French beauty attitudes

Let me begin by stating that in no way am I a beauty expert nor am I flawlessly beautiful. This post is a mere reflection on the French mentality towards beauty and skincare rather than some sort of condescending advice piece. In an attempt not to border on being cheesy/vomit-inducing, I do think that the French attitude fits into their whole philosophy of amour de soi. The French place a lot of importance on caring for yourself whether that be emotionally or in this case superficially. So, using a particular pot of face cream is merely an extension of making yourself feel a bit more self-assured.

I promised this post about attitudes towards all things beauty-related way back when so here goes. Not wishing to generalise, I am atypical in my Northern England hometown with my skin tone which can only be described as bordering on translucent and my lack of hair rollers. As however I’m currently nursing a tad of sunburn on one sole arm (one tanned arm, one red arm: BE JEALOUS), I thought this would be a good time to write a post about tips I’ve gained from our often more sensible French neighbours.

Now I think we all share a mental image of French women as rolling out of bed with feline eyeliner flick intact.

or we see them as gamine

or effortlessly sexy:

And can you blame us? I mean who wouldn’t want to look like Brigitte, Audrey or Eva…

My persona opinion is the aura about French beauty is due to the way in which it makes us perceive the woman as engaging and intelligent rather than vacuous. Whereas many British women demand attention with their Fanta-toned skin and hair extensions and are often then perceived as unintelligent, French beauty emits a feminine sensuality that demands to be taken seriously. Strong independent woman rather than WAG.

Firstly then, this myth must be destroyed. I’ll admit to idealising French women since the age of 7 after watching Sophie Marceau as Elektra King in The World is Not Enough. A complex Bond girl with a brain and naturally stunning. Never mind her being a sadistic bitch in the film, she was badass and effortlessly beautiful.

Why can’t I work lace & leather like that?

Fiction does not always mirror reality of course. There are unfortunately just as many françaises out there with the same excessive attitude towards beauty as in England. Whereas we Brits imagine girls in the South of France as Brigitte Bardot frolicking in the Riviera, it has a terrible reputation in France for its tacky sense of style. It is true that there is a tendency for some in the South to go a little overboard with the makeup, hair and hoop earrings. As with everything then, we must be wary of preconceived ideas.

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In general however, French women do have better attitudes towards the whole beauty shindig. Here are some for you to consider:

1. Spend on skincare.

There is a pharmacie on just about every street in France. Don’t assume that these are mere copies of British chemists. Yes, they have all your typical medication and plasters but also an abundance of skincare goodies. They usually stock all the major French dermatologist brands; the most common being La Roche-Posay, Avène, Vichy, Uriage, Caudalie and Nuxe. The widespread presence of the pharmacies is no mere coincidence just as neither is the lengthy list of French skincare brands. Whereas British department stores are all focused on makeup, the focus is most definitely on skincare for the French. Go into any French woman’s bathroom and you will discover a plethora of skincare products. Skincare is a priority, not makeup. Take care of your skin and makeup won’t be necessary to enhance your beauty.

My favourite pharmacie in Montpellier is the Pharmacie du Polygone. If in Paris, make sure to stop by City-Pharma on Rue du Four. Both of these pharmacies share the fact that they are always heaving with people. So, get in and get out as quickly as possible!

2. Know what you want from a product.

The main thing to bear in mind however is that beauty products are hardly ever unknowingly picked by French women. There are favourite skincare brands here yet the women here do not buy into hype products as much. One of my main gripes about the whole beauty market is that products are hyped so much in the UK. Don’t buy into something unknowingly. The skin is the largest organ and should be cared for accordingly just as much as your heart/lungs/liver. Ask yourself: what effect do you want from a product? Do you suffer from pigmentation or rather, fine lines? And remember, skin issues can be treated but not always remedied. If you suffer from rosacea, an anti-redness cream may help the symptoms but it cannot get rid of the issue. In the same way, a cream cannot remove lines! We can try to prevent wrinkles but ageing happens and no face cream is going to change that. Embrace the changes in your face and treat accordingly. For example, acne sufferers should look for salicylic acid whereas dry skin would benefit from hyaluronic acid. Diagnose issues and then do your research.

3. Tone down the foundation and contouring

Generally speaking British women wear too much base (foundation and concealer). I’ve noticed that everyone in France tends to have a signature look but this never involves heavy foundation. Now we’re all guilty of wanting perfect poreless skin and defined cheekbones but I’m calling time on the contour/highlight method so popular now in the UK. Thanks again Kim K …

This is just madness. MADNESS. 

With all due respect to Kim though, she is photographed by the paparazzi every single day. You are most likely not. No one in reality takes as much notice of your flaws as much as yourself. In France, women embrace natural skin and tend to either choose lipstick or eyeliner in the day. As a result, people focus on what they say rather than their foundation.

The idea is to embrace yourself. The French approach to sexiness isn’t about changing your cheekbone structure or trying to look like someone else. It’s about feeling comfortable in your skin.

