Category Archives: French customs

French customs, Loire Valley, Loire Valley châteaux, Paris

Paris kiosks celebrate 150 years – An excellent fortress: Chinon

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Only two posts on this Wednesday’s Bloggers Round-up (I’m a little pressed for time). Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, brings us a very interesting interview with a kiosquier as Paris celebrates 150 years of newsstands. Niaill and Antoinette from Chez Charnizay take us on a visit of Chinon castle in theL oire Valley. Enjoy!

Paris kiosks celebrate 150 years. My interview with “kiosquier” Jacky Goubert.

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

kioskFrom April 17 until April 21, Paris is celebrating the 150th anniversary of one of the most iconic symbols of the French capital – its kiosks. On Friday, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jacky Goubert and his daughter Gaelle, who operate the kiosk on the Boulevard Saint-Germain between Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots. It’s where I buy the International Herald Tribune whenever I’m in the neighborhood.

MK: This has to be one of the best kiosks in Paris. How were you able to get the concession for it?
Jacky: Normally, it’s not possible to pass a kiosk from parent to child because they are only licensed and not purchased from the city. But somehow my mother arranged for me to take it over when she retired. She started working here in 1972. Read more

An excellent fortress: Chinon

by Niaill, a Scotsman, and Antoinette, a Dutch American, from Chez Charnizay, who live in the village of the same name in southern Touraine  and blog about their adventures in the Loire Valley

chinonWe like Chinon and we stopped by again earlier this month. We’ve always liked Chinon from our very first forays into the Loire Valley as tourists in the early 1990’s. This despite the fact that every time we approach it from the south side of the river Vienne and pass the SuperU [it wasn’t a SuperU then but some other chain] on the left-hand side of the road where it runs between huge plane trees we’re reminded of our failure at the time to get to grips with the French custom of closing on the dot of noon for lunch. At least 3 times we were doomed to disappointment at that supermarket, arriving just as the doors were firmly closing.

The fortress walls as we see them today are mostly due to Henry, Count of Anjou, later King Henry II of England. It was one of his favourite fortresses, which is hardly suprising given its strategic location on the crossroads between 3 regions: Anjou, Touraine and Poitou. Read more

French customs, French language

Friday’s French : Vide-greniers, vide-armoires, brocante

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Until recently, I had never heard of a vide-armoires, which literally means “wardrobe emptier”. I have been to many vide-greniers (grenier means attic) and brocantes and had worked out the difference for myself. The vide-greniers provides the occasion for people to get rid of all the stuff they don’t want any more. A lot of towns hold one once a year. Sometimes they are combined with food stalls, but not always.

Vide-greniers
Vide-greniers

The term brocante comes from brocanteur who, according to the Larousse dictionary, is someone who buys and then sells (or swaps) secondhand goods. However, brocante is sometimes used to mean vide-grenier and the two can be combined. So you can find householders selling children’s hand-me-downs and old lamps next to a professional selling old furniture.

The etymology is not certain. There is a French expression de bric et de broc which means “made of bits and pieces”, maybe related to the German gebrochen or Italian brocco. It could also come from a broc repairer where brocs are the metal staples that used to be used to hold old pottery together.

Real antiques are usually sold at a “foire des antiquaires” but sometimes you find them at brocantes as well.

Vide-armoires
Vide-armoires

So I wasn’t sure what we’d find at a vide-armoires When we arrived in Bracieux, we discovered it was being run by the local tennis club. It turned out to be strictly private individuals – no professionals – and only clothing, mostly children’s. So not of much interest to us.

And before I finish, the correct spelling is vide-greniers and not vide-grenier and the singular and plural are the same.

French customs, French language

Friday’s French – notaire

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Anyone who has been involved in buying (or selling) a house or appartment in France will know who the notaire is but may not be aware of exactly what they do, mainly because the equivalent does not exist in the Anglosaxon world. According to the Chambre des Notaires, which has a very useful English version of their website, by the way, “a Notaire is a legal specialist with a public authority mission who draws up authenticated contracts on behalf of his clients. He is self-employed”.­

Notaire's office in Montrichard with its easily recognisable insignia
Notaire’s office in Montrichard with its easily recognisable insignia

The word “notary” exists in English, but has a very different meaning. According to the British Notaries Society, “A Notary is a qualified lawyer primarily concerned with the authentication and certification of signatures and documents for use abroad … and also authorised to conduct general legal practice (excluding the conduct of court proceedings)”. Very different from the French notaire.

