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Month: May 2021

pack of 1664 beer with a no sign

Foreigner in France: My Top Five French Beer Brands

Posted on May 23, 2021June 4, 2021 by Rose Joly

Put down that 1664, it’s time to try some other French beer!* Here’s my top 5 (in no particular order): Dremmwel “Horizon” in the Breton language, Dremmwel is one of my favorite brands coming from Bretagne. Of particular remark is their “Blé Noir,” a gluten-free amber beer made with buckwheat (the “black gold” of Bretagne, if…

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Donating Blood as a Foreigner in France

Posted on May 9, 2021May 22, 2021 by Rose Joly

Today I wanted to talk about donating blood in France. Pandemic aside, treatments for new and pre-existing illnesses still take place every day and donating is as important as ever. This article focuses on my experience donating blood in France (in the blue boxes) and how you can go about doing so yourself. 1 Hour…

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photograph of bouchee a la reine served with green beans and mashed potatoes

Americanized French Recipe: Bouchées à la Reine

Posted on May 2, 2021May 22, 2021 by Rose Joly

Are you ready to feel like a damn queen? If the answer is “yes,” you definitely need to try this recipe made for a French one! The Queen’s Bite Known as the “bouchée à la reine” or “queen’s bite,” this recipe combines the best of a light puff pastry exterior (called a vol-au-vent) with a…

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Salut! I’m Rose.
I’m an American married to a Frenchman living in the countryside of France. I’m here to fill you in on life here, from administrative paperwork to weird customs to underrated places to visit.

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I recently renewed my 10-Year U.S. passport in Fra I recently renewed my 10-Year U.S. passport in France & this was possibly the easiest administrative thing I have done in my six years living here. Not only was it simple, it was actually much faster than I expected. Even with a small photo issue, I had my passport back in a little over a month. The application is done via the U.S....

https://frenchcountrysideguide.com/u-s-passport-renewal/
The pond after the snowfall. Untouched. #winter # The pond after the snowfall. Untouched.

#winter #snow #travelblog #expatblog #frenchvillagelife #Francetravel #frenchvillage #france #countryside #frenchcountryside #frenchcountrysideguide #lifeinfrance #americaninfrance #cultureblogger #expatinfrance #frenchcountryliving #expatlife #frenchblog #americanexpat #blog #pond #snowyweather
Well, I did not hear any noises of hunters coming Well, I did not hear any noises of hunters coming from the woods after this snowfall. 

#winter #snow #travelblog #expatblog #frenchvillagelife #Francetravel #frenchvillage #france #countryside #frenchcountryside #frenchcountrysideguide #lifeinfrance #americaninfrance #cultureblogger #expatinfrance #frenchcountryliving #expatlife #frenchblog #americanexpat #blog #woods #snowywoods
"...don't forget what happened to the man who sudd "...don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted... he lived happily ever after." - Willy Wonka

Our new house has what we call a "mare" (a small pond) on the property. I did tell my husband I wanted a mare when discussing our future home purchase, knowing full well that they are hard to come by and would likely accompany a property out of our price range. 

For some reason, the end of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory comes to mind. Somehow I feel this applies here. Purchasing a home feels like an absolute state of reverie sometimes.

#winter #snow #travelblog #expatblog #frenchvillagelife #Francetravel #frenchvillage #france #countryside #frenchcountryside #frenchcountrysideguide #lifeinfrance #americaninfrance #expatinfrance #cultureblogger #expatlife #frenchcountryliving #frenchblog #americanexpat
Didn't even realise we had this lone rose bush on Didn't even realise we had this lone rose bush on our property... 

 #snow #winter #travelblog #expatblog #frenchvillagelife #frenchvillage #france #countryside #frenchcountryside #frenchcountrysideguide #lifeinfrance #americaninfrance #liveinfrance #cultureblogger #expatinfrance #frenchcountryliving #expatlife #frenchblog #americanexpat #blog #rosebush #roses #redroses #nature #naturephotography
Afternoon walk with my #cat in the #frenchcountrys Afternoon walk with my #cat in the #frenchcountryside. The sun was so agreeable and warm today!

#frenchcountrysideguide #frenchcountrysideliving #france #countryside #expatsinfrance #americaninfrance
Our neighbor's gate is so quaint. I love the pop o Our neighbor's gate is so quaint. I love the pop of blue against the white of the newly-fallen snow. 

 #winter #snow #travelblog #expatblog #frenchvillagelife #frenchvillage #france #countryside #frenchcountryside #frenchcountrysideguide #lifeinfrance #americaninfrance #cultureblogger #expatinfrance #liveinfrance #travelinfrance #frenchcountryliving #expatlife #frenchblog #americanexpat #blog
It's the little things. 😍 I realised we had thi It's the little things. 😍 I realised we had this charming stone wall on our property. Hidden by some bushes and a bunch of other greenery, I was so excited to stumble upon it. I love old stone walls, particularly their texture and the little mosses that develop in their crevasses. 
Our home dates to 1900 and was likely a barn or storage space on the property (we have a second building which we believe was a pig sty). I wonder when this wall was constructed, perhaps as a barrier to keep the animals on this side when it was still a farm? I hope to research a bit about my new home's history and hope to share it with you. (I am such an excited new homeowner!)
Either way, with a little bit of snow and the pop of green, it was a perfect photo to share with you all.

 #winter #snow #expatblog #frenchvillagelife #travelblog #frenchvillage #Frencharchitecture #france #countryside #frenchcountryside #frenchhistory #frenchcountrysideguide #lifeinfrance #americaninfrance #liveinfrance #cultureblogger #expatinfrance #frenchcountryliving #expatlife #historicalplace #frenchblog #history #americanexpat #blog #architecture
I am so obsessed with the little pond across the s I am so obsessed with the little pond across the street from our new home. 😍

#snow #winter #travelblog #expatblog #frenchvillagelife #Francetravel #frenchvillage #france #countryside #frenchcountryside #frenchcountrysideguide #lifeinfrance #americaninfrance #expatinfrance #frenchcountryliving #expatlife
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