According to an advice author French women don’t sleep alone because they have a knack for attracting men. Apparently, American women don’t have this knack. Um. Ok.

From topnews:

French women have “an effortless gift for attracting men” that American ladies lack and need to learn, says author Jamie Cat Callan, in her forthcoming advice book.

In her “ French Women Don’t Sleep Alone”, which is due to hit the shelves in March, the writer tries to guide American ladies to learn from their French rivals who have a natural flair of pulling men.

“French women don”t listen to Dr. Phil”s advice,” the New York Post quoted Callan, as saying in the book.

It said: “They don”t worry about the care and feeding of their boyfriends . . . American women are trying too hard – and the results have been grim.

“On the contrary, French women”s love lives are romantic, sensual, playful, complicated, intense and positively epic.”

tags: france, books, french, French Women Don’t Sleep Alone

I like Air Car better!

From engadget:

“MDI’s compressed air vehicle has been unofficially known as the AirCar for years now, but it looks like the company is now finally putting a stop to that, and officially bestowing the decidedly less catchy “FlowAIR” name on the car. What’s more, it’s also gotten official with no less than four different vehicles based on the technology, including the One FlowAIR open-top model, the Mini FlowAIR three-seater (pictured above), the City FlowAIR truck-type vehicle, and the Multi FlowAIR urban public transportation concept, all of which have been making the rounds under various guises for some time now. From the looks of it, the One FlowAIR will be the first out of the gate in 2009 (in France, at least), with the rest to follow over the next few years.”

Related: Air Cars hit the streets, French Air Cars Coming to the U.S.

From sinolinx:

“France has recalled sweets and biscuits made with Chinese dairy after finding high levels of an industrial chemical.

In China, four babies have died and 53,000 have fallen sick after consuming milk products contaminated with the chemical melamine.

The EU banned imports of Chinese baby food containing traces of milk in response to the scare last month.

The recall of White Rabbit sweets and Koala biscuits is the first such order to be made by a European country.

French consumers were warned to destroy or return the tainted products after tests showed high levels of melamine, which can cause kidney failure.

“The first results of tests conducted in France have shown a melamine level above the warning level set by the European Commission at 2.5mg per kilo,” the agriculture ministry said in a statement.

So far there have been no identified cases of health problems associated with the contamination in France.

The recall is the strongest measure yet taken by a European country amid a worldwide health scare over Chinese milk products that has led several countries to ban dairy imports from China.

It came as China issued new quality controls for its dairy industry and promised more severe punishment, including public naming, for anyone found to have violated safety standards.

Some Chinese dairy farmers are accused of fraudulently adding melamine to watered-down milk to make the product appear rich in protein and to fool quality control tests.”

This restaurant’s name probably doesn’t bug other people as much as it bugs me – but what on earth are people thinking in Nimes??? The restaurant is called, “Le Sake,” you know, “sake” being the alcoholic beverage made of fermented rice from JAPAN!? YET. The restaurant specializes in Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine. That’s like calling a place Sombrero and selling underpants there.

You know what I mean.

I don’t care if the restaurant is good or not – I’m boycotting!

tags: france, french, sake, nimes, badly named restaurants, fail

Though she’s been around a while now, her career got a serious kickstart because Apple decided to use her song, “New Soul” for the advertising campaign of the MacBook Air. I didn’t know much about her before that.

I’d heard in an interview with the French-Israeli artist, Yael Naim, that she didn’t even realize Apple used her song for the spot. Aren’t they supposed to ask for permission first? Anyway.

Her second album, Yael Naim, which includes the MacBook Air song and other songs in English, French and Hebrew, is really wonderful and worth a listen. I particularly liked her cover of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” and a song called, “Lonely,” which is beautiful if not impetus to start up drinking.

