Keith Van Sickle's Blog, page 32

9 Fun Things to do in St Rémy

St Rémy de Provence is where my wife and I live part of the year and it’s one of the most charming towns in Provence. Nestled at the foot of the Alpilles Mountains and surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, it’s a great place to spend a few days. I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite things to do while you’re in town.

You can read all about it at Perfectly Provence.

The 6 Stages of Becoming French

Admit it, you want to be French. Or at least be able to pass yourself off as French, like a spy who fools everyone with her secret identity. What a dream it is to speak perfect French, be stylish and sexy, and actually know what postmodernism means.

But to do that you have to pass through the different stages of Frenchness, slowly graduating from one to the next. Let’s take a look at these stages as they occur in France.

Real the rest of the article at Frenchly!

France vs USA: Sandwiches

The US and France are temperamentally different countries, one brash and exuberant and the other the epitome of sophistication. You can see this in American movies—think of all those American car chases and explosions. And in French books—is there anything more elegant than Proust and his madeleines? The differences even show up in sandwiches—Americans are unruly while the French are refined. Let’s look at a few of these deli duels.

Read all about it at Frenchly!

The Immortal Women of France

For too long, French institutions have been boys’ clubs. The august Académie française, for example, was founded in 1635 but only elected its first woman member in 1980!

But things are slowly starting to change and now 9 women have been named members of the Académie, or “Immortals.” Let’s meet them.

Read the rest of the article at My French Life.

Does The Best Chocolate In The World Come From France?

The New York Times called Chocolat Bonnat, “The best chocolate we had ever eaten.”

Noted food writer David Lebovitz said, “There was an explosion of flavor like I’d never experienced before.”

Is this the best chocolate in the world? Read all about it at The Good Life France.

The Greatest Magician Who Ever Lived Was French

You’ve probably heard of famous magicians like David Copperfield and Penn & Teller, and maybe even earlier ones like The Great Houdini. But did you know that the man considered the father of modern magic was French? And that he’s the reason magicians today wear top hats and tails?

Read the whole story at Frenchly!

Legends of Provence: The Monk Known as Romée de Villeneuve

I recently picked up a book called Legendes de Provence by Eugene Bressy. Over the next few months I’ll dive into some of these stories and let you decide whether you believe them or not. The first one was about the fearsome Tarasque monster.

Here’s the second one, about truth, lies and jealousy in the court of the Count of Provence. As Molière once said, “There are no ramparts against gossip.”

Read all about it at Perfectly Provence!

Why You Should Be A French Bureaucrat

Becoming a fonctionnaire (government bureaucrat) is a popular career choice in France. Fonctionnaires have jobs for life, lots of vacation, and they are known for not working very hard. This makes them envied but also the butt of a lot of jokes. You can read all about the life of a fonctionnaires in France, plus learn a few of the best jokes, here at Frenchly.

Legends of Provence: The Tarasque Monster of Tarascon

I recently picked up a book called Legendes de Provence by Eugene Bressy. It’s a series of short stories about the legends of Provence: famous heroes, spiritual leaders and the occasional monster. Over the next few months I’ll dive into some of these stories and let you decide whether you believe them or not.

I’ll start with the most famous legend of them all, that of the fearsome Tarasque, who terrorized Provence until he met a plucky young lady named…Well, I’ll let you read all about it at Perfectly Provence.

A Bite Too Far

My wife Val and I spend part of each year in Provence and it’s allowed us to learn the language and appreciate French culture. We knew before we moved there that food and wine are a big part of French life but we didn’t realize quite how big until our neighbor Fabienne gave us a “taste” of real French life. She invited us to her birthday party, which went on and on and on…

Read my funny story about a real French birthday party at A French Collection.