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French Food Cont.

Hey fellow adventurers! I made (with help) some popular French food with my husband and family. First, I’ll talk a little bit more about French food and then I’ll share the recipes I followed. As well as pictures of the food I made.

I’ve already somewhat covered this but I want to talk about every day, non-restaurant etiquette. The French have family-style sit down meals three times a day with lunch being the most important. And no snacks! In France, eating is something to be savored not on-the-go or while distracted. Even coworkers eat together family-style. If a coworker were to grab a bite to eat by themselves, it would be considered rude or an insult. Lunch and dinner are generally three course meals. Three course meals typically consist of an appetizer (salad, soup, paté), the main course (generally a meat or fish dish with potatoes, rice, pasta and/or vegetables) and a cheese plate or dessert. French kids must eat the same things as the adults do. There’s no kids’ food versus adults’ food. The French believe in teaching kids how to eat healthy at a young age so they carry those good habits into adulthood. There’s also an emphasis on locally grown, fresh food in French cuisine.

I tried to make beignets which is a French doughnut. However, I failed miserably… whoops!

My husband took over and they were beautiful! We cheated and used pre-made batter from World Market but I’ll provide a recipe for those that love to bake (or you can be lazy like me). They were so good! They were light, fluffy and didn’t have an overwhelming flavor so presumably taste like whatever you pair them with (powdered sugar for us). If you do make these, I highly recommend you drink coffee with them! We had an iced mocha with ours (café Au chocolat?) and it made the whole meal that much better! We ate it on my back patio, with the café music playlist I mentioned at the end of the music post, so that it felt like we were eating on a café terrace. Recipe here:

http://www.jocooks.com/bakery/pastries/beignets/

And for lunch I made croque-monsieurs for my family (my family do eat meat so I’ll share pictures of both the meat and vegetarian version). Croque-monsieurs are baked or fried ham and cheese sandwiches that are typically served at French Cafés. I followed the same recipe for both versions and in the vegetarian sandwich, switched out the ham for a soy lunch meat substitute. My family loved the meat version! As for me, I really enjoyed the vegetarian version but I might use a more flavorful lunch meat next time. Recipe here: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/croque-monsieur

Vegetarian version:

Regular version:

I wanted to make a vegetarian French onion soup as well but I got sick so it never happened. I’m sorry. I’ll still provide the links to the recipe I was going to make and the meat version. I’ve had French onion soup before though. It’s pretty salty with a (obviously) strong onion taste, and a lot of cheese! For those who’ve never had it, it tastes like a liquid form of onion potato chips with cheese on top. I’m a fan and would highly recommend it if you like onions. Once again, I’m sorry that I can’t vouch for either of these recipes.

Vegetarian version: https://www.google.com/amp/www.homesweetjones.com/2015/01/best-vegetarian-french-onion-soup/amp/

Regular version: https://www.google.com/amp/www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/french-onion-soup-recipe2-1947434.amp

And that’s it for the food section of France! If there were any recipes that you felt should have been included or just want to share, please feel free to comment below! Or if you made any of these recipes, feel free to share pictures! I would love to see! Until the next adventure!

French Food

In the future, I’m going to talk about snacks that are popular in a certain country. However, as I said before the French don’t snack so I went to World Market and bought non-snack food from France, and that’s what I’m going to talk about today! Though honestly when I went to France, I would snack on a baguette throughout the day (the family I was staying with would have thrown them away otherwise).

I bought a caramel candy, Carambar, which can best be described as a caramel tootsie roll. It has the shape, look and consistency of a tootsie roll but when you bite into it, all the caramel-y goodness comes out (I love caramel!). These were cute, fun, little candies! However, some of my family didn’t like how sticky and chewy they are so if you don’t like that then these aren’t for you. My favorite thing about them is the jokes that have inside of them! I love candies with jokes! My favorite joke:

Que dit une vache lorsqu’elle recontre un homme?