If there’s one thing I don’t like about the French attitude however, it’s the signature look that I mentioned before. There’s less playfulness or experimentation with makeup or clothes than there is in the UK. Personally I’ve always loved seeing gothic makeup but goths and other subcultures are just about non-existent here.

At the end of the day, it’s all superficial so have fun with it.

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Lastly, if you’re wondering, here are some French skincare products (several can be found in Boots in the UK) that I myself like:

La Roche-Posay Sérozinc

This is not sold in the UK yet which is a travesty. It is a zinc sulphate solution meaning that it has soothing and antibacterial properties. It provides a good base for facial oils/moisturisers and can help with problematic and sensitive skin. According to my Dad and brother, it is also good for razor burn.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+]

This is best used topically on any blemishes. The instructions state to apply it to your entire face although I would only use it where you have problematic skin as it contains Benzoyl Peroxide.  Anywhere else would just be a waste of the product and could be too harsh. The good news is that you only need a tiny amount to see results.

 

Avene Hydrance Optimale Light 

Frankly, it’s just a lightweight moisturiser. There are no particular skincare benefits so its main advantages are being easy to use and light hydration. This is perfect then for those of us who have normal-oily skin and want a minimal routine. It comes in both a normal non-SPF version and an SPF 20 version which is perfect for daytime use. As the SPF version contains sunscreen, it may cause some people to breakout. I have not experienced this but the only thing to do is to try it out on your own skin.

Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micellar Solution

This is unbelievably hyped but it is excellent at removing makeup. If you’re like me and only wear makeup on evenings out, this is also great for when you’re too tired to do the entire cleansing routine but don’t want to wake up looking like a crystal meth addict.

Christian Lénart Eau de Rose

This is simply good old rosewater. I like to press this in with a cotton pad during a particularly sweaty/hot/stressful day as it’s refreshing but doesn’t make your face feel tight after use. I have the fragranced version as I personally find it calming but there is also an unscented version. The brand also sells other natural waters but the rosewater is divine. It also comes in an organic version.

Lovea Sunscreen SPF 30

These are all natural (not that I find anything particularly wrong with chemical) organic sunscreens. I do find ‘natural’ to be a term that is exploited and over-used in the beauty industry. Yet if you do prefer to use skincare labelled as ‘natural’, these sunscreens work well and have the loveliest smell.

Natessance oils

Sticking with the organic theme, these are all natural organic oils. I tried the pomegranate oil (huile de grenade) which was great during the winter. In general, I prefer face oils to moisturisers as I find they penetrate the skin better and have more evident effects as a result.

Institut Arnaud Elixir d’huiles sèches

I am also a fan of dry oils and this one (like its more expensive Nuxe counterpart) is fabulous. It is multi-purpose and can be bought in Carrefour. I like to use it not only as a body moisturiser but also on the ends of my hair before washing my hair. It smells great and stops split ends. Double win.

Caudalie Polyphénol C15 Serum

Antioxidant-packed serum perfect for use at night. It can form part of wrinkle prevention as well as giving the skin radiance thanks to the vitamin C in the ingredient list.

           

Ok I could continue for years but fear of boring the people that have hung on so far, I shall stop! All in all, the French are most definitely not effortlessly chic, they put a LOT of effort into their appearance. The difference is that their attitude towards beauty is not too high-maintenance if you wish to buy into the philosophy.

When in Madrid … (and Toledo)

Sticking to the Spanish theme of my recent blog post, here’s another post about my fleeting return to Madrid in March. I made the trip back to visit friends there also working as language assistants. It was lovely immersing myself in Spanish again after having been so long in France at this point.

Obviously, after having spent last summer in Madrid, I know the city well. This marked my third time in the city and there are still things to explore. Something that always strikes me about Spanish cities is how vibrant and energised they feel. Whereas Paris is arguably more cosmopolitan, Madrid lacks the often stuffy work-centric feeling that Paris has. I have always personally found Madrid to feel young and evolving. It’s a city that prioritises and focuses on enjoyment of life. As a result, there are always new cool places to be discovered. These are often admittedly food or drink-related places as let’s not forget that this is Spain where sitting on a terraza with a tinto or cerveza is such an integral part of the culture.

Fortunately for me, I had two friends to show me all of their favourite finds. First of all, La Rollerie. There are two branches of this wonderful café in Madrid; one of which is perfectly located just round the corner from my friend’s apartment in the district of Chamberí. The menu is abundant with breakfast, brunch and lunch options: paninis, soups, quiches, pasta dishes, hamburgers, cakes, ice creams… the list goes on! It also has a really quirky and unique décor. It’s ideal for brunch thanks to all the options on the menu.

