Les Bottes/The Boots

I am sure that most anyone who knew me prior to my move to France will be shocked by what I am about to tell you....shocked. First, let me say, that I am a normal mother of 4 children, or at least as normal as one who has 4 children can be. Before we arrived in France, I dressed pretty much like all the other Moms I knew and hung out with. A lot of work-out attire and tennis shoes, with the occasional jeans and/or pants with a sweater. Whatever has happened to me? I do not claim to be "tres chic" by any stretch of the imagination, but I will say that I only wear work out clothes when I am actually working out, and lets face it, that is a pretty rare occurrence. However, my ever developing sense of fashion has manifested itself in a new and sudden interest in boots. Well, purses and wool coats too. I am not sure, if it is the fact that every woman here wears boots almost daily, or if it is that it is hard to buy clothes here if you are larger then a size 8, and everyone that knows me, knows I haven't been a size 8 since age 12, but, I will say it now, I am addicted to boots.

I know my boot addiction is shocking. You will be really shocked when you find out what now resides in my closet.

When we arrived, I had 3 pairs of boots, one brown, one black and one reddish. The black and brown boots were from Target, my US shopping mecca. The red boots I still have and they are pretty beautiful. So beautiful in fact, that I had to buy myself a purse to match...thanks Nonna. They were pretty expensive by my pre-France standards and were actually purchased at Macy's.

However, this is what I have become.........

Purchase #1......Brown boots, for walking around town in. They go with everything (except my black wool coat...I must wear my blue pea coat). These boots were more expensive then my red boots, but I wore them almost everyday last winter. Because I wore them everyday, I had to find a cordonnier, that's what they call a trained shoe repairman in France. Although for some reason, they make copies of keys as well. My brown boots have visited the repair place 3 times, but are still holding together, barely.

Purchase #2....made shortly after purchase #1. I had to have a pair of black walk around town boots....to match my grey wool coat. Unfortunately, the heel, at 3 inches, although perfect for a French women to walk around in, is too tall for me.

Leading to Purchase #3, but I did wait until after summer, a pair of low-heeled black boots. They even have a pointy toe. Of course, this lead to the purchase of a long black wool coat as I decided that my grey one is just too short to go with my pointy boots.

And then, a gift, from the Grand Canard, a pair of thigh high, black boots. I am not sure who was more excited about this purchase. When they finally arrived, I was thrilled. I put them on with black leggings and a long sweater and off we went to Toys-r-Us. I know, this is where all the fashionistas go in thigh high boots. However, this being France, I was not out of place. Unfortunately, the boots are a size too small, and I only lasted about 2 hours in them. I think though, that I could train myself to last longer if only I had the time. Still, for the occasional trip to Toys-r-Us, what could be more perfect?

So, after my closet was filled with boots of all different colors, I thought I was done, but then came the Soldes and with it purchase #4. The Soldes is the bi-annual sale that takes place across France for 2 months per year, once in the summer and again, the first week in January through the first week in February. In January, I saw one of the other Mommy's wearing the cutest pair of knee high brown boots and I just had to have them. I looked everywhere, in vain, for these boots, and finally 2days before the Soldes ended, I asked the other Mommy where she had gotten them. Apparently I was not the only one that loved her boots and had to have them. She doubted I could still find them, but, as I have giant feet, at least compared to the French, the trade off for not being able to buy clothes here, I was victorious. Well, mostly anyway, as these beautiful boots were located in a teeny tiny boutique....so teeny tiny, that I had to leave all 4 girls standing on the street while I shopped. It was also a very expensive teeny tiny boutique. Still, they were 1/2 price...my most expensive pair of boots ever, but I got them for 1/2 price.

And then finally, purchase #5....rainboots.....that's a boot right? Ordered from Target. I waited weeks for their arrival, and since they got here, it has hardly rained at all. Only twice have I been able to wear my beautiful, black and red plaid rain boots and new black trench coat. Come on rain!

And, now I think I am finished buying boots.....but, I did notice the toe of my red boots are a little last season, and what if my casual brown boots become unfixable, or I see another pair I love, or maybe if....well, you get the picture.

Rome

It takes me awhile, but I eventually get organized enough to finish another Blog entry. I cannot believe it has been a month since we returned from Rome, and already, we are preparing to leave again on another European Adventure, or as we like to call it F-cubed, Forced Family Fun. However, I thought I should finish up my thoughts on Rome, before they get all mixed up with my thoughts on our upcoming trip.