So what does the notaire do exactly? He/she is involved in all real estate transactions, as well as wills, marriage contracts and other similar legal documents. Many French people consider that notaires charge too much but it is not their fees that are expensive – it’s the taxes levied by the French government. Doing your own conveyancing in France is simply not possible.

What a lot of people don’t know is that they can consult the notaire free of charge on a variety of matters. Before I bought my first house in the suburbs of Paris, I went to see the notaire to ask what sort of price I should pay because they keep very strict statistics on real estate transactions. He gave me the average “price per square metre” for a house in the area I was looking in and that is exactly what I paid. When I sold it ten years later, the price had doubled.

I went back to see him again of course when I was selling the house after my divorce and buying an apartment instead. Once again, the price had doubled when I sold it ten years’ later. When Jean Michel and I got married, we went to see him so he could advise us on our marriage contract and wills since we each have two children from another marriage and it was important to protect their interests.

After that, I did several interpreting/translating jobs for another notaire whom we subsequently adopted, particularly as the previous one had retired by then. When we bought Closerie Falaiseau, I naturally asked that she be involved in the sale as I knew she would look after my interests. If each party has a separate notaire, they split the fees, so it doesn’t cost any more to have your own.

It was actually quite amusing when we signed the final deed for the house. My notaire was not available on the day and time chosen by the notaires in Blois, who obviously were not going to go out of their way to accommodate a Parisian notaire. They had already been a bit difficult about sending her the deed (and then she picked up a few errors which they didn’t like) so she very apologetically sent her very competent clerc instead. Since the clerc would have had to get up at the crack of dawn to get to the office notarial by 10 am by train, we offered to take her with us in our car.

She was very chatty and we had a most interesting ride, stopping at Paul’s along the motorway to have breakfast. We were very pleased to have her present at the signature. It wasn’t that our previous owners were not honest – they are the loveliest people you could imagine – but they had asked to stay another two weeks in the house after the final signature. We knew they would leave in time, but imagine what might happen if they both had a fatal car accident and their heirs (they don’t have any children) refused to leave the house?

Our notaire was able to make sure that we were completely covered by the law in the event of a problem, an issue which the previous owners’ notaire had not bothered to address.

So my advice is to make sure you have your own notaire, who will look after your best interests, and not just go along with the one suggested by the sellers or the real estate agency. Go and see the notaire in advance and explain your situation and what you’re looking for. I’m sure you’ll find them very helpful.

And if you need help seeing a notaire because your French isn’t good enough, I’ll be happy to help if you live in my area (Loire Valley) or your notaire is willing to use their visio system. As a certified translator, I am qualified to do so.

French customs, Paris, Restaurants

A fishy start to April – True French dining experience for a savvy traveller

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Wednesday’s bloggers round-up this week features two Australians whom you already know: Phoebe from Lou Messugo, who explains the history and customs of the French version of April Fool’s Day or poisson d’avril, and Jo Karnagan from Frugal First Class Travel, guest posting on My French Life, who explains how to have really good French food in Paris without paying the earth. Enjoy!

A fishy start to April

by Phoebe from Lou Messugo, a traveller, francophile, expat, mum and foodie now living in Roquefort les Pins where she runs a gîte after many years of travelling and living in Asia, Eastern Europe and Australia

poisson_davrilToday is the 1st of April and just like in many countries around the world, it’s the day of jokes, hoaxes and pranks.  Newspapers and other media publish fake stories but the real speciality in France is the Poisson d’avril.  This consists of sticking a paper fish on someone’s back and seeing how long they go without realising it.  Once the fish is discovered you shout “Poisson d’avril”!  Children adore trying to catch out their teachers if it falls on a school day or their parents when it’s a day at home.  My elder son has been sporting a fine specimen for a couple of hours as I write this, stuck on his back by his little brother completely unbeknownst to him. Read more

True French dining experience for a savvy traveller

by Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a First Class trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!

