France + All Things French
“Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury” – Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel (1883 – 1971)
Normandy (Normandie) in the north of France is one of 18 regions. It is well known for its coastline and many beautiful gardens. Covering an area of approximately 30,627 kilometres it is divided into five administrative departments. In this new series of Beautiful Gardens of Normandy, France, we will be travelling through the region exploring its gardens in more detail.
“The many great gardens of the world, of literature and poetry, of painting and music, of religion and architecture, all make the point as clear as possible: The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden. If you don't want paradise, you are not human; and if you are not human, you don't have a soul.” - Sir Thomas More, author of 16th Century seminal classic ‘Utopia’
Nothing says France like a French macaron and a passionfruit macaron is extra delicious. Today Janet Newton, a Le Cordon Bleu Pastry Chef shares her passion for pastry cooking with us and her original Passionfruit Macaron Recipe.
France's gastronomic cuisine is something that appeals and draws many of us to travel long distances to France to experience the culinary delights firsthand, or to frequent our more local restaurants and cafes that provide a touch of France in our hometowns with their French dishes.
Another month has arrived and I wasn’t ready for it. The year races on. Excitement is in the air in France as hints of Spring arrive; cooler rather than colder days and a lazy drizzle instead of snow (fingers crossed).
Peak travel season still hasn’t hit and so March is an affordable time to head to France with reduced air-fairs and hotel specials. Want to know what’s happening in France in March? Read on to find out about Saint Patrick's Day in Paris, Literary Festivals, a Design Biennial, and an epic race up the Eiffel Tower!
Living in France continually surprises us with the new things we learn. Let me tell you about one of the men in our village called Monsieur Yves, or as we dubbed him, Monsieur All-About. Monsieur All-About drives a very tiny car, which we later learned was an Aixam. Monsieur All-About seemed to drive in circles around the village all the time. Round and round he went.
No, they don’t eat pancakes as their main food on Pancake Day (or as it’s also called Shrove Tuesday).
Shrove Tuesday is celebrated around the world with eating pancakes but in France, fatty foods are eaten and the day is known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. Pancakes or crepês are however part of France’s celebrations of la Chandleleur or Candlemas which is held on 2 February each year. It can be confusing with celebrations known by different names and seemingly associated with the same foods, so keep reading.
Continue Reading
Have you tried Calvados, the apple brandy of Normandy? The unique drink of Calvados was developed in northwest Normandy, France, in a region bordering the English Channel and abounding in apples. Never heard of Calvados, the location or the liqueur? Well we’ll take a look at the department, the Top Ten places to visit, and, of course, the famous Calvados apple liqueur.
Fête du Citron or Lemon Festival is an annual festival held in Menton, a town in the south east of France, that celebrates the humble lemon and orange fruits and with the festival being held for more than 87 years, the Fête du Citron is a festival with a long history.
The festival began in 1933 as a fruit show and has grown into an international event drawing 160,000 visitors annually. The lemons and oranges grown in Menton are called the fruits d’or (golden fruits). These special fruits d’or are celebrated every year during the Fête du Citron, from 16 February to 3 March.