Another great recommendation from my friends were two restaurants belonging to the same restaurant group: the eponymous La Musa and Ojalá. My favourite was Ojalá because of the pure wackiness of its dining experience. Ensure to make the slightly cryptic request to go downstairs. There, you will sit on cushions on a bed of sand all the while accompanied by colour-shifting lighting and amazing tapas. La Musa was an enjoyable experience despite my friend being given croquetas de jamón despite the fact she ordered the vegetarian croquetas. Ah, good old Spain where ham is considered part of the vegetarian diet.

Finally I didn’t go here this time but a particular favourite of mine is Maria’s Bakery on Calle Zurbano. This has the BEST cakes. It also sells bread although I can’t comment on the quality of this. If you have a sweet tooth however, this is heaven. Especially in Spain which suffers from an unnerving lack of desserts. I can only describe this predicament in two words. Fundamentally. Strange. Spain, sort yourselves out PLEASE!

I was also excessively overjoyed to be reunited with Spanish shops. Firstly Aristocrazy which is a jewellery shop perfect if you want a statement piece. Certainly not the cheapest but their jewellery definitely adds a cool touch to your outfit. They even have a Game of Thrones collection at the moment. If you don’t think this is cool, I only have one thing to say to you. Winter is coming for you my friend.

Similar to Aristocrazy is Bimba y Lola. I’ll confess to avidly detesting some of the designs created by this shop but they are also great for statement pieces. Known for their vivid colours and patterns, it doesn’t have the same sleek appeal as Aristocrazy.  This can border on excessive even making me want to gouge my eyes out at times. Nowhere near as bad as Desigual though. Pattern so hallucinatory that you think you’ve been transported to the 70s and taken LSD. I would willingly volunteer to have a lobotomy if anyone was ever sadistic enough to lock me in that shop.

There is the cheap and cheerful Lefties which is sort of similar to Primark. Similar in the sense that the only shopping experience you have in there is manic and that you have to sift through a lot of polyester junk to find good buys. Of course, there is also the entire Inditex group – Zara, Mango, Stradivarius, Pull & Bear – you name it, it’s Inditex. Obviously these are worldwide now but they are still worth going in however. Sometimes there are different items in the Spanish collection and of course it’s less expensive in euros. One thing that Inditex hasn’t got its mitts on is Sfera. Owned by Spain’s national treasure, the department store El Corte Inglés, it is perfect if you have a more sophisticated style. Think well-tailored jackets and stylish jewellery for very affordable prices. I always stock up on earrings and necklaces here.

For anyone who is a skincare junkie like me and obsessed with trying out random crap, you HAVE to go to Primor. This shop has the worst interior design I have ever seen. Some parts of the floor are tiled, others are carpeted for some mysterious reason. But look past this and you’ll discover some great products. Last time, I bought some hydrating masks by a Korean brand Skin 79. These are hyaluronic acid-infused cotton masks that make you look like Hannibal Lecter for 10 minutes but afterwards give you skin as radiant as a Disney princess. They also stock a brand of nail polishes called RARE. These are the best one euro nail polishes you will ever try and have a wide range of colours so they’re perfect if you want to try out a new colour. My particular favourites are Smoothie and Cotton Candy. It’s worth going to Primor frankly for its location in the Principe Pio shopping centre which is a fabulously spectacular converted train station. It is also just next door to Madrid Rio where there is an artificially created river and a few nice little cafés.

Anyway, Madrid – same old, same old. The best thing about this trip is that I finally got the chance to visit Toledo. As a Spanish Golden Age obsessive, this has long been on my list of places to visit. It is just beautiful although Hell on earth if you hate climbing steep hills. The old part of the city with all of the tourist landmarks is located on the top of a mountaintop. This obviously means that you are eventually rewarded with toned thighs and heavenly views. This unfortunately also led to the sheer tights I was wearing becoming quite unsightly with ladders and holes. Look of the day: streetwalker chic. Damn uphill lunges!

Aside from my damaged vanity, the city is certainly worth visiting if you are interested in Spanish history/culture. It is the meeting point of all the different demographics that make up this country’s history: Jews, Catholics and Muslims. In such a Catholic country, it was almost refreshing to visit the Jewish quarter and be surrounded by synagogues rather than cathedrals! Admittedly though, I did enjoy the Roman Catholic Cathedral best out of all the tourist attractions we visited. Both the exterior and interior are magnificent and unbelievably inspiring. Every single detail of the interior décor is just spectacular.

It was wonderful being back in Spain and revived mi amor for the country and desire to be reunited immediately.

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Addresses:

La Rollerie

Atocha 20, 20218
Metro: Vodafone Sol + Tirso de Molina + Antón Martín

Guzmán el Bueno 105, 28003
Metro: Islas Filipinas

La Musa

Calle Manuela Malasaña, 18 – 28004 Madrid

Restaurante Ojalá

Calle San Andrés, 1 – 28004 Madrid

 

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View of Toledo’s old city

Stunning details in Toledo Cathedral

View of Toledo

In the Botanical Gardens, Madrid

Templo de Debod

My good friend Cervantes and I

Toledo Cathedral

Sunday 30th March.

