My adventures as an American woman starting life over in the French Alps with videos, photos, recipes, travel tips and observations about life in France
Get my Chambery, France Guide Book free with the purchase of my Cookbook: 'French Comfort Food: Recipes of Savoie and the French Alps.' Get both for only $12.99. Click the photo to get more information or to purchase your books now.
French Tutorial
A basic grammar and vocabulary review of the French language, as well as some informal & slang vocabulary and a special section on vocabulary for English-speaking expatriates living in France. Also included is an appendix on French pronunciation for English speakers as well as IPA transcriptions for most of the vocabulary lists and all of the verb conjugations.
Visit the Store to buy the e-book for $9.95 or paperback book for $24.95.
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French Alps Tours
Join us on a small group tour of the French Alps June 4-11 or September 3-10, 2011. I designed this tour to include the best of the region. Wander the Medieval town of Annecy, nicknamed the Venice of the French Alps, and take a boat ride on its crystal blue lake. Do you like pampering yourself on your vacations, then why not spend an afternoon at the Aix les Bains thermal baths inside your lakeside hotel? Are you the adventurous type? Then take a horseback ride in the Alps or fly through the trees at the High Ropes Adventure. Are you a foodie? Taste local chocolates, cheeses, wines and walnut oils. But don't just taste it - cook it too at a cooking class taught by one of Grand Bornand's best chefs and restaurateurs. Are you a history buff? Then satisfy your curiosity at Lyon's Old Town or Vienne's Roman Temple and Forum. Or just enjoy watching the hang gliders and sunset at a catered outdoor dinner on the top of a mountain overlooking Annecy's lake. See you in the French Alps! www.french-alps-tours.com
Alps Cookbook
Get my ECookbook: 'French Comfort Food: Recipes of Savoie and the French Alps.'
51 recipes of the region, collected from friends and local cookbooks. This is the only English language Savoie and French Alps cookbook in print. Only $12.99 and includes a bonus book: The Chambery Guide Book.
Click the photo to buy yours now or go to the Cookbook Page on the Navigation Bar!
French Comfort Food
Visit my French Comfort Food website for articles, recipes, videos, tips and products about French Food and Wine. Click on the photo or go to www.frenchcomfortfood.com
Like most big cities, Lyon is prettiest at night. The dark hides the dirt and the lights make the city sparkle. Lyon has a special attribute in that it has the lighted tower and Cathedral on the hill. In keeping with their annual Fete des Luminations every December, they also illuminate some of their buildings throughout the city year round. It’s a lovely city – one worth spending a weekend and an evening exploring.
Lyon was founded in the first century B.C. by the Romans. The city became an important trade center and in the 17th and 18th centuries the silk industry became its main trade product, dressing the world’s rich and decorating their interiors. During World War II, Lyon was the center of the French Resistance. Today it’s considered the gastronomic center of France with some of the best French food you’ll eat anywhere in the country.
This week I’m back to focusing on France, and one of my favorite cities in France is Lyon. Lyon is the second largest city in France and just over an hour by train from Chambery. It’s my kind of city! After 26 years in Los Angeles I have grown to appreciate and crave all that a big city can offer such as festivals, good restaurants, museums, music and entertainment choices, the diversity of people, shopping options, beautiful architecture and much more. Lyon also offers history and beauty and plenty to do. We spent a weekend there in November and I took video of several areas of the city.
This is the first of three videos on Lyon. We went to the student district which has recently become the arts district, as well as to the Opera House where the kids hang out and practice their amazing dance and hip hop techniques.
This is my second video about our trip to Southwest Florida (Cape Coral/Fort Myers to be exact) in October of 2009. This one is on boating and the beach – welcome reminders of the Florida sun and surf during this cold, snowy month in the French Alps. Thanks to my sister, Carol and her husband, Jon, for the boat rides and adventures, and to Sue (my other sister) and her husband, Roger, for the trip to the cabin.
OK, I admit that Florida Dolphins don’t really have anything to do with the French Alps or France but, besieged by cold weather and snow for the past month, I have been longing for a trip back to warm, sunny Florida to visit my family. So I pulled out some footage I took on our trip to Florida in October 2009 and put together a couple of videos. If you’re living in cold weather right now, perhaps you’ll find them fun to watch and they’ll remind you of summer again. We rent my nephew’s house when we’re there and the dolphins come into the canals to hunt fish so we can get a close up view of them when they pass the boat dock.
Today I’m in Paris for a special treat. I’m having lunch on Sunday with several France bloggers and Tweeters. It’s a group of about 7 ladies who blog about France, most of whom live here. We’ve been reading each others’ blogs for months and sending each other Tweets on Twitter. One of them was coming to France for vacation and had the great idea of meeting up. So my Frenchman and I added a couple of days onto the trip for a mini-vacation, creating an interesting 3-day weekend. In honor of our Blogger Luncheon, I’m listing these lovely ladies’ blogs for your review and reading pleasure. Check them out and learn even more about France.
And one more which is a favorite of mine. The blogger is a friend: http://www.ielanguages.com/blog/ This is a wonderful resource for learning languages. Check it out.
Chambery had a food fair or Fete Gourmande in late November. I really wanted to see it since I knew local specialties would be featured. They advertised cooking classes too. I took along my video camera and here are some highlights. It was actually a fun 2.5 hours and a great way to learn about the local cuisine, wine, and recipes. If you live in France and one of these events comes your way, take an afternoon to check it out.
