have our French house. Rich green fields, gentle rolling hills and sturdy forests…

France reigns supreme amongst the world’s top places to visit and in my view, this recognition is ‘très bien mérité’ (very well deserved). Pound for pound, inch for inch, France has arguably the most delectable scenery and sights on the entire planet. The country’s rich history, art, architecture, monuments, culture, landscapes, nature, cuisine and wines…

Happy New Year to all! Bonne Année à tous! For those of you who are new to French Affaires, I wanted to take a moment in this new year to briefly describe what we’re all about. The story goes back to learning my first French words at age five. I still remember our Montessori school…

Daily life in France is fairly legendary – and for good reason. So much of France is pretty as a postcard – literally – with beautiful landscapes and gardens, over-the-top picturesque towns and villages, the habit of taking time to slow down and ‘smell the roses,’ the attention paid to good cooking and good eating,…

Bonjour from the French countryside! I am so pleased to share that the French Affaires’ new website is at last up and running. It’s overflowing with the best of France happenings, insider sights and sites, essential tips and resources, travel opportunities, events and classes, and more. As you may know, I was a university professor of…

Bonjour! As you know, our mission at French Affaires is two-fold: to bring wonderful aspects of France to the U.S. and also to help Americans experience the best of France while traveling there. A propos, we’re putting on sort of a ‘France Fest’ this March in Texas. Below is a summary of the French events and…