The Canny Francophile

It is with regret I have not updated in a while.    I managed to squeeze in a visit to Paris in early November 2025.   I'd been wanting to go since January 2025. The desire is like a spiritual longing - its hard to describe!  Well, we happened to have some credit on our Easyjet account (due to a previous cancellation)...So the hubby said to me, why don't you use it to go to Paris?!  Great idea!! I jumped at the chance.  I'd booked a couple of days off work so I thought , just do it! Hubby was busy working away.. I reserved a room at the Easyhotel near the airport - as a bonus there was a massive mall directly facing that mall.  I arrived there late at night so the following morning I was up at the crack of dawn. It was foggy and I couldn't see, but somehow I managed to locate the bus stop that where buses would take me into the airport bus park.  I figured that, that would've been the easiest way as there was a direct bus to L'Opera (centre o...

Sincere apologies for my long absence...I had promised to provide updates on my trip to Rennes - I am so sorry it has taken me this long. I visited Rennes in July 2015. I had not long recovered from cancer and my husband was kind and understanding enough to realise this was what I needed to experience once more what I truly love - GOING TO FRANCE! I visited Rennes over several days....my first thought on descending the plane was that ''I wish I had packed welly boots'' as it had been raining before the plane landed! I had no other footwear other than sandals for the trip - due to previous trips to France - I predicted that the weather would be nice. My visit was a really interesting one. I stayed in a hotel in the Old Town part of Rennes. a perfectly centrally located base for doing all my exploring.... I took many photos during my stay - here are some of them: A park in Rennes Lovely Mont St Michel (Abbey on the Water), Brittany Mont St Michel in t...

A visit to my beloved France is long overdue. I am happy to announce I am going to visit Rennes this summer 2015. I first contemplated going to Bordeaux for a week to do a refresher intensive summer course. However after much um-ing and ahh-ing I have decided to spend 5 days in Rennes to get my head showered at least. Don't get me wrong, I love my family and I love being a mum. But, being in France is the only way I can feel , whole , and complete again! Does that sound familiar? It's hard to explain, but the anticipation of going to somewhere fantastic like this fills me with excitement. I left a part of me in Strasbourg all those years ago...the longing never ceased for me...I am happy . Flights are booked , and I have my eye on an apart-hotel..near the old town. Updates to follow.

I rediscovered the hobby of making ATC's recently.  Here is what I made earlier: French themed ATC's

C'etait la reve la plus importante a moi!  Quoi?   Un sejour a Paris! From the 14th to 17th March my partner and I went to Paris for a little break.. We booked a nice, cosy little hotel in central Paris, just south of the Montmartre region. When we got there, the airport bus left us off at Gare du Nord.  From there we managed to flag down a taxi to take us to our hotel.  The taxi driver gave me my first 'your French is excellent' compliment!!  I was so happy but not quite convinced. Here is what we did: Night 1 (not long after arrival): Dined in a typical little Parisian restaurant, off the Rue Lafayette.  We headed back to the hotel,as we'd been travelling all day, early night and recharge batteries for the following day. Our room Day 2 We headed straight for the Eiffel Tower - leaving the hotel at 8.30 am. I was so excited!!  The weather was nice.   We walked along the Champ de Mars - I didn't recall the Tower being...

It was long overdue. Yes.  Paris!!   My affair with France hasn't finished yet....it took quite some persuading and tears for me to 'convince' my partner we just have to go there! So, we went and bought a guidebook today, booked the trip etc. etc - to say I am excited is an understatement!! More updates to follow...

I cannot resist stationery especially if it is French stationery! France themed letter writing set, notebook & file holder

I tuned into my local news channel the other night to hear of jubilant crowds in France cheering on Francois Hollande, the newly elected president of France.  To be honest I don't follow politics much but it moved me , so much so I wanted to be there!!     Thinking back to my trips to France in the past, I remember the friendliness and hospitality of the people. I remember their passion for food and art.   It's been a while.  I think a trip back to France is long overdue..my boyfriend would disagree.....but watch this space!

As I sit here and type I am slowly feeling my body going through the motions of having withdrawal symptoms - from what??!    From not having the joy and love that comes with being there. France I mean!!    Strangers pass you by say  'Salut!', acquaintances do their  'cheek - kissing'.... I miss Montmartre.... (did you know that the video from Savage Garden's 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' was filmed there?!).....baguettes, the crazy street drivers on the Champs - Elysees! More update follows......

Do please forgive me for not updating in a while...well, since my course is fast approaching I am starting to think how I can brush up on my grammar......in the meantime, I 'treated' myself to a couple of nice things last week. Paris themed storage tin Eiffel Tower design sticky post- its French fabric Last but not least, I found this little cutie tucked away, forgotten I'd had it!! *                        *                         * Oh, the family & I went to see The Adventures of TinTin last week at the cinema which I believe to have first appeared in French.   Thoroughly enjoyed it! A couple of my French friends Nathalie & Sophie who I keep in contact with have said I am most welcome to vi...