Listening to my fave radio station, kcrw, I’d heard she and the awesome David Donatien were touring in the U.S. this month and in November they’ll be back in France, so I thought I’d post her concert information:

October 2008
10/14 Seattle (WA) | Triple Door
10/15 Portland (OR) | Aladdin Th.
10/17 Los Angeles (CA) | Troubadour
10/19 Aspen (CO) | Belly Up
10/20 Boulder (CO) | Boulder Th.
10/22 Minneapolis (MN) | Cedar Cultural Center
10/23 Chicago (IL) | House of Blues
10/25 Madison (WI) | Wisconsin Union Th.
10/27 New York (NY) | Webster Hall
10/29 Washington DC | 6th & I Historic Synagogue

November 2008
11/06 Voiron | Le Grand Angle
11/07 Clermont Ferrand | Coopérative de Mai
11/08 Le Mans | Festival Be Bop
11/09 Boulogne sur Mer | Tendance Festival
11/06 Voiron | Le Grand Angle
11/07 Clermont Ferrand | Coopérative de Mai
11/08 Le Mans | Festival Be Bop
11/09 Boulogne sur Mer | Tendance Festival
11/10 Nancy | l’Autre Canal
11/13 Paris | LES FOLIES BERGÈRES
11/14 Paris | LES FOLIES BERGÈRES
11/15 Paris | LES FOLIES BERGÈRES
11/19 Zurich | Kaufleuten
11/20 Fribourg | Fri-Son
11/21 Milan | Rolling Stone
11/24 Rome | Auditorium

Her official website: Yael Naim, her myspace, her facebook

tags: france, french, yael naim, david donatien, concert schedule

Upon first glance, this seems to be a ridiculous attempt to grab attention, but that’s clearly not the case here.

While those seeking a life changing epiphany take pilgrimages to Lourdes, Santiago de Compostela, Mecca, and beyond, Hadrian Rabouin, an 18 year old Breton (guy from Bretagne), has something else in mind and decided that what he needed, was to walk a 1200 kilometer (745 miles) circuit in France with his cow named Camomile, a one and half year old Charolais heifer.

With organic farmers for parents, Hadrien grew up deeply engrained in toxic-free nature, and amidst the mindset of respecting his environment. The goal of his long walk is to discover and catalog plants that have been long forgotten. He plans to learn and live off the land whenever possible, and to meet whomever falls in his path for four months, walking approximately 20 kilometers per day, which is dependent on how Camomile feels, of course. He hopes this experience will give him a better perspective on where his life is going.

He didn’t want to bring any money but his mother insisted he at least bring a credit card and phone home now and again. His parents are comforted a little that he has a companion, albeit a cow for a companion. Reluctantly, he brought a credit card as well as 20 euros, which he apparently hasn’t needed because people along the way so far have given him money and food. He began his so-called pilgrimage on August 1 so he should be about half way through his circuit right about now and finishing in December.

Who knows, maybe this is the start of a new travel trend…

Kidding.

Watch a video of the story

tags: france, french, french guy traveling with a cow, pilgrimage, breton, charolais, cow

Inimitable sculptor specializing in funky wine decanters and unusual functional glass sculptures, Etienne Meneau, just released a new work called, Petit Coeur/Little heart. It’s a verre à boire (drinking glass) very different than your usual wine glass. The dimensions are as follows:

Height : 7.9 inches (20 cm)
Content : 6.7 fluid ounces (20 cl)
Material : borosilicat glass (also known as pyrex)
Price : 1500 euros + shipping
limited edition ( 8 numbered and signed + 4 artist proofs )

Click here for more information:
Etienne Meneau
Email Etienne Meneau: etiennemeneau@free.fr

tags: france, french, wine glasses, petit coeur, etienne meneau

From brandrepublic:

“The original James Bond Sir Sean Connery has been photographed by Annie Leibovitz posing on a beach in the Bahamas for Louis Vuitton’s Core Values advertising campaign.

Connery, who recently turned 78, is pictured sitting on a rough wooden landing stage on a beach near his home in the Bahamas with a waterproof version of Louis Vuitton’s Keepall travel bag next to him.

The strapline for the ad, created by Ogilvy & Mather, reads: “There are journeys that turn into legends. Bahamas islands, 10:07″.

It is the sixth in a series of portraits shot by Annie Leibovitz for Louis Vuitton’s Core Values campaign, on the theme of travel as a personal journey.

Louis Vuitton is making a donation to the Climate Change Project, spearheaded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore, on behalf of Connery.

Other celebrities to have been photographed by Leibovitz in the campaign include: Andre Agassi and his wife Steffi Graf; Catherine Deneuve; Keith Richards; Sofia Coppola and her father Francis Ford Coppola; and Mikhail Gorbachev, last head of state of the USSR who contributed to the end of the Cold War with perestroika and glasnost.

