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Pastry is a very important trade of the french society. France has a good worldwide reputation and has some of the best pastry chefs on the planet. But originally, the first cakes were made in Greece, 7000 BC. There were offerings to the gods. It was made up of honey and flour. In the 7th century,…

Paris has always been a fascinating city. Today famous all over the world, millions of tourists are coming every year. Since 2019, Paris has welcomed 17,5 million of visitors. Already in the 17th century, many visitors and ambassadors came to see the Sun King…nothing to do with the nickname of Paris of course, which was…

Why Paris is the City of Love? One person in four in Europe would choose Paris for a first date … The beauty and history of the city attract a lot of lovers from all over the world. From the songs of Edith Piaf to the movies like Midnight in Paris, the reputation of the city…

In Paris, there are many options to enjoy the evening and the night ! The city if full of restaurants and nice bars. And we are really lucky ! Parisians like to go out, for what is called  an « afterwork », especially on Thursday evening after the work day. We also appreciate « before…

Gustave Courbet was born in 1819 in Ornans, a small town in Franche-Comté Region. He was the oldest of four children, and the only son. His family belonged to the bourgeoisie. Courbet came to Paris to study law, but quickly decided to become a painter, copying the masters in the Louvre. In 1848, Courbet had some…

In 1865, Edouard Manet caused a scandal at the Salon des Refusés (Salon of Rejects), exhibition outside of the Official Salon, by presenting his “Olympia”, which he painted two years earlier. This scene of a prostitute waiting for her client marks a real break in the history of art. Without idealization, it is an impetus towards modernity,…

Clemenceau (1841-1929) was sociable, Monet (1840-1926) was only interested in his painting, working hours and hours non stop, trying to catch the fleeting moment. These two great personnalities had one of the most iconic friendships in the french history. Clemenceau, nicknamed the Tiger, was a french politician and  journalist. He led the french government from…

“I represented there, in the most irreverent way, by distorting them as much as possible, the face or the profile of my masters”. Thus Claude Monet will describe his occupations during his teenage years in high school. Even at this early stage, the boy, who would later be known as the master of impressionism, very well knew that he had…

Joan of Arc was born in 1412, and died in May 30, 1431. She is nicknamed “The Maid of Orléans”. Today she is considered as a heroine of France for her role during the Hundred Years War. Joan of Arc’s childhood She was born into a family of relatively well-off peasants, in Domrémy in north-eastern France. His…

Ideally situated on a breathtaking location in the surroundings of Honfleur, the Saint Siméon Farm stands as one of the landmarks of impressionism in Normandy. Firstly the old farm that acted as an inn was much appreciated by the nearby fishermen who enjoyed there the warmth of the generous table held by the tenant, Madame Toutain, and her…

If you want to start learning French, the first word you should say is “Bonjour“. But “hello” in French is not that simple. With this famous word « Bonjour » you might have noticed that it’s made up of two words: bon and jour. It literally means “Good day.” It is the equivalent of saying…

Under the Third Republic, many city halls commissioned paintings glorifying the virtues of hard work. And it is exactly on this kind of glorification that the impressionist painters made the difference. In some of his paintings, Caillebotte, like Degas, shows effort and the tiredness. But their arts are without pathos: they are neither picturesque nor moralizing. …