Living French: 7th edition

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In memory of fellow independent businessman, Stephane and Louise created a plaque, and positioned it on the wall where Richard would stand selling his tailor-made holidays. Oh how we loved the 3 hour dinners full of multiple courses while we were in France. While 3 hour dinners aren’t always doable, it is pretty easy to course out a dinner. This is probably one of our favorite aspects of French lifestyle. You Americans”, he said, “live in the faire[to do]. The avoir[to have]. In France, we live in the être[to be].” Furthermore, in France, it’s not uncommon for the French to become friends with the farmers and vendors at their local outdoor markets. They typically know each other well and the French shoppers rely on their preferred farmers/vendors to give them the best of the best when it comes to their groceries.

I’ve always loved the idea of having a scent that’s unique to you so that when people smelled it they were instantly reminded of you. The French take this one step further by having a signature scent that’s present throughout their home. They choose a scent they love that brings pleasure to them and have it throughout the house in the form of candles, soap, incense, and room sprays. While you don’t have to go all out like they do, why not figure out a scent that brings you pleasure and incorporate it into your daily life? Whether that be in the form of a personal perfume/cologne, a candle, or whatever modality you choose, smelling it may instantly bring a smile to your face and a feeling of comfort. Contemporary Bed range is influenced by suave patterns and elegantly understated mid-century interiors. Ravishing and sophisticated, Luxury Interiors from La Maison Chic also take inspiration from a mid-century aesthetic. We combine lavish upholstery with opulent metal accents, sublimely contrasting structure and tone. Symmetrical trim frames each item, further accentuating the clean, linear forms.In France, we often oppose the “bavardage” (small talk) to the “grande conversation” (conversation). Whether it be at a dinner party or at a café, French people love to debate ideas —even if sometimes it can lead to great controversy— rather than have polite conversations about unimportant or uncontroversial matters —which, let’s be honest, are boring. No issue is too minor for discussion. In France, a debate can cover all types of subjects from societal, political, or religious topics. To secure a rental property in France, you’ll need proof of income, and your monthly salary should be at least three times the rent. While deposits for unfurnished properties are usually no more than a month’s rent, you may be asked for a much bigger deposit to secure a furnished place. If you live in an apartment building, utilities will be included in your rent, but you’ll have to get home insurance and pay an annual French occupier’s tax.

One of the hardest parts about being a Francophile but not living in France full-time is missing out on all the cultural practices and nuances that the French lifestyle encourages. I find myself dreaming of 4 pm espressos and trips to the boulangerie more often than you can probably imagine. French Lifestyle Tips Just as the French value pleasure in eating and food, they value pleasure and comfort in their self-care routines. I can tell you that nothing makes me feel more French than taking a scented bubble bath while enjoying a glass of wine!The apéritif, also called an “apéro” for short in France, is not just about the food and drink (though those are certainly important) but it’s about taking a moment to reset and appreciate life. It isn’t traditional to have this with every meal but more when sharing with friends and family —either at home or at a restaurant. The food was delicious, steaks well cooked and tender. The downside was the temperature of some of the food.

There are many excellent public healthcare facilities across France and waiting lists are short. Government funding and salary contributions cover up to 70% of medical costs – most expats take out insurance to cover the difference. The government provides free treatment for people who are seriously or terminally ill. Private hospitals and clinics tend to specialise to a greater degree than public hospitals. The French government is active in negotiating reasonable fees in the private sector. The essential element of the art of conversation is the argumentation and rhetorical tools used to convince an interlocutor. This approach is learned at school. French children learn to argue a thesis, antithesis, and synthesis when preparing essays. This teaches them to argue their point, argue against their own argument, then develop a summary. With highways crisscrossing the country, driving in France is a pleasure, although parking in cities is limited and expensive. Motorway tolls are high, but you can avoid them by taking detours along more scenic roads. If you’re from the EU, you can use your driving licence from home. Expats from outside the EU must have an international licence and convert to a French licence within six months of arriving in the country. Next time you’re recapping a trip you went on, try sharing a funny story or something you learned about the culture, rather than running through a laundry list of sights you saw A small selection of freshly cooked dishes to collect exclusively every Thursday, chilled, easily reheated for a French Living experience at home!Coursing out your food is a an easy switch, but it really elevates the meal and makes it feel so much fancier; like a special event instead of just a daily part of life. It also forces us to slow down while we are eating, which makes dinner more of an event and allows for more conversation. It also helps us feel satisfied with less. Since we are obsessed with all things French lifestyle, there are many French lifestyle tips that we’ve slowly adopted or are trying to adopt. France is one of our favorite countries to travel to and a large part of that is because we absolutely love French lifestyle habits. Our recent three week road trip around France opened our eyes to the French mentality of how to live well.

Mossuz-Lavau attributes this historical French reluctance to three factors. First, there is the role of Catholicism which “is a religion for the poor” and gives a negative image of personal enrichment. Then, there is the influence of Marxism whose (oversimplified) ideology is that “profit is bad”. In “Le Peintre de la vie moderne” (The Painter of Modern Life) published in 1863, Charles Baudelaire wrote: “For the perfect flâneur, for the passionate spectator, it is an immense joy to set up house in the heart of the multitude, amid the ebb and flow of movement, in the midst of the fugitive and the infinite”.

Follow your own schedule.Perhaps it’s Friday or even Saturday night, everyone must be out doing something, staying up late, right? Wrong.Your daily schedule is one that works for you and those you spend your time with. Perhaps you prefer Wednesday evenings out because Thursdays are lighter days at work and you enjoy spending your weekends waking up early and getting things done. Whatever schedule works for your goals, intentions, health, family, etc – adhere to it and don’t apologize. After all, our lives, needs and desires change, listen to what is nudging you, calling your name and that is where you will find the unexpected beauty. France differs to the UK in many ways, and the business workplace is no exception to this general rule. Once I lived in London, I realized what I was missing the most in Paris was not the Eiffel Tower or the party spirit but rather the endless conversations, on the terrasses, with friends just to “refaire le monde”. As cliché as it sounds, practicing the “joy of living” is one of the most fundamental components of French life. Now, this doesn’t mean dancing around town and singing about how great life is (although you can if you want!).