Rome, it was everything one would expect it to be, beautiful, historic, and amazing. It was also a few things one would not expect it to be, or at least I did not expect it to be: Huge, crowded, hard to get around, and rain, lots and lots of rain. Who would have thought that Christmas would be busier then summer in Rome? Ok, maybe I would have, but that is not my travel style. My travel style goes something like this, "Hey, the girls have another break coming up next week. Where should we go? How about Rome? That sounds good, I will make reservations." Then, we get to Rome, with no itinerary whatsoever, and voila', we make it work.

And, it worked this time as well, with one exception. Our rental apartment was really far from the Metro. Who knew? It looked a lot closer on google maps. Thankfully, the horses of the Rome Police were between our apartment and the Metro, so that was good for a few moments of fun each morning. When you travel with 4 kids under 7, it takes awhile to walk anywhere, so being close to the sites is essential. Unfortunately, we weren't. I suppose it would help to be organized as well, but again, not really our travel style.

So, Rome, as I said, it is everything you would expect it to be and more. On the first day, we saw the Colosseum and a bit of the surrounding area. The ducklings loved it, and especially, the animal bones found during excavation. I was a little hesitant to mention that the ostrich bones were there because the Emperor at the time had them hunted for the spectators, so we just glossed over the details and enjoyed the bones. Another essential at the Colosseum, and really anywhere in Rome, is the rented headset. Signage does not appear to be a strong suit of the Italians (as mentioned in the Naples blog, they thrive on chaos), so having the headset for the basic info is vital. The only problem, is that to return the headset one must stand in the same line they already stood in to pick it up, and then, go all the way back around to the exit.....chaos, but a great time, rain and all.

Lunch was preceded by another hugely long walk, that allowed us to see more of the city. The restaurants in Italy are great for families, and Da Sergio's, in the Campo de'Fiori was no exception. Like a lot of things in Italy, it was hard to find but totally worth it. The food was fabulous and the children were welcomed. The littlest Duckling even has a new favorite dish....Fritto Misto or small, fried, whole fish: yummy. Another long walk returned us home after passing all the must-see sights, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Spanish Steps etc. Truly, there are hundreds of must-see sights, and no way to see them all.

Day 2 brought us to the Castel St. Angelo. Another favorite of the ducklings. The little one however was a little confused by the castle label, and kept asking, "where is the princess." No princess here sweetie, just a big statue of an angel, and a big fortress to protect the Pope in case of attack. The Castel was originally built as Hadrians tomb, but has become best known for the Passeto, or walled passage that runs directly to the Vatican, and, historically, was used to lead the Pope to safety. The highlight, besides the amazing views, was a special art exhibit highlighting works by Cezanne, Van Gogh, Renoir and others. We saw more art at the Castel then in all our time in Paris. Four kids=no Louvre.

After our tour (and yippee, no rain), we were off to lunch again. This restaurant was also highly recommended and did not disappoint. Alfredo e Ada's was described as, "like being at your Nonna's house". We knew we had to check it out. There is no menu, and they just bring out what they have made that day. OMG, so good. Girls loved it, we loved it. Most amazing part? The food came from a kitchen that was tops, 5ft by 8ft. The dishes were washed, by hand, in a small utility sink across from the kitchen, by a real Nonna. It was just like being at our Nonna (and Nono's) beach house. Nonna makes food for the masses and then washes the dishes by hand. Of course, another long walk followed, but we cut through the park, so the ducklings were (mostly) happy.

Our final day was spent touring the Vatican Museums. I am certain that I have never been in such a crowd of people as I was that day. The line to enter was over 2 hours long (apparently quite normal for high season) and, we were told, that the museum will see up to 20,000 visitors per day, also in the high season. We will be forever thankful that we joined a tour. Our guide was great, and we got to skip the long line....key with the girls. As it was the whole thing took almost 4 hours, so the patience of little ducks was wearing thin by the end. However, 20,000 people shoved into a museum, no matter how large the museum, is pretty crazy. If one was claustrophobic, I would think it would have been a horrible experience. People were quite literally right up against one another in many of the rooms. Our guide was great at getting us together and out of the way, but it was sheer chaos. That being said however, the artwork was, of course, amazing. I would love to return just to stare at the Sistine Chapel ceiling. One of the highlights for me? The spiral ramp that exits you out of the gift shop and museum. It is 6 or so levels and I found it slightly ironic that it spiraled down, down, down. I felt as though I was descending into the depths of hell, an apt description after being battered by the crowd. Luckily, after a quick lunch, we were fortified for another long trip home.

