Nassie Angadi    Smoking in France has long been intertwined with cultural and social norms. Historically, France has been known for its laissez faire attitude towards smoking, with vintage images of French cafes filled with patrons puffing on cigarettes. Unfortunately, it was also one of the accepted methods of...

Nassie Angadi    I feel like every time I write you a newsletter, I’m writing that it is school holidays. Well it is mid April and school holidays again. I’m on driving back and forth from tennis camp kids’ duty, exciting times let me tell you. The rain and wind in Paris is still schizophrenic, coming and going...

Nassie Angadi    Whether you’re a jet setter or it is your first time in France, getting from airport to your accommodation in Paris after a long flight is always a bit stressful. So here are some handy tips to navigate the trip smoothly, despite the jet lag. Bon voyage Taxis Pros: Cons: Taxis are readily...

Nassie Angadi    While France is relatively safe, it is important to familiarize yourself with the security risks you may encounter so that you can react. In addition, I will go through some of the top things to be aware of. Security and Plan Vigipirate Plan Vigipirate is France’s national security alert system,...

Nassie Angadi    While there is never a bad time to visit France, there are a few periods which are better than others. Spring March, April, May If there is an ideal time to visit France, it is likely in springtime. The weather is usually not too hot or too cold. It does tend to rain a bit

Nassie Angadi    Tipping can be a cultural minefield, with customs varying widely from one country to another. If you are coming to France, understanding the etiquette around tipping is essential to avoid any cultural faux pas. In Restaurants In short, you do not have to tip in restaurants in France. It is presumed...

Nassie Angadi    Depending on where you are arriving from, you may get to France and find out that you can’t charge that oh so important telephone or computer. I go through what type of power outlets and adaptors you may need in France. Power Outlets in France France, like many European countries, operates on a ...

Nassie Angadi    Arriving in a new country, you will need to pay for things. I go through whether you should come to France with lots of cash, credit cards, or some other form of money transfer. Credit Cards Without question, credit cards are the preferred way to conduct transactions in shops, restaurants, museums,...

Nassie Angadi    Can you drink tap water The short answer is yes. The tap water across France, including in Paris is considered safe for drinking according to French health regulations. The city’s water supply undergoes rigorous testing to ensure it meets the standards set by the European Union and the French...

Nassie Angadi    Paris is on Central European Time CET , the time zone covering all of France, as well as most of western and central Europe. At the moment, the time in Paris is: The CET time zone usually means Paris and the whole of France is: Daylight savings time France observes daylight savings time, known...

Nassie Angadi    If you are used to hour shops like in the U.S.A, store opening hours in Paris is going to be quite a shock. And that is actually pretty good compared to the rest of France, where hours are even more restrictive. Store opening and closing times In general, opening hours in large cities like Paris...

Nassie Angadi    Opening and closing hours In Paris and across France, restrictions on opening hours vary according to the kind of establishment that might serve drinks. As a summary: In French, a nuit blanche refers to spending the whole night partying, rather than going home to sleep. Is drinking in public is...

Nassie Angadi    The best hotels to stay in Paris, at various price points from budget to luxury.

Nassie Angadi    And just like that it is spring The tree leaves growing back, birds chirping angrily at am, and of course those fat slimy snails crawling into anything and everything. Coming from Toronto I’m used to squirrels, but these escargot have caught me off guard. In case you missed it, we moved to the ...

Nassie Angadi    I learned a new word last week, which doesn’t happen so often any more after living in France for so long: la rouille . Used in a sentence, that would be la Tour Eiffel est rouillée which translates in English to the Eiffel tower has rusted . And of course the reason I learned this word is

Nassie Angadi    Mid february in Paris and that means school holidays, whoo hoo Yes, we’ve barely taken down those Christmas decorations and it is already time for the kids to have winter break. No wonder those school PISA scores in France were so bad. Anyway, there is no help for it, if you are a Parisian...

Nassie Angadi    It’s the siege of Paris Yes really. Several highways into Paris are blocked and if you want to get around, you better Google Maps yourself a few hours in advance. No it is not the Germans we have to worry about, they are busy blocking roads in Berlin. In Paris it is the French farmers who are...

Nassie Angadi    An ordinary Frenchwoman with an astonishing life, Désirée Clary was engaged to Napoleon Bonaparte before being tossed aside. She did get her revenge though, become Queen of Sweden in the ruling House of Bernadotte.

Nassie Angadi    From daughter of a Caribbean plantation owner to marriage to Napoleon Bonaparte, Joséphine de Beauharnais was not a woman destined to become Empress of France.

Nassie Angadi    Surrounded by paganism, Queen Clotilde convinced King Clovis of the Franks and his people to convert to christianity, becoming a saint in the process.