(What does a cow say when she meets a man?)
Bonjour, Meeeuuuhsieur!

Madeleines are popular tiny sponge cake-like cakes that have a unique shape. You should be able to find a madeleine baking pan at most kitchen supply shops. But I didn’t do that. I bought pre-made madeleines from World Market. They probably would have tasted better if I made them but they still tasted good. It tasted like a lemon vanilla sponge cake. They were a huge hit with my family too!

If you want to try making madeleines yourself, this looks like a good recipe (you will need a madeleine pan):

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-classic-lemon-madeleines-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-187109

And then of course I needed to try French wine! I bought this fancy AF looking Chardonnay from France! I’m not generally a fan of wine but it was really good! My husband and I shared it (he was sick though so he got to drink out of the cup-looking thing that topped the bottle. I’m seriously in love with the packaging of this though!

And finally, we bought some French water. Once again, I’m really impressed with the packaging! Very cute! It tastes very different from the water I normally buy (I normally fill up a 5-gallon jug of water at a water station). It wasn’t better or worse, just different! I liked it. I’m one of those people that love the taste of water though. For those that are curious, it described itself as (I love how water companies advertise their water):

“SANA PER AQUAM or Health by Water is how the Romans described this non-carbonated natural mineral water which is unique to Ardèche (France) where the CHANTEMERLE flows under the volcanic rocks.”

Until the next adventure!

French Restaurants

Hey guys! This week we’re going to be talking about French food! And to start off with, we’re going to cover French restaurants. First, we’ll cover French etiquette since this is huge in France! Then I’ll talk about my experience at a French-inspired restaurant here in San Diego. Sorry, for anyone who thought I might talk about the French restaurants I went to in France. I was fifteen at the time, and it was ten years ago so my memory isn’t the greatest.

I’ve mentioned this multiple times but I’ll say it again, the French care about etiquette! They don’t eat a lot of snacks so every meal is a family-style sit down meal. According to French culture, it’s not okay to:

  • Order just an appetizer
  • Split a meal with someone else (that’s an insult to the chef who proportioned it for one person)
  • Ask for a substitution/replacement (unless you have a food allergy, the chef will feel insulted)
  • Ask for something that’s not on the table (if there’s no butter/salt/pepper/etc. then it’s because the dish, in the eyes of the chef, is so tasty that it doesn’t need it… you want to tell the chef otherwise?)
  • Don’t expect bread to be served as an appetizer (often bread is served to absorb sauces served with your meal)
  • Don’t ask the waiter to run separate tabs (French waiters aren’t like American waiters, from the U.S., they don’t have the saying “the customer is always right” and lean more towards the customer is always wrong)
  • Don’t leave a tip (the tip is always included in the bill so if you leave more money, you just look like a snob)
  • Don’t ask for leftovers (the French look down on “doggie bags”)
  • Don’t place hands or elbows on the table
  • Don’t Instagram your food

Things to do:

  • Feel free to ask for tap water in a carafe (they’ll try to push bottle on you but don’t feel obliged to drink bottled water)
  • Have wine with your meal (but don’t feel obliged to)
  • To order coffee whenever you want (the French drink it with breakfast, lunch and dinner)
  • Use your utensils more than your hands (there’s very few finger food)
  • Dress up a bit (in general the French dress up more than us here in the U.S. – especially us here in CA)
  • Pay attention to the time you eat (most French people believe lunch should be between 12-2pm and dinner is 8-10pm)
  • If you’re a non-French speaker in France: don’t assume your waiter speaks English/Spanish/etc. (always ask)
  • Accept the aperitif (pre-dinner drink) even if you want it to be non-alcoholic
  • Feel free to make reservations (recommended for small or fancy establishments)

First of all, my husband and I are pescatarians so anything that we buy/eat are going to be vegetarian (or fish). However, if there is anything that I convert from a meat dish to a vegetarian dish, I’ll include both recipes. We went to this place in Mission Valley called Mimi’s Café which is a really cute French-inspired restaurant.