I fear that this date will be forever regarded as one of the bleakest days for the citizens of Béziers. If not bleak, it will most certainly remain infamous. Today the candidate for France’s far right party (Front National) Robert Ménard was elected Mayor of Béziers in the local elections (élections municipales) with 44.8% of the vote. For any British reader, this may not seem too serious on a political level given that the mayor in most British towns is merely a ceremonial title with little power or influence. Politics in France however plays out on a much more regional level awarding mayors significant duties such as full control of the police. Now I do not claim to be a politics expert. There are however disadvantages of Béziers’ choice that are blaringly obvious to me from the time I have already spent here; disadvantages so clear that I must admit to finding the success of the FN difficult to fathom. On a superficial level, it may seem that the FN with its ‘zero-tolerance’ law and order policy and economic protectionism is the answer for a town with a high unemployment rate and problems with both immigration and unemployment.  It could on the other hand aggravate problems inherently present in Béziers’ past political decisions.

 

Firstly, Béziers has always been isolated politically from its Languedoc-Roussillon neighbours. This is due to the fact that since 1995, it has voted UMP (the Conservative Party here in France) in a notoriously left-wing region in recent years. As noted before, regions hold a vast amount of power here. This has already affected Béziers in a number of ways. The school where I work, for example, was built in the village of Sérignan rather than Béziers. You may ask why when faced with the fact that the vast majority of both teachers and students including myself commute from Béziers. I am uncertain whether this is fact or mere rumour but my colleagues have often told me that this decision was made by the académie (the Local Education Authority) based in the Socialist city Montpellier as punishment to its UMP neighbour. The further alienation of Béziers as a now far-right town may have already commenced. Since Ménard’s election as mayor, a rugby friendly match between Béziers and Toulon (a town in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur) has already been cancelled. The president of the local rugby team (l’ASBH) Cédric Bistué made a public statement about the decision saying ‘Je respecte sa decision [de Mourad Boudjellal, president du Rugby Club Toulonnais] mais je trouve dommage de mélanger politique et sport’ (‘I respect his decision [that of Mourad Boudjella, president of Toulon Rugby Club] but I do find it a shame to mix politics with sport’).

Robert Ménard.

Yet it is not merely the choice of political party that could be detrimental to Béziers but also its candidate Ménard. The inhabitants of Béziers hoping that Ménard will present a more decisive mayor at the helm of a town with growing economic and social problems may soon be disappointed. It seems that the new Mayor is a man whose personality and also political beliefs are in fact incredibly ambivalent. Born in Oran in 1953, he returned to France with his family when nine years old. After a brief period as an anarchist in the early 70s, he became a member of the Communist party and later the Socialist party. In 1985, he founded the non-governmental organisation ‘Reporters without Borders’ which quickly spread worldwide defending the freedom of the press. In the early 2000s, Ménard moved towards a more centrist and later right-wing politics which shocked many of his friends. He voted the conservative UMP presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy in the second round of both the 2007 and 2012 national elections. He now claims to support 80% of the FN’s political beliefs. This begs the question however of what are the remaining 20% with which he does not agree. Ménard shows an unwillingness to clarify much of this ambiguity. He is even unwilling to name his win a victory for the FN calling it rather a victory for the citizens of Béziers against the political class:

 

‘Personne ne peut assimiler ce qui s’est passé à Béziers à une victoire du Front national […] c’est surtout une victoire des citoyens contre la classe politique’

 

It is true that Ménard’s candidacy was supported by two other movements aside from the FN (Le Mouvement pour la France and le Rassemblement pour la France). It would however be misleading to state that this is not a victory shared by the FN. Ménard was unashamed of publishing his alliance with the Front National at the bottom of every leaflet that I received in my letterbox.

 

One could even argue that Ménard is experiencing an identity crisis when one considers his current attitude towards journalist; the same people he defended in the 80s. When he was approached to be interviewed by ‘Rue89’, he declared that its journalists were everything he hated and that they were ‘orduriers’ (‘obscene’) and ‘crapuleux’ (‘dissolute’). The following day however in an extraordinary turn of events, he agreed to the interview. He even claimed in 2012 that ‘Les meilleurs ennemis de la liberté de la presse, ce sont les journalistes.’ (‘the greatest enemies to the freedom of the press are the journalists themselves’). He has never fully explained why his opinion of journalists has gone through such a radical change. His personality has also shown itself to be incredibly complicated at times. In his interview with ‘Rue89’ for example, he presents himself at first as an empathising parent yet later states that homosexuality is a non-desirable trait (‘J’ai envie que mes enfants aient une sexualité hétérosexuelle’: ‘I want my children to be heterosexual’).  Many of Ménard’s new constituents are Muslims and it is his change in mentality towards several aspects of Islam which are in particular worrying. Before he was against the banning of the hijab in public places yet is now inexplicably in favour of it. He said in his ‘Rue89’ interview that  ‘Le voile est un problème par sa présence massive. Mais je combats l’idée que l’islam serait ontologiquement un problème, c’est une monstruosité’ (the veil is a problem due to its widespread presence. But I refute the idea that Islam is essentially a problem itself, that is a monstrous idea’). For now then, it seems that Ménard is not set against Islam. We have seen however that his opinions have the potential to change radically. What is to say that they will not once more with regards to the concept of Islam as aggressive to French identity?

