I really enjoyed your series and I will probably never get to travel to France and watching this was so informative and relaxing. I wish all travel vlogs were done this way instead of just pretty pictures of food and scenery.
This series has been so much fun and like a little mini vacation every Saturday as you transported us (those in the US) across the Atlantic! It must have been a hard adjustment returning home... Thanks for this video giving tips and explaining how to make a person’s stay in France (or any country other than one’s own) less frustrating and more enjoyable. And for the reminder that being polite and giving respect will generally bring the same your way.
I'm sad to see this series end! It was the most enjoyable set of videos and it was a true pleasure to see your home, see St. Giles, and everything you shared with us. Thank you!
Oh Beth, this series has been an absolute dream! You are such an inspiration. I have enjoyed your menu and cooking videos for so many years, but this French house/travel series has made me love you all the more! And your travel tips in this video are essential to having a more enjoyable visit. How generous you have been with your time and energy during your Summer trip this year. Everything takes 3 times longer when you're trying to film it, so thank you for taking the time. I imagine you're probably already back in the states by now, but if not, safe travel to you and yours! The holidays are just around the corner, as I know you'll have us cooking and making the most of our blessings before we know it! Everything you share has just that extra little touch of class that makes time together with loved ones so very special. Your efforts over the years have made many gatherings so much more memorable for all my people. I wish you the greatest success and happiness always! 💜 Bisous!😘
Aww I'm so happy to hear you have enjoyed them! This series was a last minute idea, and I'm so glad I tried it out, because it was such fun to have you all along for the ride! And as much as I'm missing all the glorious markets, and bakeries of France (and our cute French kitchen) I'm happy to be back, get the kids back to school, and work on some yummy recipes for the holiday season! So as it goes, every time has its season, so we'll say goodbye to France...until next year! :) I really want to take you guys to this cute restaurant on a farm next year!
You nailed it! As a French, I truly appreciate that you're giving your followers the tips and explaining why we sometimes do things differently than what Americans do.
The way you speak and the knowledge you share omg Beth I can’t thank you enough! I’ve always thought of myself as an avid traveler but so many of your tips are really useful and I’ve never tried but should so thank you so much!!
I would love to come the France and rent your house. Now I have the plan, I need a way to make it happen. I love what you did with the place, and I'd love to really learn the language, and soak up the culture. My great grandmother who I never met was French. I heard from my dad, that she was a fantastic cook.
Hello Beth, love your videos and your home in France! I am a fellow Southern Californian living in France and married to a Frenchman and when you talked about meeting your husband's family for the first time and having to give 16 kisses, I could so relate to that and laughed out loud! I had to only give 1on each cheek but there were 9 of them! To be honest since covid we have not really done ' the bisous ' and frankly I do not miss it! Have a safe trip, looking forward to your next video state side!
Thank you Beth it always feels like I’m there when I watch your videos and it makes me so happy! And I also feel like we’re best friends when I watch your videos I wish we could share a meal together. Bon voyage!
Love the way you explain things and you come across. I found you by accident and have been watching your videos back to back. I love Europe and French culture and have enjoy all my life. Watching you was like how I feel and do things…so much alike! The recipes and the presentations are fabulous. I wish you the best and much health to you and your family so that you can enjoy this beautiful life you have created.
Aww thanks Elys! I'm so glad you have been enjoying them! And that you found me :) I'm back in France this week and will be sharing more French updates starting this weekend! :) Until then!
More French recipes please! I made your cherry clafoutis and it was insane! Also your salmon with burre Blanc! Wow! Your bistro style chocolate mousse - wow - your French shepherds pie 🥧- wow! (Can’t remember the French name for it!) -
I loved this series also :) I wanted to let you know that we do have 1 store (that I know of in the US) that does the same thing with a coin & cart and that is Aldi's, which is a German based store (I believe?). You are right though. More stores should take advantage of the same thing! Have a safe trip back!
