If you’re a lover of French literature, then you’ve surely heard of and probably read novels by Honoré de Balzac, one of the most prolific and well respected novelists of the 19^th century.  A fascinating character, you can visit his last house (he had several) in Paris and be thrown back into the romantic period in which he wrote.

Born in the city of Tours in the Loire Valley, Balzac arrived with his family in Paris at age 15, anxious for adventure in the capital. He studied law and dabbled in classes at the Sorbonne, discovering a love for words and their impact on readers.  In 1819, at age 20, he left home and moved into a tiny studio in the rue de Lesdiguières in the Marais where he initially wrote under the pseudonom of Lord R’Hoone (the anagram of d’Honoré). He wasn’t born a literary genius: he became one through hard work and great determination.

In addition to writing, he had a lust for entrepreneurship.  Before and during his career as a writer, he made attempts at being a publisher, printer, businessman, critic, and politician; he failed in all of these efforts.  He founded a printing company in the Latin Quarter, under the fine tutelage of Madame de Berny, his first great love and 20 years his senior, who was as well his mentor, guardian, substitute mother, lover and banker.  Prolific in his spare time, he published several novels during this time.  Despite the protection and best advice of Mme de Berny, Balzac fell deeper and deeper into debt, and the collectors began what would be a hounding process that would change his life.

His first refuge from his créanciers was 1, rue Cassini (14e), where he wrote his most famous novels: Les Chouans (1829), Peau de Chagrin ( (1831), Le Père Goriot (1835).  His vast magnum opus, La Comédie Humaine, had begun: 2500 characters and a total of 95 novels. A great detailer of mores and culture, Balzac described the courtisanes of the Grands Boulevards, the students in the Latin Quarter, unhappily married women, and a finely detailed portrait of French life in the years after the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte.  La Comédie humaine reflects his own real-life difficulties, and includes scenes from his personal experience.

There were both success and excess in his life. From refuge to refuge, either with friends or a secret passageway in someone’s apartment, he hid constantly from his debtors, writing furiously the whole time.  One is his last refuges is the one you can visit in Paris at 47 rue Raynouard in the 16^th; it is considered today le musée de Balzac.

In 1846, after a number of years of correspondence with a certain Madame Hanska, they married and he moved into her home in the rue Fortunée in the 8^th.  Five months later he suffered a heart attack and died, with a colossal amount of debt; he was buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery.  In honor of his prolific writing and chronology of Parisian life, the city of Paris has renamed rue Fortunée rue Balzac (8e).

If you’re interested in learning more, read a more detailed biography of Balzac here.

Arriving in France can be overwhelming and many Americans find themselves in a bit of a culture shock. If you’re preparing your first trip to France and haven’t already experienced its delights for an extended stay, here are a few quick tips to help you through the first few days….even the first couple of weeks. Give yourself some time before making snap judgments; you’ll be surprised at how quickly the experiences out of your comfort zone can make you either want to run back home or run forward.

France Arrival Survival Guide

Rest up

Jet lag is a huge consumer of energy. Be sure you rest properly before your trip, or as soon after arrival as you possibly can. The Louvre will still be there after your nap!
The world outside your comfort zone
Even something as small as shopping at the local supermarket can feel strange, although exhiliarating. Oh my goodness, all that cheese! And the cuts of meat are different. And how do these shopping carts work—why are they all attached together? Allow yourself some time to adjust. Enjoy what you’re seeing. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of other shoppers or personnel. Precede your questions in English with “Excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais?”
Establish a new routine
Opening and closing times, and particularly meal times, are different in France from the US. Read about dining habits in France if you can before you leave, in order to fit them appropriately into your new schedule. For example, if you plan to eat a midday meal, be mindful that most French restaurants serve lunch from 12-2:30, period. Dinner doesn’t start until 7:30 pm. The only diners you’ll see in the restaurants at 6:30 are Americans. Sundays are sacred in France. No stores are open; brace yourselves for a shopping-free day.
Mind your manners
The French have an intricate system of manners and politeness, instilled in them at a very young age. Visitors to France often inadvertently “break the rules” because they’re unwritten and different from one’s own culture. For example, the French begin each and every verbal interaction with “Bonjour.” If you’re asking your way, you can start by saying Bonjour, to indicate that the conversation is open. And always end, with “Merci. Au revoir.” Other rules of politeness: always excuse yourself (“Pardon”) when you pass in front of someone else, particularly through a doorway; wait until everyone is served their food before beginning to eat your meal; if you’d like more wine (or water or whatever the beverage is), always serve others before you serve yourself; always address the shopkeeper of any store you walk into with “Bonjour Madame/Monsieur” and “Au revoir, Madame/Monsieur.” You’ll be appreciated for being a polite foreigner!
Suspend judgement
There is more than one path to the truth. Each civilization and culture has its own reason to what is perceived as madness. Allow yourself to observe without judgment in your initial dealings with the French. You might find that you even prefer their way of doing this or that, but allowing for their differences will be less stressful. Learn something about their politics and their way of life; you might even enjoy reading their newspapers or their political cartoons.

