…From aristocratic extravagance to everyday condiment In 2022, French mustard shortages have made the popular condiment scarce on supermarket shelves around the world, owing in […]
The History and Origins of Dijon Mustard
Around France
Why is June 18, 1940 an Important Date in French History?
In France, June 18th is recognized every year as a solemn and important date in the nation’s history. But what makes the day such an […]
Annals in Weird French History: The Strasbourg Dancing Plague of 1518
Of all the plagues that hit Europe during the Middle Ages, the epidemic known as the “Dancing plague” of Strasbourg is certainly the strangest and […]
Lola Tillyaeva (Till)’s La Maison de l’Ouzbékistan is a Portal to Central Asia in the Heart of Paris
(Sponsored Feature) The French capital allows visitors to immerse themselves in fashion, art and culture. Galleries, museums, and boutiques representing cultures from across the globe […]
Paris Movie Walks: Explore Famous Film Locations in the Capital
Cinema buffs with a forthcoming trip planned to Paris will find a wealth of entertaining knowledge about French cinematic history in this relatively slim but […]
French Christmas Traditions to Enjoy This Year, Abroad or at Home
While many French Christmas traditions are ones that are shared by cultures elsewhere in Europe or even globally, some are a bit more distinctive. From […]
The French Revolutionary Calendar: An Odd Relic From the 1790s
One thing we take for granted, especially in the industrial era, is the keeping of time– and a stable, standardized way to measure its passage. […]
Can Space-Grown Vines Offer Clues to the Future of French Winemaking?
These France-based companies have teamed up to find out. It sounds like something straight from a sci-fi novel: scientists developing new techniques for growing edible […]
French Etiquette 101: Myths, Realities, & a Bit of History
Any cursory Google search on the rules of French etiquette can send you down a rabbit hole of exasperated forum posts on TripAdvisor or Reddit– […]
5 Classic French Desserts & Sweets for Christmas
As this goes to press, December has snuck up on us– and I find myself craving a few classic French desserts and sweet nibbles typically […]
Bordeaux’s Cité du Vin: A Modern Temple to Wine (Making & Tasting)
It would take a 21st-century team of curators and wine experts for Bordeaux to get its Cité du Vin, a massive complex dedicated to wine […]
Lore & Legends: A Few Famous French Ghosts & Hauntings
Lore about ghosts and haunted places doesn’t figure prominently in French culture– at least not as much as it does in places like the US, […]
Voices from Drancy, one of France’s Most Important Holocaust Memorial Sites
In March of 2020, I made a short trip from Paris that was a long time coming. I boarded a train, then a bus, to […]
History of Champagne: How the English Helped Birth Bubbly, & Other Facts
There’s something deceptively timeless about raising a toast over a glass of champagne (or some other form of sparkling white wine). It’s easy to imagine […]
Why Brittany Butter is Salted (& Coveted): A Bit of History
My partner and I almost always have a block of salted Brittany butter in the fridge, and usually there’s a “backup” somewhere in the freezer, […]
Exploring French Basque Country, on Spain’s Doorstep: A Guide to Hendaye, France
Basque country is one of those fascinating “liminal” spaces that crosses cultural and linguistic borders. Straddling France and Spain, the area is in fact an […]
The 5 Best Places for Wine Tasting in Bordeaux: Bars & More in the City Center
A couple of years ago, I spent a little under six weeks living and working in Bordeaux, as I prepared to write a local guide. […]
A Short History of French Macarons, From Saint-Emilion to Paris
On a recent trip to the fortified medieval town of Saint-Emilion, my partner and I stayed in a lovely B&B plunged in the middle of […]
10 of the Best Day Trips From Paris by Train: Fantastic Getaways
Some might ask why it would be necessary to plot short excursions away from a city as diverse and interesting as Paris. After all, doesn’t […]
