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In this article the author writes about her personal experience in order to inform readers that on April 1st, the French practice the harmless and goofy tradition of pinning or sticking a paper fish on the back of an unsuspecting person. The author to had been pinned with a colorful paper fish by her daughter, while she was working on the computer. The author says that she and her daughter share the office where the author is the writer and her daughter is the artist. They have their own workspace and a dream, which suits them just fine.

This article features boutiques in France that offer novelty items, home decor products and furniture. The boutique Astier de Villatte sells various items, from white glazed ceramics to notebooks. The boutique Les Fées d'Herbe specializes in home decor. The Collection boutique sells hand-painted wall papers by artists.

The article discusses the craftiness of French people during April Fool's Day. Topics include the most popular insults in France during April Fool's Day including "Tapez-moi!", "Je suis nul(le)!," and "J'adore Hannah Montana!," phrases tacked on the back of people to humiliate them such as "J'ai besoin de tendresse! or I need love! or "J'adore les guili-guili!" or I love tickles!, and the amusement gained from note-pinning.

The article features various murals in Lyons, France, credited to CitéCréation. The artist-group completed 470 murals in various countries. Among their notable projects are a 13,0000-square-of mural in Croix-Rousse district, "La Fresque des Lyonnais," and "The City Library." The group discussed how they select their subject matter and how they manage to create gigantic murals.

The article highlights the efforts of SNCF Gares & Connexions, a subsidiary of railway operator SNCF Mobility, to put reading and culture back into the daily commute by introducing a concept that dispense randomly chosen poems and short stories on rolls of receipt paper.

The article discusses the controversy over the romantic relationships of President Nicolas Sarkozy of France. The president is said to be living his personal life very publicly despite his efforts to proclaim his right to privacy. Sarkozy is dating former model Carla Bruni after his wife Cécilia left him. The couple is said to have chosen Disneyland Paris for their first public appearance.

The article presents author's experience in the streets of Paris. On a sleepy Sunday morning in Paris, museumed out and ready to soak up a little ambiance as research for his next book, the author headed for the nearest street market. No better way to get the pulse of the quartier than by taking in the flower stalls, wafts of buttery scents from boulangeries, locals en route to the tabac for the Sunday paper and whatever else he had find along the way. Paris has many open markets: food markets, flower markets, bio (organic) markets, bird, antique and flea markets.

This article presents information about the Grand and Petit Morin valleys in France. Less than 30 miles outside Paris, the picturesque valleys cut by the Grand Morin and Petit Morin rivers invite to enjoy stunning historic sites as one meanders through charming villages that still recall the grain and paper mills these waterways once powered. Originating in the Brie region, the Petit and Grand Morins parallel the nearby Marne. Coupvray-Bas, in the hollow of the Grand Morin valley, is a well-preserved village typical of Brie. In the neighborhood near the canal, one can visit the birthplace of Louis Braille, inventor of the reading system for the blind. INSET: IF YOU GO.

The article discusses the obsession of French with the surname. In France, people would want to know a person's family tree before they decide if they like him or her. A woman will marry a cruel, stupid and an unemployed man for his aristocratic last name. However, marriage cannot save a French woman from an unfortunate name, because her identity papers bear her maiden name all her life.

A review is offered for several museums including Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Musée de la Gendarmerie Nationale, and Musée de Normandie located in France.

The article features some of the best museum gift shops and cafés in Paris, France. They include the Musée Picasso Museum Shop, Musé des Arts Décoratifs' 107Rivoli Store and LouLou Restaurant, and Centre Pompidou's design store and bookstore. Also mentioned are the gift shops and cafés at Musée Jacquemart-André, Musée Rodin, and Musée du Louvre.

The article focuses on different facets of personality of French women. The author says that a composed, well-mannered Frenchwoman, can make him feel ill-at-ease. The moments when a Frenchwoman's guard is down and the blips and bloopers that ensue, are what truly disarms the author about Frenchwomen. The author says that typically it is beauty or intelligence that intimidates. While the author is awed by those things, order and meticulousness frightens him the most.

The article offers information on topics related to Cour du Commerce Saint-André, a street in Saint-Germain, France. Topics mentioned include the boutiques and cafés in the located in the street, the insights of Marie-Laure Naudet, founder of stationery shop Grim'Art, on the Cour du Commerce Saint-André, and the development of contemporary restaurant in the street.

The article features Passage Jouffroy, one of the historic shopping arcades in Paris, France. It describes the architectural complexity of Passage Jouffroy and discusses how it benefited from its prime location and the technological developments in the arcade. It highlights several of the luxurious shops, avant-garde restaurants and boutiques in Passage Jouffroy that became attractions such as the Musee Grevin wax museum, Galerie Fayet and Palais Oriental.

The article offers travel tips for Le Havre, France and includes recommendations for lodging, beaches and museums.