For lunch, I had coffee and split a shrimp pasta dish with my husband. It was AMAZING! And then we each had our own bowl of tomato basil soup. Once again, so good!!! And we got a basket of bread for the table (DELICIOUS!). I loved everything about that meal!

But then we had the birthday crêpe cake… and it was just wrong. Everything about it was wrong. It tasted like sugary toothpaste on sponge cake. And probably was more American (U.S.) than French but the dish we ordered wasn’t available so they brought us that instead. DO GO HERE, but for dessert, stick to the muffins. I didn’t have one cause this month’s is pineapple and I’m allergic to pineapple but they smelled good.

We loved Mimi’s so much that we went back for breakfast! This time my husband had the coffee while I sipped on a mimosa. Yummmmmmmm! And we both had the egg, spinach and cheese crêpes with potatoes. Two thumbs up!

Here are some recipes close to what we ate:

French bread: http://steamykitchen.com/75-baking-the-perfect-loaf-of-french-bread.html

Tomato basil soup: http://mimiscafeathome.blogspot.com/2013/03/tomato-basil-soup.html

Shrimp Pasta (for this recipe: replace the last three ingredients with fresh basil, broccoli and tomatoes): http://damndelicious.net/2015/03/13/garlic-butter-shrimp-pasta/

Birthday crêpe cake (for those of you who think you can do better): http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2017/01/birthday-crepe-cake.html

Egg, Spinach and cheese crêpes: http://mimiscafeathome.blogspot.com/2016/02/crepes-florentine.html

Mango mimosa: http://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/recipes/a3640/mango-mimosa-recipe-clv0511/

 

Bon appétit!

 

P.S. This might be weird but I’m really impressed whenever a restaurant has a decent bathroom, and the bathrooms at Mimi’s Café are really cool!

French Scents

*sniff* *sniff* Hmmmmmmm smells like France. Ummm okay, I tried to make this sound normal but I’ll admit, this is a weird post. However, I was thinking about the five senses, and if possible, I want to try to evoke all five of them. Let’s try it and see where it goes.

I already mentioned how the French are known for their fashion so of course we need to talk about perfume/cologne. In France, the perfume/cologne you wear defines you so choose wisely. I would love to be able to try to explain what the different perfumes/colognes smell like but honestly, expensive perfume/cologne all smells the same to me. I’ll list the top five most mentioned brands and if you want, you can watch some commercials for that brand (I personally love to watch their commercials; they’re so over the top). The first two are clearly the most popular brands and everything after that I’m less certain of.

#1 Chanel

First you get the ad I would expect from Chanel:

Next, they have an inspirational video:

And they even have one for people that enjoy Kristen Stewart (yes, that Kristen Stewart) going crazy!:

#2 Dior

I read the biggest difference between Chanel and Dior is that Chanel was more formal and Dior caters more to a younger audience. You can see that in their commercials:

But they also have the more stereotypical ad too:

#3 Guerlain

#4 Chloe

#5 Yves Saint Laurent

Finally, an ad featuring a guy (I promise I’m trying to make my male readers feel included too)

Learn more about Chanel and Dior here:

https://brandstrategymanagement.wordpress.com/2014/11/20/why-dior-and-chanel/

If you’re interested in the psychology of perfume (I don’t know how accurate it is but it was interesting none the less):

https://www.scentbird.com/blog/psychology-perfumes/

And for you chefs and foodies out there, he’s a list of traditional French spices:

https://naturalgourmetinstitute.com/traditional-flavor-profiles-french-herbs-and-spices/

And then of course, statistically, a little more than twice the amount of people smoke cigarettes in France versus the United States. With the most popular brand being Gauloises.

