genevieve.malarkey Bonne féte nationale! This week we francophiles and francophonies alike celebrate Bastille Day, July 14th, otherwise known as Independence Day in France. In honor of celebrating France’s national holiday, I thought it would be fun to write a post all about being a Francophile- what inspires us, what describes us, and why we love this particular nation so strongly. There are so many reasons, it is hard to put on a list, I know… But I did my best to pick my favorite characteristics of being a Francophile, and I hope you will agree with my assessment.
On est prét? C’est parti!
You have to buy anything and everything with an Eiffel Tower, Fleur de Lis, or writing in French.
Ok, I’m not really a Fleur de Lis kinda gal, but I am definitely inclined to pick up, admire, and consider objects at any store with a French flair. It might be a set of mugs depicting Parisian cityscapes, a delicious soap shaped like a macaron, or a cheap Eiffel Tower keychain purchased far from France. It doesn’t matter- we long for any connection to la belle vie that we can find. No matter where it comes from, if it reminds us of our favorite place on Earth, we bring it home to warm our hearts until we can be there in person again.
You are drawn to a classic, no frills style.
Sleek silhouettes, neutral colors, not too much makeup, and a red lip define most of your style. You prefer that “messy Parisian chic” hair to perfectly coiffed curls, and solid neutrals to bright, busy prints. You want to look effortless without being high maintenance, classy without being over complicated. A beautiful trench atop a white or chambray blouse, skinny jeans, knee-high boots, and a leather crossbody bag is your go-to style. You don’t buy into trends that won’t last, but look for timelessly chic pieces you will love to wear over and over again. If you have stronger willpower than me, a capsule wardrobe may be in your wheelhouse for these very reasons.
Stripes are the one pattern you can love.
Ok, maybe polka dots too… Along the same lines as above, the one print you can never say no to is the stripe. A true Francophile has at least one marinière in their closet, but most likely many, many more than that. Personally I love stripes in all forms, and have not only a couple marinières, but striped dresses, tanks, and tshirts to boot. It is no secret either- almost every girlfriend I’ve ever gone shopping with has an uncanny ability to pick out my style of clothing from a rack and urge me to try it on. I used to think this meant I was predictable, and maybe it does, but I like to think it means I know what I like, and I know what looks good on me. And that would be a casual, French vibe.
You’ve watched every French show available on Netflix.
Le confinement led me to discovering that Netflix has a very binge-worthy amount of foreign shows and movies, and of course I was drawn to the French ones first. I like to leave them in their original language and add English subtitles; this way I can choose to just listen to the dialogue in French, thus practicing my language skills, but I can peak at the subtitles if I get confused in translation. You can read about my favorite French series of the year on Netflix here.
When someone asks you your favorite region of France, you can answer without hesitation and list the reasons why.
For me, it’s Brittany, or la Bretagne– think Calvados, crêpes galettes, small villages, and rocky coastlines. But maybe also Normandy, Pays de la Loire, and Provence. What can I say, it’s hard to choose! Which region first comes to your mind?
You have a pan just for making crêpes.
Before I had my most favorite pan of all time, I had this electric griddle contraption that does a darn fine job. Looking to upgrade, and being told at the time that the Le Creuset Crêpe Pan also makes beautiful fried eggs, I bought it with high hopes. And those hopes were not disappointed! This pan is so nonstick that eggs literally slide around the pan, and crêpes have the same outcome: they are super easy to flip at the right time, and you don’t even need butter or cooking oil as a lubricant. The pan itself has a tiny lip around the edges so it is best for more solid foods and the aforementioned crêpes. As an added bonus, I also use it to serve up grilled cheese sandwiches for my kids.
You listen to podcasts about France and French history.
I’ve already laid it out for you my favorite podcasts about Paris, but there are a few I have yet to mention. My most recent favorite is The Land of Desire, which dives into quirky, fascinating, devastating, and straight up bizarre historical tales in French History, The host, Diana, must be an incredible historian in her spare time because her tales are peppered with wit, ironic introspection, sarcasm, and seamless narration that keeps you hooked throughout the episode. She doesn’t post super regularly, but that just makes it all the more exciting when you see a fresh episode waiting for you on the app. My favorite episodes are her latest series on the women of the French Resistance, and her mission to bring the essential role of women in World War II to light.
You have a vast collection of travel memoirs, historical fiction novels, and travel essays about France.
I have so books many I plan to devote an entire post just to my library of the above listed genres. I’ve been reading and collecting books like this for many years, in part for my language classroom library, and also for a future café reading corner I just know would delight any inclined patron. For today, suffice it to say my current favorites are anything by David Lebovitz, Ann Mah (in particular “The Lost Vintage”), “The Nightingale,” “All the Light we Cannot See,” and “Meet Me in Monaco.” And, if you have any suggestions, I am all ears! I devour these types of books and am always looking for more.
You are always planning your next trip to France, with the goal of seeing the entire country one day (or maybe you already have).
I can’t say I’ve seen every region or major city yet, but it is definitely a mission of mine in my lifetime. Having spent almost all of my time in northern France, with a few jaunts to Provence and Bordeaux, I am deeply interested in discovering Strasbourg, Lyon, and Burgundy. Before I can do this though, my next trip will be a Bucket List trip to Paris, where I complete every experience on my list in this magical city that I have visited several times. Had Covid-19 not happened, I would have crossed this one of my list in March and would be on to planning the next, but c’est la vie, and I am still beyond excited for the opportunity to go (whenever they let us Americans back in).
You are constantly looking for opportunities to speak French… to no one in particular.
I live in a fairly small town, which seemed completely deprived of culture or sophistication when I first moved here. After four years I have to admit, my opinion hasn’t changed a whole bunch, but with enough effort I have discovered pockets of culture and fellow lovers of travel, with whom I have connected and participated in various French-related activities of interest. Because it is a small town, for instance, I discovered that my OB who delivered my daughter also organizes a French Club on Facebook (which was not as awkward as you might think, really), in which anyone interested or wanting to speak French attends a dinner at a rotating restaurant once a month to drink wine and practice one’s language skills. On a similar note, I was so desperate to find people even remotely interested in speaking or learning French that I volunteered my teaching services to the county library, and was surprised to have a regular turnout of students. Through this I have met some wonderful people who share a love of European culture and a zest to learn more.
If you’re in a bigger city, always look for l’Alliance Française, a national organization of Francophiles and French speakers offering cultural events and language lessons. And if you’re just wanting to learn the language privately at first, I highly recommend the Duolingo app, or listening to French speaking podcasts like Radio France’s Journal en français facile.
Alors, did you get 10 out of 10? If you were to score each category with one point if it describes you, what would your score be? Not that anyone is asking, but obviously I am 100% Francophile by my own terms, and I’d love to connect with any of you who got through this post and still feels like a lover of the French. And, I would love to hear: what do you think defines a Francophile? Did I miss any categories?
I hope you had a lovely Bastille Day full of crêpes, rosé, and a scroll through Instagram for some French inspiration. And if not, take a scroll through my blog and find your favorite way to live a French-inspired Life.
À la prochaine-
geneviève
