From Americans in France.
The Little Cars that Can
This little car is sometimes called a Voiturette or more
likely a Voiture sans Permis, a ‘car’ that can be driven
without a license - sans permis. There’s been a boom in
Voiture sans Permis in France the last few years. A
dealership recently opened in my town.
A Voiture sans Permis by law can only go about 50 kph
(31 mph), so you don’t get anywhere fast, but you do get there
faster than walking. The cars are very loud and can be heard from
a distance. Due to increased demand, those buying a voiture sans
permis now have more choices. Our
local dealership sells 'sport cars' and 'trucks'.
It’s debatable why Voiture sans Permis are now so
popular. The best guess: many who lost or couldn’t get a driver’s
license use the cars for work and limited travel. Another factor,
very good gas mileage. But pound for pound the cars are
expensive: new starting at about €7,000. On the higher end up to
€20,000.
App Update
My app for iPhone/iPad/iPod touch -
Southern Burgundy Explorer has been updated. Improvements
include landscape mode, higher resolution photos and off line
maps. I’ve also added 40+ new photos, bringing the total to
almost 1,900. If anyone has downloaded the app or if you do in
the future, consider reviewing it in iTunes. Your input will
help, spread the word and improves sales. I’ve written a
how to for rating my app.
About.com Guide James
Martin was kind enough to
review my app on his site. James also has a newsletter and an
app -
Tuscany For Foodies.
La Roche Bluegrass
As I said in my last newsletter my town’s Bluegrass festival was in early August. The music and weather were great. You can see highlights here.
European Heritage Days
Don’t forget Journées européennes du Patrimoine - European Heritage Days take place in September. For this year the dates in France are September 17th & 18th. This is a great way to see attractions that you normally can’t, like the Château de Sercy or do some sightseeing for free or reduced admission.
World Cup
As with most countries, watching sport in France is seasonal:
football (soccer) from September to April, cycling in July during
the Tour de France, tennis in late May and early June with
Roland-Garros aka the French Open and Rugby from January to March
during the Six Nations Tournament. During Olympic and World Cup
years time frame may change. Case in point, this year the Rugby
World Cup from September 9th to October 23rd in New
Zealand.
France has yet to win the Rugby World Cup. France reached the
finals twice, 1987 and 1999 and the semi-finals on three other
occasions including 2007, when France was the host. This year’s
team is considered a dark horse but France does have a knack of
beating world power New Zealand. France and New Zealand are in
the same group this time around. This should make for an
interesting match when the teams meet on September 24th.
From the Mailbox
Everyone knows about the Festival d'Avignon but did you know
there is also a Blues Festival? Well
there is and it takes place October 7th & 8th.
I received this email from a reader looking for help in
Guadeloupe.
I live in Guadeloupe and wish to open a center to welcome French
children from 3 to 5 during the week. I am looking for people to
speak English to the children as if they were abroad in order to
make them speak English before they start primary school. I am
looking for contacts. Please tell me if you could help me to find
students or even adults interested in the experience. Please contact Caroline
for more info.
Here’s a new web site for French news in English - http://www.thelocal.fr/.
Resources for living or traveling in France:
My observations about what’s up in France can be found by
following me on
Twitter, on the
Americans in France facebook page and at Google+.
Here's my app
Southern Burgundy Explorer and other apps about
France.
Citizen
services at the American embassy in Paris.
Need an accountant for your taxes? I have a list
of accountants that specialize in helping expats.
Looking for the cheapest way to transfer money overseas at the
best rate? I work with Currency
Online and
Smart Currency Exchange so that you can get the most out of
your money when it comes to currency exchanges.
If you would like to improve your French, I suggest
Fluent French.
Looking to rent a car in France? Try car rental partner AutoEurope.
Need a hotel for your travels? Venere.com.
Looking to stay in a B&B or Château? Then please take a look
at B
& B's/Rental page.
How about sightseeing tours? Try -
Sightseeing Tours France
Wine lover looking for a site to help you find great French
wines? Then you should try WineDrive. Americans in
France readers save 25% on a one year membership with WineDrive,
just enter the word ‘Americans’ (without quotation marks) in the
promotional code box.
Thinking of having a wedding or other event in France? Have a
look at my Wedding
in France page.
Would you like to find classified ads for France but in English?
Then a good place to start is Franglo.
Do you need to find health insurance for France? Then I suggest
either
Global Insurance or Medibroker.
Searching for a book about living in France? One you might read
is The
Insider Paris Guide for Living in France.
Skiing in France with an English speaking ski instructor Ski Pros Megeve.
Looking for a property in France? Have a look at my
Property pages.
The number one travel guide to central and historical Paris:
Paris Marais.
If there is something I've missed or you would like more
resources, please contact
me.
Thanks for reading my newsletter. Help spread the word - forward this email to a friend!
Jeff Steiner Copyright Americans in France Resource for people that would like to live or travel in France.