Summer, When You Move to France
Plus, an Update on My Terrifying Parisian Jazz Band Debut, Feeling Low, and Our First Trip to the U.S. in Two Years
Salut les anges ! (Hello angels!)
Ça va, toi ? Ça fait un bail, non ? (How are you? It’s been a while, hasn’t it?)
Peux-tu croire qu’on est déjà à la mi-août ? (Can you believe it’s already mid-August?) If you’re new here, merci bien d’être venu.e.s (thanks so much for coming). I’m Karen—a lifelong creative living in Paris. I share stories about what it’s like to uproot your whole New York City life and change continents (and cultures and relationship statuses) in your mid-fifties, all while pursuing an artistic and joyful experience. I’ve been here in France permanently for nearly three-and-a-half years, and it’s been quite a ride.
To all my dear reader-friends, I cannot thank you enough for joining in this delightful conversation. Merci merci ! If you’re new here, do you know about Substack Notes? If not, check them out here—they’re fun and sometimes kind of bitchy, too.
I hope you are having a marvelous summer, one that nourishes and restores you, whether that involves France or not. I am not a hot-weather person, so I’m looking forward to 🍂sweater weather🍂. But still, it’s been a whirlwind of a season.
Today, as we lead up to la rentrée (the French equivalent of back-to-school, when the summer holidays come to a close and “real life” picks up again), I thought I’d share a fun little round-up of what it’s like to live in France in the summer, both in general and more specifically for Monsieur B et moi.
As always, if anyone wants to join in the conversation or ask a question, please know that I live for your comments. Ils me rendent tellement heureuse ! (They make me so happy!)
OK, So How is Summer Different When You Live in France?
Well, first of all, as a lot of you may know, we don’t really have air-conditioning. Now, when I say “we,” I mean those of us who live with French people. Most of my American friends who live here do blessedly have la clim, but not us.
In just the three years since I’ve been here permanently, I’ve adjusted well to not having a/c. But the summers do seem to be getting hotter. This year we’ve had la canicule (a heatwave) almost continuously since June. That’s not normal! Today, for example, it’s 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), and we’ve had way more of this type of day this year than I can remember. Je dis ça, je dis rien (just sayin’).
But Does Everything Really Stop in France in Summer?
Not everything, and less-so in the hot tourist centers. But for everyday French life, yes, summer brings an enormous change in rhythm and expectation. A lot of activities do come to a stop from July through August.
Some real examples: my running group takes a two-month pause for July and August. My jazz band had its last concert at the end of June, and on va reprendre des répétitions (we’ll restart rehearsals) in September once everyone is back and bien bronzés (well-tanned). And ma prof de chant (my singing teacher) paused all lessons till fall so she could travel.
Speaking of my jazz band, scroll down a wee bit more if you’d like to read an update about my terrifying first performance 😅 🎤🎶
Even my husband’s office all but closes down in August as clients and factories are on break. For the next two weeks, nearly every small business in the little medieval village where we have our country place is closed for la fermeture estivale. In local papers and Facebook groups you can find the rotating schedule for which bakeries will be open when because OK, it’s summer, mais quand même on a besoin de pain (but even so, we need bread) !
Super-vite French Summer Vocab Lesson
I’m not a French teacher, but I live here définitivement (permanently), so here are some helpful summer phrases you might come across if you’re in France anytime entre juin et août (between June and August—and non, the names of months are not capitalized en français):
Vous partez ? (Are you going somewhere?…as in for summer vacation)
Les congés estivales (summer work holidays)
Fermeture estivale (summer closing)
Votre magasin/boulangerie/cordonnier sera fermé (Your store/bakery/shoe repair will be closed—accompanied by the dates of closing)
Inclus (including) See the photo above for an example—if “inclus” is accompanied by a date, it means that that date is also covered by the “opening” or “closing” — as in, “Your butcher will be closed from August 1 through August 10, including the 10th”
La réouverture (the reopening—generally with a date)
Bonnes vacances à tous ! (Happy vacation, everyone!) And oui, vacation en français is always plural. Des vacances, les vacances, bonnes vacances. Never singular!
But Isn’t It Annoying When Things Are Closed and Everyone You Know is Gone?
Oui et non. I look at it kind of the way I look at food culture here. I mean, we don’t eat everything all the time. I grew up in Ohio, and even in New York City where I made my life as an adult, things were pretty much always available. Here, we don’t generally eat des fraises (strawberries) ou bien des asperges (or asparagus) in December, and we wait for the divine French summer melons from la Charente. I don’t say this snobbily at all, just as a cultural fact.
Almost everyone here agrees: it’s OK not to have access to everything everywhere all the time.
It’s true that many people take a long vacation—two or three weeks or sometimes even a month. But as a former American worker bee who rarely used to take time off, I now respect and treasure the downtime that is built into life here. It is so important and so beautiful to have a few guilt-free weeks to live an adventure, or even just to rest, nap, pretend to read. We all deserve une petite pause (a little break), and I am grateful to my new home for this gift.
As a matter of fact, I wrote that last paragraph from my bed on a truly sweltering afternoon, while Monsieur B was napping just next to me, our swiveling fan and my extra-large bottle of Evian brumisateur doing their best to offer a little relief.
Are You Lonely in France in the Summertime?
When it comes to people, as an immigrant, I’ve found that many of my part-time Parisian friends from America and Canada prefer to summer elsewhere, so it can sometimes feel a bit lonely. That often seems to happen at Thanksgiving and Christmas, too. But the absence makes our reunions even sweeter. I think that’s just part of living a life abroad with a community of voyagers.