This post was published by My French Life, a global community of French and francophiles connecting like-minded people in English & French 

frugalista_restaurantI love eating really good French food. But, like a lot of visitors to Paris, I’m put off by the €200 plus prices of the grand eateries –  just not within my budget. Therefore, on a recent trip to Paris, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to savour really good classic French food served in the formal European style at a relatively bargain price. Read more

Flowers & gardens, French customs, Lifestyle, Paris

It’s Still Cold in Paris

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I got caught in the cold today. I was working away in my office and suddenly realised there was sun streaming in through the windows so I thought I should make an effort and go outside. I looked at the temperature and saw it was 9°C but I figured it would be warmer in the sun. So I put on a light wool coat instead of my winter parka. I was over optimistic and nearly had my hands and ears frozen off.

Sun coming through my office window in the Palais Royal
Sun coming through my office window in the Palais Royal

I went into the Palais Royal gardens first to check the state of the vegetation and was delighted to see that the magnolias are just coming into bloom. In a couple of days’ time, they’ll be out completely. Which reminded me that we don’t have a magnolia in Blois, but the only place we could put it is behind the house in our little wood.

Magnolias starting to bloom in the Palais Royal gardens
Magnolias starting to bloom in the Palais Royal gardens

I wanted to buy some soapless soap (pain dermatologique) so I went to the parapharmacie which is like a drugstore or a pharmacy, but without any medication, just skincare and hygiene products, cosmetics, first aid etc. The products are usually cheaper than you would pay in a normal pharmacy. This one’s in avenue de l’Opéra. The annoying thing is that they’re all arranged in brands. I was looking for a particular brand whose name I can’t remember but I’m sure I’ll recognise it when I see it!

Sun on the fountain in the Palais Royal gardens
Sun on the fountain in the Palais Royal gardens

I went to another parapharmacie near rue Coquillère on the other side the gardens but it’s turned into a real pharmacy with a snooty pharmacist running the show. Half the shelves were empty and all she could offer, apart from Avène which I didn’t want because it becomes gluggy after a couple of weeks of use, was Lipikar by La Roche Posay. At 5.20 euro a piece, it’s going to be a luxury shower but I was too cold to go anywhere else.

New smoothie bar on rue Coquillère
New smoothie bar on rue Coquillère

I walked back down rue Coquillère past L’Imprimerie and was surprised to see that one of the two little corner shops (which a friend of mine aptly calls PADC – petit arabe du coin – little Arab on the corner) has turned into a smoothie bar. The other shop doesn’t even have a name any more. I obviously don’t get out enough to see all these changes.

Nameless PADC
Nameless PADC

I took a little detour to go past Serge Luten’s perfumery in Palais Royal gallery next to Miss Bibi on the way back home and admired their new window display. You can’t beat them for originality, can you?

Serge Lutens window in the Palais Royal
Serge Lutens window in the Palais Royal
Food, French customs, Paris, Wine

What a friend we have in cheeses – Salon Mer & Vigne et Gastronomie – How to Tip When Abroad

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This week’s bloggers’ round-up is dedicated to three bloggers whom I haven’t yet featured on Aussie in France: Lisa Rankin from Flavors of Paris recounts the first time she came across an open-air cheese stand; Donna Morris from Best Friend in Paris introduces us to the twice-yearly Salon Mer et Vigne wine and seafood fair; while Whitney Webster from Context gives us very useful tips on how to tip. Enjoy!

What a friend we have in cheeses

by Lisa Rankin in Paris and Michael Lutzmann in Ontario from Flavors of Paris, two Canadian foodies, madly in love with Paris, who give food-based guided tours that offer experience of local areas, ranging from exquisite cheeses and charcuterie to heavenly chocolate.

Man-Cheese“Each sort of cheese reveals a pasture of a different green, under a different sky.”

—Italo Calvino

The foggy Saturday morning rains had come in veils, like the northern lights, washing the cobbles. Fool: I’d left my umbrella at the tiny two-star hotel the airline had given me for mucking up my return flight to London. It was midsummer 1994; Paris was in the throes of World Cup fever. I’d made up my mind to wait out the rain in a café beneath a canopy when suddenly the clouds fissured and the rain stopped. Read more

Salon Mer & Vigne et Gastronomie

Donna Morris from Best Friend in Paris, a transplanted North Carolinian is a different sort of tour guide who shows visitors what she knows from living in Paris, both the major monuments and the tiny streets they wouldn’t find for themselves.

