This French Life

Author: Craig McGinty

  • About Zach Spittler

    Zach SpittlerZACH Spittler was born in Houston, Texas, but was raised in Manchester, Iowa. He graduated from The University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication and in French in 2006.

    He minored in Music. As part of his musical endeavours, he played for four years in the Hawkeye Marching Band in the trumpet section and in the drumline.

    He has presented the news as an on-air reporter in radio and television at KMCH and DITV respectively, and he was a staff arts writer for The Daily Iowan.

    Browse Zach’s photo album on Flickr.

    Articles:
    The working life of la Croix-Rousse
    Life in the deep end on a banlieue
    Pray for France, says church group
    Online tools in French classrooms
    A festive stroll around Strasbourg market
    Saving the trees from French bureaucracy
    From Mozart to punk with Anaïs et Rebecca
    Le Havre honours its war dead
    Le Havre celebrates la Transat Jacques Vabre

    Contact: Zach Spittler

  • Taking in The France Show

    France showIF you want to take in a dash of France and all things French, then The France Show is on at London’s Olympia, from January 18 – 20.

    The event is set to appeal to everyone from those looking for a second home to families planning a ski holiday, couples seeking a romantic short break, or people simply keen to sample gastronomic treats from crepes to fine wines and cheeses.

    And if you pre-register on The France Show website you can claim up to six £8 tickets free of charge.

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  • Interview with Vicki Archer author of My French Life

    My french life archerWHEN an email landed in my inbox asking if I was interested in finding out more about a book called My French Life, I thought with a title like that how could I resist?

    So I quickly arranged an interview with the book’s author Vicki Archer, and asked for a copy so that I could offer it up as a prize for readers of the site.

    The Q&A style interview is below and you will find details of how to enter the competition to win a copy of the book at the end of the piece, but first a little about Vicki Archer and her book.

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  • Autumn colours of France and more

    Bois du bologneTAKE a stroll beneath the trees of the Bois de Boulogne in the autumn with this photograph from razzmatazz!, which has been added to the This French Life Flickr pool.

    There are a number of new additions in the photo album which capture the autumn markets and colours, it really is a great time of year to be strolling around France.

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  • The cost of fuel in France

    Bluefrenchlifeblock03040THE impact on the cost of running your car and heating your house will be being felt by practically everyone as oil prices rise.

    So having an awareness of past prices and what average costs are may help you with planning for the future, and ensure you won’t be ripped off.

    The Finance Ministry has put together a database of fuel prices for both petrol and domestic heating that you can check by date.

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  • A photo tour of Lyon

    Lyon photosIT is quite a challenge to get around l’hexagone but thanks to the internet you can at least drop in on places and take a virtual tour.

    Which is exactly what you can do on the Lyon Photos website, which offers a vast collection of photographs of the streets and buildings of the city.

    But what I especially like is the fact that the site also draws together pictures from the past, letting you compare views from yesteryear with those of today.

  • Cranes take flight across French skies

    Cranes FranceI WROTE earlier this year about the flight of the cranes across France and how many people saw the birds migration from Spain to northern Europe, roughly in a line from the south west to the north east, as a sign of spring.

    Well it looks as though les grues are heading back, marking the onset of the winter months, and Clare Worthy has captured a flock passing over her Dordogne home.

  • Don’t take the strain of French life alone

    TflhayfieldA MOVE to France can open up new possibilities and opportunities, but at the same time many old worries and problems can surface.

    There is an interesting article on the Daily Telegraph website that looks at the number of people suffering from depression, noting that the suicide rate in France is 2.5 times that of the UK.

    Modern life can create stress and strain wherever you live, be it in a busy city or on the edge of a forest in the middle of the countryside.

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  • Property prices fall in third quarter

    Bluefrenchlifeblock03040_18THE French estate agent association, FNAIM, has produced an in-depth report into the property market for the third quarter of the year.

    And it shows that if you are looking for a property then now may be a good time to find a bargain as prices for older properties feel by 0.9 per cent between July and September.

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  • Marcel Marceau, a quiet word or two

    Marcel Marceau portraitHUNDREDS of people paid tribute last week to Marcel Marceau at his funeral in Paris, when he was buried at the Père Lachaise cemetery alongside other famous artists such as Oscar Wilde and singer Jim Morrison.

    His death, aged 84, on September 22 brought to an end a life that had seen him and his family flee their home during World War II, and a 20-year-old Marcel join the Resistance in 1944.

    But soon after the end of the war he created his famous character Bip and went on to revive the art of mime and become one of the most recognised artists across the world.

    Here, from the archive of journalist Jeremy Josephs, is an interview with Marcel Marceau which took place in 2001:

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