Jeff Steiner's Americans in France.
Resource for people that would like to live or travel in France.

Attractions

Culture

Daily Life

Driving

Links

Moving Planner

Podcast/Hangouts

Q & A

Reading List

Travel Planner

Videos

Expat Store
Currency
Services

Driver's License

Events

Foods

Garbage
Disposal Units


Insurance

Learn French

Tax Services

Telephony



NewsletterApril 2015

Rue de l'Église

What's so special about this street? According to La Poste it's the most popular street name in France. Wonder what are the other most popular names? Find out!

Airplane Crash

I'm not sure much can be added to news regarding Germanwings Flight 9525, that crashed on March 24th in the French Alps. Other than, as with the Charlie Hebdo and Paris shootings in January, the worst seemed to bring out the best. Not long after the crash, locals near the crash site offered their homes to any of the victims' families that needed lodging. Just days after the crash, a monument to the victims' was erected in front of the mountain, where the plane crashed. A crash site, so isolated, an access road is being built. When debris and human remains are removed, the road will allow victims' families easier access. Without the road it takes about 45 minutes on foot to reach the cash site.

Departmental Elections

Spring in France means lots of things. One of those is elections. On March 22nd and 29th Departmental Elections took place. As expected the center-right UMP (Union pour un mouvement populaire)-UDI (Union des démocrates et indépendants) alliance succeeded in winning 28 departments previously held by the ruling PS (Parti Socialiste) and other left-wing allies. The PS was only able to take one department from the right. This marked the first electoral success of Nicolas Sarkozy since his return to politics (and running the UMP) after losing the 2012 presidential election. It was thought that the FN (Front National) might win 1-2 departments after first round voting on March 22nd. As of this writing that doesn't seem to be the case. The FN often described as ' far right', but the reality is much more nuanced. The FN of 2015 is a mix of right (anti-immigration, France for the French) and left (anti-austerity, protectionism) thinking and can't be easily pigeonholed.
Besides the results, what made this election newsworthy was the fact that, as many women as men were elected. For the first time a 'buddy system' of two candidates was implemented. Each of France's 2,054 cantons elected a man/woman pair to represent it. Women who are underrepresented in French politics, have at least in terms of numbers reached the same status as men on the departmental level. It remains to be seen how many woman will be elected president of their department. The so called 'third round' takes place on April 2nd. That's when the newly elected departmental assemblies meet to elect their president and vice-presidents.

Jan & Jeff

It's been a busy month for Jan & Jeff. The weekly Hangout I do with fellow American in France Jeanette Malleval:
March 6th: Diet Tarte Titan recipe, walnut oil 'à l'ancienne' and medical tourism in France.
March 13th: Truffles,brocantes (flea markets) and 3D puzzles.
March 20th: Seieing a dermatologist, Quiche recipe and efficient French bureaucracy.
March 27th: French Baseball, elections and Pierre Bonnard.

PS: I was also on Join us in France, where I talked about visiting Southern Burgundy.

Web & Events

Driving in France: If you are planning on driving in France then we have all the information you need. Avoid the pitfalls and discover the delights of motoring through France.
Daudruy Associates: We specialize in providing tailor made services, to accompany our clients with their real estate projects in France. We take care of the property search, we represent the interests of our clients to facilitate the purchase and move-in. We also offer a service of property management/concierge service.
French American Center of Tuffe: Events for 2015 (Sarthe department 72)
Books & Music Festival in Deauville: 9-11 May 2015
Painting Holiday in France: Treat yourself to a week of painting taught by Tom Hughes May 16-23, 2015 while discovering the magical troglodyte village of Trôo. Perched above the river Loire in the northern Loire Valley this remarkable village features unique cave houses dug into the hillside that provide stunning views over the village, river and valley. The workshop is open to students of all levels from outright beginners to experienced outdoor painters. The fundamentals (proportion, values, color) will be explained and demonstrated, as well as such finer points as aerial perspective, color harmony, use of mediums (thin vs. thick paint) washes and ways to hold the brush.
Chamonix Valley Photographic Walks: The Photo Walks continue to provide an innovative way for world-travelers and photography buffs to discover and capture scenes and scenery of the Chamonix valley. Along with the now classic OPEN Photo Walk that has already pleased so many amateur photographers, there will also be a ONE TO ONE private photo-coaching Walk geared to the photographer keen to progress while in action.
J'irai dormir chez vous: Globetrotter Antoine de Maximy continues his travels by broadcasting live and interactive on France 5 April 4th 6pm - French time. Location is unknown but should be in France. If you've never seen de Maximy's show the idea is he travels (with cameras in tow) the world tying to meet locals and sleep over at their home.

Spring Reading

The Everything Easy French Cookbook: Includes Boeuf Bourguignon, Crepes Suzette, Croque-Monsieur Maison, Quiche Lorraine, Mousse au Chocolat...and Hundreds More! (Everything Series)
Nightmare in Burgundy (The Winemaker Detective Series Book 3): After Treachery in Bordeaux, and Grand Cru Heist, our Winemaker Detective leaves his native Bordeaux to go to Burgundy for a dream wine tasting trip to Frances other key wine-making region.
Freelance in France: 2015 [Kindle Edition] The essential guide to going it alone in La République. Practical advice and information concerning the myriad of ways of working for yourself in France. Includes details of how to get started as: auto-entrepreneur, CESU déclaratif, artiste-auteur, intermittent du spectacle, travailleur indépendant, cooperative/portage employee, AERL, EIRL, EURL, SASU and SEL.
French Road Signs [Kindle Edition] Recently re-edited and updated! This ebook teaches you the 'grammar' of French road signs so you'll be able drive more safely and get to where you want to go in France with less stress. The 200+ French road signs that are translated into English are some of the common found in France.

Advertisements

Global Insurance Net: If you are thinking about moving to France you will need health insurance to get your visa. A great company that will help you with this is Global Insurance Net. I found out about Global Insurance Net in 2003 through another expat and have been recommending them ever since with no regrets. Carlos Perez the President, CEO of Global Insurance Net has always been very easy to work with.

Cote d'Azur Antibes: This beautiful apartment built in 1880 is 32 square meters or 220 sq.ft. and has been renovated with a full size bathroom, it is located in the old town district of Antibes. The apartment includes bedroom and living room with a sofa bed (sleep 3-4 people), air conditioning, cable TV, video, kitchen, large bathroom and three large closets, also the kitchen has double burner stove top, sink, under counter fridge/freezer, dishwasher, coffee maker, microwave, along with a washer/dryer.

Sign-up for the FREE Americans in France newsletter!



cookieassistant.com

HomeBack

Contact

Newletter

Classifieds

About

Search Site