This French Life

Author: Coral Luke

  • The rising cost of an expatriate life

    Coral and George LukeRECENTLY newspaper articles, forum posts and the comment sections of This French Life have featured the experiences of people who have seen their incomes tumble as the value of sterling weakens.

    Here regular contributor to the site, Coral Luke, writes about how currency fluctuations have impacted upon her family’s life.

    Coral highlights the fact that many people are on a fixed income, the ongoing fight for entitlement to UK benefits and when newspapers write that Brits are heading home, for many France is their home.

    Quotesstart_2 My husband and I bought our first house in France in 2002 situated in a small village it cost us around €40,000.

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  • The rights of the disabled in the workplace

    Cfdt employmentIN May 1881 Engels wrote in the Labour Standard: “A fair day’s wages for a fair day’s work? But what is a fair day’s wages, and what is a fair day’s work?”

    Over a hundred years later no one can expect a job for life. In the current financial and economic climate people are unsure of job security and this becomes even more of a problem if you are disabled.

    Over two days the Confédération Française Démocratique du Travail (CFDT) held a conference with almost 200 members to discuss the the inclusion of disabled people in ‘the right to work’ and ‘the rights of man.’

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  • Discovering Burgundy the ABC way

    Asso bourguignonne culturelFOLLOWING the end of World War Two the Association Bourguignonne Culturelle (ABC) was established and has ever since been involved in promoting and developing cultural activity, not only in Dijon itself, but throughout the region.

    Based in Dijon there are now 1,300 members and in the 2007-2008 season 50,000 spectators attended 40 of their productions.

    ABC is classified as one of the leading contributors of cultural entertainment in the Burgundy region and they are rightfully proud that they bring together a programme rich in a diverse sphere of entertainment.

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  • False friends, not people but words

    DuckblockHOW many times have you gone completely blank when searching for a word in French?

    There are many words that can trip up someone learning French as they look or sound like English words and there is also the temptation; if in doubt say it with a French accent.

    I have friends who have committed howlers when it comes to getting things wrong and I will admit I too have made errors, so I now keep a little book featuring some of the words that are known as ‘faux amis’.

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  • New forest footpath in Burgundy opened by Coral

    Sentier etangs moines

    A surprise lay in store for Coral at the opening of Le Sentier des étangs des Moines

    WHEN I received an invitation to the inauguration of a footpath for the disabled at a beauty spot near Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, in Burgundy, I thought it was to bring the place to the attention of others with disability or reduced mobility.

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  • The effects of la rentrée

    917557930_f8b75c72eb_mAFTER two months of holidays parents and children are now ready for la rentrée this week.

    The cartables, or school bags, and school equipment listed by the teachers have been bought. I weighed my seven year old granddaughter’s school bag, full of equipment, and it was 5.2 kgs.

    She has a school bag on wheels as the weight is too much for her.

    The bus passes have been issued so the children can take the bus scolaire and everyone can relax as school reopens for another year.

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  • The mystery of the Goddess Sequana

    Sequana Les Sources de la SeineIN 1864 the city of Paris bought the domain of Les Sources de la Seine in order that they could appropriate their will completely over the river that runs to the capitol.

    A year later the sculptor, Jouffroy, carved the statue to the Goddess Sequana; a symbol of purity.

    Les Sources de la Seine originate from the Gallic era, then the Gallo-Roman (Sequana is the latin name for the Seine) followed by the Christian era (Saint-Seine.) During excavation of the site evidence of pagan worship, that testified to the thanksgiving plaques of wood, were found in abundance.

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  • An artistic tour of Burgundy talent

    Burgundy arts

    A chance to exhibit, take part and enjoy artwork in the Cote d’Or

    FORTY THREE artists, sculptors and photographers gathered for the 9th E.V.A.sions de la Peinture et des Arts Contemporaine competition in the Auxois region of the Cote d’Or, Burgundy.

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  • A garden of contrasts in l’Orne, Normandy

    Jardins Mansoniere
    I LOVE gardens. Well to be exact I like visiting and looking at gardens. Whilst staying with friends they took us to a most delightful village, Saint Céneri le Gérei.

    Hidden away on the edge of the village are some gardens, Les Jardins de la Mansonière, which have been constructed over 16 years by Michèle and Philippe Manson.

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  • Rouen – The Armada starts from here

    Tall Ships RouenTHE magnificent sight of the Tall Ships Race, or as the French call it The Armada, called in at Rouen in the Seine Maritime department of Normandy, before heading to the UK.

    Here Coral writes about her experience of visiting the event, but also some of the difficulties she faced as a disabled visitor during a trip with family and friends:

    While on holiday in the area I took time to go and see the tall ships as they were in the port at Rouen, before they left in style on July 14.

    There were due to be around 30 ships taking part, as well as free concerts and firework displays every evening, plus the chance to enjoy international shops, local restaurants and bars, the crowning of Miss Armada, an interfaith mass and the Grand Parade of Tall Ships on Bastille Day.

    Other events on offer were lunch aboard three of the ships, the ability to tour some of the ships and a four day rowing race from Paris to Rouen.

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