Join us on a photo journey of France, Europe and beyond on our photoblog. Click on the photo or go to: www.france-and-beyond-photoblog.com
Chambery App
If you have an IPhone or IPod and are planning a visit to Chambery, buy my ITunes App. It will walk you through the city of Chambery to each historic landmark with walking directions, history, a map, and narrative. It's just $2.99. Click on the above photo of the elephant fountain for the link to the app.
Travel Resources
Planning a trip to France ? Stay in a Paris apartment during your trip to the city of lights.
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 $7.99. 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.
Join us on a small group tour of the French Alps June 9 - 16, 2012. 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 hazelnut oils. 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 while enjoying an outdoor aperitif 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 $7.99 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
Videos, photos and posts can be used or posted noncommerically (this means you can't sell my films, photos or put them in or on anything you sell!), but everything must be linked back to this blog and must list me as the creator.
The French Alps have much more to offer than you expect. If you are a nature-lover, a sports-enthusiast, adventure-addict or a history-freak, the French Alps have something for you. No matter which corner of the globe you are coming from, a tour to its lovely landscape flanked by Provence-Alpes-Maritimes, Côte d’Azur and Rhône-Alpes will be a memorable experience. To most, the French Alps are a paradise for popular outdoor sports, but along with plenty to do for the skiing and mountaineering enthusiasts, Mont Blanc offers breathtaking natural vistas. You will also be mesmerized with the panoramic alpine lakes including Lac Leman, Lac d’Annecy, Lac De Bourget, Lac de Paladru and Lac d’Aiguebelette.
You can enter through either of the two international airports at Lyon or Geneva to the Rhone-Alpes, the crossroads of Europe. Offspring of the Rhone River and the Alps mountain range, the Rhone-Alpes are bejeweled with eight national parks; the gracious Mont Blanc and its Gorges de l’Ardèche; stretches of lavender fields, olive orchards, vineyards and the valleys which inspire painters’ excellence. Along with a variety of beguiling landscapes, the French Alps will beckon you to indulge in thrilling mountain-sports such as hiking, mountain biking, and paragliding, along with canoeing and horseback riding. After all, it’s the proud three-time host of the Winter Olympics with the second largest ski region in Europe.
If you love to turn the clock backward, then visit Lyon to witness the Gaul-Roman confluence, known as the regional Villes D’Art. Apart from this UNESCO World Heritage Site, Annecy, the Venice of the French Alps, and the Roman Temple at Vienne will satisfy you with both their historical richness and natural beauties. Cities like Grenoble, Chamonix, Saint Etienne, Lyon, Chambéry and Albertville will welcome you with world class French cuisines. When you are in France, how can you resist the seductive wines? The Alpine taste of Lyon sausage and rosette, fondue, gratin dauphinois, raclette, and quenellas will spoil your senses paired with the wines of Brouilly, Chenas, Cote-de-Brouilly, Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, Regnie and Saint-Amour. Don’t forget to enjoy the special cheeses like Tomme de Savoie, Vacherin, Bleu de Bresse and Reblochon. The top hotels and Aix les Bains, a famous spa town, will caress your senses with luxurious comfort. Pack your bags to witness the most unique experience of your life in the French Alps.
Near Chambery, in a tiny village called Myans, sits a small, unassuming church overlooking the valley. Inside is the ebony Virgin (black Virgin) who is reported to perform miracles. The most resounding of miracles by ‘Our Lady of Myans’ took place in the thirteenth century, on November 24, 1248, in the Valley Myans. Jean Ladame, in his book “Our Lady across Europe” (Résiac), relates the story:
“On November 24, 1248, it was about eight o’clock in the evening, the weather was calm, the moon shone brightly in the sky. But suddenly, part of Granier (a large mountain standing over the valley) collapsed, and according to geologists, 150 million meters of rock broke away from the mountain and descended on the city of St. Andrew and sixteen villages. All the villages were buried. The disaster caused the deaths of more than 5,000 people. However, the Sanctuary Myans, which should have been crushed under the avalanche of stones, remained intact. Blocks of rocks around it, others stopped on its doorstep, but none reached the sanctuary.” (quote paraphrased for translation purposes)
Inside the sanctuary at the time of the disaster were the monks who had left Apremont in the morning. They were praying to the Ebony Virgin at the precise moment the gigantic landslide. All of the monks survived.
Today, pilgrims still come on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Myans.
If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you’ll know that my Frenchman belongs to a Chorale in Chambery. They’re pretty darn good so this year they were invited to participate in an international competition in Verona, Italy. It was a very friendly competition with lots of categories. The sponsoring agency in Verona is Verona Chorale Groups Association at: http://www.agcverona.it
Allez! (means ‘go’ or often used when ending a chance meeting or phone call and it’s not considered rude or harsh)
Merci (Thank you/thanks)
Ca va? (Everything OK/Are you OK?) Ca va. (Everything is OK/I’m OK)
Bon appetit (Enjoy your food/hope you have a good appetite)
Mince! (Darn!)
