Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with france

Wrong. Shockingly wrong!

Morrigan — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:18:29 -0800

Extremely long shot horror movie question involving cats and the French subway system. In the late 1960s or early 1970s, I was scared witless by a televised movie involving a cat (cats?) in the subway system in France that somehow lured victims onto the electrified rail. Any idea what this movie was?

I really don't want to take it all with me.

tip120 — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:04:27 -0800

What is the most secure and cost effective way to start moving a small number of things to the US from France? Last year, I moved to France for a job. Hooray. I'm not renewing my contract and moving back to New York. Yay!

I brought more clothes that I should have, and I have some books and things I would like to send back before I move home. I will be traveling a bit before returning to the States and don't particularly relish the idea of lugging my crap around with me.

While I will be doing some local pruning of the clothes, I know there will still be stuff to send back. What is the best way to send it back from France?

All the other posts on Ask that I saw dealt with moving from the US, not to. They also typically dealt with furniture and larger amounts than I am dealing with.

Is my best bet to load up a few boxes of clothes at La Poste and ship them back? Or is there another, cheaper yet just as safe alternative?

Looking for an animated French music video and song from a few years back

zaebiz — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:11:20 -0800

What is the name of that French song from maybe five years back which had an animated music video of a little girl running through the pastures and playing? After a certain time, she stops playing, and she exits what turns out to be a big stage. A line of children are waiting their turn to enter the stage and play. I am pretty sure there was a link to it on Metafilter too back then. It seemed to paint a gloomy picture of the future.

Parcel from France

gimonca — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:15:50 -0800

Package shipped from France, really should have been sent by Chronopost, instead was shipped surface mail. How long will it take to arrive in the U.S.? Roughly speaking.

Flying Solo in France...

moocheen — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 04:07:47 -0800

Can I find a secluded get away in the South of France for 1? I want to go away to decompress after a long year and, the south of france is idyllic.

I will be going alone for a period of 1 or 2 weeks at the end of October and seclusion is what I'm aiming for.

How do I find a place to stay that isn't too big or massively expensive where I can have the opportuniy to keep to myself or mingle with locals to practice my french, depending on my mood?

Please evaluate my route from Italy to Spain by car

zaebiz — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:07:07 -0800

I plan to drive from Venice, Italy to Valenica, Spain in April or May 2009 using the following route. I will stay for a few days or weeks in little spots along the way. I should have about six weeks in total. I mostly want to see a little of Spain and Italy, the French Riviera, Montpellier, Marseilles and finish at Valencia. Apart from that anything else I should try to see? Any parts of the chosen route I should avoid? What's driving like along that route? Any rental car companies which will let me pick up in Italy and drop off in Spain?

Foreign guides around Europe

vizsla — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:21:43 -0800

How does a 40ish year old male with enough money find his way around Europe without foreign language skills? Is it possible to hire guides to travel with, or at least to show them around on a city-by-city basis for this sort of thing? I'm thinking specifically France, Spain, Italy. Willing to use University students or some other creative possibility. Mostly there for a holiday but may also need to talk to real agent agents about places in France or Spain.

Study Abroad: Nantes/Paris

Solon and Thanks — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:47:16 -0800

I'm a French major (a sophomore) at an American university weighing my options for study abroad and I'd like some input, especially about Nantes, France. I apologize in advance if this sounds obnoxious; I'm aware that I'm a very lucky person to have this "problem."

My plans, until recently, were to study for February-June 2009 in Paris. I've just decided to investigate the idea of participating in two study abroad sessions, since it recently became affordable thanks to some scholarships that will apply. There is a program in Nantes that looks great and I've heard good things about, but I've never been to that area. It's similar to that Paris program afaik despite location.

So: I have many options. I would like to go abroad for the second semester of the upcoming year (spring 09), and perhaps for either fall 09 or the 09-10 school year. I don't know how to distribute this. (Paris full year? Nantes semester? Nantes full year? Paris semester? Both semester? Paris but not Nantes, vice-versa? I have more opportunities than just these two, so it's fine with me if an answer is "x city is overrated - don't bother.")