 

The citizens of Béziers who voted the FN may have voted out of fear for their town; fear that they were losing their identity. Yet in the light of its Prefecture Montpellier electing the Miscellaneous Left (divers gauche) candidate Phillipe Saurel as their mayor, Béziers’ choice of an FN mayor could not have been a greater symbol of dissidence against Montpellier. Was it the right decision? Only time will tell but Béziers may have more to fear now with Ménard as its mayor than it did before.

Could Béziers stand out any more even being black marked as FN by the regional newspaper Midi Libre? 

 N.B. Translations of quotations are all my own.

 

Paris

At the end of January, I once again left Béziers and Languedoc-Roussillon for the joys of the capital. Having only been to Paris in high season with the hoard of other tourists, I was happy to be visiting in winter when the cold usually wards off the most annoying tourists. Summer really brings out the idiots – usually sunburned and English-speaking idiots. In Paris I found these were not your typical idiots; more your pretentious bullshitters. Now I think everyone likes to give out a bit of pretentious bullshit from time to time but the ones I encountered were on another level. Sometimes I thought their bullshit was so ridiculous that it had to be performance art like the time Joaquin Phoenix decided he wanted to be a rapper on Letterman (the reality being it was preparation for a film).  So this time my aim was to be the biggest pretentious bullshitter by avoiding the rest.

Although I went to the Musée d’Orsay (best museum in Paris: fact), I didn’t go to the other art galleries and in fact spent the majority of my time there eating or drinking before eating more and drinking more. A new find was the Marché aux Enfants Rouges thanks to my excellent guide (a university friend on her year abroad in Paris) who I stayed with for my four day visit. This covered market has an eclectic mix of foods including French, Creole, Japanese and Moroccan cuisine. A particular favourite was the sandwich/wrap/crêpe stall Chez Alain Miam Miam run by the eponymous Alain. He made the best sandwich I have ever had. Now I’m not one to get overly excited about a sandwich but this one was unbelievably delicious. True love found in sandwich form. I now know how the oh my dayum guy feels when he eats:

Anyway, I’ll move on from sandwich love. The most entertaining thing about ‘Chez Alain Miam Miam’ is in fact Alain’s service. I’m not sure whether service is the right word however. It mainly consists of him subtly flirting, forgetting what you’ve ordered and only accepting payment after about 5 more minutes of talking and nearly burning a few crêpes. It is worth going just to meet this eccentric and incredibly charming oldie. Here is his Facebook page which he will demand you ‘liker’ (yes this verb exists in French – liker – and yes, I hate it) if you have the opportunity to visit: https://www.facebook.com/ChezAlainMiamMiam

Apart from eating, we all went to the comédie française and their main incredible theatre (the Salle Richelieu) to see their adaptation of ‘Antigone’. This would have been brilliant if not for two detracting factors. Firstly, we were sleep deprived and hung-over from a reggae-filled night at the nightclub Cabaret Sauvage. Secondly we had not pre-booked seats and instead got last minute tickets for a very reasonable 5 euros. Of course there was a reason for the incredible price. Now I’ve been ‘up in the heavens’ before when I’ve had cheap last-minute tickets at the RSC, the seats at the comédie française were not even in this universe. They were so high up and far back that you couldn’t even see the stage if you were sat down. That was definitely enough to put us out of the mood to watch the action and by act two, I wasn’t even watching and chose instead to discreetly eat macarons. Certainly not the height of cultured art student, just a tired slob. But lesson learnt: pre-book good seats and don’t go in an alcohol-induced drowsiness.

But despite the slightly grey January weather, the continuous smell of piss on the metro and excessive alcohol consumption, it was a wonderful trip necessary to break up the monotony of winter. Away from the summer mass of tourists, I was finally able to fully enjoy the beauty and energy of the capital city.

