Our French Life | A French Collection

Life in France: Through A Child’s Story

Life In France: Through A Child’s Story

Traveling to France with our young children has given them the opportunity to experience a different culture, cuisine and meet people who have shaped the way they see the world.

I share this short story about John Baptist (the neighbour of our French friend Helen) and his enduring love for his departed parents written by Emily (when 13 years old) for a school English assignment on returning from France.

The respect and unswerving determination of John Baptist to remember his parents had a strong impact on us all and I think you’ll agree that Emily has captured this beautifully…

Annette Charlton

Annette lives with her family between their homes in France and Australia. She’s been featured in International magazines including French Property News, on ABC National Radio, numerous blogs and travel websites. You can connect on Instagram or Facebook.

www.afrenchcollection.com

When You Wish Upon A French Lavoir

What is a French lavoir?

“When you wish upon a star, or in this case when you wish upon a French lavoir.”

A lavoir is a public wash house or communal washing place found in many French villages often with a fountain.

These places can be generously decorated with flowers and are usually well maintained by locals and councils. They vary from the very simple to the quite grand. Many were built in the 19^th century when bringing water to a village was considered a priority for village inhabitants and farmers. Built around natural water sources like springs or rivers and often with roofs for shelter, they were the focal point of village life. Many are also located directly beside rivers or lakes like the photographed above in central France.

Annette Charlton

www.afrenchcollection.com

The French Chocolate ‘Sausage’ Mystery

Living in France – The French ‘Chocolate Sausage’ Mystery

On route to Paris a few weeks ago I was enjoying a dessert at the French Patisserie PAUL with my eldest son Thomas in Dubai International Airport, who casually asked with a cheeky smile, if I remembered the ‘chocolate sausage’ story? I laughed and said I did. Here is the ‘chocolate sausage’ story of when Thomas was only 9 years old and it was our first trip to France during Christmas 2009.

Annette Charlton

www.afrenchcollection.com

Our French Life: The Year New Year’s Eve Came Early

A New Year’s Eve Party is always on New Year’s Eve isn’t it? Are you sure? Now you have to understand it was the very first time we stayed at our house in Brittany, and actually, in France at all. One quick trip to France some six months earlier we looked at houses, agreed to purchase one, and after the sale transaction was completed we made the trip to France with the family to renovate it and have guests stay.

The Year New Year’s Eve Came Early

Immediately after getting the keys from the real estate agent and taking down the ‘For Sale’ sign, we got busy renovating, furniture assembling and gardening, and after three weeks of this we were exhausted. We’d been to French department stores, French hardware stores, French supermarkets and had learned to accept that things were very different in France and while everything was possible, it all just took much longer, especially as we knew very little French and could speak even less.

Annette Charlton

www.afrenchcollection.com

Our French Life: The Year We Forgot Christmas

The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t

A French Christmas Tale of how we almost forgot to celebrate Christmas lunch on our first ever Christmas in our French home.

A hot baked turkey with roasted vegetables and “all the trimmings” is still very popular in Australia – even when the ambient temperature reaches 35⁰ outside in the shade, although cold platters and gourmet salads are increasing in popularity. For a couple of months leading up to Christmas magazines start to feature both options with strong preferences often being voiced when the Christmas menu gets discussed amongst families in preparation of the big day.

Annette Charlton

www.afrenchcollection.com

Nativity Play at Corlay, France

Nativity Play in Corlay, France

A Nativity Play with live donkeys, sheep, lots of young children, a baby and candles, what could go wrong? A lot as it turned out when we went to our first Nativity Play in France. But first let’s find out what a Nativity Play is.

What Is A Nativity Play

Ever wondered what a nativity play is and where to see one? A nativity play is usually held in a church or school hall around Christmas time and has children role-playing as Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus, shepherds and the Wise Men.

The play recreates the scene of Jesus’ birth and tells of how Mary and Joseph were visited by the shepherds and Wise Men.

Annette Charlton

www.afrenchcollection.com

Our Story #4: Aussies in France

Our Story #4: Aussies in France is a memoir of incidents and personal observations of our life in France, like the importance of the ‘right’ Saint, the power of a stick pin, styled by a French supermarket and “Madame, your chimney’s on fire”.

The Importance of the ‘right’ Saint

We read the local advertisement, checked the date, double checked the date and when the time came, dressed ourselves head to foot in the warmest clothes and headed out in the dark with snow steadily falling to find the little village that was putting on the school play we had seen advertised in a local Tabac.

We had dashed into the Tabac on our way home from the butchers to pick up last-minute fresh baguettes, stinky oozy cheese and obligatory wine.

Annette Charlton

www.afrenchcollection.com