Cartoonist for Le Monde

Remember the folks back home….but just send a postcard.
In today’s world of interconnectedness, it’s almost impossible to stay away from one’s computer or phone to communicate with your loved ones back home. Remember, however, that you’re in a different routine and environment, and allowing yourself to fully experience it without the interference of the homeland enables you to adjust more quickly.
Get organized!
Write down everything you’d like to do while you’re in France and then plan carefully. Sometimes just figuring out how to get somewhere can take up immense amounts of time. Spend time in the beginning of your trip to make up your wish-list of activities and must-see’s. Make sure what you want to visit is open on that day; check the opening and closing times. Spend time learning the metro system or the road signs if you’re driving. You’ll be able to do what you want to do with a little foresight and planning.

Elections présidentielles

It’s election time in France with the upcoming elections known as Les Presidentielles. The French vote for their president in two rounds, spaced two weeks apart, the first round of which will be held on Sunday April 22, 2012. If there is no decisive winner (50% + 1) on the first round, the run-off between the top two polling candidates will be held on Sunday, May 6, 2012. In order to be a legitimate candidate, a person must first obtain the signatures of 500 elected representatives; ten candidates qualified in 2012.

Here, appearing in alphabetical order are the ten candidates for Président (or Présidente) de la République française 2012, their political party affiliation, and the slogan of their campaign. Drumroll…..

• Nathalie Arthaud, 42 years old, from the political party Lutte Ouvrière (Workers’ Struggle). Slogan: “Une candidate communiste.”

• François Bayrou, 60 years old, from the Mouvement Démocrate party. Slogan: “Un pays uni, rien ne lui résiste” (Nothing Resists A United Country).

• Jacques Cheminade, 71, from the party called Solidarité et progrès (Solidarity and Progress). Slogan : « Le sursaut » (The Jump).

• Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, 51, from the party Debout la République (Republic, Rise up) with the slogan: “Pour une France libre” (For a Free France).

• François Hollande, 57, Socialist party, slogan: “Le changement, c’est maintenant” (Change is Now).

• Eva Joly, 68, from the environmental party known as Europe Ecologie, with slogan « Le vote juste » (The Just Vote).

• Marine Le Pen, 43, from the Front National (National Front party), with the slogan: “La voix du peuple, l’esprit de la France.” (The Voice of the People, The Spirit of France).

• Jean-Luc Mélanchon, 60, from the Parti de Gauche (The Party of the Left). Slogan: “Prenez le pouvoir” (Take Power).

• Philippe Poutou, 45, from the party called: Nouveau parti anticapitaliste (New Anti-Capitalist party). Slogan: “Aux capitalistes de payer leur crise” (Let the Capitalists Pay for Their Crisis).

• Nicolas Sarkozy, 57, from the Union pour un movement populaire (Union for a popular movement). Slogan: “La France forte” (Strong France).

This is a closely watched french presidential election, and polls vary wildly as to the winner, which currently suggest either François Holland or Nicholas Sarkozy in the second round. Whoever wins will preside over the republic for a five-year term. Vive la République !

Source: Website Franc-parler http://www.francparler.org/parcours/politique_election.htm

The Museé du Louvre, housed in the largest royal palace in Europe, is world-renowned for its impressive collection of over 300,000 artistic masterpieces. A brief snippet of Louvre history: initially a fortress to guard the western edge of Paris during the Middle Ages, the Louvre became a chateau, experiencing several architectural changes over the course of five centuries, then a salon for exhibiting artwork, and in 1793, it opened its doors as a museum to the general public.