Antoine Arnault, head of communications at Louis Vuitton, said: “We are extremely proud that an actor of such immense stature should have agreed to participate in Louis Vuitton’s Core Values campaign.”

Pietro Beccari, senior vice president of communication and marketing at Louis Vuitton, said: “Our aim was to broaden the idea of travel beyond its geographical dimension and the campaign has achieved this in a truly remarkable way.

“We are particularly proud of the acclaim it has received from within the advertising industry, witnessed by numerous awards.”

The ad will appear in major international titles from October 30.” [source]

tags: france, french, luxury luggage, sean connery, louis vuitton

I like this cover of Moldy Peaches’ “Anyone Else But You” being sung by Ms. Sarko herself, Carla Bruni and Nouvelle Star winner, Julien Doré. I’m particularly relieved to not have to listen to Julien Doré singing his last hit that had been playing everywhere, all the time. At least, seemingly.

tags: france, Carla Bruni, Julien Doré, moldy peaches, anyone else but you

Today is French singer, France Gall‘s birthday, born on October 9, 1947. Happy Birthday, France! In celebration, here’s a fun video of her first single, which was also her first hit called, Ne sois pas si bête (Don’t be so stupid). It was recorded in 1963, when Ms. Gall was 16 years old. The old video is fun and cute.

Watch the video (youtube)

Links: France Gall on wikipedia

tags: france, gall, Ne sois pas si bête

Before we get into Pink Flamingos, the non-John Waters and non-plastic-lawn-decor-in-Florida versions, let’s talk about the Camargue.

The Camargue is a vast, triangle-shaped stretch of isolated roads, fresh and salt water ponds, salt flats, rice paddies, tall reeds, and nationally protected plains in the south of France (below Arles) – about 360 square kilometers / 930 square miles between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the River Rhône delta. Approximately a third of the Camargue is either lakes or marshland, with the central portion of the Camargue being a protected haven for wild birds. The area is home to over 400 different species of birds. It’s also the main habitat for the famous Toro Camargue (The Camargue Black Bulls) and Le Camargue (White Mane gray horses called Camargue Horses in English), but by far, there’s only one species of birds that steals the main stage here: the pink flamingo. People from all over the world flock to France just to see them.

Camargue’s pink “greater” flamingo, the “Phoenicopterus Roseus” officially, is the largest species of flamingo. Their plumage is pinkish white with black and crimson wings and their unusually shaped pink and black beak acts as a sieve designed to separate mud from food. They honk rather ungracefully and sound similar to the honks of geese. They are very sociable animals and fly in large flocks, and will not breed unless there are huge numbers of flamingos around them, which finally leads to the point of this post!

The best time to see flamingos according to experts is during their reproduction process. Oui, mating season! When is that? In the Camargue, it is recommended to see the flamingos during the winter months, any time between November and March. However, THE most ideal time to visit is actually in January and February according to the Parc Ornithologigue, (where we saw the flamingos) just 4 kilometers from the center of Saintes Maries. 10,000 flamingo couples gather around to do their thing. This is apparently amazing to see, from what we hear if not for watching an incredible amount of flamingos in one place at the same time, but also for a peeping tom chance to become a voyeur to witness their sexual activities en masse. Another great opportunity is to watch the pink flamingos take off in flight, all together. This happens at sunset. So, ultimately, the very best time to see the flamingos in the Camargue is in January or February when the sun sets. You can easily spend a few hours at the Parc Ornithologigue beforehand. Just make sure to time it right.

The non-breeding flamingos hang out in the Camargue a good part of the year so you will be sure to see some during most of the year, but their numbers will vary depending on what time of year you visit. Go during sun set!

A Last IMPORTANT NOTE: The Camargue is also home to some seriously vicious mosquitos. They are gargantuan and relentlessly evil. So please be prepared to use repellent. Lots of it. Everywhere. Even if you are wearing thick clothing, they will bite you through jeans. If you happen to forget yours, you can ask the people at the entrance for repellent. They will kindly let you use theirs for free.

Parc Ornithologique de Pont de Gau
Route d’Arles
13460 Saintes Maries de la Mer
Tél : 04 90 97 82 62
Admission: 7 €, 4 € (10 year-olds and under)
Open all year. Hours: Vary so please contact them for hours.

tags: france, camargue, pink flamingos, best time to see pink flamingos, Parc Ornithologigue, mating season, bird watching

From macworld:

“Network operator Orange will rate the environmental impact of the fixed-line and mobile phones it sells, it said Friday.

