My French Life

In the middle of the nave, you will come across a curious circle: the labyrinth of the cathedral of Chartres. Made up of 270 stone pieces, the labyrinth has always elicited a certain captivation.

After the Liberation, Saint-Germain-des-Prés took up jazz, singing and theatre, and served as a backdrop in French cinema. Certain figures mythified the quarter which, since the 60s, had been transforming itself into a ‘spoilt rich-kid’ quarter.

With France’s economy predicted as ‘the one to watch’ in 2013, the country’s role as parent nation to the single currency alongside Germany may not be as secure as first thought. We are left wondering what the future of the Euro might be or whether it has a future at all.

The annual Salon du livre de Paris is the number one meeting place for all bookaholics, as well as industry professionals. International stars of fiction and non-fiction talk about their new books and meet their readers, who invariably wait in line for hours to have their copy signed, dédicacé.

Jean-Paul Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher who believed that each individual has the freedom to change things and make a real difference.

I love the notion of “flâner,” which means to wander, to stroll. Walking without an agenda, or destination, is like having the entire city as a playground, filled with enchantment and possibility.

Lingerie reveals a great deal about our personality, yet it doesn’t always reflect how we want to see ourselves. It’s hard for women to reconcile the difference – even in English! Add the word ‘French’ and the whole thing becomes a tangled mess of silk and lace lost in translation.

Following our interview with wine connoisseur and owner of wine bar Ô Chateau, Olivier Magny, we sat down with the man himself when he was recently in Melbourne. It was great to meet Olivier in the flesh; to talk about his busy life, new book and how people who wax lyrical about wine rarely know what they're talking about...

How good is your French? I do not, in fact, advocate fluency where fluency is not going to happen, and I always insist people try to not worry about it too much. As long as you get your message across it really doesn’t matter so very much.

Each May, the Southern French city of Cannes hosts one of the most famous events in the world of cinema -  the Cannes Film Festival. From 15 to 26 May this year, Hollywood’s finest will descend upon the city of Cannes.