What to expect from our new president

Today in France at 11am, François Hollande was officially announced president of the republic of France with the final tallying of the votes.
He will take the reins from Nicolas Sarkozy on the 15th May after gaining 51,6% of the public's vote.
What can we expect from this man who has never held a ministerial office or served in any government before?
Opinions are as split as the votes were..
He is anti - austerity. Sarko is centre right, and had alligned himself to Merkel and America and like the rest of Europe had engaged in an austerity pact , to bring costs down, to save money where possible and to try and bring their huge debts under control. Hollande argues that what the country needs is spending to encourage growth.

• He has promised 60,000 new jobs for teachers
• He plans on spending 20billion on stimulating job growth for young people..
• The pathetic 35 hour week will be here to stay
• The retirement age which increased from 60 years to 62 under Sarko ( and resulted in rioting throughout France) will probably be dropped back to 60 once again
• To pay for this he will have to increase the rate of corporation tax
• A tax of 75% on income will be introduced for those earning over 1million " I don't like the rich " he was quoted as saying last year. Neither does 51,6% of the population who were just tired of president Bling Bling  rubbing their noses in it. Many wealthy French people are planning their exodus as I type...
• There are also worries that he will try to change the auto entrepeneur status

What can Hollande really do though in fairness with his plans for his Nanny State? His hands are tied by the European banks and treaties that have been signed and sealed. Merkel has already announced on Hollande's election that there will be no negotiation on the fiscal treaty  ( One of his main points of his manifesto was to negotiate better terms for France!). The banks are predicting an increase in interest rates and I think we can expect taxes to rise as well ...Under  a socialist regime, it will be the middle classes who will suffer. The people who have educated themselves to do better in life, to earn a better income/lifestyle who will be taxed more and dare I say discriminated against. The super wealthy will just leave
In France, it appears, being wealthy is a crime ; tax being the punishment . Oh well, better stop buying those lotto tickets!!
C'est La Vie en France!

New president, new first lady

Jeanie Macaroni, Carla Bruni is a hard act to follow if you're going to be the next first lady of France; supermodel pop star and one time actress with legs up to her tonsils, she may not have much of an intellectual impact as Sarko's right hand woman but she certainly had the fashionistas sitting up straight and paying very much attention.
Last night,Valérie Treilweiler, François Hollandes partner, became the first lady of France and now all eyes turn to her ... gulp, wouldn't like to be in her Manola Blahniks.. 
But who is Valérie Treilweiler ?

1. Born in 1965, she is the fifth child out of 6 from a working class family
2. She is the first unmarried first lady of France
3. She has been married twice and twice divorced, with three children from her second marriage
4. She had an affair with Hollande beginning in 2006 while still married to Mr Treilweiler and Hollande was still living with Ségolene Royal. In 2010 , they went public with Hollande claming that "Valérie est la femme de ma vie"
5. A respected political journalist, she has hosted many political talk shows and now writes for the Paris Match, a political magazine
6. She appears slightly uncomfortable in her new role saying "Je n'ai pas trouvé l'école de première dame deFrance" and stressing, like Hollande, that she will be a "normal" first lady
7. Discreet, like Hollande, she certainly shies away from the limelight, most commentators have labelled her "froid" but that's maybe because she doens't get involved in the whole circus
8. Held responsible for Hollandes new look ( he lost 10kgs) for the elections, she herself is very elegant and stylish
9. She wants to continue in her own right as a journalist  "Ce qui me fait peur, c'est de perdre ma liberté" What scares me is losing my freedom
10. She was by his side last night, preparing his victory speech and looking every part the First lady as she accepted flowers and kisses from the new president of the republic

Brains and Beauty, we can expect a lot more from France's new first lady....

Wild flowers in the Pyrenees Orientales

I have rarely seen the South of France looking as well as it does at the moment. After a few rainy days, the hills and lush meadows are awash with colour - it really is a pleasure to be driving around at the moment, with the snow capped mountains, the azure blue med sparkling and the bright colourful flowers greeting you on every corner.

A field of red poppies, begging to be picked, stopped me in my tracks yesterday - Much to the amusement of passing traffic and a few wolf whistles ( me , delighted! - you gotta love French men for their open appreciation!), I picked a huge bunch of poppies and snapped a few photos.

A little secret though : poppies smell like cows pee pee , so best to leave them there for the next passerby to admire . My car still stinks!

Who is Francois Hollande??

