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Halloween somewhat exists in France, but there aren’t many festivities and they don’t do trick-or-treating.  In the past, other expats have put together a Halloween party and this year I decided to take on the task.  We met at Parc de Montjuzet which overlooks the city and has 7 different playgrounds throughout the park.  I invited the people I know here, as well as people from the Moms and Babies group I meet up with and told everyone to invite anyone that wanted to join.

We wound up having a lot of people show up!  There were about 50 children and we had families from several different countries, which was nice because they got to experience our American tradition.

Makenna was an old lady for Halloween.  Ryan made her a walker and I made a wig out of cotton balls.  Earlier in the day she wore a duck costume that Ryan bought her when he was in the US.

After letting the kids run around and play for awhile, we gathered the children to trick-or-treat.  Somehow we were able to get them all together for a photo!  The parents chose different areas near the playground to stand and the kids walked around to get their candy.  Makenna quickly figured out how to trick-or-treat and loved it!

We had a great time and really enjoyed how beautiful the park and the city views were!

We just celebrated our first “Franceversary”!  This year has flown by and we’ve had so many amazing experiences.  Of course, there have been many ups and downs….many “I hate France!!” days and “France is awesome!” days.  Sometimes I have moments where I still can’t believe we live here, and other times it feels so normal, like we belong here.

I am so thankful we have a great group of expats here that we have met throughout the year.  They are from many different countries too, not just the US.  They offer support, friendship and a look into other cultures and traditions.

Here are some refections so far on life in France:

Things I Like:

• The amount of vacation days! Ryan has 42 days this year.  This offers people enough time to de-stress, spend quality time with their family and travel
• A more relaxed lifestyle- 2 hour lunches, very few people rushing around to get from one place to another, sitting down and enjoying a meal or coffee rather than while walking or driving or working at your desk
• Pharmacies- each one has a slightly different selection, they have high quality and a wide variety of products, they offer homeopathic solutions and pharmacists are well trained on all of the products (not just the medicine)
• The FOOD!! Not just the type of food but the quality
• People are active- walking is the main method of transportation when it’s a viable option, biking is common even for those in their 70s and 80s (more so here than in the US), hiking and other outdoor activities are very popular
• Public transportation – It is much more accessible here and offers an inexpensive and reliable way to get anywhere around town. There is also a great level of respect in terms of allowing the elderly or women to sit, even on a packed tram.
• We rarely drive.  Our 6 year old car has only 25,000 miles.  It’s a fun change for us to walk and/or take the tram to most places.
• Public parks – the quality and amount of the parks here.  There is one park nearby that is high up on a hill overlooking the city with amazing views, and it has 7 different playgrounds throughout the park.
• Accessibility to European travel destinations
• The “dress code”- Not only are most people here fashionable, people just dress nicer in general.  They have an appreciation for looking put-together and presentable.  I see women of all ages walking around town wearing heels or nice looking shoes with dresses/nice pair of pants, a nice jacket and classic purse….some of the older women dress nicer than I ever have!  No sweatpants or pajamas here!  I can’t imagine the horror if the French saw the “people of Walmart”
• Healthcare- We pay very little for doctor appointments and prescriptions, and even less after our reimbursements.  We are also prescribed and reimbursed for things such as vitamins, lotions (typical body lotion that people may choose to buy without a prescription) and midwife services, more so than in the US.
• Childcare – There are numerous methods of childcare available in France. They range from nannys, US-like daycare to in-home childcare. Cost, after paying almost 60% of the salary of the nanny on top of hourly cost, is comparable to the US.  The government even offers a reimbursement that most people are eligible for.

