Really French

France swings left

François Hollande is now the president of France. and France swings to the left. With an 81% turnout the results are: Francois Hollande: 51.7% Nicolas Sarkozy: 48.3%

Nowadays, text messages have been implemented in all languages. French is no exception to the rule, and has its own style playing on the pronunciation of letters and words. Here you will find some simple to use French text messages that are used for SMS messages and also on the internet. (more…)

The first round of the 20212 presidential elections

Since Friday night the political parties, media and opinion polls have been silenced: no one is allowed to comment on the possible outcome. Today, Sunday, the weather is forecasted to be changeable with rain and showers which is pushing the voters to the voting booths. In the small villages and towns, the votes take place in the town hall, run by the elected council. Everybody seems to be voting: there is nothing to watch on the TV, no sporting events to attend and the weather is not that pleasant. (more…)

French Music

Over the years, there are certain French musicians who have marked history. From Classical music to RAP and Rock, there are famous names that you might know, now you can discover much more about music from France (more…)

Arles

The town of Arles is located between Nimes and Marseille, deep in the Camargue of southern France, with more than 2,500 years of tradition and history much of which is about Bull fighting and horses. [caption id="attachment_491" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Camargue horses"][/caption][caption id="attachment_494" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Arles Corrida arena"][/caption][caption id="attachment_490" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Bull fighting"][/caption] more

La priorité à droite‎ – priority to the right

Give way to the traffic on the right Priority to the right The "priority to the right" rule on the roads of France is complicated and misunderstood by many. In this article, we'll try and explain some of the principles and "don't forget" to help you whilst you are driving on the left-hand side of the French roads. The simplest tip to remember and use is : When you are driving and unsure, slow down, look to the right and if there is a vehicle coming towards you. GIVE WAY! Every day in France, there are accidents relating to refusing the priority to the right "refus de priorité", and in…

Heavy Metal in France

Heavy Metal is certainly one of the most popular music in the world, but also one of the least known. Metal is a genre of music that developed from Rock in the late 1960s and the early 1970s with famous bands such Black Sabbath or Judas Priest and their success also crossed the Channel and the Atlantic. (more…)

Priority to the right or left ?

The first round of the elections are only a few days away now. What is happening in France and how do the French voters feel? The answer to this depends which media / TV / newspaper you read. They have already taken sides and eliminated all but their two preferred candidate, saying that the final round will be between Sarkozy (Right) and Hollande (Left). (more…)

A day in the life of Rémi ( the French farmer)

Today is an almost typical working day for Rémi, a French farmer. Rémi is a 49 year old French farmer, living with his wife and 10 year old son on a typical farm located in central France. He is the son of a farmer and his wife is a farmer’s daughter. They live in a small village in the heart of Burgundy with 120 inhabitants. (more…)

My favorite impossible French words

Hi, or rather Bonjour.I've been living in France for more than 25 years now.Living and working every day with French-speaking people.My sons are both French, the youngest is 14 and the oldest has just turned 18 and is awaiting the results of the famous "Bac" exams. We live in the countryside, in a small farming village with about 120 inhabitants. A very typical village with mainly old houses and barns, no pavements, no stop signs on the road and the street lights are turned off by the mayor before midnight. (more…)

Paris is as easy as A to Z

Come and discover Paris An A to Z review of the city, take a journey through capital city Paris

Benefits Arising from having a Mother Living in France

Old farmhouse in South-West France. My wonderful friend Ginnie has often talked about her mother’s life in France. Having just returned from a visit there, this is what she had to say:

Lost in France: Discovering the Auvergne

I didn’t mean to go there, it wasn't my intention at all, and yet what better proof is there of the old adage, "Everything happens for a reason"? Perhaps it was a combination of driving on the right hand side of the road and driving in a right hand drive vehicle. Perhaps it was fate. Whatever the reason, I ended up in the Auvergne, a place I had never heard of before, and I never wanted to leave! The Auvergne is in the centre of the Massif Central. Of course, being in the middle of France means that it has no coastline. Usually this would be enough to put me…

Le Baccalauréat

At this time of the year many French students are awaiting or have resceived the results for their Baccalauréat, the end of school exam. Obtaining a result is cruicial to continue an educational path, as a good result will provide university entrance, whilst a failure means the doors will close and the student will either redo a complete school year or simple give up and try something else. (more…)

Some French jokes about football.

Well in France, most people are remaining calm about what certain people call a national disaster. We thought it would be fun to share some of the jokes which you which are flying around. The jokes are in French with an English translation and some explanations about the play on words. Joke 1 : Deux africains arrivent et disent à l'équipe de France '' Et bien, vous vous en allez déjà ? '' Translation Two Africans arrive and say to the French team "Oh well, are you already leaving ?" ( vous vous en allez : vuvuzela ) Joke 2 : En 2006, l'équipe d'Italie et l'équipe de France ce…

Do they strike in France ?

Well yes, sometimes for good reasons, sometimes for no reason at all. In French strike is "GRÈVE". The French do have a bad reputation for striking and at lightning speed. The Métro in Paris and the SNCF (the trains) are good examples. A strike may be launched for next to no reason and the whole country comes to a total stand-still. Workers unions retain a strong position of power, not only in the civil service but also the private sectors such as the farmers and truck drivers. Roads can be blocked, tonnes of grapes can be dumped on the road and Mayors can be walled into the town hall from…

Well, at least they tried !

Question : How do you say Football in French ? Answer : Easy you say "Football". But how do you say : Lose, disaster, useless, sack the boss, losers, goalless. Or How do you say : Win, no luck, bad draw, that's life, goal, attack, score. I'm actually writing this article a few minutes before the match between Mexico and France. I have a bet with a friend that Mexico will win 2-1. With nearly 2 hours to go, we'll see who wins and perhaps I owe a bottle of wine ! Even if I do lose the bet, my friend will share the bottle of wine. Anyhow, this is…

Three words in French with different spellings but the same sound

Understanding French words and vocabulary, where some words have almost the same pronounciation.

Magical wine tour in Burgundy

Burgundy vine yards The wines of Burgundy are very well known and appreciated throughout the world. The next time you are in the Beaune, Nuits Saint Georges or Dijon, take the opportunity to discover all secrets which are in a real bottle of wine. I would recommend the talent and enthusiasm of Mr Max Renau. He offers a unique insight and voyage through the Côte d'Or vineyards, sharing everything he knows with you. Max took us on a tour at the beginning of June this year. Meeting us at our hotel in Dijon, with a warm greeting we climbed aboard the mini-bus and Max took us on an incredible voyage…

A drink on the terrace of the cafe

Today the weather is good, sunshine and the village cafe is open, with tables and chairs on the terrace. It's 18.00hrs and Pierre has just finished work. He decides to have some time off with a drink in the café. As he takes a chair at an empty table, he greets the other people he knows with a handshake, with a soft voice he asks the barman for a "demi", a 1/2 pint glass of beer. The waiter serves the beer to Gilbert, who lays back in the chair and sips his drink, watching the cars and people walk by. A few metres away he notices an old friend heading…