A Year in Villefranche sur Mer - Moving to France

  Day 2366 (Thursday) 30 th November 2023 No special photos today…   It was grey, wet and horrible this morning and it stayed that way all day. Huw worked in the big apartment all morning. Here are some more French traditions… French Fashion France is known for its fashion, but some French fashion traditions may seem strange, uncomfortable or unusual to visitors. Here an example: Women Sometimes Wear a Skirt or Heels While Riding Bikes The fantasy is true. Although not every woman rides around on bikes in high heels, it’s completely normal to do so. I often see women biking to and from work wearing business attire or work clothes. In the summertime, women will wear their summer dresses and ride bikes around town where we live in Montpellier.  French Food Traditions French cuisine is famous for its delicious flavours, rich history, and intricate cooking techniques that have inspired chefs around the world. However, some French traditions surrounding food might seem strange or even biza

Day 2365 (Wednesday) 29 th November 2023 Today’s special photos… This is Nice and so is this.   Huw worked in the big apartment this morning and after lunch he took me to Saint-Jean Cap-Ferrat to work with Oceane. It was a beautiful day but it’s cold when you’re out of the sun. I found this website today about French traditions but it’s rather long so I’ll post it over the next couple of days. There are a lot of French traditions and French customs that are perfectly normal to French people but might seem strange or novel to North Americans, Brits and other cultures. Here are nearly 50 examples of normal French traditions and customs in France that fit the bill. The purpose of this exploration is to celebrate the diversity of customs around the world and embrace the beauty of our differences. It’s absolutely okay to find certain aspects intriguing or different from what you’re accustomed to. So, with an open mind and a sense of curiosity, let’s jump into it.  Are These Weird French Tr

Day 2364 (Tuesday) 28 th November 2023 Today’s special photos… This is Cannes. and this is Vence. It was a beautiful sunny morning again, which was lovely after the cold yesterday. Our thermometer read 34C, I know it’s not really that hot but I love seeing the high numbers. Huw worked on the big apartment all morning and told me that up there it was pretty cold and windy but down here it’s beautiful. Everyday French words they don't teach you at school. Everyday French life requires some less formal language. Photo by Lucas BARIOULET / AFP You've diligently learned your French verbs, made your adjectives agree and remembered that a table is feminine - but when you get to France you'll find a whole different French vocabulary used in daily life. It's a common experience for foreigners in France to find that the French they learned in the classroom is not exactly how normal French people speak on a daily basis. Of course there are sayings, swearing and regional dialects