Bridget takes to the slopes

Skiing, in the South of France?... Maybe it is my utter lack of geographical prowess, and the fact that I can just about point out 3 countries on a map, but I was blissfully unaware of the fact that it's possible to ski in Provence. My rationale for chosing the sunny south for my year abroad, was, well, the sun. I had never been skiing before, and the prospect of being able to spend almost a year in the glorious basque of the southern warmth was all too tempting. As I later found out, you can actually have the whole damn cake and eat it too.

The rise of female Non-Fiction: The Parisian... as told by, well, a Parisian

"The secret to making a man know you need him: Of course you can open a bottle of wine by yourself. But let him do it. That's equality, too."

Quit your yearning, and live like the French

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my fair share of 5 year old temper tantrums in supermarkets here in France. ‘Why is all the milk on the dry goods shelf? Why isn’t it fresh? What on Earth am I going to put in my tea?!’ and amongst other things; ‘WHAT IS THIS BREAD AND WHY IS IT SWEET!?’

What are you grateful for?

It probably won't come as a surprise when I say that being almost 300 miles from home means that every once in a while you start to think about how much you appreciate its comforts and the people that you left behind. Everything, as a memory, becomes idyllic and nostalgic and it's hard to even remember what you could have possibly ever moaned about. Woe is life. Even the inherently evil teacher who gave you a D on your homework in year 9 becomes an angel in disguise; 'Oh, well I'm sure she was just looking out for my best interests! What a nice lady...'

Baby, it's cold outside.

As winter descends upon the South of France, that being the very end of November might I add, the inevitability of Christmas also looms. Although I generally associate Christmas markets with Germany (rightly so, I am told) I must say that France seems to hold a damn pretty Marché Noël too. England, take note. You're slacking.