DSC03101If you’re lucky enough to be in Paris during the Fall and Winter months, there are often special event tradeshows that showcase food and wine, tourism, agriculture,chocolate – you name it.  The shows are meant to offer the producers a chance to meet their public and sell directly to them.  I buy all sorts of stuff and always end up with an overflowing (and heavy) caddy.

The Salon Mer & Vigne is held around the country and comes to Paris twice – in February and September.  It’s a great show for sampling products, buying for yourself or as gifts, having a meal (they serve oysters and other regional specialties) or just wandering up and down the aisles taking it all in.  I challenge anyone though, to go and not leave with something! Read more

How to Tip When Abroad

By Whitney Webster from Context, a network of scholars and specialists—in disciplines including archaeology, art history, cuisine, urban planning, history, environmental science, and classics—who, in addition to their normal work as professors and researchers, design and lead in-depth walking seminars for small groups of intellectually curious travelers.

tippingAnyone who has sat in the back of a taxi cab fumbling foreign currency while frantically trying to remember the right amount to tip (is it 5%? 10%? Just a few coins?) knows that it’s a good idea to research local customs around tipping before visiting a new city. It’s tempting to assume that, when in doubt, better to overtip than appear stingy, but it turns out that in some countries, this is a very bad idea. We chatted with our local experts in each of the non-North American cities where we operate to find out exactly how, and how much, it’s appropriate to tip. Read more

Architecture, Art, Food, France, French customs, Restaurants

The hottest new pop-up bar in Paris with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower – Top 12 Patisseries in Paris – Scallops & St Peter

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This week, in Wednesday’s blogger round-up, Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris takes us to a pop-up bar (a new concept for me) in Paris where she was tempted by the sin of gluttony. I can’t wait to try it out! Andrea from Rearview Mirror shares her top 12 patisseries in Paris from a host of wonderful neighbourhoods while Niall and Antoinette from Chez Charmizay explore an intriguing “monument historique” in the Loire Valley. Enjoy!

The hottest new pop-up bar in Paris with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower: 180 Restaurant and Bar at the Pullman Hotel

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

pop_up_barBetter hurry! The clock is ticking and there are only 126 days, 13 hours and 26 minutes left to enjoy one of the most spectacular views of city from the hottest new pop-up bar in Paris.

Situated on the 10th floor of the Pullman Hotel, the bar offers an intimate encounter with the Eiffel Tower in all its sparkling glory. Watching the day fade into night as we sipped glasses of Veuve Clicquot champagne with friends visiting from the States yesterday evening, Stephane and I regretted that we hadn’t reserved a table for dinner. In keeping with the theme, the pop-up bar has specially concocted drinks and menu items honoring the seven deadly sins. With offerings like le Charnel (the carnal), a savory cheesecake, and le Sensual (the sensual) a sweet cheesecake, I was sorely tempted by the sin of gluttony. Read more

Top 12 Patisseries in Paris

by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local

lille-france-17I naively thought I could list my top 10 favourite patisseries in Paris but there are too many great places to choose from so I decided to share my top 12. All are located in fantastic neighbourhoods ideal for a city break in Paris. If you’re planning a visit to Paris and want to live like a local, Go with Oh have a number of apartments perfect for a short stay. Read more

Scallops & St Peter

by Niaill, a Scotsman, and Antoinette, a Dutch American, from Chez Charnizay, who live in the village of the same name in southern Touraine  and blog about their adventures in the Loire Valley.

scallops_saint_peter

The town of L’Île-Bouchard straddles the river Vienne and we’ve written about the capitals of the ruined Prieuré de Saint-Léonard there before. On the south side of the Vienne river, just before you reach it, is a small village called Parçay-sur-Vienne.

