Gorges du Verdon © Olivier Risnes
november ‘10 - Les Alpilles - a mountain range surrounded by a colourful and sun-kissed landscape of cypress trees, olive groves and sunflowers.
FRENCH SAVVY
© Copyright 2012. French Moments
This month, we have added an article that explains la Chandeleur in France, (candlemas) which occurs on the 2nd, which is 40 days after Christmas. This religious celebration recalls the Presentation of Jesus to the Temple, a decisive event that happened during the early years of Jesus and is described in the Bible (Gospel of Luke chapter 2 verses 22-40).
Today, for young and old alike, Chandeleur is above all known as crêpes day and generations have kept alive a collection of traditions and customs around the making of crêpes.
Also this month, discover the stunning Gorges du Verdon which Ann Pugh has discovered while walking on the Sentier Martel.
To read some of our cultural articles in French, go to our French Moments’ Blog.
Enjoy reading all our ‘French Savvy’ pages and à bientôt in February!
last month
FEBRUARY 2012
october 09 - Amboise, Loire Valley -
a little town known for its beautiful chateau in the Loire Valley.
october 09 - Gourmet Paris -
useful addresses for your next trip to Paris!
september 09 - Mosman, Australia - découvrez Mosman, dans la banlieue de Sydney ! [IN FRENCH]
september 09 - Etretat, Normandy - a breathtaking site on the coast between Le Havre and Dieppe.
april 09 - The History of the Madeleine of Commercy - a delightful story on the origins of the famous cake from Lorraine.
march 09 - Saint-Nicolas Day - what are the legends of St Nicolas and how it is celebrated in Saint-Nicolas-de-Port.
(Page updated in November 2009)
may 09 - Maisons-Laffitte - the beautiful town and its chateau in the North-Western suburbs of Paris.
may 09 - French & English prepositions - a contrastive study of the use of prepositions in English and French.
august 09 - Sundgau History - the past glory of this Southern Alsatian territory linked with Austria.
july 09 - Nancy, Place Stanislas - a magnificent square built in the heart of the Golden Gate city of Nancy.
july 09 - Paris, la Promenade plantée - a surprising walk to do for those who are visiting Paris this month!
july 09 - Bastille Day - learn how Bastille Day (la Fête Nationale) is celebrated in France!
june 09 - Savoie - a picturesque province in the French Alps.
june 09 - Vanoise National Park. The 1st of the kind to be created in France.
june 09 - Pralognan-la-Vanoise - a beautiful village right in the centre of the Vanoise range in the French Alps.
june 09 - Annecy - the capital of Haute-Savoie is famously known for its “Little Venice” and lake.
november 09 - Nancy, Old Town -
discover the Old Town of Nancy and its history.
november 09 - French Quiz - 20 questions which answer can be found somewhere in our French Life pages!
archive
december 09 - French Christmas Moments
- our homepage to Christmas in France: exciting features on how Christmas is celebrated in France.
december 09 - Metz Old Town - the ancient cathedral city, chief town of Lorraine.
november 09 - Nancy’s 18th century architectural ensemble - with its 3 squares listed by the UNESCO.
december 09 - Nancy Homepage -
a list of our pages on Nancy, Lorraine.
Many of our French Savvy pages are about the North-East of France in preparation for our 2012 French Intensive Course in France which will take place in Alsace.
january ‘10 - Metz: the German Imperial District - the urban project built by the Germans in Metz in the early 20th C.
january ‘10 - Chateau of Chantilly - the fairy-tale chateau and its estate to the North of Paris.
january ‘10 - The story behind the name ‘Sydney’ - the etymological links between Sydney, Australia and Paris, France.
january ‘10 - Metz Homepage - a list of our pages on Metz, Lorraine.