Then there’s the opposite problem. En été (in summer), travel in Europe can be challenging if you want to go somewhere where everyone else is going because, well, il y aura du monde (it’ll be crowded).
And Now, a Musical Moment from Early Summer in Paris: How I Survived Singing in Public for the First Time in a French Jazz Band
Some of you have asked for an update on my latest self-challenge, so here goes. If perchance you haven’t heard the whole story about how I auditioned for a Parisian jazz ensemble earlier this year, here’s how it went down in a real music studio. After several months of rehearsals (often twice per week), on était sur scène (we were on stage) ! Our first concert was, comically, in a tiny Mexican dive bar known for its live music, all the way in the 20ème arrondissement.
But There Was So Much More to Our Summer—Good and Not-So-Good, Inside and Outside of France
We celebrated my birthday in a pretty garden set in an old mill not far from our country place (note the table set smack-dab in the middle of a little stream in the photos below), and I continued trying to find a solution for my 2-year-old running injury (stay tuned).
On a brunché (We brunched) pour la fête des péres (for French Father’s Day—it’s not always the same date as in the U.S.) with my two gorgeous step-kids who were luckily both in Paris that weekend. We wandered around the city and spent some sweet days with family in our place à la campagne.
Summertime Sadness
I never want to be a bummer here, and I often feel guilty if I talk about my small struggles since I consider myself so lucky to be living this life in France. But honnêtement (honestly), since you know I like to keep it real, the fact is I struggled a bit personally this spring and into early summer. I was feeling low, both physically and psychically, and I didn’t make as much progress on my new book (or really anything) as I would’ve liked. In the end though, I decided to grant myself clemency instead of implementing my usual recovering perfectionist tactic—beating up on myself ha!
En même temps (at the same time), I started gently altering my routine, working in some healthier choices, trying to create space for exercise even though I couldn’t run due to my low-grade constant leg discomfort, seeing all my doctors (and some new ones) and ramping up supplements and water intake. The effort seems enfin (finally) to be working and thankfully, I feel a bit more energized these days.
Also, I found this guy online and I really like the exercises he demonstrates for reeducating nerves and mixing it up for your neural pathways through movement ⬇️ ✅
Obvious conclusion: Sometimes you just have to give yourself a break. And sometimes, you have to find your answers on Instagram.
Some Summer Gladness: Our First Trip to the U.S. in Two Years
I’ve talked before about the delightful and brilliant friends I’ve already made in France. That aspect of my life here has been one of the biggest surprises, especially because I spend a lot of my time working alone, and yeah, I’m in brand a new country. But in this regard, I’ve been so very lucky.
Late last year, we got an invitation from an extraordinarily fun couple we met in Paris. They are making a transition to spend more time in Paris, and we’ve loved getting to know them. They’ve become treasured friends with whom we’ve shared delicious meals, des soirées aux vins (wine parties), and plenty of great moments in the City of Light, so when they suggested we spend a week with them at their lake house in Wisconsin, we didn’t hesitate.
To be honest, I hadn’t been really jazzed up to return to the U.S. for a variety of reasons, but this was a chance not only to continue our friendship on another continent, but to see a part of the States that neither I nor Monsieur B knew anything about. We booked our flights.
It turned out to be une expérience inoubliable (an unforgettable experience), not only because of their thoughtfulness and generosity, but because it gave us a chance to spend more time with our dear friends and an extended group of other fascinating folks, en pleine nature. There was sailing for Monsieur B, a visit to a local museum where we saw a 1913 one-room-school and some interesting rules for teachers à l’époque (in that era).
We also did it up with them in Chicago at an incredible restaurant étoilé (Michelin-starred restaurant) called Indienne which—if you love tasting menus—you should visit immediately on your next trip to the Windy City. Our friends are just as passionate about food and wine as we are, and they found this spot that really blew us all away. Chef Sujan Sarkar is a genius, and it was one of the most surprising and delicious meals I’ve eaten (and drunk!) in years. Un vrai chef d’oeuvre (a true masterpiece) !
We came away from the trip feeling inspired, genuinely cared for, and grateful for true friends who bring joy and meaning to our life. On a de la chance (We are so lucky) !
A Quick Stop in Germany, Then Back to Our Garden
Monsieur B’s brother just turned 60 this year, so we went to a party he threw in a de-consecrated old church that’s now a cultural center near the tiny mountain village where he lives outside of Frankfurt. The theme was “Flowers.”
We also stopped at the last minute in Deidesheim, another smallish village, this time in the Pfalz region, known for its annual winefest. Thanks to my sister-in-law, we got the only hotel room available and a reservation with a great winery for a tasting and a dinner of local specialities.
OK my loves, je vais vous laisser pour l’instant (I’ll let you go for now). But please know I’m thinking of you and wishing you whatever you need to round out a satisfying summer. Sunshine, soft rain, peace and quiet. Big waves, une petite glâce (an ice cream), or a nice weekend brocante (flea market). Me, I could use une douche à l’eau froide 💦 (a cold shower) right about now, because it is too frigging hot here.
Until next time, I’ll be in my garden, talking to the trees and flowers. Or maybe making this Sweet and Savory Fig Tart.
Prenez-soin de vous, mes anges ! (Take care of yourselves, my angels).
A très bientôt,
So true… once le 15 août has passed, even if you’re still on vacation, there’s already that flavor of la rentrée in the air. Always a little bittersweet.
Thank you for sharing so much beauty and heartfelt nuggets of your reality. Sending love back for all you share!