French Fashion (Women’s and Men’s)

I’ll be honest with you guys. I’m not really into fashion and therefore know very little about it. Half of my clothes have graphics on them (and a lot of those are Doctor Who and Harry potter). That said, I’m really interested in how people from other countries dress in their everyday lives. And because of that, I’m going to be focusing more on everyday life and less on model type fashion that no normal person can afford.

It seems like doing a blog about French fashion should be a given. After all, Paris is regarded by most to be the fashion capital of the world, and there are plenty of fashion boutiques in Paris to keep it that way. Not to mention a lot of French fashion brands have their headquarters in Paris (brands like Chanel, Luis Vuitton, Dior, Lacroix and more).

These are what every blog post I’ve read agrees on for French fashion (this applies to both women and men):

  • Sneakers are only okay to wear if you’re working out
  • Outfits should be a bit dressed up
  • At the same time, keep it simple
  • Spend time looking for a style that suits your body type
  • Most of your wardrobe should be neutral colors: black, white and beige (your accessories can add pops of color to your wardrobe)
  • Quality matters more than quantity (spend more on a few quality items rather than buying a bunch of cheap items)
  • Scarves
  • Layer your outfit
  • Don’t spend a lot of time on your hair

Some of the more popular French Instagram accounts that focus on fashion:

https://www.instagram.com/baptiste.giabiconi/

https://www.instagram.com/carolinedemaigret/

https://www.instagram.com/matthieucharneau/

https://www.instagram.com/jeannedamas/

https://www.instagram.com/davidagbodji/

https://www.instagram.com/dennielias/

https://www.instagram.com/willycartier/

https://www.instagram.com/adenorah/

If you would prefer to follow French models, Vogue has got you:

http://www.vogue.com/article/paris-fashion-week-french-models

Speaking of models, France has cracked down on the promotion of anorexia this year by passing a law in May that makes it a requirement for models to get certified that they’re healthy by a doctor (every 2 years). And in addition to this, not disclosing that you retouched a photo is subject to a fine. Read more about this in the New York Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/08/fashion/france-laws-thin-models.html

Or if you prefer BBC:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39821036

Tips on how to dress like a French woman:

http://stylecaster.com/french-women/

Tips on how to dress like a French man:

https://theidleman.com/manual/advice/dress-like-parisian/

The History of French fashion (I recommend – very interesting):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_fashion

Refinery 29’s take on French fashion (an American fashion blog):

http://www.refinery29.com/french-style

French Stories

Let’s discuss books, y’all! I love books so much that this, of course, get its own blog post! There is an abundant of amazing published French writers, dead and alive, so I’m sorry if I don’t mention your favorite book/author. Below, I’ll talk about some of the most iconic French books. Feel free to add any of these to your summer reading list (if you haven’t already read them). All descriptions are from the Barnes and Noble Website. Click on the book title to go to the Barnes and Noble site.

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo: “One of the first great novels of the Romantic era, Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame has thrilled generations of readers with its powerfully melodramatic story of Quasimodo, the deformed hunchback who lives in the bell tower of medieval Paris’s most famous cathedral.

Feared and hated by all, Quasimodo is looked after by Dom Claude Frollo, a stern, cold priest who ignores the poor hunchback in the face of his frequent public torture. But someone steps forward to help—the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda, whose single act of kindness fills Quasimodo with love. Can the hunchback save the lovely gypsy from Frollo’s evil plan, or will they all perish in the shadows of Notre Dame?

An epic tale of beauty and sadness, The Hunchback of Notre Dame portrays the sufferings of humanity with compassion and power.”

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo: “Sensational, dramatic, packed with rich excitement and filled with the sweep and violence of human passions, Les Misérables is not only superb adventure but a powerful social document. The story of how the convict Jean-Valjean struggled to escape his past and reaffirm his humanity, in a world brutalized by poverty and ignorance, became the gospel of the poor and the oppressed.”