Chandeleur is time for making delicious crêpes in France! © French Moments
march ‘10 - History of Rouen - a bit of history on the capital of Normandy, where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake.
march ‘10 - Notre-Dame de Paris - follow the guide to the world’s famous church. [en français] [in English]
february ‘10 - La Chandeleur - Candlemas, Mardi-Gras and Carnival in France. This is the time for Crêpes, Waffles and Beignets.
february ‘10 - The most beautiful gothic cathedrals of Lorraine - the lofty cathedrals of Metz, Toul and Saint-Nicolas-de-Port.
march ‘10 - Paris Homepage - a list of our French Moments pages on Paris.
march ‘10 - Rouen Homepage - a list of our French Moments pages on Rouen.
march ‘10 - Rouen Cathedral - the lofty gothic church with the tallest spire in France.
march ‘10 - Old Town of Rouen - a guided tour through the main sights of Normandy’s capital.
april ‘10 - The Eiffel Tower - a series of questions and answer about Paris’ most celebrated monument.
april ‘10 - The Route des Crêtes des Vosges - the scenic route follows the crest of the Vosges, in Alsace and Lorraine.
may ‘10 - History of Strasbourg - a summary of the history of Strasbourg, from the Roman era up to today.
may ‘10 - Strasbourg Old Town - a guided tour through Strasbourg’s Old Town, which has been listed by the UNESCO as World Heritage since 1988.
may ‘10 - Strasbourg Homepage - a list of our French Moments pages on Strasbourg and practical information.
may ‘10 - Strasbourg Cathedral - the lofty church is a gothic masterpiece in the Upper Rhine region (Rhin Supérieur) with its distinctive silhouette.
may ‘10 - Strasbourg, the German Imperial District - the remarkable “Neustadt” (New Town) built by the German authorities between 1870 and 1914.
may ‘10 - Strasbourg, Capital of Europe - the European institutions in Strasbourg. The city is the symbol of European reconciliation.
june ‘10 - Alsace Wine Route - the most popular tourist itinerary in Alsace, and the charming little towns of Riquewihr, Kaysersberg and Eguisheim.
june ‘10 - Alsace Wines - the wines from the Alsatian cépages are still sold in gracefully-shaped bottles.
june ‘10 - UEFA Euro 2016 in France - the football championship will be hosted by 12 French cities in 2016.
july ‘10 - Paris, the Arc de Triomphe - the monumental triumphal arch, the tallest in Europe.
july ‘10 - Paris, La Défense and La Grande Arche - Paris’ Central Business District and the Grande Arche.
july ‘10 - Paris, the Champs-Elysées - Avenue des Champs-Elysées, the Grand and Petit Palaces.
july ‘10 - Paris Historical Axis - the grand perspective from the Louvre to the Grande Arche.
july ‘10 - Paris, the Louvre and the Tuileries - the famous museum, the Tuileries Palace and the Gardens.
july ‘10 - Paris, the Place de la Concorde - the neo-classical square and the Luxor Obelisk.
august ‘10 - Colmar - at the heart of the Alsace Wine Route, a town with a rich architectural and cultural heritage.
september ‘10 - Luberon - the area between the Vaucluse Plateau and the mountains of Luberon is home to some of the most beautiful villages: Gordes, Roussillon, Ménerbes.
september ‘10 - History of the French Textile Industry - the development of the textile and shoe industry in France.
List of our French Moments’ pages and articles.
september ‘10 - Metz Cathedral - the Gothic cathedral Saint-Etienne of Metz, nicknamed the “Lantern of God”.
september ‘10 - Art Nouveau in Nancy - the Ecole de Nancy played a major role in the development of Art Nouveau.