I have just discovered your RU-vid channel a week ago because I am fan of renovation home video of allover the world. But guess what ? I am french woman living in Vendée and working in St Gilles Croix de Vie. And I loved all your videos and the way it makes me discover what I know with a different eye glance.so refreshing!. I crew up in Paris area, studying there. Meet my husband at university. His mother is from Vendée and 13 years ago we decided to leave Paris to come in Vendée where we used to have our summer holidays. Because each time we have to drive back to Paris to return to work and arrive at the end of the highway and passe gate ..we were sighing hard and thinking "why are we going back in that Creasyness life". Yes St Gilles is magic. I m not living in St Gilles exactly but in the country side behind... I love what you did with the Reno of this house. And I will go on following you back in USA for your coocking videos... Hope we can on day meet eachother when you will be back in St Gilles ! And yes every tips you gave are true!
Oh how funny Barbara! Yes I would love to meet up once we are back in SGCV! Hopefully back by Spring, and definitely back next summer :) Already missing the Brioche for breakfast ha!
@@EntertainingWithBeth ... So funny my husband is actually working in a famous brioche factory here in Vendée ...you know the one with this young blond little girl on the packaging. Even if they are trully goods I am sure your prefer handmade ones.
Aldi's Grocery Stores have implemented the "quarter for your cart" policy. They pass the savings on to the shopper as they don't have to hire someone to collect them.
Such a lovely series, Beth! Thank you for sharing:) I just wanted to say too...we have Aldi grocery stores where I live in Illinois and they have pay for and return the cart for a refund as well as requiring you to supply your own grocery bags. We love the concept!
Loved this video! You should have put in that when you eat to use both hands (fork and knife) on the table ;) cheers and looking into the other persons eyes is common in most European countries:) and will be taught at an early age. And the greeting strangers, we have in Switzerland as well. Especially when you go hiking or in a random building. Hope you had a nice summer and can’t wait for your new meal videos!
Ha! Glad you liked the tips! The "Medicine Tote" reminds me of when I dragged all the diapers, formula and bottles to France and Phil was like "Beth, We HAVE Babies in France!" LOL!
We used to have those carts needing the token/money here in Malaysia but i never see those anymore.. i used to love to help my mum and insert it and after, take the money back lol
Hello Beth...former San Franciscan living in the south of France for 31 years! Right on the bat with your tips.Bon voyage and continue your vlogs from the states..
I found interesting your tip about greeting people before launching into your questions. There was a lot of French settlement in the southern part of the U.S. and that’s the way it is down there. You don’t go up to people, even if you know them, and starting asking for something. Always first a greeting and a “how are you”. This was so enjoyable.
I loved the adventure of you guys redoing your house and all the places you shared with us. I'm not planning a trip to France but I loved hearing all the tips.
Here in Virginia, we have Aldi stores. You put a quarter in to unlock the cart and then get the quarter back when you return the cart and re-lock it. They also have a sanitizing station where you can wipe your cart down due to COVID. It's wonderful!
I agree about medicine tote. I had a bad tummy ache and we were in the middle of the touristy area that my husband had to walk half a mile to get the medicine. If only I have thought about it….learned something about it. Thank you for the tips -we might travel to Europe anytime sooner.
This series was a great way to feel like we were traveling during a year where we couldn't. Thank you for sharing your home, recipes, and adventures with us!
Beth I so enjoy your videos in France, and of your garden in the States, your cooking, and entertaining! My HS French helped me purchase our movie tickets and order our popcorn when we would go to watch movies in Luxembourg 😂,I lived in a tiny German village for several years. I would have to take my German dictionary with me when I would pay my rent. My landlords were the sweetest, but they did not speak any English. I was so thankful the neighborhood children were excited about hanging out with an American, because I learned so much German from them. In reference to how much German I spoke, I wouldn’t tell people I speak about as much as a five year old 😂 I miss living in Europe, so it’s wonderful you share your experiences with us x merci beaucoup x 🥂
Hello from Orange County California! I thoroughly enjoyed your series in your new home! I visited Europe for the first time summer 2019 and I long to visit France! I hope to rent your gorgeous home too😊!