For this month at least, Paris je t’aime

La Fête des Lumières

Well I am most definitely the worst and least reliable blogger ever. I actually went to ‘La Fête des Lumières’ in December yet here is a blog post on it nearly four months later. Better late than never. This amazing festival takes place every year in the beautiful city of Lyon. I don’t think words can do it justice so check out some pictures from this year…

 

TRIVIAL FIRST WORLD PROBLEM

This is not a culturally enriching post nor is it particularly relevant to this blog. Yet I must complain. Today I suffered from the greatest first world problem I have ever encountered… I was informed that it is impossible to buy raspberries anywhere in France because they’re out of season. I am well aware of the decreased nutrients and the increased air miles but please just give me my raspberries. I immediately thought of how my fellow divas Barbra and Donna would react to such an awfully trivial scenario:

or Carson (Lady Mary wouldn’t put up with this crap):

Thus ends my trivial post. Next stop: black market for RASPBERRIES …

(Sur le pont d’) Avignon

So two weeks ago, I broke free from Languedoc-Roussillon with some other language assistants here to visit the spectacular city of Avignon in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. Having been slightly (and by slightly, I really mean completely in body and soul) obsessed with the song Sur le pont d’avignon since my French fun club days in primary school, I experienced complete euphoria at the prospect of visiting this heavenly city that certainly didn’t disappoint.

Avignon is very significant historically having been a papal centre during the Middle Ages for seven different popes. Another point of nostalgia for me (having studied the Crusades for my A Level history course) was seeing everywhere the names of Pope Urban V and Innocent VI. The sight of these names brought back all those lovely memories of learning about crusaders chopping each other’s balls off, medieval incest (Raymond & Eleanor of Aquitaine, you dirty things) and frankly being downright bastards in the name of God. It did make me wish I was studying History again. Those were the days…

Internal thought right now and one which I’m sure the majority reading are sharing:

But even if you’re not a massive history nerd like me, the Palais des Papes is spectacular. Even the floors are beautiful. The only issue is that an audio guide is necessary as there is not much information written down (however this is nowhere near as bad as the Alcazár in Sevilla – do not even get me started!). It’s also forbidden to take photos in the best rooms. So you can either comply or be sneaky when security’s not looking…

Chapelle Saint Martial (sneakily taken…) 

One of the frescos.

Chapelle Saint Jean 

In the chimney in le grand tinel and of course I had to say DIAGON ALLEY..

We also made it to the Pont d’Avignon (Pont Saint-Benézet). It was so windy though making dancing on the bridge a slightly difficult prospect! Advice: do not go if you wear a wig/toupee.. The view of the Rhône is gorgeous though. Also, listen to the original version of ‘Sur le pont d’Avignon’. Blissful nostalgia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIRWnNOtJBE

It was lovely to visit out-of-season, especially at this time with the Christmas market all set up. Without a doubt, one of my favourite and one of the most beautiful cities in this country, Avignon is a must-see.

L. x

A piece of England in France

Town Hall – Day

Christmas Market

The spectacular Palais des Papes

Christmas Market

Christmas Market

Pont Saint-Benezet

 

Languedoc-Roussillon

Allow me to introduce my new region to you all and be jealous…

Montpellier

Montpellier is the capital of the region as well as the fastest growing city in the entire country. This is evident when you visit. It is a modern fast-moving city yet fortunately it isn’t overloaded with people. There is however always something happening in the city, especially around the lively main square Place de la Comédie overlooked by the city’s spectacular opera house. The square is particularly festive at the moment as the Christmas markets have just opened. Before the opening of the Christmas markets, there was also la Fête des Vignes where you could sample all the different wines of the region. Perfect beginning to December…

 

My friend and I at the Fête des Vignes 

Place de la Comédie with its Christmas tree

The opera house at night

As one of the main student cities in France, you can also find all the great bars (yes, MORE WINE), theatres and art galleries in Montpellier. The Musée Fabre is located just off la Comédie and is quite a unique museum. There is one room where all of the artwork is plain black (by a local artist named Vincent Cunillère). It’s actually shockingly beautiful, if just a tad pretentious.

 

Musée Fabre 

To be honest, my view of Montpellier is slightly biased as this was indeed the city to influence my decision to apply to work in Languedoc-Roussillon. So you’ll have to see it for yourselves – it is certainly worth visiting!

Nîmes

Nîmes immediately struck me as such a typically Languedoc-Roussillon town. It is absolutely breath-taking and also seemed to me to display a bit of the Roman influence found in the region. The arènes (bull ring) is one of the main attractions and dominates the view of the town centre.

Without a doubt though, my favourite place in Nîmes was the Jardins de la Fontaine. These gardens are absolutely stunning and have such a wonderfully peaceful environment.

Quais de la Fontaine

Temple de Diane 

I would definitely advise going to Nîmes if you enjoy beautiful sights and like to take advantage of the scenery and environment. It is a fantastic place to enjoy a calm day after the buzz of Montpellier.

Sète

This port town is lovely to visit however only in glorious weather. Otherwise I find it becomes completely dulled and grey. Of course, it is true that one can enjoy the other two cities better when il fait beau and the Mediterranean sun is out. The difference is that they can offer you plenty of diversions inside as well as outside. I have found that Sète really reveals its stunning side on the days where we enjoy typical South of France sunshine.

