NewsletterMay 2017

Rapeseed in France

April in France means yellow, as that's when the rapeseed comes into bloom. Below are some photos of rapeseed fields in Burgundy.

Presidential Election

It seems the only surprise in the first round of the French presidential election was, no surprise. The vote count in terms of percentage of the vote was just about what the final polls said. With the top four vote getters - Emmanuel Macron (24%), Marine Le Pen (21.3%), François Fillon (20%) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon (19.5%) within less than 5% of each other. Showing just how close the vote was. Macron and Le Pen now face each other in the May 7th runoff, with Macron favored to win.
Even if Le Pen loses by 15-20%, as polls now show, it would be a great improvement on her father's second round score in 2002 of almost 18%. Showing how successful she has been in bringing her far-right party, the Front national (FN) into the mainstream. As her anti-globalization, anti-immigrant, France for the French message has found more voters.
It remains to be seen if Le Pen can transform the FN into a party that can win presidential and parliamentary elections and lead a governing coalition. France has a strong president, that has king like powers but the president must be backed up with a parliamentary majority to govern. If Macron does win, it will be interesting to see if his En Marche (EM) party, founded in April 2016 can an get a working majority in the French parliament. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for June 11th and June 18th. It also remains to be seen if the untested Macron, who has never held elected office and three years ago was unknown, can govern and implement his program.

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French and English Communication Services: Experienced translator, proofreader, interpreter, voiceover talent and narrator. Teacher and Tutor in the language combination of French and English.
Normandie-WWII International Film Festival June 2017: Will be held in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont and Carentan Normandy, France from June 2-5, 2017. A red carpet event on June 2nd at the Utah Beach Museum, open to the public, will be held in honor of 2nd Ranger and D-Day Pointe-du-Hoc veteran George Klein. Also in attendance on June 2nd will be actors from the Band of Brothers television series, film producers and directors and World War II Veterans. The evening features food, drink and a great panel discussion with WWII veterans, Band of Brothers actors, producers and directors involved in the festival.
Artisan Central: An online directory of pre-checked, highly skilled artisans working throughout France - artisans you can trust. Our members are proud to share their customer reviews; confident they provide excellent customer service and the highest quality of workmanship. Our members represent Artisan Central’s principles of quality, skill and professionalism.

Almost Summer Reading

La Vie Rustic: Cooking and Living in the French Style: James Beard Award winning author Georgeanne Brennan shares a lifetime of French farmhouse cooking—combining ingredients from forest, field, sea, and stream—in casual meals for friends and family. Following an approach to daily cooking that’s rooted firmly in the French tradition, Brennan crafts recipes driven by the seasons and the outdoors. Paired with lovely lifestyle photography, this inspiring cookbook weaves together her personal experience, stories, and tips about how to create a sustainable life—one that celebrates the relationship between the land and the table, and among food, family, and friends—no matter where you reside.
How to Make a French Family: A Memoir of Love, Food, and Faux Pas: Take one French widower, his two young children, and drop a former city girl from Chicago into a small town in southwestern France. Shake vigorously... and voilá: a blended Franco-American family whose lives will all drastically change.
One Sip at a Time: Learning to Live in Provence: Can a two-career couple really pick up stakes and move to Provence? Keith and Val had a dream – to live in Provence, the land of brilliant sunlight, charming hilltop villages and the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean. But there were two problems: they weren’t French speakers and they had full-time jobs. So they came up with a plan…
A Garden In Sarlat: Fulfilling an ambition to run a bed and breakfast in The Dordogne: When David and Wendy made the decision to sell almost everything they owned and walk away from the businesses they had spent years building up they never doubted for a minute that their new life running a bed and breakfast in the Dordogne valley, South-West France would be harder work than anything they had tried before. They knew that it was a massive gamble.

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