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas:Mixing a bit of seventeenth-century French history with a great deal of invention, Alexandre Dumas tells the tale of young D’Artagnan and his musketeer comrades, Porthos, Athos and Aramis. Together they fight to foil the schemes of the brilliant, dangerous Cardinal Richelieu, who pretends to support the king while plotting to advance his own power. Bursting with swirling swordplay, swooning romance, and unforgettable figures such as the seductively beautiful but deadly femme fatale, Milady, and D’Artagnan’s equally beautiful love, Madame Bonacieux, The Three Musketeers continues, after a century and a half of continuous publication, to define the genre of swashbuckling romance and historical adventure.”

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas:Dashing young Edmond Dantès has everything. He is engaged to a beautiful woman, is about to become the captain of a ship, and is well liked by almost everyone. But his perfect life is shattered when he is framed by a jealous rival and thrown into a dark prison cell for 14 years.

The greatest tale of betrayal, adventure, and revenge ever written, The Count of Monte Cristo continues to dazzle readers with its thrilling and memorable scenes, including Dantès’s miraculous escape from prison, his amazing discovery of a vast hidden treasure, and his transformation into the mysterious and wealthy Count of Monte Cristo—a man whose astonishing thirst for vengeance is as cruel as it is just.”

The Stranger by Albert Camus:Through the story of an ordinary man unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on an Algerian beach, Camus explored what he termed “the nakedness of man faced with the absurd.””

The Plague by Albert Camus:A haunting tale of human resilience in the face of unrelieved horror, Camus’ novel about a bubonic plague ravaging the people of a North African coastal town is a classic of twentieth-century literature.”

Candide by François-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire): Caustic and hilarious, Candide has ranked as one of the world’s great satires since its first publication in 1759. It concerns the adventures of the youthful Candide, disciple of Dr. Pangloss, who was himself a disciple of Leibniz. In the course of his travels and adventures in Europe and South America, Candide saw and suffered such misfortune that it was difficult for him to believe this was “the best of all possible worlds” as Dr. Pangloss had assured him. Indeed, it seemed to be quite the opposite. In brilliantly skewering such naïveté, Voltaire mercilessly exposes and satirizes romance, science, philosophy, religion, and government — the ideas and forces that permeate and control the lives of men.”

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert:The publication in 1857 of Madame Bovary, with its vivid depictions of sex and adultery, incited a backlash of immorality charges. The novel tells the story of Emma Bovary, a doctor’s wife bored and unfulfilled by marriage and motherhood. She embarks upon a series of affairs in search of passion and excitement, but is unable to achieve the splendid life for which she yearns. Instead, she finds herself trapped in a downward spiral that inexorably leads to ruin and self-destruction.”

Gargantua and of Pantagruel by François Rabelais: “Parodying everyone from classic authors to his own contemporaries, the dazzling and exuberant stories of Rabelais expose human follies with mischievous and often obscene humor. Gargantua depicts a young giant who becomes a cultured Christian knight. Pantagruel portrays Gargantua’s bookish son who becomes a Renaissance Socrates, divinely guided by wisdom and by his idiotic, self-loving companion, Panurge.”

La Belle et la Bête by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve: “This is the first published version of Beauty and the Beast, written by the French author Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in the mid-18th century and translated by James Robinson Planché. It is a novel-length story intended for adult readers, addressing the issues of the marriage system of the day in which women had no right to choose their husband or to refuse to marry. There is also a wealth of rich back story as to how the Prince became cursed and revelations about Beauty’s parentage, which fail to appear in subsequent versions of the now classic fairy tale.”

This next one wasn’t sold on Barnes and Noble. The description is from Wikipedia and the link will send you to Amazon. Sorry about that.

