Category Archives: life in France

Waiting room chronicles: A gastro adventure

Posted on October 14, 2026 by JJS

🇬🇧 I am writing to you live from the hospital waiting room, that sacred place where time stands still, magazines date from the previous administration, and everyone studies their own shoes with intense interest. Today I am seeing a new … Continue reading →

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What to wear

Posted on October 12, 2026 by JJS

The question of the week Autumn in our little corner of France has decided to perform a yo-yo ballet, and my wardrobe is the unwilling understudy. Last week, in a fit of optimism, I packed away all my shorts and … Continue reading →

Posted in Humour, life in France, Travel | Leave a comment

Le blues

Posted on September 29, 2026 by JJS

🇫🇷 Je dois bien l’avouer, j’ai un petit coup de blues depuis quelques jours. Rien de dramatique — je n’ai pas encore commencé à parler au mobilier de jardin — mais il y a clairement un petit manque d’enthousiasme qui … Continue reading →

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Visit to the nearest ER

Posted on September 17, 2026 by JJS

It sure is not a 5-star hotel reception but the ER is effective and efficient enough. Having been registered before, it only takes a few minutes to get the paperwork ready and being handed over to a very nice nurse … Continue reading →

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Édition spéciale de l’Aude

Posted on July 31, 2026 by JJS

un Français interdit de séjour dans sa propre langue Je suis français jusqu’au bout des ongles — né dedans, pour ainsi dire, et élevé au bon vin de Bourgogne grâce à mon père, originaire d’Auxerre (donc rien à voir avec … Continue reading →

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Le fisc arrive / The taxman cometh

Posted on April 9, 2026 by JJS

🇫🇷 Et il plaisante pas Il existe dans la vie certains rituels qui remplissent l’âme d’une sourde angoisse : le dentiste, le contrôle technique annuel, et le moment où le portail de déclaration des impôts français s’illumine comme un Faucheur … Continue reading →

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Thursday, my old friend

Posted on February 12, 2026 by JJS

🇬🇧 I have always liked Thursdays. Not in a loud, fireworks-and-confetti sort of way. More in the discreet, knowing nod of two accomplices who understand each other perfectly. Thursday sits there, calmly, right in the middle of the week. Precisely … Continue reading →

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The week that was – 32/2025

Posted on August 10, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 Quiet… Too quiet? As planned, it was a quiet week. Some say too quiet. Those people are probably adrenaline junkies who can’t survive without bungee jumping before breakfast. Personally, I found it exactly what the doctor ordered—if the doctor … Continue reading →

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