Things I Don’t Like:

• Healthcare- although I like most aspects of the healthcare here,  I don’t like that it can be hard to get an appointment with the doctor (sometimes because the office literally consists of one doctor and his secretary, so if the secretary is not there and the doctor is busy there is nobody to answer the phone).  For Makenna’s eye doctor appointments, I have to go to the pharmacy to get the drops to dilate her eyes and then I have to put the drops in her eyes before we head out to the appointment….this can be tough with a toddler!  I also have to go to the pharmacy to get Makenna’s vaccines before her appointments; the doctor doesn’t have the vaccines in her office.
• Dog poop.  On the sidewalk.  Everywhere.
• Cell service quality – good luck outside the city
• Smoking – It’s probably healthier to not go running around town due to secondhand smoke.
• Being so far from family

Favorite Food and Drinks:

• Baguettes.  Need I say more?  My favorite is a baguette aux céréals, which is made with a mix of different seeds.
• Wine, wine and more wine – Bordeaux, Saint Emilion, Châteauneuf du Pape, Rosé, Champagne
• Canned duck “confit de canard”
• Croissants, pain au chocolat, tarts….basically anything at a patisserie
• Macarons
• Crêpes
• Truffade- a traditional dish in this region (Auvergne) of thinly sliced potatoes mixed with melted cheese mmmmm
• Café- if you want to order a “regular” coffee somewhere, good luck.  it’s all espresso here!
• Kir- white wine and blackcurrant liqueur
• Fromage blanc (yogurt)
• Fresh orange juice machine
• Salmon tartare
• Dark chocolate mousse
• Cheese- Cantal, Gruyère, Saint Nectaire, Chèvre
• Lentils

Before we left the US, I became interested in essential oils due to their increasing popularity.  When we arrived in France, I realized they have been popular here for a long time and can be found EVERYWHERE.

If you go into any grocery store, pharmacy and even other retail stores, you will find essential oils and a variety of diffusers.  They are a popular homeopathic remedy for all sorts of ailments.  The best part is, you can go into a pharmacy and the pharmacist will know all about the oils and which oils are helpful for different things.  Usually there are free pamphlets with information on the different types of oils, what they can help remedy and how to use them (in a diffuser, through massage or by ingesting).  You can even find sprays to purify the air, nasal sprays and roll on oils for uses such as winter illnesses.

The first oil I bought was an anti-stress mixture last winter when I was having some expat-life frustrations haha.  I can’t wait to try a few more!

I love that the oils and diffusers are so widely available and affordable, and that many people use them as a natural remedy.

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My best friend from college (and Makenna’s godmother) lives in Geneva, Switzerland and is due with a baby boy in December.  Yesterday she had a baby shower at her apartment, so we headed to Geneva for the weekend.

There is no Starbucks in Clermont, so I had to make a trip to Starbucks when we arrived in Geneva.  There is a new Toasted Graham latte so I was excited to try that, but apparently it’s only in the US.  But no worries, I got my beloved Pumpkin Spice Latte!

The baby shower wasn’t until 5pm, so after Starbucks we headed to Bois de la Bâtie, which is referred to as the “forest in the middle of the city”.  In it there is an animal park with goats, sheep, mini horses, donkeys, wild boars, birds, peacocks and owls.  I’ve been wanting to take Makenna to a zoo and this has been the closest we could get to it since there are no zoos nearby.  I think I enjoyed it more than she did, but she liked saying “baaaa” to the sheep and looking at the birds.

Later on we went to Claire’s for the baby shower and met some of her friends and family.  Some of them spoke English but we tried to speak French and we did pretty well!  Makenna had a great time playing with balloons and getting attention from everyone.  It was more of a party, as here they don’t really do baby showers.  I actually had to explain to Claire’s dad what a baby shower is and why we call it a “shower”, and they were surprised it is so common in the US.  People don’t usually buy much for the baby until after it’s born because they feel it can be bad luck.

This morning we had breakfast at a local boulangerie and drove back home.  It was a fun weekend and we can’t wait to meet Claire’s little boy!

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I normally go grocery shopping on a daily basis here, which is definitely a change for me, but there are also a lot of other differences with the grocery stores and shopping experience in France.

One of the biggest differences is the variety of grocery stores here.  There are about 7 different chains that I know of close by, and then some of those chains have several types of stores such as the “super” store, the city store and the express store.  Each store has a different selection and some become the “go to” place for certain things- one store is the place to get meats and veggies, one has the best seafood and one is the “not-so-nice but it’s a 2 minute walk down street” store.  Two of the chains are similar to Walmart in the sense that they carry everything from food to household decor and supplies to clothing and toys.  Another is more like a health food store, somewhat like Whole Foods but much much more scaled down.

