A young person with curly hair stands on a city street, smiling while holding a dog's leash. The background features outdoor seating and buildings typical of an urban area.
Posted inFrance holidays Kristian

Joyeuses Pâques

Fun fact: here in France, the Easter Bunny doesn't bring eggs. Instead, we have the Easter bells ("les cloches de Pâques). Wait, what? Traditionally, Catholic churches don't ring their bells…
Outdoor swimming pool beside the Rhône River, featuring a lap area and a bridge leading to a water slide. The scene includes swimmers enjoying the water under a partly cloudy sky.
Posted inFrance LJ

Can I Get an Attestation!

Skirt or shorts? No service. Lilian is going on a school trip later this year that requires her to have an "attestation savoir-nager." Basically, she needs a certificate that shows…
Posted inFrance

Springing Forward

Daylight Savings Time started in France today. We start later (and end earlier) than the US, which is kindof nice. For a couple of weeks, we were an hour closer…
The new mayor of Paris, Grégoire, celebrates his election victory by biking through the city with supporters at night, while being interviewed. Bright lights and a festive atmosphere surround the group.
Posted inFrance politics

Municipal Elections: Part Deux

Fun fact! The "Écologist" mayor of Lyon, Grégory Doucet, won reelection yesterday. He won by about 3,000 votes. That's pretty darn close, but seeing as how everyone said he was…
Posted inFrance politics

Municipal Elections

Yesterday was mayoral elections here in France. The mayor of Lyon, Grégory Doucet, was up for re-election (he was elected to his first term in 2020). His main opponent, Jean-Michel…
An angry looking goose stands on the grass next to a sneaker and a light blue cooler bag. The background features trees and a park setting.
Posted inFrance LJ

Parc de la Tête d’Or

On Saturday, we enjoyed a picnic at the Parc de la Tête d'Or in Lyon. We traveled via the Vélo'v eBike service. We enjoyed our food, even if we had to fight off a couple of geese. We visited the free zoo featuring giraffes, as well as the botanical garden, which inspired future explorations.
A small ancient stone hut, known as a caborne, with a person standing in the doorway. The structure features a rustic design and is surrounded by greenery under a blue sky.
Posted infamily France

Mont Thou

Last weekend, we hiked Mont Thou, starting with a 15-20 minute bus ride to Saint-Fortunat. Despite encountering steep sections, the trail was enjoyable, with friendly passersby. We discovered ancient stone huts called "Cabornes" and relaxed in meadows.
Posted inFrance

Manifesting Part Deux

French farmers are protesting the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement, which eliminates tariffs and imposes import quotas. While farmers oppose it, wine producers have mixed feelings, and environmentalists strongly object. The deal was paused by the EU parliament. In contrast, a far-right march in Lyon saw minimal public support and response from authorities.