Our final trip on the Rome Metro was exciting if nothing else. It was New Year's Eve, and upon our exit, I experienced the first time I have ever, in Europe, felt singled out for being American. As we exited, a group of guys in their late teens, started shouting "Americano, Americano" and pushing against us as we pushed out. The Big Duck easily escaped, but I had a tougher time, screaming in my really pathetic Italian, "the children" as I grabbed the eldest ducklings hand and pulled her through the crowd while practically using the littlest duckling as a battering ram. As we were all ok, it ended up being more annoying then scary. I did however feel quite pleased, when it started pouring rain shortly after our arrival at the apartment, knowing that those nasty boys were standing somewhere and getting quite wet. That is called Karma.

With this, our visit to Rome ended, but we look forward to returning and exploring some of the hundreds of places we did not get to see this trip.

"Every one soon or late comes round by Rome." Robert Browning

What French Stereotype are You

A little quiz to brighten your day...or not depending on the results. I thought it was pretty funny, of course, I am the Parisian Suductress. C'est vrai! Enjoy. And maybe next time, I will get around to sharing our journey to Rome. Click on the sexy image below and you too can find out what French stereotype you are. Be sure to let me know.

Naples, Italy 2009

We just returned from a week in Rome and Naples. It was a great trip, and it is always interesting to leave France and see how the rest of Europe lives. Italy is especially interesting.

Just a little over two hours from our house is the Italian border. The biggest advantage of the new EU stuff, besides everywhere having the same currency, is that there is no check point at the border. However, if you miss the little sign, you still know that you are in Italy. Every building seems as if it might fall down at any second, and the further south you drive, the worse the drivers get. In France, there are two lanes, and two cars can drive side by side, one per lane with the occasionally passing scooter-type vehicle. As you move south in Italy, there are three lanes, apparently, these three lanes are to accommodate 5 vehicles across with the occasionally passing scooter. As you hit Naples, the chaos intensifies and some scooters carry more then the usual 2 people. Some carry whole families. It is quite a sight to see 5 cars in 3 lanes being passed by a scooter carrying 3 people. Thankfully the autoroute is in excellant condition given the fact that the tolls are hughly expensive. It cost us just under $75 (US) to travel most of the length of Italy.

After visiting Italy twice now, it is a common opinion in our family that the Italians thrive on chaos. This is especially true south of Rome, where they can only manage to get their trash picked up occasionally. Lucky for us, we were there in the winter, so the smell was not bad. However, there were piles of trash surrounding every dumpster. I will give a bit of benefit of the doubt as it was the Sunday after Christmas, and it is possible that no trash pick ups were scheduled until Monday. Our area in France however has trash pick up nearly every night. Apparently, we are a bit spoiled even though we have to hand carry our recyclables 2 blocks if we want to be good environmentalists.

In Italy, I was pretty impressed by the sense of community that existed everywhere. Small groups of people were gathered on nearly every street talking and laughing. Children played nearby and everyone just seemed pretty relaxed. And, everyone seemed to know their neighbors. There was much kissing, greeting and friendship. The Italians also treat children as a blessing. No matter where you go children and family are welcomed. We never entered a restaurant where the children were not smiled at and made to feel welcome. This is a contrast to France, where we rarely take our children out to eat, especially for dinner. I know I have said this before, but some restaurants here would rather have your dog at it then your children. Maybe the child aspect just adds to the chaos the Italians love so much.

Italy really was a lot of fun and a great place to visit. We were only in Naples a couple days, and if truth be told, we went there mostly so I could purchase a few, not available in France, necessities from the US Navy base located there. For some reason, black beans and dill pickles are not to be found in France. And, who are we kidding, we also had to by a few boxes of Kraft Mac-n-Cheese. No matter how many times/ways we make homemade mac-n-cheese, the girls like the boxed stuff best. They also really like the fact that base has a few American fast food favorites such as Taco Bell and A&W. There is a KFC and a Subway too, but they have those here if we are really desperate for a touch of home and that happens rarely. I think the ducklings favorite part of visiting the base, was that they have a movie theater that shows first run movies in everyones fave language...English. However fluent they are in French, some things are just more fun for them in English. Could Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 really translate to French well anyway?

