Navigating the French

The image of the French countryside is quite different from the reality, as Kate Hill, the American expat founder of the Relais de Camont Writers and Artists Residency, well knows. She’s spent the past few decades restoring and living in a 300-year-old French farmhouse, so she’s the perfect person to help distinguish the dream and the reality of French country living as we navigate  champêtre. Joi...

Paris may no longer be home to medieval fortification walls, but that doesn't stop locals talking about Paris intra and extra muros. The wall, in this case, is the périphérique ring road, which has long been a stopper between the city and its suburbs. But a great plan for expanding Paris – and its métro system – outside of these walls into le grand Paris  is changing lives, and the very culture of...

The word "peasant" in English may bring to mind blouses, skirts, or Monty Python sketches, but paysan culture is alive and well, as author Sophie Duncan is here to explore. https://www.amazon.fr/Beyond-Paris-insiders-guide-France/dp/1910779032 https://chateausurvivor.medium.com/ Additional thoughts from Sophie:  "Gabrielle Chevalier's novel Clochemerle, published in 1934 is a good snapshot of the...

American enthusiasm makes the French roll their eyes, but the French aren’t exactly as pessimistic as they may seem. To get to the bottom of this cultural misunderstanding, Emily is joined by Véronique Savoye, a jack-of-all-trades who’s made France her career, to help navigate râler.  https://francewithvero.com/ https://francewithvero.substack.com Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/parisundergroundra...

Parisians go about the daily grind just like any other urban denizens. In Paris specifically, the expression  metro-boulot-dodo  – metro, work, sleep – is used to evoke the somewhat mind-numbing nature of that day-to-day. Author Andrew Martin's Metropolitain: An Ode to the Paris Metro delves into the reality of Paris’  métropolitan,  from its beginnings as an echo of London’s Underground to a soci...

When we describe something as exceptional in English, we're alluding to the way it stands out in a positive way. But in French, the opposite is often true, as journalist and writer Hannah Meltzer is here to explore as we navigate exceptionnellement. Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/parisundergroundradio  Find Us Online Website: https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/navigatingthefrench Facebook: htt...

Maternity in English is most closely associated with pregnancy jeans, but here in France,  maternité  encapsulates not just where you give birth, but the entirety of motherhood. Here to delve into this and other cultural nuances of being a mom is journalist and American expat Caitlin Gunther. Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/parisundergroundradio  Find Us Online Website: https://www.parisundergroun...

When Hemingway called Paris a fête, he wasn't saying it was a party. Instead, he was evoking something far deeper – an essential element of the city that has long captivated many drawn to the French capital. To delve into what exactly that elusive thing is, Emily is joined by Samuél Lopez-Barrantes, an American writer, musician, and tour guide in Paris. Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/parisundergr...

There are as many cooks as there are recipes for salade niçoise – and very few of them contain potatoes. This is just one of many paradoxes Emily is exploring with Rosa Jackson, the owner of Les Petits Farçis cooking school in Nice, as they navigate niçoise. https://www.petitsfarcis.com https://bookshop.org/p/books/nicoise-market-inspired-cooking-from-france-s-sunniest-city-rosa-jackson/20074543?e...

When you talk about your memories in French, you evoke your  souvenirs.  So what does  mémoire  mean? Memoirist Scott Carpenter is here to help us navigate this strange discrepancy between two false friends. https://bookshop.org/p/books/paris-lost-and-found-a-memoir-of-love-scott-dominic-carpenter/21040045   Join us on Patreon:  patreon.com/parisundergroundradio  Find Us Online Website: https://ww...

Edna Zhou is a journalist who has covered – and worked with – the Olympic games all over the world. As Paris prepares to welcome the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, she's here to help us navigate the French relationship to sports – and working out – as we discuss the word  sportif. Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/parisundergroundradio  Find Us Online Website: https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/na...

Républicain  is a false friend, especially for Americans, but not for the reasons you might think. To explore how and why this term’s meaning varies so widely from France to the U.S., Emily is welcoming Emile Chabal, a historian of twentieth century European and intellectual life and author of France, a book that delves into the paradoxes that define this country. https://emilechabal.com/ Join us...