Le Petit Prince by Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger:The Little Prince is a poetic tale, with watercolour illustrations by the author, in which a pilot stranded in the desert meets a young prince fallen to Earth from a tiny asteroid. The story is philosophical and includes social criticism, remarking on the strangeness of the adult world. It was written during a period when Saint-Exupéry fled to North America subsequent to the Fall of France during the Second World War, witnessed first hand by the author and captured in his memoir Flight to Arras. The adult fable, according to one review, is actually ‘…an allegory of Saint-Exupéry’s own life—his search for childhood certainties and interior peace, his mysticism, his belief in human courage and brotherhood, and his deep love for his wife Consuelo but also an allusion to the tortured nature of their relationship.’”

If you want to read popular French folktales:

http://oaks.nvg.org/french-folktales.html

Learn more about the history of French Folklore:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_folklore

If you have any more suggestions of great reads by French authors, leave them in the comment section below!

La Fête Nationale

Today, there’s two blog posts! The first is my usual blog and the second is in honor of the 14th of July!! Joyeux  Le 14 Juillet!

La Fête Nationale, more commonly called Le 14 Juillet (or Bastille Day outside of France), is a day that commemorates the Storming of the Bastille, a turning point of the French Revolution, as well as the Fête de la Fédération which celebrated the unity of the French people. The senate chose the 14th of July over the 4th of August, which would have commemorated the end of the feudal system. However, La Fête Nationale is a day to not only remember the beginning of the French Revolution but also celebrate French pride.

I said in an earlier post that I was going to come back to the storming of the Bastille. Many consider the storming of the Bastille to be the start of the French Revolution. To catch you up on what had been happening right before this: the recent wars (Seven Year’s War and American Revolutionary War) left the French bankrupt, a highly inefficient tax system screwed over the poor, years of bad harvests lead to increased food prices, malnutrition, and hunger, and the rich couldn’t give a damn about the majority of France’s problems. Cool, we’re caught up again. The Bastille, a medieval fortress of a prison that dominated over Paris with its eight 30-meter-high towers, had become a symbol of the monarchy’s dictatorial rule and storming the Bastille became one of the defining moments of the Revolution. The French, sick of all the BS, gathered around the Bastille, demanding the surrender of the prison, as well as the release of the arms and ammunition being kept there (over 30,000 lbs of gun powder). At this point, the Bastille was nearly empty (there was only 7 unimportant prisoners) and it was honestly more money than it was worth. The defenders of the Bastille tried to negotiate with the crowd for several hours. A small group from the crowd sneaked into the inner courtyard and broke the chains of the drawbridge, lowering it down. Soldiers called out for the crowd to back down but through the noise and confusion, the crowd misheard an invite to enter. Thinking the crowd was intentionally going against their orders, the soldiers starting shooting at the invading crowd. The crowd thinking they’ve been lured into a trap soon became an angry mob and the event became violent. Eventually the mob won and King Louis XVI found out about it the following day. There’s some really cool art about the storming of the Bastille, feel free to check it out here.

How do people celebrate the 14th of July? It’s mostly celebrated in Paris. Traditionally, there are barbecues on the night of the 13th with singing and dancing. Then the morning of the 14th, every year since 1880, on the Champs Elysées in Paris, they hold a parade in honor of the French military. A lot of people like to go picnicking at the park today. In the evening, they finish the day with firework displays. Outside of France, most people see this as day to celebrate French culture and food.

A highlight of today’s parade:

And the fireworks (30 mins long – they’re pretty cool):

VIVE LA FRANCE!!!!!

French Music

Since we were just talking about media a couple days ago, I thought we should cover music today. I found several lists of most popular music in France this week but I decided to go with YouTube’s list. I had no expectations of what type of music would be on the list but was pleasantly surprised. It was mostly hip hop and pop, just like you would expect for the US’s top 40. I’m confident that some of the songs listed were on the US’s top 40 at some time (songs like Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” and Katy Perry’s “Chained to the Rhythm”). I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going to check out some of these artists’ other songs, especially Lartiste. I highly suggest not just listening but watching the music videos. Some of them are very entertaining!