Ernest Hemingway once wrote  '' If you are lucky to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a movable feast'' .    I can identify with these words without a doubt,  although my 'Paris' was Strasbourg at the time...this city left such an incredible impression on me....with the regional Tarte Flambee meals that I had with my fellow students to the 'Palais Universitaire' where I was lucky enough to be enrolled for 10 months. My fellow Korean students always met with me near the student halls of residence where they stayed in. (okay sorry I know this is supposed to be French related but most of my friends just happened to be Korean).   This corner cafe that we frequented had a very cute decorated 'wall of art' that was written/drawn on by people/vistors from all walks of life.  Eun Jin was my best friend, she used to ramble on about wanting to find the perfect spous...

I took part in a couple of swaps recently ( http://www.swap-bot.com/ ) and received some more lovely postcards of my favourite place - France!! A big thank you to Catherine Sebillet and Jetske for sending me these! Now for even more exciting news... Well, it seems like I will be doing my advanced French course/module with the Open University after all. These are my books that I have purchased for the course: The dictionary weighs a tonne (almost).  The Mot a Mot is a very good compiled guide of idioms and useful sayings that any essay writer would benefit greatly from.    As a former student in the 1990's I still also have my old university textbooks and the absolutely essential 'Robert Micro' dictionary.  These are all my revision tools - can I brush up before Feb 2012?   I will strive to do it.   Wish me luck!!! *******

Change of plan - my intention to continue on studying French has been interrupted by the realisation that my current responsibilities/commitments come first with regards to my family and career - so,  I have decided to put this plan on hold for the time being.   I am disappointed but I know timing is everything, I am studying 2000% for my other language and doing very well in it, getting A's straight through.... This is not goodbye French, hello strange world. Rather it is hello to a fresh start and I hope readers will wish me luck in my endeavours! 'Surveillez cet espace!'

Blogs I like to read and recommend! http://french-housewife.com/ http://toutparis.blogspot.com/     http://basicfrench.blogspot.com/

The BBC offers a very useful website on all aspects of learning French. ( Click here ) As well as giving you opportunities to refresh your French grammar using quizzes and French TV, there are also reports you can listen to which will ultimately aim to give you the best training in the language. In one newspaper, it was reported that the French need to 'cheer up' a bit more and to be less miserable.  I was surprised to hear this.  It said in the article that in a country which is considered the world's top holiday destination and enjoying a quality of life envied by so many, you'd think otherwise but apparently there is so much pessimism  amongst the people.  According to a survey only 37% of the French actually like President Sarkozy.   His partner Carla Bruni has stated that the French are always 'negative', she added that ''they also are crazy about their own language, so every time there's something that's not in Fr...

Stephen Clarke has also written numerous other books on the French theme - I found 'Talk to the Snail: Ten Commandments for Understanding the French' quite fascinating & at times funny. Read it if you ever get a chance!

I have enrolled myself on an advanced French course with the Open University. (It wasn't an easy decision but I know it's the right one).  At times when I have received a letter in French in the post,  I have struggled a little to decipher the full meaning of the words...there was a time though I'd reached near fluent level, so I admit although it has become somewhat 'rusty', I still have it 'in me' somewhere, somehow - I hope!  (Just as you never forget being able to ride a bicycle or drive a car). Let me share a couple more pictures taken in Paris many years ago....         Does anyone know the name of this urban type pond of water?          (it was taken I think between the Grande Arche de la Defense & the way to the Arc de Triomphe) View of Montmartre from the top of the Sacre Coeur A gigantic stick of rock?

For me the ultimate symbol of 'Frenchness' no doubt is the very famous Eiffel Tower... I joined a group on Flickr that showcases this incredible work of architecture; Click  here  to see photos.

I have been a member of Swap-bot.com for a while now and just recently I hosted a swap with a French theme. L'idee (pour chaque personne) etait envoyer plusieurs trucs francais a son 'partenaire' et, voici ce que j'ai recu! J'etais folle de joie au-dela de la croyance!  Thanks Natalie!

Je crois que la Bretagne et la Normandie sont belles regions mais je n'ai jamais eu l'occasion d'y aller. Peut-etre un jour j'aurai de la chance!    Pour l'instant mon coeur est en Strasbourg ou dans la Cote d'azur.    J'ai beaucoup de bons souvenirs en ce qui concerne Alsace car j'y ai habite un an...je me souviens l'endroit bien .. La culture Alsatienne , la tarte flambee, Place Kleber, les marches de Noel...(Strasbourg en a un qui fonctionne depuis le 16eme siecle!)     Ailleurs, c'est vraiment pres de l'Allemagne (litteralement, un voyage quelques minutes de bus). En effet, quand nous etions a Barcelone en aout 2010, j'ai decouvert a ma grande joie un Fnac et un Sephora (mes magasins preferes francais)....Sephora c'est un peu cher, mais c'est un delice pour les sens! A l'usine Fragonard., on peut voir la production effective des parfums et cosmetiques.  Ca se trouve a Eze (pres de Nice). Sur un autre sujet, que...