Vivre ma France new blog
Hunting for Wild Mushrooms
Wild mushrooms, otherwise known in French as champignon sauvages have been collected for well over 10,000 years in Europe. One of many splendid things about France is the abundance of mushrooms in the wild. Autumn is the best season to pick mushrooms but you can find various types of mushrooms any time between April and…
Read More
Château de Versailles
Recently, I had the pleasure to tour Château de Versailles with a dear friend, Kirsti who was visiting from Canada. We had a superb time and discovered that the history of the Palace of Versailles is not as old as some of the other royal palaces, but it definitely has lots of drama. It was…
Read More
Soups On!
Is a well-known expression that means dinner is on the table ready to eat, and while it might not be such a catchy saying anymore, soup remains a favourite at the table. A lot of my favourite recipes are actually for soup. Mostly because it doesn’t take a diploma in cooking to make soup and it…
Read More
Le Corbusier: On the Hunt for Art & Architecture
Four years ago on a visit to France with good friends, we set out on a trek to find works of famed modernist architect and painter, Le Corbusier. We had an exciting time looking for his buildings and discovering the art behind one of the most important architects of the 20th century, and we even…
Read More
Citrus, The Zest of Life
The sight of anything citrus puts me in a good mood. A bright lemon yellow kitchen, an enticing bowl of oranges or a gorgeous lime topiary in a French jardin. It all makes me smile. I have fond memories of eating deliciously sweet and fragrant mandarins during the holidays. On winter mornings, in my youth,…
Read More
Life at the Beach
The smell of the beach naturally soothes many of us. It’s been proven in studies that show it relieves stress and relaxes the mind. It is also one of the reasons we moved to Montpellier. Indeed with over 300+ days of sunshine, the beaches here are huge draws in the area. The beach is only…
Read More
Heading North to Norway
Recently we were able to fulfill a lifelong dream of my husband of visiting a Scandinavian country, which he had decided to do for his 50th birthday. He had the good fortune of flying to Paris, when he discovered that his seatmates were a lovely couple from Norway. This country has always been on our…
Read More
Apéro, and the best places to enjoy it in Montpellier
Like many French cities, Montpellier has a treasure trove of wine bars and these places go hand in hand with the aperitif. Aptly known as apéro, is an evening custom here that blends friends, food and beverages. It is a pillar of French food, culture and society and in many cases takes place in a…
Read More
Climb Every Mountain: Pic Saint-Loup and L’Hortus
I did it. I climbed a mountain. Yes, me! Who knew I could? I never thought I would and wasn’t truly interested until a good friend, Mimi, visiting from Switzerland insisted we go for a hike. I’ve never hiked anywhere. I’ve walked to places, strolled in towns, jogged or biked for sport, but never once…
Read More
Nîmes, The French Rome
When you arrive in Nîmes, it feels like you are stepping back in time, one that is rich with history and includes Celtic Volcae, Romans, Muslims, Protestant Huguenots and Kings of France. It was built along the Via Domitia, the first Roman road, which reached from Italy to southern France and into Spain. We recently…
Read More