We decided to have a quick look to see if the village church was of interest before heading on towards L’Île-Bouchard and Chinon: it was a another case of one of those slightly battered and faded ‘monument historique’ signs which intrigued us. Read more

France, French customs

The most original Valentine’s Day chocolate in Paris! – Getting a French Driver’s License – Part 1 – European Capital of Culture 2013

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A break from Barcelona for this week’s bloggers’ round-up, starting with Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, who ferreted out the most original Valentine’s Day chocolate in Paris.  Abby from Paris Weekender tells us how to go about getting a driver’s licence in France. Don’t forget to read Part 2 as well!  Andrea from Rearview Mirror takes us to Marseilles, one of the European capitals of culture for 2013. Enjoy!

The most original Valentine’s Day chocolate in Paris!

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

valentine_lovelocksFor the past couple of weeks, I’ve been pounding the pavement and scouring the city for the most original Valentine’s Day chocolate. Peering through store window after store window, all the while trying to keep my cravings at bay, I’ve seen chocolate hearts, shoes, dresses, cigars, wafers with “I Love You” written in multiple languages, hearts appearing to be on fire, Eiffel Towers, birds with heart-shaped nests, and, did I mention, hearts?

Just when I was about to throw in the towel and give up on finding anything truly innovative, I paused in front of A la Mère de Famille on rue de la Pompe to look at what I thought would be more chocolate hearts. Studying the window, I noticed some chicken wire festooned with red roses, white hearts, and …. what’s that? Read more

Getting a French Driver’s License – Part 1

by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living in New York and Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town

Arc de Triomphe, ParisIf you have been residing in France for more than 1 year, you are required to get a French driver’s license. There are two ways of doing this. The first and easiest option is to trade your current driver’s license in for a French one – but this route is only available for EU license-holders, license-holders of select other countries and holders of licenses from a handful of the 50 United States. (When I last checked, the list included: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.) The second way is to re-do driver’s ed. Read more

European Capital of Culture 2013

by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local.

marseille-6It used to be that there was one European Capital of Culture per year until 2000 when they went a little crazy and made 9 different cities the ‘capital’. In recent years there have been two or three per year and last year was the first time I got to visit one of the capitals when I went to Guimarães in northern Portugal. The title of European Capital of Culture 2013 is held by both Marseille, France and Kosice, Slovakia.

European Capital of Culture 2013: Marseille-Provence

It’s not just the city of Marseille which is the Capital of Culture but also the surrounding area including Aix-en-Provence, Arles, La Ciotat, Martigues and Aubagne. Read more

Architecture, French customs, French language, Loire Valley

A bittersweet treat: La Chapelle de tous les Saints – Speak like a local: quand the French use quand même – Of Hospitals and Cheese Courses

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Last week’s bloggers’ round-up had a single theme – Barcelona – but this week, the subjects are completely different. Chez Charnizay from the Loire Valley offers us a very complete description of the danse macabre, a mediaeval allergory for death, depicted in a local chapel in Touraine. Katerina Forrester, posting on My French Life, examines all the different things that “quand même” can mean, while Bread is Pain comments on French hospital food, very far from the pizza and jello she remembers having in the US as a child. Enjoy!

A bittersweet treat: La Chapelle de tous les Saintes

by Niaill, a Scotsman, and Antoinette, a Dutch American, from Chez Charnizay, who live in the village of the same name in southern Touraine  and blog about their adventures in the Loire Valley.

danse_macabreA little while back, friends Susan and Simon who write the blog Days on the Claise ran into Marc Dimanche, an acquitance of theirs. A devoted member of the Preuilly archaeological society, he offered them the opportunity to visit the Chapelle de tous les Saintes [All Saints’ Chapel] which is located on the left as one drives into Preuilly-sur-Claise from the direction of Le Grand Pressigny. They had written a post about the chapel before here, but had never had the opportunity to see inside. Read more

Speak like a local: quand the French use quand même

By Katerina Forrester, Australian born but always longing to be French, posting on My French Life, the global community of French and francophiles connecting like-minded people in English & French.

quand_memeIt’s a phrase that stops a nation, or more so, a young girl at the ripe age of 16 on her first trip to France.  This common French expression would continue to stump me for years to come, and I’m ashamed to add that the first time I heard this phrase, I transcribed it as ‘comme même’.

However, I shouldn’t be disheartened by my cultural linguistic naivety.  This typical French expression, quand même, may be easily translated into English, but the translation changes drastically depending upon the context!