Some of the grocery stores are in mini malls.  When you walk in, you can find pharmacies, restaurants, clothing stores, shoe stores, hair salons etc.  You could literally spend the whole day eating and doing all of your shopping while going to the grocery store.

The other major difference that you’ll notice right away is if you don’t have some coins on you, you won’t be using a shopping cart.  In order to use a shopping cart, you need to enter a euro or 2 and when you return the cart you get your money back.  The carts here have 4 wheels that swivel, which make it pretty hard to turn and maneuver…sometimes I really wonder why they make them like this!

France likes to keep things old-school when it comes to produce.  At most grocery stores, you have to weigh your produce and it prints out a barcode sticker with the price on it.  The nice thing about shopping for produce here is it’s all in season.  You can sometimes find things that aren’t quite in season or aren’t grown locally, but you’ll pay for it (oh sweet potatoes, I would buy so many more of you if you didn’t cost as much as my French haircuts).

Now, although not many aspects of grocery shopping are convenient here, let me tell you what IS convenient.  Beer, wine and liquor are sold right there in the store….not next door, not at a liquor store, no sales bans on Sundays outside of city limits.  Oui, excuse moi, I’ll take some eggs and whisky please.  Oh and what’s even better?  HELLO French wine!!!  I mean good wines for under 10 euros.  Amen.  (one of the stores even has a separate wine cave for nicer vintage wines)

The yogurt aisle is insane.  There are so many types of yogurt I literally don’t know what half of them are.  Regular yogurt, fromage blanc, fromage frais, locally produced yogurt, soy milk yogurt, goat’s milk yogurt, whipped yogurt, some kind of vanilla yogurt in a glass jar that’s so delicious…the list goes on.

Looking for milk and eggs?  You won’t find them in the refrigerated section.  They’ll be sitting on a shelf somewhere, and there’s quite a selection of milk.  There’s also a milk specifically for kids that’s fortified with iron.

Have I mentioned the bread and pastries?!  The mouth-watering fresh baguettes, croissants and pastries are plentiful.  And there’s probably a crowd of people around them because seriously, these are a daily staple in the French diet.

So what’s the worst part about grocery shopping?  Trying to remember your reusable bags because they don’t give you bags, and then bagging your groceries.  That wouldn’t always be so bad, but just imagine how slowwww that can make things go when someone is slowly packing their bags, and then they have to dig through their purse for their money or to pay by check.  All while the cashier is just blankly staring.

Overall, I really enjoy some of these differences and I know I’ll be missing them when we move back!

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Yesterday we had our first music class for Makenna.  It is at a café that we normally go to for our “Moms and Babies” meet ups, which is a great place that has a play room full of toys and books and they also have classes for kids including painting and story time.

The class was a half hour and there were 4 other kids with us.  They started off singing a French song and then singing the song while holding hands and walking in a circle.  Then each child got to pick an instrument to play with for a little while.  The teacher then took out bells and had each child play their bell.  After they put the instruments away, the children had a chance to play the keyboard.  Makenna loved it and actually did really well playing with both hands!  Next was taking turns playing drums.  Lastly, the teacher took out a couple stuffed animals that made animal sounds.

Makenna really enjoyed the class and it’s a great way for her to start learning how to take turns and listen to instructions (and also hear and learn French!)

One thing we’ve really had to adjust to here is the “french breakfast”.  This was especially tough when we first arrived and were tired and hungry and had to eat breakfast in our temporary hotel.

Breakfast isn’t a big thing here, in fact, it’s nothing like in the U.S.  A typical breakfast here is a croissant, café (espresso) and a glass of orange juice.  A hotel breakfast may also include some cheeses, baguettes, cereal and yogurt.  Nicer hotels may have a “hot” breakfast.  Malted breakfast drinks also seem popular.

There are no breakfast restaurants here and the cafes will be open selling drinks but no food.

Protein lovers beware!