Cool one name names didn’t start with Cher and Madonna, I found out. It was fashionable in the 1920’s as well, which is when Le Corbusier changed his name from Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris. Le Corbusier is a famous French architect and urban planner (born in Switzerland). This July 2016, seventeen of his buildings were listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. His theories … [Read more...]
EURO 2016 Football – Love from Saint Etienne!
The EUROs are done and dusted and (spoiler alert) Portugal won. Thirty two teams played in ten stadia and a gazillion fans invaded France. I was completely unprepared for the level of intensity and passion that the games would ignite in my small adopted City of Saint Etienne, which as luck would have it has an international standard football stadium. Managing sporting and … [Read more...]
Saint Etienne – Urban But in a Good Way
When I first came to Saint Etienne to stay, because of meeting a French man reasons I cried. Of all the places in France – the picturesque villages, the chic cities, the old buildings – at first glance Saint Etienne has none of this. I lived in a small apartment above a main road next to a train line. It is a small post-industrial city about one hour south west of Lyon in … [Read more...]
Snapshots – Montbrison Markets
Last Saturday’s mission was to stock up on cheese at the markets in the main square of Montbrison. Montbrison has its own ‘fourme’ which is a medium – not hard not soft - blue cheese. Added to my list as I waited in line at the cheese van was some Cantal Vieux, some St Nectair and something new – some dry goats cheese. All the maximum bacteria. Actually maximum bacteria … [Read more...]
