Mag

Here you will find inspiring articles on nature, food and drink, and culture – the simple pleasures that make living in France such a joy. You can also enjoy bilingual crosswords, quizzes, book and film reviews – plus lifestyle and travel ideas. We have organised articles by subject – read the latest below or browse sections via the blue tabs. The Cx symbol denotes subscriber-only articles.

French Life

Our Valentine’s day story: “I met my wife in Paris”

We asked our readers to tell us if France played a part in their romance - here Mara and Sean Burke from Illinois tell us how they fell in love in France.

It’s tourism, Jim – but not as you may know it...

Every edition we assess an emerging aspect of French zeitgeist. This month: Jane Hanks learns about the lengths tourism firms go to in order to give their customers much more than sun, sea, and sand...

Villagers up with the lark for Noël des oiseaux

Residents of one Grand Est village miss out on their lie-in on December 26 for a special local tradition

Planning a skiing holiday in France?

Whether you are looking for a non-stop party or a family friendly atmosphere, France has the perfect winter resort for you. Samantha David lists the differences to look out for

Language

More polite ways to swear in French

The acceptable way to 'Mind your French' in polite society...

French - the language of love

Valentine’s day is here and it is time to express your love... here are some French expressions that should help today.

Did you have your morning 'kawa'?

12 Arabic words and expressions used in French

Thunes or argent: which one do I use?

Well-known French expressions about money that you can use everyday.

Food and Drink

Why Brittany is a crêpe hotspot

Chandeleur has arrived and while you are eating delicious crêpes, we take a look at the their origins in Brittany

Chef who taught France to love cupcakes

Celebrity pastry chef Chloé Saada did not set out to make her living in the culinary world, she tells Jane Hanks

Secrets of baking success

New York-based chef Rory Macdonald reveals what it takes to become a top pâtissier and provides two favourite mousse recipes

French food focus - February 2019

A focus on food in France. Includes meeting producers, artisan cheese and a local speciality...

Culture

Why i love Art Deco?

With his new book on Art Deco on sale now, design legend and Oscar-winning film-maker Arnold Schwartzman tells Samantha David about his love of the 20th-century art movement

Jeanne d’Arc – taking the myth out of France’s heroine

Jeanne’s visions convinced her she was on a mission from God, and – as Samantha David discovers – the 15th-century Maid of Orléans guided the French king from the edge of defeat to the brink of victory

French cultural life - February 2019

A round-up of news, and those creating ‘le buzz’ in French cultural life

I write so that I can feel both human and alive

Award-winning author Delphine de Vigan chatted to Jane Hanks about her career before a busy day meeting authors and readers in her role as President of the Brive Foire du Livre

Nature

Storks herald the coming spring

Bird lovers capture birds as they rest on rooftops during their annual migration

Green news - February 2019

An update on environmental events and occurrences in France

French garden diary - February 2019

Does lunar planting really work? Cathy Thompson reveals her tips for planting according to the moon’s calendar

Luxembourg, the French capital’s oasis

Jane Hanks examines the remarkable history and modern day allure of the most celebrated public garden in Paris

French Facts

Argentine town created by Aveyron adventurers

Did you know? Pigüé is a town in Argentina, south-west of Buenos Aires which would never have existed had it not been for a group of 180 people from the Aveyron who decided to set up home there in 1884.

Did you know? France invented metric system

A weighty issue

America got its name from a French town

Did you know?

Explore France

Why i love Art Deco?

With his new book on Art Deco on sale now, design legend and Oscar-winning film-maker Arnold Schwartzman tells Samantha David about his love of the 20th-century art movement

Secret history of buildings - February 2019

The very big secret history of France’s smallest commune - Jane Hanks tells the remarkable history of the tiny Gironde village that was the birthplace and occasional home of royalty

Mindful Meditation and Yoga Retreat

Sponsored content: In an increasingly frantic world it is essential to have compassion for ourselves and to invest in our inner peace. Theresa and Simon Powell run Riboudin Retreats which offers residential retreats to help you renew, rebalance and reconnect with what really matters in life and specialises in mindfulness-based meditation and yoga to help address the causes of stress.

Big Picture

Costumes make for a grand spectacle

Samantha David high kicks her way to a new exhibition showcasing musical theatre outfits

Heritage headquarters is 60 years old

Samantha David marks the 60th anniversary of Unesco’s distinctive Paris HQ by exploring the cultural organisation’s work

English hideaway fit for French Queen

The lovingly restored Queen’s House is now open to the public.

Quiz

July 2018

What keyboard symbol has seen vastly increased use in the last 20 years and is known in French as ‘l’arobase’?
Already an Olympic silver medallist, in what track and field event did Parisian Kévin Mayer become world champion in London in August 2017?
What is the English name of the island in the Atlantic known in one of the official languages of the country to which it belongs as ‘Terre-Neuve’?
Which Lennon & McCartney composition was performed in 1964 by Johnny Hallyday under the title ‘Quand je l’ai vue devant moi’?
What is the usual two-word English name for the fungal grape infection Botrytis cinerea which imparts a distinctive flavour to Sauternes wines from the Bordeaux region?
One of the most famous 20th century poems in the English language, who created the work which contains the words, “Et O ces voix d’enfants, chantant dans la coupole!”
Former French Republican politician Michel Barnier was appointed to what role within the European Union in December 2016?
Cultivated in order to complement the local Mediterranean cuisine, between half and two thirds of all wine produced in the vineyards of Provence is of what general type?
By what diminutive name is Margaret of Valois, wife of Henri of Navarre, known in the title of a 1994 French film in which she was played by Isabelle Adjani?
Who was pictured in a famous photograph taken on the front terrace of the Palais de Chaillot on June 6th 1940, with the Eiffel Tower in the immediate background?