Zut! (Damn!)
Bon/C’est bon (That’s good)
Pas male (Not bad)
Pas grave (It’s not serious. It’s not important. No harm done. No problem. - I hear this one a 100 times a day. It’s basically a way of downplaying an event or statement. It’s a bit like ‘Whatever’ in English).
Voila ’ (Here it is. It’s like that. There you have it. I’ve said my piece. It’s finished.)
Gourdon is a Medieval hill town in the Alpes-Maritimes region of France, which borders the Provence/Cote d’Azur regions near the sea. It sits 3,000 feet above the valley and served as a defensive fortress in Medieval times. Roman roads show that the area was used 2,000 years ago for similar purposes and the original fortress was built in the 800′s. Today it is a touristy town with shops and restaurants but we were still glad we visited it for the views, the history and the beauty of the town.
Here’s a video giving an overview of this lovely fortress village.
Samantha Lister, from Tripbase.com shares her thoughts on The Fete du Jasmin which is celebrated annually in Grasse during August.
Grasse is a beautiful town located in the stunning French Riviera. It is considered to be the world’s perfume capital. To add a little extra fact for the perfume enthusiasts among us: Grasse is the birth place of Chanel No 5.
Grasse has a special microclimate that supports the flower industry since it has a warm mild climate, it is far enough inland to be sheltered from the salty air of the Côte d’Azur, and more conveniently, there is also an abundance of fresh water from the nearby hills that is used to irrigate the land.
Jasmine, which is a key ingredient used in perfumes, was introduced to the South of France in the 16th century. It grows abundantly in Grasse and approximately 27 tons of flowers are harvested every year. Such a flower deserves to be honored and in true European style, the town of Grasse dedicates an entire festival to it.
The annual Fete du Jasmin is one of the biggest and most anticipated events in Grasse. The festival starts with a jazz concert at the Cours Honore Cresp which precedes a wonderful fireworks display to get things going with a bang! But what else can be expected during this energetic festival. On Saturday you can expect musical bands marching through all the main streets performing for the public, along with the floats decorated in beautiful summer flowers. However, the true highlight of the festival is the Bataille de fleurs (battle of the flowers), which commences in the evening and adds to the atmosphere of this already lively event. Sunday is a time to relax or reflect upon the festivities from the previous evening with family and friends. There is also a morning mass in the gardens of Princess Pauline, with refreshments afterwards of course.
The first Fete du Jasmin started in 1946 but at this time there was no flower parade or the battle of flowers however, the locals still enjoyed the popular festivities consisting of concerts, art exhibitions, puppet shows, fireworks, and of course, lots of dancing. Today, the Fete du Jasmin retains its traditional character through the presence of the impressive flowers that are fundamental to the perfume industry and the parade of beautifully decorated floats that are chaired by lovely girls throwing flowers at the public.
The 63rd Annual Fete du Jasmin commences on the 20th of August 2010 and takes place until 22nd of August. To anyone who is vacationing or planning to take a break in the French Riviera this year, I highly recommend adding these dates to your itinerary and grasp the opportunity to enjoy one of the most vibrant and beautiful festivals that Europe has to offer.
For more travel tips and vacation inspiration, check out Tripbase
Tripbase eliminates the time-consuming and frustrating online search process by providing travelers with personalized travel recommendations for their next trip.
Tripbase was named Top Travel Website for Destination Ideas by Travel and Leisure magazine in November 2008.
If you’re in Grasse then you have to visit one of the Perfumeries - the main one being Fragonard. There’s also an International Perfume Museum but we ran out of time and didn’t make it there. We did however go to the Fragonard which had a small museum, and a tour of the factory, plus a nice, reasonably priced gift shop. Fragonard is located in the center of the Old Town which is small enough to navigate on foot. There are a few mild hills though since the city hangs on the mountain cliffs.
Here’s a quick view of our Fragonard Tour with some history and insight into the process of making perfume.
The French Alps have much more to offer than you expect. If you are a nature-lover, a sports-enthusiast, adventure-addict or a history-freak, the French Alps have something for you. No matter which corner of the globe you are coming from, a tour to its lovely landscape flanked by Provence-Alpes-Maritimes, Côte d’Azur and Rhône-Alpes will be a memorable experience. To most, the French Alps are a paradise for popular outdoor sports, but along with plenty to do for the skiing and mountaineering enthusiasts, Mont Blanc offers breathtaking natural vistas. You will also be mesmerized with the panoramic alpine lakes including Lac Leman, Lac d’Annecy, Lac De Bourget, Lac de Paladru and Lac d’Aiguebelette.
Alors (Well…)
Samantha Lister, from 
