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LA BELLE VIE

La Belle Vie: France on the big screen and what to talk about at apéro

From little known facts about Napoleon to French cinema via France's sacred evening prayer (apéro time), this week's La Belle Vie newsletter offers you an essential starting point for eating, talking, drinking and living like a French person.

La Belle Vie: France on the big screen and what to talk about at apéro
Two women enjoy a picnic apero in the sun on the banks of the River Seine in Paris (Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP)

La Belle Vie is our regular look at the real culture of France – from language to cuisine, manners to films. This newsletter is published weekly and you can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to your newsletter preferences in “My account”.

There are a lot of good movies coming out in the next few weeks and months. I’m particularly intrigued by a new biopic about Napoleon, which is set to air in November. He’ll be portrayed by none other than the Joker himself (also known as Joaquin Phoenix). 

Napoleon is always an interesting character to see on the screen (I am partial to his portrayal in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, personally). Part of the reason he can be a complex character to adapt is simply that he lived a very complicated life –  even his relationship to France was thorny. 

5 things you didn’t know about Napoleon

History films are one of my favourite cinematic genres – I have a bad habit of spending half the time watching, and the other half going through Wikipedia to find out what was properly adapted. Usually when I tell people this, they just say: “Why not watch more documentaries then?” which is great advice. 

There are plenty of informative documentaries about France, especially if you are not afraid to watch in French. French television channels often commission documentaries, so if you have cable TV you can always tune in to the channel M6. Otherwise, there are some classics that will teach you about French culture, society and current events.

9 of the best documentaries about France

And of course, we have the French to thank for inventing cinema in the first place. Photography equipment manufacturers Auguste and Louis Lumière screened the first presentation of a projected film on March 22nd, 1895, for an audience of 200 people. 

Cinema is not the only life-altering invention that we can thank the French for, but croissants are not one of them (though you could argue that they have perfected the pastry).

12 world-changing inventions that came from France

When it comes to naming French streets and roads, France does a great job with honouring its history and those who contributed to it. But in my opinion, the inventors of these essential products have not been given nearly enough credit. Okay, Louis Pasteur is well-recognised, but Louis Braille could do with a few more boulevards.

So who wins the prize for the biggest number of streets, avenues and boulevards bearing their name? Spoiler alert: Napoleon did not make the top 10, though the majority of the names can be traced back to French politics over the last three centuries.

Which French figure has the most streets named after them?

Knowing a little something about French history is always helpful for making it through dinner parties and apéros, and seeing as those namesakes have been deemed important enough to be featured on thousands of France’s streets, knowing who they are and what they did is a good place to start.

According to an IFOP survey, 90 percent of French people believe that the conversation is the most important part of a successful apéro, so you need to have your best anecdotes ready too. The most popular topic of conversation is general news, followed by how your family is getting on. So maybe not so heavy on the history, but best to be prepared!

Nine out of every 10 French people engage in these pre-dinner drinks, and some even refer to them as France’s ‘evening prayer’.

Apéro: All you need to know about the French evening ritual

If you are at a loss for what to bring along to apéro this summer, you can start with our guide to the five best drinks for warm weather in France.

You can never go wrong with a spritz – which basically refers to any drink that is a combination of wine (usually sparkling wine), soda water and an apéritif drink. They’re served long with lots of ice, so they make a refreshing and not too strong drink option in the summer.   

Rosé, spritz and pressé: 5 things to drink in France this summer

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LA BELLE VIE

La Belle Vie: Why the French eat snails and idioms to sound like a local

From idioms to learn to sound more French to why French people eat snails and readers' least favourite French dishes, this week's La Belle Vie newsletter offers you an essential starting point for eating, talking, drinking and living like a French person.

La Belle Vie: Why the French eat snails and idioms to sound like a local

La Belle Vie is our regular look at the real culture of France – from language to cuisine, manners to films. This newsletter is published weekly and you can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to your newsletter preferences in “My account”.

I have a specific ritual in place when family and friends come to visit me in Paris – I always take them to a ‘Bouillon’ restaurant.

Bouillons are restaurants from the late 19th century and early 20th century that were known for cooking inexpensive traditional French plates. They were sort of akin to dining halls and catered to the working class. These days, there are several Bouillons in Paris, including the Bouillon Chartier Montparnasse, which first opened in 1903.

Revealed: The hot French dining trend that is traditional, cheap and delicious

In my opinion, they are a great way to introduce people to the French classics – from œufs mayonnaise to bœuf bourguignon and plenty of ‘gratins‘ – at an affordable price.

And of course – escargots are on the menu, and I always encourage my friends and family not to turn up their noses, but instead to taste the delicacy in its delicious butter-garlic sauce.

Don’t ask Google, ask us: Why do the French eat snails?

Les escargots are quintessentially French, but interestingly enough they have long been considered ‘impossible to breed’.

But recently a Japanese man took it upon himself to crack the code to farming escargots, and after four decades of trial and error, he now calls himself the ‘only person in the world’ to have discovered the secret to farming snails.

Japanese man, 76, discovers secret to farming French snails

While I wouldn’t eat snails every day, I have come to really enjoy them, so I was delighted when only 13 percent of our readers ranked them the ‘worst food in France’.

The winner – with over 34 percent of the vote – was the stinky sausage andouillette. Of course, andouillette fans say if you get past the smell, the sausage itself is delicious. I count myself among those who struggle to get past the smell.

Readers reveal: What are the worst foods in France?

While they may be classics, I have never been offered andouillette or snails at a French person’s home. Perhaps my sample size is not representative of the whole of the country, but I get the impression that these foods are more common in restaurants than as everyday dishes.

As such, you’ll have no issue avoiding them if you want to, but it will be difficult to avoid meat and cheese altogether in France. 

The country has become more vegetarian friendly in the last few years, and many stores now offer meatless burger patties and even vegan cheese. In my personal experience, there still remains a bit of confusion between pescetarianism and vegetarianism. 

‘Call the restaurant’: Your tips for being vegetarian or vegan in France

Those concerned about animal welfare may be turned off by some of France’s favourite idioms, namely the expression avoir d’autres chats à fouetter (to have other cats to whip). 

Don’t worry, this shouldn’t be taken literally. It’s just the French equivalent of ‘having other fish to fry’.

Fat mornings and whipping cats: 10 idioms to help you sound more French

And finally, this edition of the Belle Vie newsletter is coming out in a unique moment in French history, as the country gears up to vote in snap parliamentary elections following a startling victory by the far right in the European elections.

As the next few weeks unfold, you may want to review our helpful vocabulary guide to follow along. 

10 essential French phrases to help you understand France’s snap election

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