France is synonymous with its food culture, but with a rise in foodies in the U.S., how does France's food culture stand out? Here to discuss the French attitude towards food from a cultural standpoint is Diane Rovner, a former food magazine editor, food tour guide, and founder of Bordeaux in Bites. She's here to help us navigate the word gourmet. BordeauxinBites.com Join us on Patreon: patreon.co...

If you grew up worrying the world was a popularity contest, get yourself to France, where the word populaire is better translated as "working class" or literally, "of the people." Without an apt translation for "popular," French society governs itself by different principles, which author Debra Ollivier is more than ready to unpack. https://www.amazon.com/What-French-Women-Know-Matters/dp/04252364...

When we hear the word "brûlée" in English, we're likely thinking about the sweet, shattery topping of a classic French dessert. But when Notre Dame suddenly caught fire in 2019, a whole other meaning of this word came into focus. Marie DeGross is a tour guide specialized as much in pastry as she is in the history of the military and first responders in France. She's here to explore what makes the...

Je ne sais quoi is a phrase American women love to use to describe their French counterparts, but according to Debra Ollivier, best-selling author of What French Women Know About Love, Sex, and Other Matters of the Heart and Mind, the French don't use it at all. She's here to talk about why – and what this means about the French approach to popularity, likeability, and identity. https://www.amazon...

In French, à la mode has got nothing to do with ice cream. Rather, it refers to one of the pinnacles of art de vivre : fashion. Here to discuss how Paris became such a fashion capital – and what the cultural expectations of dressing are – is Kasia Dietz, travel journalist, bag designer, and fashion tour guide in Paris. kasiadietz.com kasiadietztours.com https://www.instagram.com/kasiadietz/ Join u...

The word favorite doesn't really mean favorite, in France. Instead, it evokes a centuries-long tradition of sex, power, and gender roles in the French courts, as sisters and academics Christine and Tracy Adams are here to share. https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-08597-5.html Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/parisundergroundradio Find Us Online Website: https://www.parisundergroundradi...

Baguette may seem like France's most emblematic loaf, but pain de campagne or country bread tells the story of France's relationship with bread far more aptly. Here to trace that history is Apollonia Poilâne, the third-generation owner of Paris' Poilâne bakery. https://www.poilane.com/ Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/parisundergroundradio Find Us Online Website: https://www.parisundergroundradio.c...

If you start to get along fairly well with a new French acquaintance, you might field the question... On peut se tutoyer ? "Can we say tu ?" This phrase allows you to change registers from the formal to the informal at the drop of a hat – something that English doesn't allow quite so easily, as translator Ian Winick is here to discuss. https://www.ianwinick.com/en/how-do-you-du/ https://www.reddit...

While English already boasts the word author, it has also borrowed the French term auteur, a word that evokes a certain artist-driven film genre. Here to explore what that means about the French penchant for near-deification of artists is Dr. Gemma King, a professor at the Australia National University specializing in French and cinema. Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/parisundergroundradio Find Us...

The French love to speak in negatives: not bad instead of good, not false instead of true. This week, Emily is joined by Phineas Rueckert, an investigative journalist who is particularly intrigued by the way the French wield the phrase c’est pas évident – and what their understanding of it means regarding their relationship with facts and how they’re presented. Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/pari...

Cheese is alive… and to ensure it grows up properly, most cheesemakers rely on the expertise of an affineur or ager. To explore the world of French cheese aging – plus cheese etiquette and desert island cheeses – I’m joined today by Jennifer Greco, cheese educator and the American expat on a mission to taste all of France’s over 2,000 cheeses. Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/parisundergroundradio...

In France, a "good" immigrant is one who is intégré, integrated. This concept encapsulates values, language, culture, religion... and has frequently been weaponized against people of color. To delve into the ways in which this value looms large and small in French culture, Emily is joined by Megan Brown, a historian of Modern Europe with a focus on 20th-century France, European integration, and em...

When you think of a Parisienne, do you imagine a temptress? A svelte fashionista? Well that narrow worldview is such a small part of the truth – something Lindsey Tramuta has sought to address head-on with her book The New Parisienne – and with Emily on this episode of Navigating the French. https://www.instagram.com/rita.higgins.akar/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-rey-99643542/ https:/...