The Louvre has three principal exhibition halls: Denon (the wing alongside the Seine), Richelieu (along the rue Rivoli), and Sully (the cour carrée). At a massive 652,000 square feet, this is the most visited museum in the entire world, as its long lines attest. Amongst its masterpieces, three of the sought after are the famous “La Jaconde”, (the “Mona Lisa”) painting by Leonardo da Vinci, “Victoire de Samothrace”, (“The Winged Victory of Samothrace”), and the “Venus de Milo”. The Louvre’s impressive collections present Islamic Art, Prints & Drawings, Paintings, Egyptian Antiquities, Decorative Arts, Greek, Etruscan & Roman Antiquities, Near Eastern Antiquities, and Sculptures.

It’s a good idea to do some pre-planning before attempting a visit, as its immense size can quickly be overwhelming for adults as well as for children. A good place to start is the Sully wing where the foundations of Philippe-Auguste’s medieval keep are located. This leads to the Egyptian section, newly restored, with the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts outside Cairo. From there, you then have two choices: the Richelieu wing with its rich collection of French, Persian, Dutch and Flemish paintings; at the other end, the Denon wing offers the spectacular Greek collection (don’t miss Winged Victory), along with the fabulous Italian paintings upstairs.

Admission into the museum is 12€ for adults, and free for children under 18. There are also various reductions for students, teachers, handicapped, etc. It is open Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 9am-6pm, and Wednesday and Friday from 9am-9:45pm. Note that tickets are half price after 6 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays; free admission to everyone the first Sunday of each month and July 14, the national holiday. Closed Tuesdays. Guided tours are available in French & English. Regarding transportation, this museum is easily accessible by the Metro, Paris’ extensive and inexpensive transit system, with daily trains arriving every few minutes on lines 1 and 7, Musée du Louvre.

If you get hungry during your visit, don’t worry. A range of 15 cafés, restaurants, and take-out are present in the domaine of the Louvre, spread out between the museum, the garden of the Carrousel, and the Tuileries gardens.

One simply cannot admit having been in Paris without visiting the Louvre. It’s an intellectual, emotional, and philosophical must!

Parade on Champs Elysees on 14 juillet

Each July 14th France celebrates its national holiday, known in English as Bastille Day. The French simply call it: “la fête nationale” or “le 14 juillet” or perhaps “La fête de la Bastille.” Commemorating the storming of the Bastille in 1789 and the end of absolute monarchy, this date has become synonymous with celebrations all over France: dances, concerts, and of course, fireworks.

It’s the holiday that marks the definitive end of the school year, the results of the posting of the bac exam for 12th graders, the beginning of summer, the start of the endless summer traffic jams and madness in the rail stations and airports, the waning of the sale season, the official use of shorts and T-shirts in the streets, the arrival of tourists, big parades and long summer meals. Since the French daylight time is two hours ahead of sunrise, the days are long at this time (twilight starts around 10 pm) and the splendid fireworks on this day don’t begin until 11 pm.

This year the fête is on a Saturday, giving two “official” days to the celebration, since on both Saturday and Sunday the stores will be closed, as will be banks, supermarkets, post offices, some restaurants, etc. There are festivities everywhere in France on the fête nationale. If you have the good fortune to be in France, check with your local tourist office to see where the fireworks and the “bal des pompiers” (the firemen’s ball—outdoor dances in the streets) will be held.

Here are a few of the activities in store for those lucky enough to be in and around Paris this year. Whether you are Parisian yourself or simply visiting the capital, profitez-en and enjoy the festivities!

• Military Parade in the morning on the Champs-Elysées starting at the Arc de Triomphe at 10 am. Always a magnificent parade, with the President of the République and his cabinet in attendance.

Best fireworks in all of France

• July 14th fireworks display on the Champs-de-Mars, under the Eiffel Tower or from the Jardins du Trocadéro across the river. Métro: Trocadéro. This year’s theme: “Disco Years” with music from the 70s and 80s. Starts around 10:45 p.m.

• Free admission to the Louvre today (other museums may be closed).

• Free performance at the Opéra National de Paris, Palais Garnier. 7:30 p.m. Limited seating. • Fireman’s ball. Dance through the night at many fire stations all over Paris, July 13th and 14th. Donations accepted at the door.

• Longchamp Garden party at the Longchamp racecourse in the 16th arrondissement. Free. Following the races there will be concerts and fireworks. Une belle soirée au champ de course! Métro: Porte Maillot.

• Picnic in the park of the Château de Versailles on the banks of the Grand Canal. Vendors, bands, Grandes eaux musicales (musical fountains). From 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Free. Dress code: White.

Bon déjeuner sur l’herbe! Bonne fête à toutes et à tous!