Current features, travel adventures, and whatever interesting stuff I find on the net or in life.
The north-eastern French region of Lorraine is the only one that borders three countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany) and that has two cities of equal importance (Metz and Nancy). Despite what some people told me, Metz is a very beautiful city, and the cathedral in particular is spectacular. Note that the links on this page will lead to French descriptions, but if you scroll down you can read the English translation: Metz, Lorraine, France
Nice Carnaval is the largest winter event on the French Riviera. In 2009, Carnaval de Nice took place from 13 February to 1 March, and the theme was Roi des Mascarades (King of Masquerades). With 20 tall floats (up to 14 meters / 46 feet high); 20 flower floats; 200 “big heads”; and countless dancers, musicians, and other participants – not to mention tens of thousands of spectators, it was a fun and crazy celebration. To join the fun, check out my photo gallery: Nice Carnaval
Forget standing out in the cold waiting to see if a groundhog is afraid of his shadow – let’s celebrate Crêpe Day instead. The French traditionally flip crêpes while wishing for prosperity while Americans celebrate Groundhog Day – which one sounds more fun to you?
Colmar is a small but unbelievably cute town in the French region of Alsace, while Strasbourg is a beautiful city. Alsace changed between French and German hands a few times, and remains a cultural mix of the two countries. Note that the links on this page will lead to French descriptions, but if you scroll down you can read the English translation: Alsace, France
So long 2008! Come on in, 2009! This was one of the best years of my life – I started out in Costa Rica and ended up – after trying to move here for almost 20 years – in France! May all your dreams come true, too.
Here’s some reading material and ideas for New Year’s Resolutions:
New Year’s in France
French New Year’s Resolutions
Veggie Table New Year’s Resolutions
The French region of Burgundy (Bourgogne in French) is renowned for its food and wine. The capital is Dijon – read about my visit. Note that the links on this page will lead to French descriptions, but if you scroll down you can read the English translation: Dijon, France
The French region of Limousin is known for cattle, porcelain, and a tiny population. It’s also home to some truly beautiful villages – read about my visit. Note that the links on this page will lead to French descriptions, but if you scroll down you can read the English translation: Limousin, France
On 5 and 6 April 2008, the southern French city of Hyères hosted its annual flower festival with an open day event at SICA (Société d’intérêt collectif agricole) / Marché aux fleurs d’Hyères. 500 growers produce over 180 million flowers a year, making it the largest flower market in France and the fourth largest in Europe. With information booths, wine and flower tasting, and a flower parade, it was a fascinating look at this colorful aspect of the Hyérois community.
Photo Gallery: Hyères Flower Festival
Good-bye 2007 (does anyone else notice that could read Good-bye to 007 [double oh seven]? Is this a sign of James Bond’s future?) and hello 2008. It was a good year – I spent more than half of it in Costa Rica. But this year will be even better, as I’ll spend the majority of it in France. I hope you too will have some long-cherished dreams come true.
Here’s some reading material and ideas for New Year’s Resolutions for you:
New Year’s in France
French New Year’s Resolutions
Veggie Table New Year’s Resolutions
Yes, that’s right – the French visa court was so moved by our appeal that, after only a year of deliberation, they decided to grant us our long-stay visas. We picked them up last month, and now we’re good to go. We’ll be moving sometime between Febrary and April, 2008, but we’re not sure where yet. Originally, we planned to go back to Toulouse, since we loved it so much. But then I started thinking about how nice it would be to live near the beach, so Nice and Marseille started looking good. And then we wondered about living all over – spending a month or so in a dozen different cities, and that’s what we’re leaning toward right now. There are several problems with that:
I’ve got some good leads on number 3, so now I’m doing some research on number 2 – maybe we could find a rental agent who could help us find a place in each city, something like that.
In any case, it’s still all way up in the air, but at least now we know for sure that in just a few months we’ll be moving to France for a year – something I’ve been wanting to do for more than half my life.
