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La Chandeleur or Candlemas: A French Tradition

La Chandeleur or Candlemas is celebrated in France

La Chandeleur is also known as Candlemas and the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus and the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is a French tradition. It commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the temple.

In France this commemoration is linked to eating crêpes or pancakes and is called Pancake Day. It is celebrated on the 2nd of February and there are a couple of rather strange rituals that surround the way you cook your crêpes.

What’s On In France In February

Colorful houses of Menton old town embankment, France

Want to go to France in February?

Then you'll need to know what's on in France in February, and there's a lot happening. Everything kicks into gear in February. January is just a blur as we regather after Christmas and New Year, and February is when life comes back together and finally hits a regular rhythm.

Carnival de Nice, Chinese New Year, Fête du Citron, Valentine's Day and more

February in France is a cold month but spring is on the horizon and winter doesn’t hold people back from some serious celebrations and carnival spirit. From Mardi Gras to Chinese New Year, February offers a host of events you can’t miss if you’re in France in February. Of course we couldn’t talk about France in February without mentioning Valentine's Day! Below we’ll have a look at how you could spend Valentines in Paris, la ville l'amor.

Why French Translation Is Important When Buying A House In France

Buying A House In France?

Speaking French will be an advantage when buying a home in France but if you are not fluent, or don’t have a solid understanding of legal jargon, then a good French translation service can be very helpful.

We asked an expert in translation services, Sean from Day Translations Inc, to give us his tips on how a translation service can help when buying a home in France.

French Walking Tours in Aix-en-Provence, France

Aix en Provence, France town square with market

Aix-en-Provence, also know as La Ville des Fontaines (The City of Fountains)

Walking tours of France are becoming an increasingly more popular way of exploring France and Aix-en-Provence is a popular inclusion in tours around the Provence region.

Aix-en-Provence is also known as the City of Fountains or, in French, la Ville des Fontaines, and Nicole Ress from Walk the French Talk Tours has recently returned from one of her tours of Aix-en-Provence and she shares with us her highlights of this town and why it's a popular town for exploring on foot.

7 Tips on Buying a Gite in France

French farmhouse gite in France with green summer trees and vines

These 7 tips will help you successfully buy your dream gîte in France

Many people dream of moving to France, buying a gîte and living the good life, French style. So what should you look for when buying a gîte in France?

Duncan Ritson-Elliott, owns and operates the beautiful farmhouse gîte, Gîte Dordogne in the remote Dordogne countryside, as well as advising on the best methods to buy your own gîte in France. He has first hand experience in buying a gîte in France and shares his excellent tips with us here.

Australians in France by Catherine Berry

Annette Charlton Interviewed For Series, Australians in France, by Catherine Berry

Catherine Berry, Australian author of ‘But You Are in France Madame’ has been writing an ‘Australians in France’ series where she interviews and shares the stories of Australians living in France.

Catherine is keen to share these stories because after publishing her book ‘But You Are in France Madame’ she is contacted frequently by people asking about the idea, or voicing their dreams of spending some time in France. As a result, she is sharing as many stories as she can to demonstrate that there is no ‘right’ way to do it and that it is possible, and along the way her interviewees give some practical hints on the steps to take.

What’s On In France In January

France In January

January in France is a busy month so here are some of what we think are the highlights of what's on in France in January. With a mixture of activities experienced by ourselves and others on our 'must do' list, there will be something for everyone. Enjoy France in January...

Last year I arrived in Paris on New Years day. It was raining as the taxi driver unloaded our suitcases onto the shimmering pavement outside our hotel. There is nothing like coming in out of the rain into a warm hotel foyer, with lamps glowing gold and glinting off of polished surfaces. We quickly made our way to the nearest bistro for a light dinner of French onion soup. Think hot buttery onion, crusty bread, and melted gruyere!

Our French Life: LEGO for Christmas

Christmas in France and LEGO

Giving your children what their heart desires for Christmas and during end of year holiday celebrations is usually given a lot of thought by parents with a balance between what they love and want, what growing children might need and what you can afford at the time.

We are no different and even though we have often packed our bags and headed over to France for the end of the year, we’ve still tried to give our kids what we know they will love on Christmas Day. With children’s toys being slightly different in France, and most books and CDs in our local shops being in French we’ve often decided taking their gifts with us from Australia is the best option.

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