Also, while we were there we decided to visit a few sites….mainly Herculaneum (In the photo above). The ducklings love history and especially ruins. Located in modern day Ercolano, just south of Naples, Herculaneum was perfect. Similar to Pompeii in that it was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, it is much smaller, much less commercialized and still absolutely incredible. It was the perfect half-day adventure for the family. We spent almost 4 hours exploring every nook and cranny. It was simply amazing, just as though you are walking through a pretty intact ghost town. You feel like you are actually in a working excavation site, and you are. Although no one was working the day we were there you could see where they did work, and although they did not have any pamphlets in English (why? Who knows), they did have French. Also, much of the, mostly well marked, signage was in both English and Italian. To end our really amazing visit, we had a late lunch at a nearby restaurant. It would have been prefect had the little blond duckling not left her raincoat there, where it remains to this day. Actually, you cannot really blame a 5 year old, but I will blame the Big Duck who you would think would have learned, after 4 ducklings, that you need to check the table when you leave a restaurant. I am thankfully in the clear as I was already in the car by that point.

All in all Naples was a fun couple days. Our next adventure took us to Rome, and that is where the fun really began. Until then...au revoir.

Our First Year....

It is definitely Fall in the South of France. The leaves are changing, the days are cooler and most important, the stands that sell ice cream in the summer are now selling crepes and chichis (deep fried donut-like pieces). Yum! Fall also means we have been in France for 1 year. So, in honor of this momentous occasion, I have compiled a list of things we have learned, things we will never get used to, and things we will really miss when we leave in 2 years.

Top things I have learned in France:

General:

1-Sidewalks are for dog poop and car parking, so watch out. As David Liebovitz writes in his book, The Sweet Life in Paris, when a French person says "I am a socialist", they mean "I do not pick up my own dog poop." So true.

2-Having your one good french phrase be "I do not speak French" saves you from many a telemarketer. However, a surprising number speak English. How is it that even the telemarketers are bilingual??

3-Even a mediocre baguette tastes amazing with butter and salami.

4-Favorite breakfast for French children...a glass of chocolate milk with a baguette for dipping. They don't eat again until lunch.

5-Favorite after school snack for the French (but don't call it a snack...the French don't snack) a third of a baguette with a large chunk of chocolate. Not all that surprisingly, my girls like it too. Nutella will do in a pinch.

6-If your child does not want to wear a coat and it is under 75 degrees, you will hear about it from every little old lady. If the temperature drops below 75, all babies will be bundled and with a knit cap. All French children will be wearing a warm coat with a scarf. My children will be wearing a cardigan. Please don't tell me they are cold. We lived in Canada for a year. That is cold.

Safety:
1-Bike helmets are not mandatory. However, if you want to ride at night, you must have a reflective vest and several lights. Seems as though the helmet should be required too. Very few children wear helmets, and the French seem a little puzzled that ours do.

2-It is perfectly acceptable to ride a bike or scooter with your child clutching you from the front or rear. If it is a bike, no one will be wearing a helmet. If it is a scooter, only the driver will be wearing one. Surprisingly, helmets are required for scooters or motorcycles, but I think that has to do with socialized medicine. I have heard that if you are injured while riding without a helmet, you will not be covered by the medical system.

3-Car Seats: Although there is a law mandating car seats they seem to be somewhat optional. I have seen many an acquaintance with their smallest children crawling on the floor of the minivan in traffic. Also, the tiny cars here do not fit a car seat so many baby seats are turned sideways. Maybe it doesn't say that the car seat actually has to be safe.

Fashion:
Yes, the French have style. They don't wear sweats or tennis shoes in public and even if they don't look what we might consider great, if they wear it with confidence, then they are fashionable. The French woman is supremely confident.

1-Wearing jeans that stop at your knees and boots that go to your knees is very chic. It must be paired with a wool, leather or fur coat that goes to mid-thigh.

