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Arnay-le-Duc and man in his flying machine

Alister Aldridge's new publication takes us back in time, the true events take place in a small market town in the heart of Burgundy. Arnay-le-Duc 1912 In September 1912, the small town of Arnay-le-Duc, in Burgundy, was transformed into a magnificent artificial garden to welcome thousands of visitors. Among them were dozens of senators, members of Parliament, and mayors. The association of 5 agricultural unions organized a series of festivities for 3 days to honour farmers and the rural populations. Dances, concerts, an agricultural fair, gymnastics shows, fireworks, and an award ceremony for the veterans of the Franco-Prussian were on the program. (more…)

A day in 1914 for Henri (a First World War soldier)

This is a fictional story about the life a French soldier during the First World War in 1914. It is based on historical facts, names and places have been changed. (more…)

The house that Jacques built

Buy and renovating a house in France Vacant for more than 80 years I had already been living in France for a couple of years and working seasonal jobs to earn my keep. After working in the Provence in the south, then the Loire, I became very fond of the Burgundy region. I had been working in the area for a while and became attached to many Burgundian charms. The colourful landscape and varied climate, strong traditions and of course the wines. So this is the story of how I purchased my first house in France, the problems of renovating and turning it into what became my family home. (more…)

What’s in a French baguette ?

As in many countries and cultures, the French loaf of bread ("baguette") is a daily requirement of the diet. (more…)

A day in the life of Rémi ( the French farmer)

Today is an almost typical working day for Rémi, a French farmer. Rémi is a 49 year old French farmer, living with his wife and 10 year old son on a typical farm located in central France. He is the son of a farmer and his wife is a farmer’s daughter. They live in a small village in the heart of Burgundy with 120 inhabitants. (more…)

A drink on the terrace of the cafe

Today the weather is good, sunshine and the village cafe is open, with tables and chairs on the terrace. It's 18.00hrs and Pierre has just finished work. He decides to have some time off with a drink in the café. As he takes a chair at an empty table, he greets the other people he knows with a handshake, with a soft voice he asks the barman for a "demi", a 1/2 pint glass of beer. The waiter serves the beer to Gilbert, who lays back in the chair and sips his drink, watching the cars and people walk by. A few metres away he notices an old friend heading…

France is a strange country?

France is a very strange country... the French are a real mixture of cultures who have been coming and going throughout the centuries. Full of cliches. In the north it rains, in the south it is hot. In the west they drink, in the east they are unfriendly. And each region and department of France is very different. Parisians are not like Burundians who are not like Alsaciens.The mentality, dress and cuisine are not of the same flavour. Even more, neighboring towns and villages are different. In the countryside a village will still retain a dialect/slang "patois" which is meaningless a few miles away. A street will be named after…