Vivre ma France new blog
Exploring the Enchanting Charms of Lisbon, Portugal
Nestled along the banks of the Tagus River, Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, is a city that blends centuries-old history with a vibrant modern atmosphere. With its colorful streets, stunning viewpoints, rich culture, and lovely locals, Lisbon is a destination that captures the hearts of travelers from around the world. Whether you’re a history buff, a foodie,…
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Leo’s Top Restaurants for 2023
As you know being a foodie, wherever I go, I try to eat in at least two great restaurants in town. Here are my top 11 choices of restaurants from the past year. Each of the restaurants was able to create a great evening and experience for me. Do keep in mind that I don’t…
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Haussmann Architecture: The Other Revolution of Paris
In the middle of the 19th century, the last King of France, Emperor Napoleon III (great-nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte) won the first direct presidential elections ever held in France with an overwhelming 74.2 percent of the votes cast, becoming the first President of France too. One of his first acts was to appoint a somewhat…
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Arles, City of Art and History
Arles is geographically the largest city in France spacing a whopping 758 km. It is nestled on the Rhone River between Nimes and Aix-en-Provence, just north of the Camargue region of Southern France. It is also famous for being the home of Vincent Van Gogh during part of his life as he was obsessed with…
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Malta, The Vibrant Island Nation
In December, we had the pleasure of visiting friends who now live in Malta, the smallest country in the European Union. Malta has a grand population of 515,000 Maltese, with 20% being non-Maltese Nationals. One you have visited the island nation you can easily see why – the islands are some of the most beautiful places…
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The Leo List of Restaurants for 2021
I was organizing a dinner for a client recently in Montreal, Canada, and I was shocked when I started calling restaurants to see about availability only to find out that so many of them have closed, permanently. Yes, it’s been and continues to be a very tough times for restaurants. The pandemic has wreaked havoc…
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La Rochelle, A French Port with a Canadian Connection
I remember hearing about the La Rochelle in history class. The French port where many began the migration to Canada. Numerous ships left for the new world both before and after the establishment of Canada, which included my ancestors who originated from La Tessonnière & Saint-Loup Lamairé and left for Canada in 1659. La Rochelle…
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Les Toiles du Soleil, A Catalan Tradition
The southern part of France and the northeast part of Spain is home to a group of people known as Catalans. An estimated 8 million Catalans live in this region which includes places like Valencia, the Balearic Islands, eastern Aragon, Barcelona, Andorra, Roussillon (modern day Perpignan), and the city of Alghero in Sardinia. While the Catalan language may seem similar to…
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The Medieval City of Carcassonne
The Medieval citadels of Carcassonne otherwise known as La Cité, are one of the most visited places in France, on the same par as Mont Saint Michel, the mystical island city in Brittany. They both have thousands of years of history, murder, mystery and mayhem. La Cité is a fortified city located between the Pyrenees…
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Domaine de Chantilly
This grand estate with its collection of buildings, gardens, stables and racetrack, is located just 50 km on the outskirts of Paris in northern France. Domaine de Chantilly is notably one of the jewels in the crown of France’s cultural heritage, and for good reason. It is also most commonly known as the Condé Musée…
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