But of course, like with any country, not everyone listens to the most popular music. In fact, I know that some of you reading this, don’t like that type of music at all. Another type of French music that people like to listen to is French operas. Although operas have been around in France since the 17th century, most of the well-known operas come from the 19th century. Here’s a list of popular French opera songs:

And of course, French folk music! French folk music is a relatively new trend, not becoming popular until the 20th century. But has now become a popular music to play at festivals, concerts and bals folks!

If you’re planning a romantic evening, or just want some soothing music, check out:

If you guys know any good French music, please comment below!

Additional Reading:

http://french.lovetoknow.com/History_of_French_Music

French Media

Today I’m going to talk about French media. I think you can tell a lot about a country through their media. However, I could be biased. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and an emphasis in social media studies. So first we’re going to focus on social media, then news outlets and finally popular TV shows.

To clarify, when I say social media, I’m talking about networking services that allow the user to express themselves and communicate through virtual communities. In many ways, the French try to remain as French as possible. What I mean is that they resist outside influences, especially Anglo-Saxon influence. Under the premise of not wanting to promote American companies, it is illegal to say “Facebook” or “Twitter” on French TV or radio stations. Social media is actively discouraged by the French government, and for the amount of people who have access to the Internet (80%), the use of social media is low in France. All that said, the two most popular social media networks in France are Facebook (a social networking service where users can create profiles, exchange messages, and post status updates, images, and digital links) and Twitter (a news and social networking service where users can post messages, aka “tweets”, that are limited to 140 characters).

Other popular platforms (click on the names to go to the websites):

  • LinkedIn: a business oriented social networking site that is mostly used for professional networking.
  • Skyrock: a French blogging site.
  • Badoo: a dating social networking site.
  • Viadeo: a Paris-based business oriented social networking site (similar to LinkedIn).
  • Trombi: a French social networking site that focuses on connecting with former classmates from school.
  • Instagram: a photo-sharing service that allows users to share pictures and videos.
  • Tumblr: a microblogging website.
  • Pinterest: a networking system that allows people to share information.

French social media use is especially prevalent during and after tragic events. When tragic events happen, social media is often updated quicker and more frequently than normal news outlets since people can post updates as it’s happening. Afterwards, French people show support and national pride via social networks. After the terrorist attack in Paris in November 2015, people responded with #prayforparis and #PorteOuverte (open door). Overall though, social media hasn’t had a large impact on France, especially not for those over the age of 30. According to polls, it hasn’t had a huge impact on communication or everyday life.

Compared to other European Nations, the French don’t put as much importance on the news. Smaller, regional newspapers are more popular than large, national ones. The newspapers that are still around are struggling since there has been a decline in sales since the early 2000’s. The most popular and most highly praised newspaper is Le Monde. Though TV news seems to be the most popular way of getting news in France. There’s not a lot of information about popular news outlets; probably since it’s not popular in France.

The following list is popular TV series in France. I’ll put the French name first and then the American name, when possible, in parenthesis. I did a Google search for most popular TV series in France and this is what I found (click on the French names if you want to see trailers):

  • Engrenages (Spiral): a police and legal drama that takes place in Paris.
  • Versailles: a show that follows Louis XIV during his reign as King.
  • Le Bureau des légendes (The Bureau): a political thriller that follows the lives of agents that work for the General Directorate of External Security (DGSE).
  • Un Village Français (A French Village): a show that follows the inhabitants of the French, German-occupied village of Villeneuve during World War II.
  • Fais Pas Ci, Fais Pas Ça(Desperate Parents): a mockumentary about two neighboring families, who are also friends, that have conflicting viewpoints (especially when it comes to raising children).
  • PJ Masks: Based on the novel series, Les Pyjamasques, the show follows three kids that become super heroes by night.
  • Les Revenants (The Returned): a supernatural drama about the reappearance of presumed-dead people, and the strange phenomena that follows.
  • Les Témoins (Witnesses): a police drama where dead bodies keep mysteriously appearing.
  • The Voice: la plus belle voix (The Voice: the Most Beautiful Voice): France’s version of The Voice; a reality show where competitors compete to see who has the best voice.
  • Danse avec les stars (Dance with the stars): France’s version of Strictly Come Dancing; a reality show where competitors compete to see who the best dancers are.