In France mobile phones—and most other electrical and electronic goods—are already subject to a special tax called “eco-participation,” intended to fund recycling of the products at the end of their lives. Although the current eco-tax on mobile phones differs from that for, say, photocopiers, it’s the same for all models of phone, and at just €0.01 (US$.01), is nowhere near enough to influence customers to choose more environmentally friendly products.”

tags: france, french, orange, iphone, environmental impact of cell phones

Our MOF Discovery partners in crime, Chloé and Jacques, told us about an MOF Chef named Serge Chenet who just opened a restaurant near their bed and breakfast in Saint Laurent des arbres. We all, of course, HAD to go check it out and have dinner there. On s’est régalé. Absolutely no complaints here. It was divine, and we highly recommend it, not only for the most scrumptious dishes ever but also for discrete service, and very reasonable prices.

Les mises en bouches / starters

Brochette de boudin noir , sorbet de hareng sur canapé / blood sausage skewered wontons, herring sorbet with caviar on toast (there was a teeny triangle of lemon on top)

Soupe d’artichauds , parmesan agé et coriandre / artichoke soup with aged parmesan and fresh cilantro

Entrées / Appetizers

Duo de foie gras : poêlé à l’hypocras et sa figue rôtie , farcie à la figue / Foie Gras Duo: Seared slice of foie gras cooked in a mulled honey wine with a roasted fig, non-seared foie gras stuffed with fig

Duo de lapereau : Médaillons de Lapereau , feuilleté de lapereau / Leveret Duo: Medallions of Leveret (some people call these bunnies), puff pastry with leveret

Course principale / Main Course

Lieu jaune accompagné de purée de chou fleur sur un lit de mousse de cresson / Pollack with a puree of cauliflower in a bed of watercress mousse (more…)

From bbcnews:

“…They are angry that the law does not allow them to use more modern hair-removal techniques on their clients.

On Monday hundreds of beauty workers – estheticiennes – demonstrated outside the health ministry in Paris to demand that the industry’s governing regulations be brought up to date.

They accuse dermatologists and other professional groups of waging a turf war to keep out new competition.

“French beauticians are the only ones in Europe…..” Continue reading

tags: france, french, beauticians, protest, hair removal

From seriouseats:

“If you live Paris and want to get in on some Presidential election-inspired foods, head to the Hotel Concord La Fayette in Paris for Obama and McCain burgers. Chef Laurent Belijar modeled Obama’s “O-Burger” after Obama’s birth state of Hawaii by making a curried patty topped with pineapple carpaccio and a mix of coriander-flavored shrimp. McCain’s “Elephant Burger” is southwest-themed, made of a tomato-flavored patty mixed with grilled lamb and guacamole and served with tomato salsa and nachos.

These burgers are available until November 4 at the La Fayette Bar and cost €22 each.” (almost $31 for a burger)

tags: france, french, Obama and McCain Burgers, hamburgers, paris

The dish, Moules Frites (mussels and fries), is practically an institution in France, which should be reason enough to sample some while you’re here, best eaten near the sea of course. These are from a brasserie called Le Belvedere in the southern seaside town, Saintes-Maries de la Mer, which is considered the capital of the Camargue.

We had a nice view of the beach and sea, sitting outside in the warmth of the provencale sun, munching on our moules and perfectly fried fries. (The restaurant had friendly service and reasonable prices, too.) What a great way to forget about the global financial deterioration spreading quickly around world…

Le Belvedere
21 Avenue de la plage
13460 Saintes-Maries de la mer France
Tèl : 04.90.97.92.87

tags: france, french, camargues, Saintes-Maries de la Mer, moules frites, Le Belvedere , beach

From iht:

“The French have always found American elections amusing, in a horror movie sort of way. They grumpily regard the American president as in some unfortunate sense also their own, but they see the campaign through their own cultural lens.

These two surprises, one after the other, have refreshed clichés retailed under President George W. Bush, confirming the deeply held belief of the French that the United States remains the frontier, led by impenetrably smug and incurious upstarts who have little history, experience or….” Read the rest

tags: france, french, view of america by the french