Tonight is the night of the Big Face Off between the two remaining French candidates for the presidential election  Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande
This widely watched debate is the last before the people of France go to the polls on Sunday next , 6th May. 5 years ago , it was between Sarkozy and Segolene Royale ( socialist) with Sarko making mince meat of Sego , going on to win the presidential election thereafter.
While we have come to know ( and love/hate) Sarko over the past few years, who is this Francois Hollande??
10 things you may not know about Mr Hollande

1. He was born in 1954 and had a tough childhood under an authoritarian father
2. He is Segolene Royale's ex partner - yes, the lady who came second in the last presidential race ... they split up just after the elections in 2007. How flipping small is this pool of presidential electorates anyway? He has four children from this partnership
3. It transpired that he was having an affair with journalist Valerie Trierweiler from Paris Match
4. He has never ever served in government. He has no experience whatsoever in running a country or holding a governmental position
5. If it hadn't been for DSK's "indiscretions", we probably would be looking at a Sarko/Dominique Strauss Kahn debate ce soir
6. His nickname is Flamby ( pudding or marshmallow)
7. If he becomes president , he wants to put an end to Merkels "austerity policy" 
8. He proposes 75% tax for those with income over 1 million euros
9. He normally gets to work on his own scooter and promises to be a " normal" president ( as opposed to Sarko who has been dubbed president Bling Bling)
10. Even though , he is on the verge of becoming president, nobody really knows anything about him, his close friends and confidants saying that he has a mysterious side and is very private. No one really knows at all what kind of man he is and what kind of a president of the republic he will make....

Let the Debate commence : Bring in The Clowns! There ought to be clowns...

May Day May Day May Day

Today is May Day, a Jour Férié ( Bank Holiday) here in France to celebrate La Fête du Travail and La Fête du Muguet, but did you know that the distress signal May Day May Day also originated from France , from the French for M'aider ( Help me ). This internationally recognised distress call is repeated three times so that there can be no confusion over the air waves when someone calls for help.

You know we will never let you live this down!!!!

The distress call can be used from an aircraft or seacraft when one is in 'grave and imminent danger of death ' ie a fire, explosion or possible sinking. No other air traffic is allowed until a rescue is completed once a MayDay has been issued and a hoax call of "MayDay" is a criminal offence carrying a hefty prison sentence.
Pan Pan ( derived from the French word, en panne meaning broken down) is also another distress call , but not as urgent as MayDay - it can be used internationally if one is in difficulty but not a life threatening scenario.
Thankfully, I've never found myself in a situation where I've needed these distress calls but nevertheless, they are good ones to have in the back of your mind. You just never know when you will get stuck in the mud banks on the river and need to be airlifted from your boat by the rescue services, eh Mr Getrealfrance?!

Drink more water!

I have two very beautiful belle soeurs ( sisters in law) who look alot younger than their years - they are always impeccably turned out and made up and look amazing, tous le fecking temps..

They drink gallons of water every day , a habit, every time I spend any time with them, I vow I will adopt, but after a few days of guzzling water, I'm back to my old habits of drinking cups of coffee or nothing at all ( Tut tut, Slaps own hand on wrist! )

This French ad for drinking water which I just saw on the box is cute and inspiring me once again to keep knocking back the H²0...

Everybody's free ( to wear sunscreen) ... and drink water!!

Rue de L'ange ( Angel Street ) Perpignan

Rue de L'ange is one of my favourite streets in Perpignan , a busy little pedestrian street, it's jam packed with the most quirky shops and cafés.
It gets its name from the 15th century when there was a "fête de l'ange' to pray to the angel to keep them safe from the plague.
The little statue of the virgin angel can be viewed at Number 2 rue de l'ange, behind an old iron grill but the older generation of Perpignan have another name for her ;  " Mare de Due pixosa" (Pissy Mother of God)
Apparently, at the end of rue de L'ange there used to be a busy tavern/brothel and once the patrons of this establishment would leave, they would traditionally relieve themselves under the beady eye of the silent statue. Hence, she literally stank to high heavens!

   

Anyway, these days, Rue de L'ange is home to some gorgeous establishments , art galleries and museums; There's the wonderful coffee shop, La Cafetiere Catalan, which is a must visit when you come to Perpignan ( My Mom always brings an empty suitcase to stock up on their divine aromatic coffees). With a huge choice of teas and coffees, people travel from far and wide to purchase their goodies here ..

gorgeous shop fronts

Right beside it, is one of my favourite places in Perpignan - Le Paradis Foullis, a "thé brocante" , this lovely tea shop is packed with all kinds of brocante bric a brac - everything is for sale in this original tea shop, the chair you sit on, your table, the cups and saucers and all the gorgeous deco.

Window art

There's L'Atelier, a jewellery shop where they make everything themselves right there - I got my best friends bridal jewellery made there to match exactly to her bridesmaid dresses..nearly every piece in there is unique and they've started doing an eclectic range of clothes as well.

Buy yourself a cheeky Catalan caganer !!

A little bit off the beaten track, Rue de L'Ange is well worth a gander

Ex Pat Lives - AW Consulting

Most of us ex pats here living in France are thrilled with ourselves when we discover that we can converse and be understood in another language. It's quite a buzz, the first time you have a decent conversation with a French person without having to resort to charades, gestures and high jinks and when you don't have to tell a long rigmarole of a story just to get a simple point across. 10 years later, I can speak French well, but I know that my French is probably riddled with grammatical faux pas (faux pas's? see what I mean? It's not easy!)