So let’s identify and explore quand même on the dissecting table…through hypothetical situations. Read more

Of Hospitals and Cheese Courses

by Bread is Pain, a 30-something American living in the Rhone-Alps, and slowly eating and drinking herself through the country

Yes, I am being a slacker this week.  MB is having some health issues and afternoons at the hospital have proved to be uninspiring…except for the meals.

Now granted, I haven’t been in the hospital in the U.S. since the 80′s so my information isn’t at all up to date but what I remember of the food was pizza and jello (I was also 8 years old which might account for what stands out in my mind).  At the hospital here in Grenoble, however, MB’s meals are somewhat more sophisticated.  There is a potato soup, there is a tuna pasta, a freshly baked roll, fromage blanc.  These may show up all at the same time but this is basically a 3 course meal…in the hospital.  Yesterday he had saucisson…how is that a healthy choice? Read more

France, French customs, French language

Fraussie Grouet Makes Her Final Bow

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When I first started writing this blog in October 2011, I was worried about my university students and possibly my translation clients being able to track down my private life so I came up with the pseudonym of Fraussie. When I created the Facebook fan page for Aussie in France, I discovered that I needed a “real” person behind it. What I didn’t understand was that fan pages and Facebook accounts are kept separate anyway and that someone who joined the fan page did not see the person who was behind it.

Front staircase at Closerie Falaiseau in winter
Front staircase at Closerie Falaiseau in winter

Anyway, when I set up the account, Fraussie was not enough. I needed a family name as well. We’d just found Closerie Falaiseau which is in the Grouet neighbourhood of Blois, whence the name. It was not until later that we learnt the name of the house or I would have called myself Fraussie Falaiseau and not Fraussie Grouet.

But I have been having more and more trouble keeping my own Facebook account, Rosemary Kneipp, separate from Fraussie Grouet’s. I never remember who I am and I need to keep logging out of one and into the other. It’s good practice for warding off incipient Alzheimer’s of course, but not always convincing. The fan page problem was really quite simple to solve as it turned out: I just had to change administrators!

I’m now no longer teaching at uni and my clients only care about whether my translation is any good or not so I’ve decided to get rid of Fraussie Grouet although I must confess I’ve become somewhat attached to her. Relationnel has also decided he’d like to come out. He’ll now appear as Jean Michel. Without a hyphen.

I’ve often been asked where the name Relationnel comes from. When we first met and I introduced him to my children, then 12 and 15, Leonardo, the oldest (he wanted to be a genius when he grew up and used to read a French comic book series called Léonard hence the pseudonym) was impressed by Jean Michel’s ability to always say the right thing to people, so he started calling him Relationnel  and it stuck.

My daughter, Black Cat (explained in another post), would like to keep her pseudonym. It’s bad enough having a mother that writes a blog without it spilling over into your private life as well! I haven’t asked Leonardo because he’s asleep in Sydney at the moment, but I think he rather likes being considered a genius. My kids have a different family name altogether, I might add, which keeps them safe.

Having said all this, I should point out that Kneipp is my father’s name. My married name is Avril, but in France, you always officially keep your maiden name. Using your husband’s name is only a convention, though few people know this. I use Avril when people only know me as Jean Michel’s wife (the concierge, for example) or for friends we meet together. Sometimes Jean Michel gets called Kneipp as well, which further confuses matters.

When asked for your name here, you write KNEIPP Rosemary épouse (spouse of) AVRIL. Family names are always capitalised in this country and in formal circumstances you give them first. My French students would always say DUPONT Marie, for example, whereas the Anglosaxons would say Mary Brown. It can get a bit confusing, but the capitals help if you are not familiar with the person’s given name.

Notice I’m using “family name” and “given name” here as opposed to first name (or Christian name) and surname, since they are no longer politically correct and, above all, can lead to confusion. The terms in French are nom de famille (family name), prénom (given name, which literally means pre-name, which is a bit contradictory considering what I’ve just said) and nom de jeune fille (maiden name).

But, revenons à nos moutons, as my father used to say in his schoolboy French. I shall henceforth be known as Rosemary. However, do keep using your own pseudonyms, such as Maple Leaf, Kiwi, Jane’s cousin and Jane’s cousin’s friend, if you’re happy to keep them!