The old port at night 

 

Cool artwork near the beach

That being said, it can boast of having a beautiful theatre (Théâtre Molière) where I went with another language assistant to watch Puccini’s La Bohème. We were fortunate in finding a woman in the box office the afternoon of the performance who sold us her tickets (which turned out to be fantastic seats) for 10 euros each. Perfect way to spend a (usually tedious) Sunday afternoon!  

 

 

There is also a fantastic shop in Sete which sells both sweet and savoury biscuits as well as madeleines (so you can embrace your inner Proust). It’s decorated in a slightly Laduré style and the biscuits are slightly addictive snacks… 

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So that’s just a quick overview of three of the places that I have happened to visit on multiple occasions (and as I mentioned, in various weathers!). There is so much to see in the region though including Perpignan with its Spanish influence and Carcassonne’s medieval heritage. The entire region is beautiful wherever you decide to visit. And don’t forget the wine (which is quickly becoming the principal theme of this blog)!

L. x    

Chez moi

I’m dedicating the entirety of this blog post to my new home town Béziers. It is one of the region’s main cities after Montpellier and also one of the oldest cities in the whole of France. Located on a cliff overlooking the River Orb, it is obviously extremely hilly. Fortunately my poor legs and I have become rather accustomed to some steep climbs in the city. Apart from toning up your leg muscles, you can also find some absolutely beautiful views. Overlooking the entire city and the River Orb is its cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Nazaire) and here you are never disappointed with the view nor with the opulent interior of the cathedral itself. It is breath-taking and is even more beautiful at night when all lit up.

 

 

Just up the road from the Cathedral is Église de la Madeleine found at the conveniently named Place de la Madeleine. Not only is this another beautiful church, it is also the location of my favourite restaurant in Béziers Le Petit Montmartre. The menu changes each week and the service and food are equally amazing. The only issue is that it is extremely miniscule meaning that it is definitely worth reserving in advance especially for lunch. The Biterrois (the name for the inhabitants of Béziers) are very typically French in their gourmandise. When I first arrived, I went to the city’s Féria du Chocolat. Here you could buy all your guilty pleasures from the city’s best chocolatiers and patisseries as well as attending tastings and workshops. This was a day of self-indulgence for me who suffers from a terrible sweet tooth.        

Place de la Madeleine – exterior of the Église de la Madeleine

 

Altar of the Church

Le Petit Montmarte 

Feria du Chocolat 

A chocolate woman – naked because this is France

Those macarons, dayum dayum dayum

Another fantastic example of typical French behaviour is 20, c’est le vin. This word play (the words twenty vingt and wine vin are pronounced the same) is a staple of biterrois life and involves going to the city’s main street Allées Paul Riquet to drink wine every 20^th of the month all paid for by the local council. You read right – free wine. 

The Allées are also the main place for the city’s markets. There are markets most days however my favourite by far is the flower market on Fridays. 

To be frank, when I was posted to the region of Languedoc Roussillon, I did want to work in the region’s main city Montpellier. I am now pleased that I’m in Béziers as it has given me the opportunity to see more of the region. The city is in a fantastic location and truly shows off every facet of the region’s spectacular landscape. It can boast of being only fifteen minutes from the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by vineyards and in the distance the Pyrenees on one side and the Massif Central on the other. It also has elements of the proximity to the Spanish border with the spectacular bull ring. 

 The River Orb links up with the Canal du Midi on the way to one of the city’s main attractions Les Neuf Écluses (Fonserannes lock). The lock is one of the major achievements of Pierre-Paul Riquet (the founder of the Canal du Midi born in Béziers). I do actually prefer the walk to the locks themselves. This is dependent however on how big a fan of engineering you are.   

 

 

The walk by the Canal du Midi

The Lock in action

Béziers is however also a paradoxical city. As is the case for many French cities (most notoriously Marseille), there is a dark side behind the beautiful façade. Walking through the city at night, I am often reminded of the Arctic Monkeys line: they say it changes when the sun goes down around here. It feels completely different and in certain quartiers, it can even be quite intimidating if alone. I have not even been to the most infamous area La Devèze where there are problems with gang culture and even Islamic extremism. On the D609 route between Narbonne and Béziers, there are also major problems with prostitutes who sit by the side of the motorway waiting for clients. I found it extremely shocking at first but it makes one reflect on just how clandestine its existence in the UK. These issues are not necessarily specific to Béziers however yet they are aspects of the life here which are frankly horrifying. I have the impression that the local government is not doing enough to help all of its citizens. There is definitely the sense of ‘them’ and ‘us’, especially in their treatment of people who come from the Maghreb ex-colonies. They are usually confined to living in areas like La Devèze or run-down apartments near the train station. I find it difficult to comprehend how the parliament cannot see how helping these people rather than isolating them would benefit the majority.

Next, my view of the other cities in Languedoc Roussillon…

L. x

Some other beautiful sights in Béziers 

The theatre at the head of the Allées

Plateau des Poetes

 

 

New Beginnings in France

It has officially been just over one month since my move to Béziers in the south of France. I can honestly say that it has been wonderful although extremely disorientating at first. I’ve finally organised everything now though so I can finally write this post about my experience so far.

