La Belle Vie: The French philosophy tradition and all around the lavender fields
From French intellectualism and the filler words to make yourself sound more like a local to planning your visit to France's lavender fields, 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 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”.
This week marks an important time of year for French high school students - it is the start of the strenuous baccalauréat examination process, which kicks off with the bac de philo. This four-hour philosophy exam is required for all, just like one-year of philosophy coursework in terminale (the final year of high school) in order to graduate high school with a diploma.
I am consistently impressed that French teenagers are taught to thoughtfully answer complex questions like "is happiness is a matter of reason?" and "is wanting peace wanting justice?"
I think I would struggle answering those as an adult. But this exam and required coursework speaks to a broader cultural phenomenon in France: the way people truly value philosophy as not just a fun school subject, but foundation for a thriving democracy.
Building citizens: Why philosophy is compulsory in French schools
This might give a bit more context as to why it is not so uncommon to run into French people flipping through Foucault, Descartes or Sartre on the beach or in the park, but unfortunately as a foreigner you might still find yourself in what you thought was a casual conversation with a French person and all-of-a-sudden they are referencing a university-level philosophical concept (this has happened to me). I remember laughing hysterically at the 'Emily in Paris' episode when she dates the French intellectual ... there were some truths there.
Reading classic French literature and watching some crash course videos on philosophy may help you through a fancy French dinner party, but in most situations if you want to come off as authentically local it'll just come down to adding a few filler words, like 'du coup' (French equivalent of 'so').
There is one phrase I would add to this list: "ouais grave" (basically - ah definitely). We told my American brother to just test this out when he felt lost in conversations with French people during his last visit, and it was pretty effective - could come in handy for your next 'casual chat turned academic'.
16 phrases to make your French sound more authentically local
While the importance of philosophy in French social and political life goes back several centuries, there are a few things that are even older - like Cantal cheese that apparently dates back to the Gauls. But even before that were the pre-Celtic people living across modern day France, and they left behind several traces of their presence that are worth visiting.
From the thousands of standing stones in Carnac, Brittany to the Lascaux Caves in Dordogne, there are several prehistoric sites France has to offer.
Six prehistoric sites in France to visit
While the lavender fields are a bit younger than the standing stones - like wine, it was brought to France around 2,000 years ago by the Romans - the flower has become part of the ‘Haute Provence’ regional identity.
The flowers usually start to bloom mid-June, and they are not only worth visiting because of how beautiful they are but also because of where they are located. Many are propped up beside small, provençal towns - like Sault - which is just a thirty minute drive from Roussillon, which has been listed among the best villages in France.
What to know when visiting France's lavender fields this summer
And when considering how to get down to the lavender fields, you might want to look into the possibility of taking a night train.
This year, France's national rail service is running eight night trains, and one of them is heading from Paris to Nice, where you are right on the beach and just a short distance from several lavender fields. I took a night train once - the ride from Briançon to Paris, and it was really much more pleasant than I had anticipated. There is something a bit magical about going to sleep in one city and waking up in another.
8 French night trains to take this summer
While spending some time in the region where lavender grows, you might also want to take a swim. This is possible, even if you are not along the coast. France is known for its 'inland beaches' too. One of the best in the Provence region is the Verdon gorge, among the biggest and most beautiful in Europe.
Otherwise, if you are less interested in the lavender experience, there are still plenty of other places to swim while travelling across mainland France, including the Pont d'Arc in Ardèche, which is not far from a UNESCO recognised prehistoric site (two birds with one stone).
Lakes, reservoirs and rivers: Where are France's best inland beaches?
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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”.
This week marks an important time of year for French high school students - it is the start of the strenuous baccalauréat examination process, which kicks off with the bac de philo. This four-hour philosophy exam is required for all, just like one-year of philosophy coursework in terminale (the final year of high school) in order to graduate high school with a diploma.
I am consistently impressed that French teenagers are taught to thoughtfully answer complex questions like "is happiness is a matter of reason?" and "is wanting peace wanting justice?"
I think I would struggle answering those as an adult. But this exam and required coursework speaks to a broader cultural phenomenon in France: the way people truly value philosophy as not just a fun school subject, but foundation for a thriving democracy.
Building citizens: Why philosophy is compulsory in French schools
This might give a bit more context as to why it is not so uncommon to run into French people flipping through Foucault, Descartes or Sartre on the beach or in the park, but unfortunately as a foreigner you might still find yourself in what you thought was a casual conversation with a French person and all-of-a-sudden they are referencing a university-level philosophical concept (this has happened to me). I remember laughing hysterically at the 'Emily in Paris' episode when she dates the French intellectual ... there were some truths there.
Reading classic French literature and watching some crash course videos on philosophy may help you through a fancy French dinner party, but in most situations if you want to come off as authentically local it'll just come down to adding a few filler words, like 'du coup' (French equivalent of 'so').
There is one phrase I would add to this list: "ouais grave" (basically - ah definitely). We told my American brother to just test this out when he felt lost in conversations with French people during his last visit, and it was pretty effective - could come in handy for your next 'casual chat turned academic'.
16 phrases to make your French sound more authentically local
While the importance of philosophy in French social and political life goes back several centuries, there are a few things that are even older - like Cantal cheese that apparently dates back to the Gauls. But even before that were the pre-Celtic people living across modern day France, and they left behind several traces of their presence that are worth visiting.
From the thousands of standing stones in Carnac, Brittany to the Lascaux Caves in Dordogne, there are several prehistoric sites France has to offer.
Six prehistoric sites in France to visit
While the lavender fields are a bit younger than the standing stones - like wine, it was brought to France around 2,000 years ago by the Romans - the flower has become part of the ‘Haute Provence’ regional identity.
The flowers usually start to bloom mid-June, and they are not only worth visiting because of how beautiful they are but also because of where they are located. Many are propped up beside small, provençal towns - like Sault - which is just a thirty minute drive from Roussillon, which has been listed among the best villages in France.
What to know when visiting France's lavender fields this summer
And when considering how to get down to the lavender fields, you might want to look into the possibility of taking a night train.
This year, France's national rail service is running eight night trains, and one of them is heading from Paris to Nice, where you are right on the beach and just a short distance from several lavender fields. I took a night train once - the ride from Briançon to Paris, and it was really much more pleasant than I had anticipated. There is something a bit magical about going to sleep in one city and waking up in another.
8 French night trains to take this summer
While spending some time in the region where lavender grows, you might also want to take a swim. This is possible, even if you are not along the coast. France is known for its 'inland beaches' too. One of the best in the Provence region is the Verdon gorge, among the biggest and most beautiful in Europe.
Otherwise, if you are less interested in the lavender experience, there are still plenty of other places to swim while travelling across mainland France, including the Pont d'Arc in Ardèche, which is not far from a UNESCO recognised prehistoric site (two birds with one stone).
Lakes, reservoirs and rivers: Where are France's best inland beaches?
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