Paris is an amazing city, but perhaps too touristy for my needs (which are: learning French. I'm at an middle/upper-intermediate stage and really want to get better.) Though it would, I guess, be an easier place from which to travel during holidays/weekends. I've never been to Nantes but heard good things, and I'm guessing it would be much less expensive than Paris (though I'm doing a home stay either way, so rent/groceries aren't a factor.) I like Paris, but also like the smaller-town feel of places like Chartres.

To get to my point: What are your impressions of visiting each, or of living in either area? I've briefly visited Paris, so I'm specifically interested in hearing from people who have visited Nantes or Brittany, or have lived in either city. Any thoughts are much appreciated.

This is stressing me in.

Evstar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:33:14 -0800

What is the best way for me to find an apartment in Lyon, with a kitchen, for 10 months to a year? I'm a Canadian in Toronto with a French Visa good for a year. I'm leaving at the end of August to stay in Lyon for 10 months to a year. My girlfriend and I need an apartment apartment within a reasonable distance of the University of Lyon for those ten months. She is a student, I am not.

We will arrive in Lyon on the 29th of August.

Should we hire a real-estate agent? Search online classifieds ourselves? Would we be crazy to show up in Lyon on the 29th in hopes of finding a place for September in the few days left in August? Is there a better way to go about this?

Oh, and we're on a student's budget. The two of us will be splitting rent halfway.

I would love to hear from people who live or have lived in Lyon, especially from someone with a similar travel experience.

Thanks.

Where can I eat some good North African food in Paris?

oxala — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:48:26 -0800

Where can I eat some good North African food in Paris? Moroccan, Tunisian, Algerian etc. As with all tourists, I'm looking for authentic little cafes and diners rather than fancy restaurants, any "fusion" driven establishments, or places where tourists go. I have found a few suggestions using Google but I thought I'd see if anyone has any personal faves...

Where in France can I find some inexpensive privacy?

Beardman — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 05:12:44 -0800

I'm looking for a secluded place in France, preferably no more than two hours from Paris by train, where I can read philosophy for two days straight. On Thursday I've got to be in Paris, but I'm flying there from Berlin on Tuesday morning. I was supposed to have gotten a lot of studying done in Berlin, but got sucked in by the city and its nightlife. Now I'm hoping to arrive at Orly and promptly head somewhere utterly off the beaten track, preferably a nice, small town that doesn't have any renowned sights that I'll feel obligated to check out. My preference is for Normandy, but I'm open to anything: where would you shack up for two nights if you wanted a secluded single room, but had no reservations?

I want to become fluent in French by being an exchange student

majikstreet — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:09:59 -0800

Studying abroad in high school. Recommendations? Advice? Anecdotes? I'm planning on doing this during the fall semester 2009-2010 (as a junior). Specifically to France.

I'm looking for company recommendations, advice, anecdotes, and whatever else you can say about the topic

Sorry if this question seemed a little disjointed.

Going to Paris in October. What should I know?

eric1200 — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:35:40 -0800

I'm spending 4 days in Paris. I've never been to France, and I speak no French. This was a spur of the moment plane ticket purchase. But I don't want to be an unnecessarily annoying tourist. Should I try learning to speak some French? Will anyone understand me if I speak English? How might I unwittingly offend someone? Any other tips for a clueless American in France? (Besides, you know, trying to become less clueless between now and October.)

Finally if anyone has any fun Paris suggestions re: where to stay, good eats, etc. Those would be very welcome too!

FleaMarketFilter: Looking for all Flea Markets in Europe

dripdripdrop — Fri, 23 May 2008 09:55:20 -0800

I'm looking for flea markets in Europe. Specifically we will be going through Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Croatia, Bosnia (Sarajevo), Slovenia, Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland (Krakow) before settling in France, but any other suggestions in Europe are welcome. I'm interested in the kind of flea markets with old, random crap, not the new, cheap crap. I've been to the flea market outside Budapest on Nagykőrösi út and loved all the old nick nacks.

Please be as specific as possible about addresses. If I get a lot of answers I'll put together a Google Map for sharing.