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october ‘10 - Chambord - the largest chateau of the Loire Valley is a remarkable piece of architecture: it is the dream of a King, transformed into reality.
october ‘10 - Ecomusée d’Alsace - the largest and most visited authentic open-air village museums in France.
november ‘10 - Saint-Rémy-de-Provence - a delightfully compact little town surrounded by lush green fields which are bordered by sturdy cypresses and poplars. Van Gogh, Les Antiques and Glanum.
november ‘10 - The Calanques of Marseille - the coast between Marseille and Cassis, made up of deep narrow valleys with sharp edges, partly submerged by the sea.
december ‘10 - Christmas in France - enter the French winter wonderland! More than 20 articles and recipes about Christmas in France...
january ’12 - Epiphany in France - the traditions of Epiphany explained.
january ’11 - The Vosges - rounded summits, pine forests, blueberry-covered meadows, and munster cheese.
february ’11 - The Dordogne Valley - the “Valley of the 6 castles” in Périgord Noir features some world famous towns and castles: Domme, La Roque-Gageac, Castelnaud, Beynac...
february ’11 - Sarlat-la-Canéda - the medieval little headcity of Périgord Noir is one of France’s most visited sites which will take you back into past.
february ’11 - La Roque-Gageac - one of France’s most beautiful villages built against a towering limestone cliff.
february ’11 - Domme - the bastide town in Périgord Noir offers spectacular views over the Dordogne Valley.
february ’11 - Castelnaud-la-Chapelle - the village of Castelnaud is famous for its medieval castle.
february ’11 - Beynac-et-Cazenac - the impregnable fortress towers over the village of Beynac.
february ’11 - Marqueyssac Gardens - the beautiful and charming gardens of Marqueyssac between Beynac and La Roque-Gageac.
march ’11 - Belfort - the ‘City of the Lion’, with its history and its massive fortifications, makes an ideal day trip if your are visiting Franche-Comté or Alsace.
NEW! French Moments’ Blog - Our blog is designed especially for our students. Mainly in French with interesting articles & thoughts about all thing French.
april ’11 - Pâques - Easter in France - the French traditions of Easter in France with the Easter bells, eggs, bunnies and chocolates!
april ’11 - Poisson d’avril - April fish are stuck on the back of as many victims as possible on April Fools’ Day.
may ’11 - May Day in France - May Day is called “Fête du Travail” in France, and is closely linked with “muguet” (Lily of the valley).
may ’11 - Chaumont-sur-Loire - One of the first castles in the Loire Valley to embrace the Renaissance style.
june ’11 - Mont Blanc - Discover France and Europe’s highest summit in Haute-Savoie.
june ’11 - Village de Charonne - A peaceful and picturesque area in Paris with a provincial village atmosphere.
july ’11 - Walking in France - an introduction to walking in France for Australians, by Ann Pugh.
july ’11 - Walking in the Vosges - a seven-day walk in the Vosges, by Ann Pugh.
july ’11 - The Alpes Maritimes - the hinterland of Nice with charming perched villages and painted churches, by Ann Pugh.
august ’11 - Walking in Corsica - discover the “Ile de Beauté”, by Ann Pugh.
august ’11 - Reims Cathedral - where the coronation of the French kings used to take place.
september ’11 - Walking in Provence - walking in Montagne-Sainte-Victoire near Aix-en-Provence, by Ann Pugh.
september ’11 - Chartres Cathedral - one of France’s most impressive Gothic cathedrals.
september ’11 - Sundgau, Alsace - a rural place of interest in Southern Alsace.
october ’11 - Bordeaux Homepage - a list of our French Moments pages on the exciting city of Bordeaux
october ’11 - Bordeaux Old Town - a guided tour to Bordeaux’ Old Town, listed by UNESCO as World Heritage.
november ’11 - Bordeaux Wines - discover the world-famous wines from Bordeaux’s region.
october ’11 - Bordeaux Cathedral Saint-André - the largest church of Bordeaux and the isolated Tower Pey-Berland.
october ’11 - Bordeaux Place de la Bourse - the ravishing neo-classical square bordered by River Garonne.
october ’11 - Bordeaux’ History - a brief account of Bordeaux’ rich history.
october ’11 - Walking in Roussillon - walking in the surroundings of Mount Canigou, by Ann Pugh.
november ’11 - Toussaint in France - find out more about All Saint’s Day in France.
november ’11 - Walking in Burgundy - a walk in the vicinity of Beaune, by Ann Pugh.
january ’12 - New Year’s Eve in France - find out more about how the French celebrate the New Year.