From what I read, the most popular types of shows in France appear to be crime dramas. If you think any more TV shows should be added to this list, please feel free to comment below.

Additional Reading:

http://mashable.com/2011/06/03/twitter-facebook-mentions-banned-france/#w4xAz6IPimq8

http://www.extradigital.co.uk/articles/social-media/social-media-use-france.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-34836214

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17299010

French Landmarks

I’m going to post some pictures of French landmarks and then talk about them a little. If there’s anything you want to add or any landmarks you feel like should have been included, feel free to comment below!

Le Tour Eiffel

The Eiffel Tower, possibly France’s most iconic landmark, was constructed for the 1889’s World Fair (where they celebrated the 100th year since the storming of the bastille). It was constructed from 1887-1889, and named after the engineer whose company designed and built it, Gustave Eiffel. It is the most visited pay-to-see monument in the world. In my opinion, going up the elevator and down the stairs is the way to go (if possible)!

The guy on the Eiffel Tower elevator

This is something that few talk about but I love! This guy rides on the back of the elevator! The only reason I know this is because I saw him while I was riding the elevator up (and was so shocked). And then again walking down the stairs.

L’Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile

Inspired by the Roman Arc of Titus, the Arc de Triomphe honors the soldiers that fought and died in the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. The name of the victories and generals are inscribed on the arc, and beneath it resides the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Le Louvre

The Louvre is the largest, and most visited, museum in the world with approximately 38,000 objects on display. It was originally built to be a fortress for Phillip II in the 12th century (there are still remnants of the fortress in the basement). As Paris began to expand, it made defending Paris with the fortress impossible, and was converted into the main residence for French Kings in 1546. In 1682, it displayed the royal collection of art, and finally in 1793, it became the museum we think of it as (but with a lot less art in 1793). You didn’t ask but my favorite piece in the Louvre is the Winged Victory of Samothrace (my favorite in general, really).

Notre-Dame de Paris

You might know the Notre-Dame from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The Notre-Dame is one of the largest and most well-known churches in the world. It is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic Architecture. The construction began in 1160 and finally ended in 1345. If you’re there, you can attend mass (it remains an operational church to this day) or take a tour. Underneath the church lies the archeological crypt, which was created in 1965 to protect the ruins discovered during the construction of the Notre-Dame.

Le Château de Versailles

Just thirty minutes outside of Paris, lies the Château de Versailles. When it was first built, it was small. However, it was expanded upon and built to be the center of politics under King Louis XIV, and remained the center until the French Revolution. I’ve never been but in pictures, it’s stunning! It’s also been classified by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to be a World Heritage site.

Le Mont Saint-Michel

Mont Saint-Michel is an island town in Normandy, France. In 2009, 44 people lived in Mont Saint-Michel, and it has been home to the monastery that gave the island its name since the 8th century (CE). The island’s easily defensible position made it so it wasn’t conquered in the Hundred Years War. It is one of France’s more recognizable landmarks with about 3 million visitors yearly. Mont Saint-Michel and its bay are classified as World Heritage Sites.

Le Pont du Gard

The Pont du Gard is an aqueduct established by the Romans in the 1st century (CE). Due to a lack of maintenance after the 4th century, the aqueduct became clogged by mineral deposits and debris that halted the flow of water and made the system unusable. Because of the uneven terrain, they needed a bridge to cross the Gardon River. That bridge has been well maintained since it’s popularly used as a toll bridge to get across the river. It is classified as a World Heritage Site.