Until May, I will be working as an English language assistant in a collège (the equivalent of a British secondary school) and a lycée (the equivalent of a sixth form college). I teach classes with groups of around 10-13 students in which we primarily aim to speak English as much as possible. In the collège, I work with students belonging to a scheme called the section européenne. These are selected students gifted in languages who are provided with supplementary English lessons. They also study some other subjects in English such as physics/maths. As a result, they are all very highly motivated and have already attained a good level of English. It is something that I wish the British education system would adopt. The only issue being that it widens the gap even further between the section euro students and the remainder of pupils learning English. Not exactly democratic for a country that professes to believe in liberté, fraternité et égalité.

At the lycée, I work with a greater number of students who are strikingly different from those at the collège. They are studying for a post-baccalauréat qualification called a BTS which is a much more vocational type of learning. Although all of these students have been generally motivated, I find that there is often a wide range in levels between each student. There are some who struggle much more from lack of confidence whereas some have worked as interns in the UK and speak with assertion and a good degree of fluency. Fortunately I get on very well with all of my students in both the collège and lycée as I think that they have found someone with whom they can empathise much more than the other teachers. They are the same age as me as well which means that I go out with them and they are all lovely.

 For the section euro at least, there are also some highly ambitious students who were very excited upon discovering which university I attend. Although I do detest the boastful aura around Oxford, I hope at least that it may be inspiring to them. A bizarre recurrent question I receive in the lycée reveals however the more likely inspiration for many of my students: ‘do you know 2Pac?’. I don’t understand why but there is an obsession with Tupac Shakur in the lycée. They’re all gettin their California lovin and a little ghetto gospel. No one’s mentioned Biggie though. Maybe it is indeed true that the French do not like fat people after all (http://mireilleguiliano.com/section/sub/14) That being said, it is correct that there are hardly any overweight people here despite the fact they genuinely live off bread and cheese here. I have never been offered cheese so much. Brie brie everywhere. So it’s all good…

 

There are some aspects of France that I do however hate or which annoy me. The amount of bureaucracy in this country. The quantity of paperwork I have filled in seemed to be endless. One day, I had to complete four copies of the exact same document. As the receptionist at the lycée said, ça, c’est la France. I swear I also wanted to kill any employee of La Banque Postale after having to wait three weeks for a debit card and a cheque book. The French system of processing information is notoriously slow and it’s even slower for me as I live in the South where the attitude is even more laissez-faire. French keyboards, you also ruin every day of my life here. Why do the letters q and a have to be swapped? Why do I have to press ‘shift’ for numbers and full stops? QWERTY is now one of my favourite things – I am in love with the English keyboard layout. But oh my god, the dubbing of films is just the worst. Dubbing comedies especially does not work. For example, as I write, I am currently watching The Big Lebowski … in French. THIS. IS. PAINFUL. They’ve even changed his name to ‘The Duke’.

                                                

 

‘The Dude’ is not ‘The Duke’ from Moulin Rouge. I don’t even understand why it had to be changed. I’ve also had to endure Robert DeNiro in French at the cinema. Thank God, the cinema showed Gravity and Blue Jasmine in English with French subtitles.

 Despite all of these annoying trivialities, I am so happy to be here. The region Languedoc-Roussillon is spectacularly beautiful. I was on holiday for the last two weeks of October which allowed me to explore a little bit and I genuinely believe that this is what heaven looks like. Vineyards are everywhere so everywhere smells like wine. Anyone that knows me well also will be aware of how obsessed I am with testing skincare products. French women (and an increasing number of men) are on the same level as obsession. There are pharmacies everywhere and they are amazing. I’m going to write a separate post about French products and their attitudes towards skincare and cosmetics as it is actually very interesting. Also the food is generally better here, including the quality of fruit and vegetables. This is definitely the country of gastronomy. I am finally accustomed to la vie française and it is heavenly.

My apartment is also wonderful. After living with a family (who were wonderful and so welcoming for a few weeks) before choosing this apartment, it’s all a bit strange living on my own but it is wonderful and has two bedrooms, a proper kitchen with a dining room and living room. Living alone means I’m either a strong independent woman or I’m one step further to becoming Bridget Jones. I am however enjoying the independence and I believe that I am genuinely becoming a French domestic goddess. I’ve got this French cookery book and it is magnifique. Wine is too cheap here as well so I’ll probably be an alcoholic before the end of the year. The apartment is brilliant for inviting my fellow language assistants to dinner though. My apartment belongs to a building called ‘Residence Bel Air’. I am however neither fresh nor a prince. I do dance like this in the kitchen though when I’m being Nigella:

                   

I’m going to finish there before I bore you any longer and so that is the end of my slightly epic first post about my new life in France.

 

L. x