What else to do at Cannes?

crookedneighbor — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:37:45 -0800

Where to eat, who to do and what to see in Cannes during the film festival? I'm going to the Cannes Film Festival this week. It's awesome, but because it's a last minute trip, I may not be able to get accreditation. I've been to Nice before but never this town--what do I have to do? How do I decide what screenings to go to, assuming I get the badge? And if not, what do I do in Cannes that doesn't involve a red carpet?

I like eating, alternative culture, sight-seeing, ancient ruins, eating, the sun, and books. I speak French and Gay.

Itinerary for French scavenger hunt

proj08 — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:16:15 -0800

Travelfilter: Help me plan a week-long scavenger hunt throughout France. I'm traveling alone to France for approximately one week, plus or minus a couple days on either end. To give the trip more focus, I'm pretending like it is a scavenger hunt.

1. A hot beach (as in L'Etranger. I want to swim in it, too.)
2. A Catholic grade school (as in Le Petit Nicolas and numerous other children's books)
3. A site of trench warfare
4. Une cinema
5. A bread factory (I'd like to go on a tour)
6. A hospital
7. A Gothic cathedral
8. A crypt
9. A cart of legumes
10. Un tuyau d'arrosage, i.e. watering hose. (long story)

First of all, where can I find prime examples of each of these things?

Second, how should I group these activities into Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, etc.? In other words, which ones are located nearby each other?

Lastly, do you think it would be possible to rent a studio apartment for approx 200 euros for a week? If so, where? Ideally, the apartment would be conveniently located, given my goals, and reasonably beautiful as well.

I suspect I am asking for too much, but you never know until you ask. Thanks, hivemind!

What was the music used in the introduction of this French wildlife series?

Auden — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 04:05:15 -0800

Help me identify the classical musical piece used as an introduction to a wildlife series shown on French TV (more inside) I lived and studied in France around 1998-99 and watched a lot of french TV.

There was one wildlife series - similar to the old US series Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, I suppose - which had brief introduction, a wildlife montage featuring lions running across the plains, zebras in herds and so forth.

The classical music used during this intro was very fast paced (I would say "rousing") and sounded appropriate for a hunting/safari/martial piece. It reminded me of works written by Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky or Rimsky-Korsakov.

I know this is a long shot, but... What was that series, and what was the music used in the introduction? (I've been wondering this for many, many years) Thanks much

Creative Writing Musts in Aix & Paris?

annabellee — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:35:54 -0800

Help me create a literary tour of both Aix-en-Provence and Paris. I'm looking for a slew of places, activities, pastimes, even readings with which to enrich a group of teenage creative writing students this summer.

From the touristy (we'll certainly have coffee and write in our journals at Les Deux Magots) to the lesser known, I welcome all suggestions. Even quiet or provocative spaces for writing would be splendid.

I know Aix's literary draws are fewer, but I'm looking for good recommendations for both cities.

Where to go from Lyon?

flibbertigibbet — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:25:31 -0800

I'm thinking of taking a day/weekend trip from Lyon (Rhône-Alpes) to... somewhere. I'd like the destination city to be pretty close. Any suggestions? (I've managed to scrounge up some additional cash since my last question. Yay!).

I'm trying to figure out what to do with a long weekend during a trip to Lyon. I'd love to go to Paris, seeing as this will be my first trip to Europe, period. Problem: the tickets are so expensive (80 Euros, 130CAD/USD) that I'm thinking of trying to find something closer, and, err, cheaper. (Just as a quick comparison: the cheapest trip to Milan costs about the same as the average trip to Paris, both via train.)

I'm really open to suggestions. I'm into art, architecture, religious studies, and history, so anything along those lines would be awesome. Tiny town known for its beautiful churches? Sure!

Thanks in advance.

I've heard the wine isn't bad...

jpdoane — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:42:35 -0800

I'm spending a week in Toulouse, France next month. I'll be on business, so busy during the day, but I expect my evenings will be free. Anything I should be sure to do/see/eat? In addition to Toulouse, are there any nearby places within a few hours drive that I should visit?