The article discusses the rehabilitation of a popular street and locality in Paris France which will glimpse the French culture scenario. It talks about the urban renewal plan to add up a new vibe to the neighbourhood. It focuses on the restaurants, artist's studio located in the avenue and describes their design and construction.

The article reviews several restaurants in France including Éeoile du Nord and Clover Grill in Paris, and André in Valence.

The article offers information on the history and architecture of train stations of Paris, France. Topics discussed include train stations of Paris were already central to urban life, conduits for goods and labour, rehabilitation of all stations by national state-owned railway company SNCF and restaurants, food markets, fitness centres and, shopping malls at railway stations.

The article looks at several boutiques that sell handmade luxury goods in France. They include handcrafted objects for the home and the wardrobe at Empreintes, porcelain and jewellery at Alix D. Reynis, contempoary objects for the home and garden at Madeleine & Gustave, and Japanese artisanship at The Japan Store.

A review is offered for the Château de Cande located in the commune of Monts, Indre-et-Loire, France.

A review is offered for Hotel Observatoire Luxembourg located in Paris, France.

The article reviews several museum stores in France, including the 107Rivoli at Les Arts Decoratifs, the La Chalcoraphie du Louvre in Louvre and the Black Block at the Palais de Tokyo.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience with macarons and pastry boutiques in Paris, France.

The article offers information on the several luxury homes, castles and chalets that are being sold in France.

The article presents author's experience in the streets of Paris. On a sleepy Sunday morning in Paris, museumed out and ready to soak up a little ambiance as research for his next book, the author headed for the nearest street market. No better way to get the pulse of the quartier than by taking in the flower stalls, wafts of buttery scents from boulangeries, locals en route to the tabac for the Sunday paper and whatever else he had find along the way. Paris has many open markets: food markets, flower markets, bio (organic) markets, bird, antique and flea markets.

The author discusses how she, being an only child from Hong Kong, ended up on a ferry from the town of Royan, on the Atlantic Ocean, to a new life in Le Verdon at the northern tip of the Médoc peninsula. Several recipes are also presented including Roast asparagus with chervil, Roast chicken with crème fraîche and herbs, and Bugnes with orange flower water.

Reviews are offered for several concept perfume boutiques in Paris, France including Ex Nihilo, Nose and Jovoy.

The article presents a chronological history of pâtisseries in Paris, France as of June 2014. In 1779, Pierre-Jean Bernard expanded the Maison Bernard grocery store that sold such products as sugared almonds, jams and pastries. Also cited are the establishment by Georges Lecoeur of the À la Mère de Famille store in 1907, and the take over by Serge Neveu of the store in mid-1980s.

The article features Galérie Vivienne, a historic arcade located near Le Palais Royal in Paris, France. Topics include the mix of tradition, cuisine and art offered by the arcade which opened 1826, the upscale reputation of the arcade as opposed to the more ordinary passage in a location between Rue Vivienne and Le Palais Royal, and the domination of women in the arcade.

The article discusses the celebration of the 2013 Christmas season in France. Topics explored include the availability of Christmas markets around the country in addition to festivals and concerts, remarks from InterContinental New York Barclay hotel executive chef Serge Devesa regarding the sharing of family meals during the festive season, and the display of nativity scene decorations at homes and churches in the country.

The article reviews several cultural events in France from June to August 2013 including the Marciac Jazz Festival, the Museum Night, and the exhibition "Paul Signac: Les Couleurs de L'eau."

The article offers information on some establishments in Paris, France that serve tea and marmalade. The Hôtel Costes serves a pot of Earl Grey tea and slivers of toast with rhubarb and angelica jam or orange and cardamom marmalade distributed by Tea Together, a company set up by Nick Gifford and Judith Gifford. Le Thé des Écrivains is a tiny showroom-boutique near Place des Vosges that offers a freshly brewed sample of one of its tea blends.

The article presents U.S. ambassador to France Thomas Jefferson's account of his tour into the southern parts of France in 1787. It discusses Jefferson's architectural expression, and highlights his exploration of the remains of Roman antiquity in France. It details Jefferson's discovery of the Pont du Gard arched stone remains in Nîmes, where he also paid homage to the Maison Carrée and visited the 1st-century amphitheater.

The article features several bastides in France. Unlike older medieval villages with winding streets, these bastides were built based on the square grid of ancient Roman towns, wherein an arcaded market square is placed at the center. Among the bastides featured were the Villefranche-de-Rouergue in the Aveyron, the bastide of Villeneuve and Monpazier in the Dordogne.

The article presents a guide to several language and cooking schools, wine-tasting courses and handcraft classes in France. The Alliance Française Paris Ile-de-France was founded in 1883 and is considered as the oldest school in the country teaching French. For French gourmet cooking, the Promenades Gourmandes in Paris, France owned by chef Paule Caillat is one school that conducts cooking lessons in English. The O Chauteu in Paris, France offers wine classes with sommelier Olivier Magny conducting the English language wine tastings.