Anna Walmsley, in her mid thirties, speaks 4 languages fluently : English, French, Spanish and Catalan, flipping from one to another doing verbal gymnastics with her French Spanish speaking husband.
She moved here 2 years ago after spending 10 years in Spain ....
"Compared to the UK and Spain, we prefer the overall quality of life in France. There is more free time, more things to enjoy, a larger choice of activities for leisure especially for children, a good social life, far better food, great landscapes.  It is within short distance from Spain and has easy access to the UK with Ryanair offering many destinations back to England." says Anna, originally born in the UK 

"Compared to Spain we find France provides a very high standard in terms of education, childcare and healthcare.  This was our decision maker for taking the final decision to move here.  Our daughter and any future siblings would be in good hands."

"Although there are far better job opportunities in the UK and the main obstacle for me here has been the job situation, the overall quality of life is far superior in France.  I have more free time and more things to enjoy especially as the weather is so good.

However there are things that can be very frustrating.  You will not find shops open 24/7, there are many that shut from 12-2pm and close again at 7pm. The frustration of dealing with French bureaucracy is well known and is very true. Unfortunately, this is an inevitable part of life in France which you learn to live and deal with it.." says Anna

However, they have had a very positive experience so far of the crèche and their daughter’s child-minder.  It is not expensive and the quality of care is excellent.  Their daughter will be starting school this September so they have yet to discover the pros and cons of the ‘ecole maternelle’.    

"We go to Spain at least twice a month to soak up the atmosphere.  We love and miss dearly Spain and the people."

However, Anna has made many good friends here which she has found to be her saving grace, as she found it very difficult at the beginning, moving here.  

She enjoys running and swimming and last year took part in a mini triathlon.

"We have the perfect weather for it!  In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my daughter Elisa, going to the beach, going out on bike rides or just having a lazy day at home by the pool. I also enjoy socialising with my girlfriends and popping over to Spain for the odd girlie weekend" she says 

Multilingual Anna Walmsley runs AW Consulting and provides all the necessary business support and linguistic skills (English, French, Spanish and Catalan) to help expand a business into new markets overseas. So if you are a startup or entrepreneur looking to set up a business abroad give her a call for a free consultation.  

You can find her contact details on www.annawalmsleyconsulting.com

What would happen if Le Pen was president

Marine with Daddy dearest

Marine le Pen is the leader of the National Front, the Far Right party in France and came third in Frances's first round of presidential voting yesterday ( yes, this is France , they vote once to whittle the candidates down to the top two and  then a second vote will be held in a few weeks time)
Born in 1968, she took over the National Front in 2011 from her Father, Jean Marie Le Pen. Married and twice divorced, she is the Mother of three children and is a lawyer by profession.
The National Front is a party that opposes immigration, particularly Muslim immigration from North Africa and the Middle East and in previous campaigns has proposed to send the three million non-Europeans out of France by "humane and dignified means." 
It's a political party that has in the past, canvassed for historic revisionism, claiming that the Holocaust figures were greatly exaggerated as was the Nazi occupation of France. "The Nazi gas chambers were just a point of detail in the second world war" claimed Jean Marie Le Pen.
If his youngest daughter, Marine, became president ....

• The French Franc would be re-introduced and the euro binned
• Foreigners would never be allowed to vote or obtain nationality
• France would be a protected state "favouring secularism and prosperity"
• There would be total and utter opposition to free trade 
• As a strong euro sceptic, France would leave the EU
• She would pull France out of NATO
• She would have nothing to do with the WTO, World Bank or the IMF
• She would end legal immigration and all illegal immigrants would be sent packing
• Any law breaking immigrants would be deported
• French people would be first - for jobs, welfare and accommodation
• The death penalty would be re-introduced

Her message is clear, France is for the French and she doesn't want any other nationalities muddying the waters .. When she took over the reins of the party from her Dad, JM Le Pen, she tried to tone down his neo nazi extreme far right sentiments, but now and then , she drops herself in it, like her comment at a recent speech when she called the regular blocking of public streets for Muslim prayers in French cities an "occupation of parts of the territory" .

She has taken on the job of softening the National Front's image by supporting womens' rights and gay rights, but in reality, her views may be alot more extreme than she would have us believe and there are many who question her actual 'Islamaphobia'

1 out of 4 voters in Perpignan voted for this lady yesterday

Samantha Brick

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the last few weeks, you must have heard about the problems of one of the most beautiful women in the world, Samantha Brick.

She has a tough life, people, because, God love her, she is just too beautiful. Yes, it's hard being as stunning as Sammy - girls are jealous of her, men won't leave her alone, a dinner party is such a drag because all the males will try to seduce her.
Glam Sam, who lives in the French countryside (as she is fond of saying) has gone viral on the 'net, although, apart from a few feminists, is mostly getting negative feedback.
Here's the original article from the Daily Mail. Click Here
What do you think? Brilliant marketing ploy to become household name or the kiss of death for Samantha?