Who is this French Guitar Player/Artist?

watercarrier — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 06:52:17 -0800

Guitar player from France. With Jewish roots. Plays fusion and his name is.......? There's this ~awesome~ guitar player whose cassette I once proudly owned, whose name I totally forgot other than Benasoulin maybe...something... His music is reminiscent of Pat Metheny but with more of a Mediterranean/Far Eastern vibe to it. I remember I once looked him up on the net and it said he hailed from France, was self-taught and he had Jewish roots. Other than this -

Does anyone know who this talented guy is? Thanks in advance for any leads. (I tried every kind of google equation - no deal)

Does anyone know a good French Language School in Geneva

pkuras — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:24:51 -0800

I'm staying with friends on the border between Switzerland and France for about six weeks this summer and would like to find a school that offers intensive French lessons. Ideally I would leave for France sometime in the beginning of June and stay until mid-July, though my dates are flexible. I speak intermediate level French now and would be willing to come into a course a little late, if necessary. Thanks!

Je ne pas parle francais, but I could learn...

cgg — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:25:06 -0800

I am Canadian. My dad was born in France, but is a naturalized Canadian - i'm pretty sure he's given up his French citizenship. Both my paternal grandparents were French, and moved to Canada in the early 1950s (when my dad was 4). What (if anything) am I eligible for in terms of French (or EU) citizenship? I'm not really looking to move to France or anything like that (and least not right now), but I've always wondered if I could. I've done some brief googling to try and make sense of the requirements, but I'm having problems coming up with anything concrete (or, in English that makes sense once translated online). Obviously, I don't speak much French (just what I remember from the useless stuff they make you learn in Canadian high schools), but for the sake of argument, lets say I could learn if I needed to.

In case it matters - I'm an educated geek with a B.Sc. in Computer Science, which might help in convincing governments I'm an employable contributor to society, whose skills may (or may not) be in high demand.

Would I be eligible for French citizenship? What about getting my French citizenship, and then using that to open up doors to the (english speaking portions of the) entire EU?

Saving money in Lyon.

flibbertigibbet — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:16:01 -0800

How can I save money and still have fun while in Lyon for a month? I'm going to Lyon for a month this summer as part of a university program to improve my french. Yay! I'll be going with 19 other students from my university.

The details are that I'll be living in the Guillotières neighbourhood, "5 minutes by foot" from the Université Lumière Lyon 2 (the Université's "why Lyon is amazing" page). Airfare, rent, and half of tuition are all being taken care of. The rooms all have kitchenettes, and there's going to be free breakfast every morning (but I don't know if there's a limit on how much you can have).

At most, for food AND fun, I'll have $500CAD. More likely is $200CAD. I really, really do want to have fun, as I'm living at home and really don't have the opportunity to do whatever I want. This will be amazing. So I ask: how much will food cost? How can I get cheap food (and where)? What are some cheap places to have visit, or go drinking?

Bonus points if the 'fun' places are weird, or have to do with art (just about any type, but I love medieval art and post-1900 art the most) or architecture.

I live at home, and have barely left the cities I've lived in (Edmonton/Ottawa), so I'm a real newbie about every aspect of this. It's all very overwhelming, and I'm completely at a loss of how much to expect things to cost in a foreign country, so any help would be appreciated.

Will work for French conversation.

greytape — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 08:44:38 -0800

Where can I stay in France this summer? OK, So it's looking like I'm going to have two months free this summer that I wasn't planning on, and I want to spend it speaking French. Last summer I did WWOOF on a farm near Provence for a month, and it was a good experience so I'll probably do that again. But I was wondering what other volunteering oppurtunities might be out there?
I'm ideally looking to for a place where there are plenty of young people to sit around chatting to. I'm prepared to spend up to a thousand euros or so if it would be worthwhile, but language school seems like a bit of a waste of time at this point, I just need to talk to French people!

Merci d'avance.

(I've been working as a language assistant in France for six months, but mostly hanging around with the other English assistants. I can converse pretty freely in French, but certainly not well enough to do an actual job that anyone would pay me for).