2-What has happened to me? I now own 2, no 3 pairs, of black boots (dressy, casual, over the knee), 2 pairs of brown boots, and 1 pair of red boots. I also now have purses to match each set of boots and about 12 scarves. For a 4 day trip to Barcelona, I took 2 pairs of boots and 5 scarves. I also now have wool coats in blue, black and grey as well as 2 dress coast and a poncho style dress coat. I figure that I am pegged as an American everywhere I go, so I should at least be a classy one.

Things we will never get used to:

1-Everything is closed on Sunday afternoons. Most stuff never even opens. Luckily, the mini-mart down the street (where I do most of my shopping) and the market are both open Sundays, but forget about running errands at say, Ikea.

2-Carrefour, the giant Wal-Mart style grocery store, is always packed. I have been there at 8:30 on a Friday evening, and all 30 open check out lines were 6 deep. It is the same at 9am on a Wednesday or 2pm on a Thursday. It still amazes me.

3-Carrefour is self-bagging and the cashiers sit. They must have a great union. Everyone knows it is self bagging, and yet they are never ready to bag. To top it off no one (except me) ever has their Carte Bleu (the most popular debit card ever) ready for payment, nor do they have their Carte Fidelity (frequent shopper card ready).

4-How can everyone wait so patiently in all of these grocery lines, but when they get out on the street, watch out? It is like the Indy 500, motorcycles and scooters weaving in and out, horns honking. In a word, crazy.

5-How many people speak English, but are unwilling to admit it until you have completely butchered the French language. Really it is just easier to say that I don't speak much French, ask if they speak any English and go from there. They almost always fess up to speaking "a little English". It is almost always better then my "little" French.

6-Could the tequila and in turn, the margaritas be any worse? The rum is not that great either. We make do, but I sure miss a good margarita.

Things I will miss:
Sadly, most of the things I will really miss are food related, and the food hasn't changed my life or anything, although it has all been good.

1-Lardons: Small chopped up pieces of bacon that you can fry up. Perfect for eggs, salads or quiche. On the other hand, no regular bacon or turkey bacon either.

2-Wine at lunch and dinner and midmorning if you want.

3-"Junk" Food: It seems to be much less junky here. There are fewer preservatives and things just taste good. The ducklings faves? Chocolate crepes, Special K with Chocolate chunks, chocolate pretzels and well, I see a theme here. Chocolate is a big part of our lives.

4-Chocolate: Even the crappy generic stuff from Carrefour is better then most anything in the US.

5-Wednesdays off school: I thought it would be silly to have a day off in mid week, but I and the girls love it. Morning is ballet for 1 hour, and afternoon is whatever.

6-No rushing: I drive, tops, twice a week. School ends at 4:30, and that is really too late for after school activities. Snack at 5, playtime, homework, dinner at 7ish. Bed at 8. All in all pretty awesome.

7-Inexpensive wine: Anyone want the Gold Medal Bordeaux from the Paris wine show?? I can get you some for about $10 a bottle.

8-Good Rose wine: An awesome wine. Totally cheap and very much a southern French thing.

Now that I look at my list I realize we will really miss it here. And we will be leaving just when I can finally speak the language. All this work for nothing. Oh well, I am looking forward to the next 2 years and hope that we enjoy them as much as we have enjoyed the first.

Au Marche

There are few things I love more about France then the Market. Here in Toulon, we have two daily markets and both are amazing in their own way.

The big market, in downtown Toulon, is the biggest in Var, the "state" in which Toulon is located. It runs for several blocks, has every conceivable item from produce to clothing to jewelry to toys and then even more produce. The smell of all the produce mingling with the scent of olives and spices is exotic. The crowd of people pushing toward the tables is crazy, so many cultures melting together in what is a normal daily chore. The market is also a social event with groups of people gathered together, blocking traffic and chatting. It is quite nearly impossible to push a stroller through the crowd. I love it.

The small market is also pretty amazing. It is located in Mourillon, an area located a mere 10-15 minute walk from the big market. We fondly call this area the "village" for its small neighborhood feel. If you walk through every day for only a week, faces begin to look familiar. Visit the same stand at the market everyday for a week, and you become a regular. Everyday is different at this market. While the produce vendors remain the same day after day, the other vendors change. Some days shoes are popular, some days bedding and some days clothes. I still haven't figured out who is there when. However, every market day brings a visit to the olive vendor. Although, he sells not just olives, but tapenades (fig and black olive is a favorite), capers, pickled veggies and anchoide, a surprisingly delicious concoction of anchovies, garlic and olive oil which I can no longer have in the house as I spread it on bread and eat it for a snack. I shudder to think of the calorie count. The ducklings like the olive guy because they get a free bag of pitted green olives. Of course, free is relative, as we spend much money with the olive man.

