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Je t’aime… bien ?! When It Comes to Romance, the French Have It All Backwards

Je t’aime… bien ?! When It Comes to Romance, the French Have It All Backwards

The French language may certainly sound sexy, but it is most definitely NOT the language of love. Rather, it is the language of ambiguity…
Go to the profile of Zoë Smith
Zoë Smith
Bringing Home the Brexit Bacon… But Not To France!

Bringing Home the Brexit Bacon… But Not To France!

The most hotly debated, fiercely argued, ruthlessly divisive, deeply controversial political topic of the last five years…
Go to the profile of Zoë Smith
Zoë Smith
The ‘Empêchement’: France’s ‘Get Out Of Jail Free’ Card

The ‘Empêchement’: France’s ‘Get Out Of Jail Free’ Card

An empêchement, you see, is France’s get-of-jail-free card. It’s the foolproof, catch-all, unimpeachable excuse…
Go to the profile of Zoë Smith
Zoë Smith
The Truth About the Great British Dream of ‘Buying a House in France’

The Truth About the Great British Dream of ‘Buying a House in France’

When I was around seven years old, my Francophile parents decided that road tripping the Atlantic coast and caravanning around Brittany…
Go to the profile of Zoë Smith
Zoë Smith
Spilling the Tea on Getting a Good Cup of Tea in France (Spoiler Alert: You Can’t)

Spilling the Tea on Getting a Good Cup of Tea in France (Spoiler Alert: You Can’t)

It’s hard to explain the importance of tea to a British person. A hot cuppa is our lifeblood. It’s what we bond over, gossip over, make…
Go to the profile of Zoë Smith
Zoë Smith
Fish Eggs, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails?! A Réveillon Dinner Better Suited for Halloween than NYE…

Fish Eggs, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails?! A Réveillon Dinner Better Suited for Halloween than NYE…

If you believe the stereotypes, French gastronomy falls into two main categories. There’s the Michelin-starred world of fine dining where…
Go to the profile of Zoë Smith
Zoë Smith
Bargain or Brainteaser?! France’s Version of Mastermind is the annual Christmas Sales

Bargain or Brainteaser?! France’s Version of Mastermind is the annual Christmas Sales

In the UK, the annual Black Friday or Christmas sales play out like a cross between Supermarket Sweep and a Roman gladiatorial combat…
Go to the profile of Zoë Smith
Zoë Smith
Modesty is Not a Medical Term: Visiting the Doctor in France

Modesty is Not a Medical Term: Visiting the Doctor in France

When it comes to baring skin, the French and English seem to have very different ideas of modesty. Especially at the doctor’s…
Go to the profile of Zoë Smith
Zoë Smith
If the Devil Wore Prada, She Might Also Have a Hand in L’Administration Française

If the Devil Wore Prada, She Might Also Have a Hand in L’Administration Française

Pre-2020, whenever the subject of the infamous L’Administration Française (French Administration) came up — at least once a dinner party —…
Go to the profile of Zoë Smith
Zoë Smith
Roundabouts: A French Invention Even the French Aren’t Proud of.

Roundabouts: A French Invention Even the French Aren’t Proud of.

For some reason all French people seem to have an encyclopaedic list in their brain of all things that the French ever created. As if it’s…
Go to the profile of Zoë Smith
Zoë Smith
Moving to France: You’ll Need Your Birth Certificate. Your Most Recent One.

Moving to France: You’ll Need Your Birth Certificate. Your Most Recent One.

“You will need your birth certificate,” she told me, reeling off a list of required documents.
Go to the profile of Zoë Smith
Zoë Smith
The French Art of ‘Râler’

The French Art of ‘Râler’

“L’essentiel, c’est de râler” — Michel Audiard
Go to the profile of Zoë Smith
Zoë Smith
About Râler Like a French Girl

About Râler Like a French Girl

A little bit about your râleuse (Zoë — that’s me).
Go to the profile of Zoë Smith
Zoë Smith
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