A review is offered for several hotels and restaurants in Paris, France including Auberge du Paradis in the Beaujolais region, La Cour de Rémi through Pas de Calais, and La Mare aux Oiseaux in the Parc de Brière.

The article presents the first Normandy Impressionist Festival scheduled from June to September 2010 in Normandy, France. The festival will include 15 major exhibits of Impressionist works together with shows of contemporary art, photography and music and will focus on the places that inspired the Impressionists and their followers and is seen. The projection piece "Impressionist Nights," produced by Hélène Richard and Jean-Michel Quesne will transform the facade of the Rouen Beaux-Arts Museum every evening.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience in his trip to Castelnaudary, France.

This article presents the author's experience of spending his one day in France. The author says that in the southern town of Fuveau, near Aix-en-Provence, they cluster together under striped parasols and clutch their paper plates. The Mistral wind is in force, but they don't complain too much as the soleil is burning down. The author presents description of a party where one of his friends is celebrating his anniversary. He also discusses some of the French words and their respective meanings in English language.

The article offers information on various items made by master craftsmen in France. Vincent Breed Verrier, a master at glass blowing, has added reversible vase-wineglasses and bell-shaped goblets to his products. Declercq Passementiers, a family enterprise that produces tassels, pompoms and tiebacks among others, created the restored 18th-century decorations of Château de Versailles. Jacques Petit Girouettier offers handcrafted and custom-designed vanes in different sizes and shapes.

The article provides information on the history, tourist attractions, and red wines of Saint Emilion village located in southwestern France. Saint Emilion and its vineyards were recognized as a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization World Heritage site in 1999. Most of the popular wines are from 6,000 acres of limestone slopes over clay. The private organization le Groupement des Premiers Grands Crus Classés sets up a dinner every two years.

The article features the santons of Provence, France. In crafting these clay figurines, 85% of the cost goes to labor. The roots of the santons of Provence is attributed to the first living Nativity scene believed to have been created in 1223 by Saint Francis in Greccio, near Assisi. Thérèse Neveu of Aubagne in Marseille was considered as the first modern santonniére.

The article describes the rose garden at La Bonne Maison owned by Odile Masquelier. The garden has over 800 varieties of rose and considered the most exceptional private rose collection in France. The entry notes that some roses such as the Sweetheart rose or the pale pink climber are absolutely lethal to other varieties. Also cited are rare roses such as the Jacques Cartier, Kléber, and the Prince Albert.

The article describes Le Rêve in Vence, France, a typical country house with a name that means the dream. Painter Henri Matisse rented the house to recover from intestinal surgeries and heart failure. He chose the house in large part because of the untamed landscape. He spent the better part of three years obsessing over every aspect of the Chapel's final design which is a giant art installation. INSET: LA COLOMBE D'OR.

The article features the life of Virginia d'Albert-Lake, an American woman who receives the Légion d'Honneur, Frances' highest award. The award is given for her heroism during World War II. d'Albert-Lake arrives in France in 1936 as a young schoolteacher and marries a French-English travel agent, Philippe d'Albert-Lake. During the Nazi occupation of France, she spends eleven months in a series of concentration camps. After the war, she starts a business buying antique dolls to sell to the U.S. She died in 1997.

The article offers information on the town of Bécherel in Brittany, France. Bécherel is considered the booktown of Brittany. It houses 750 residents, a bakery and 15 booksellers. According to the author, some believe that the town was transformed into France's premier booktown by magic. The bookstores located in the town include La Souris des Champs, La Vache Qui Lit and Arc-en-Ciel.

The article discusses the author's search for an apartment in Paris, France. He explained that his experience can be helpful to potential buyers too. It is stated that the best place to begin the search is on the Internet. Websites on real estates can be consulted, with preference only to advertisements that are less than a week old. These websites ask accommodation requirement like how many rooms one need, floor area and price range that depends heavily on the neighborhood.

The article presents a guide to visiting the Haute Vaucluse in Provençe, France. The area features the Dentelles de Montmirail mountain, the ruined Gallo-Roman Vasio Vocontiorum on the right bank of the Ouvèze River, a fortified medieval village called Haute Ville perched above the left bank, and the town of Vaison-la-Romaine built squarely on top of the Roman one. The Haute Vaucluse is primarily a wine region. INSET: DRIVING THE DENTELLES.

This article offers information on several French designers. It includes Fran&ccedi;ois Azambourg, Mattia Bonetti and Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. Also featured are Matali Crasset, Elizabeth Garouste and Christian Ghion. Data is given for educational and career background, famous works and awards and accomplishments won.

The article features the ten most influential people in Paris, France. Gay rights activist Christophe Girard is the man behind Nuit Blanche à Paris, a citywide all-night cultural event, and Paris Plage, the Seine-side beach that appears each summer. Minister of Culture Muriel Mayette made history by becoming the first woman to head Comédie-Française. Antoine Gallimard published Jonathan Littel's Goncourt-winning "Les Bienveillantes," continuing the family tradition of publishing important authors.