However, what truly amazes me about the market, is that it is everyday. Well, every day except Monday. That means that every day from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. the market is packed. And then miraculously, by 2 p.m., there is no trace that the market was ever there. Until the next morning, the space becomes a road, a parking lot, a walkway or a play area depending on location. The city workers literally swoop in with their trash trucks and their hoses and their street sweepers and clean it up leaving nary a trace. It is a pretty stunning transformation. Photos are below. And, I apologize for them as I am still figuring out how to post photos. The order is a little confusing....think clockwise. Until next time....eat, shop and be merry.

The French Paradox

Much has been written about the French diet. They spend hours eating only cheese and cream, they drink a bottle of wine each day, every meal is 5 courses, etc. etc. Many call this the French Paradox. How can someone eat so much and not gain weight? How can someone eat so much and not have heart disease? After living here almost a year, I am not thin, but I have gained some insight as to the French diet.

First, just as all French women are not well dressed, all French women are not thin. However, many are and I, at the risk of great personal embarrassment, have taken an informal, "so what does your family eat every day" poll just to find out how the French do stay, mostly, thin. I cannot imagine what people must think when I ask this question at a party, but I figure I can coast a few more months on the "oh she is an American, what do you expect" line. Truly, most people probably think I am slightly crazy as this is a question I ask almost every French person I can, but I can't help myself, I find the answers fascinating. Maybe though this is why we don't get invited out much. In reality though, the eating habits of France are at the same time amazingly different then that of the U.S. and amazingly similar.

To start, the French do not eat breakfast as we know it. They would be appalled, or at least throw up, if they had to eat eggs, bacon and pancakes all in the same sitting with coffee and in the morning. Not that they don't love a good pork product, they do. Sausages are practically a national past time. It is just that the average French person is eating a very small meal that literally breaks the fast. Think a chunk of baguette (not the whole or half baguette, a small chunk) that is dipped in coffee or for children chocolate milk or coffee with a LOT of milk. Also, contrary to popular belief, croissants are a weekend breakfast treat. I have to say, that I am a bit surprised that the children can survive on such a small breakfast that to me, seems void of nutrients. However, I do chalk up the, in general, short stature of the population to the lack of breakfast nutrients. Most people do have another coffee at midmorning sometimes with a bit of sausage or cheese (again a small bit), and the children at school do have a cookie or small snack from home at midmorning. A note here, when I say coffee, I do not mean a Grande Mocha Latte from Starbucks (which sadly does not exist in this part of France), but a tiny, little cup of coffee similar in size if not strength to an espresso. If you want a normal size cup of coffee you have to order and pay for a cafe au lait. Someday, I will try and figure out how the thimble size cup of coffee can last for the hours some people spend at the cafe. No refills here.

Lunch is generally a bit more exciting. This is, usually, the biggest meal of the day. Lunch is the meal that consists of a piece of meat or fish, rice or potatoes and a vegetable all with wine and then dessert and coffee. If you are at a restaurant and order one of the "fixed price" meals, you also may get a salad or appetizer. The afternoon snack for adults is pretty nonexistent, unless one sneaks a piece of baguette on the way home from the patisserie or has a bit of chocolate or coffee but, if you are a child, you luck out. Nearly every child at school pick up receives some combo of the following, baguette with nutella, baguette with a large chunk of chocolate candy bar inside, a chocolate filled crepe, or well, I am sure you see the theme here. They also usually get a fruit product of some kind. The snack is large, by French standards as school is out at 4:30 and dinner is not until 7:00 or 7:30. Our girls love chocolate, so this is a tradition they have readily adopted.

Dinner in France, unless you are going out or are a guest in someone’s home, is quite a modest affair, soup or a sandwich a little fruit or maybe a little cheese and bread with a small glass of wine, nothing fancy and nothing large.

That is it, the French "diet". There is nothing unusual and no deprivation, if they want a few bites of chocolate they have it. Most of the food is fresh with most fruit and veggies from the daily marche. Everything is in moderation and everyone seems happy and for the most part thin. Now, if only I could follow this plan maybe I would be thin too.