Thank you so much for these videos! The time and care you put into making them was so appreciated. They were both informative and entertaining. I really enjoyed them and looked forward to the next one. Thank you!
The Aldi grocery store in my hometown has a the vibe of the French market. You need a quarter to get a cart and you get it back when you return your cart. You have to bring your own bags or buy them. It has a broad selection of breads, cheeses, crackers, spreads, little meats. It even has an aisle that has some housewares, decor, clothing, furniture, pet items and more. These items changes regularly. I really like this store. The prices are great too.
Can totally relate to the eye contact while “cheers-ing”, I live in Austria and we do that too. When I first arrived here, my stepdad was downright offended that I didn’t look him in the eye… 😅😅
You have such a beautiful smile! I especially liked the tips for kids - even for ME! We all need extra band-aids and tylenol - just in case! And learning French at the kids table - awesome!
Oh, my goodness. I have loved this series. I was lucky enough to live in Spain for a bit and this sort of brought me back in time. I can’t wait to travel again. Thank you for sharing your home and your daily life with us. You’re right. Renting an apartment or a home is the best way to really get to know the country and the people. Going to the markets does force you to speak-and, they are fun! Bon voyage! Have a safe trip back to the states!
Such interesting video. I'm from the UK and we have been using tokens for shopping trolleys or carts for years. We also recycle everything!! And we personally have a condensing dryer which collects the water. My friend and I are off to Bergerac in 2 weeks for a holiday where some of our time will be doing a painting course and then sightseeing. Xx
Thanks for the tips.What a fun and informative series. I love it! One more tip, while eating in a restaurant, don't talk loudly. Americans tend to talk at a much higher volume than Europeans and that is definitely frowned upon, especially in France.
Excellent advice, thank you for sharing your time in France. My son lives in Brussels, Belgium, and we take him over the counter medicines and shampoo when we go because they cost a lot more over there.
Really wonderful advice!! Thank you 🙏 Interesting… travelling to France has just recently come up again on my radar. I’m 57 years old and last visited when I was 25… and there you appear with your videos and I’m taken in … 😉 Merci Beaucoup ☺️
These are some of the best tips I have ever heard. So many great things you cover here that no one else has ever mentioned. Love your kind and upbeat spirit and wish I could book a tour with you! I think I would have more fun and learn more from someone like you. I am going to book more French lessons even though I took my high school French classes pretty seriously and still practice reading it. I do need more intense practice speaking the language. Merci Beaucoup, Beth! Love your channel!
Beautifully presented. I have been known to complain that Americans are the only people in the world who think that foreign customs particular to the country they are visiting indicate that the people who live there are the foreigners. I have occasionally been so embarrassed by fellow Americans that I not only deny being American, I deny speaking English! I have also met some really charming Americans in France who really value & appreciate la politesse francaise. All of that to say I found your video informative, enlightening & humble. Brava!
You are so welcome! And I'm so glad they have provided a nice distraction for this strange time we are all living through :) Now on to some yummy recipes for next week! Stay tuned :)
Thank you so much for your tips! It is so nice to dream of another trip to France and I would hate to seem impolite there! This reminded me of a tip from my middle school French teacher who was a translator during WWII. She said when she first came to America she had a hard time placing her hands in her lap at mealtime because in France it was looked upon with suspicion- - she grew up being taught that it is polite to keep your hands (although not elbows or arms) on or above the table so everyone could see what you were doing with them!
I must admit that I'm a little nostalgic...I don't want you to leave...I want to continue to live vicariously through your french adventures every Saturday!
Thanks for sharing your summer! It looked wonderful and your house is very pretty. We have been stuck here in SoCal since 2019…..thankfully we got a trip to Mexico City before Covid lockdowns. Where would one find info on renting it?
Oh sure, I'm actually putting together the website as we speak! But you can sign up for the Maison Coli Newsletter and once all the details are ready I will send out an email :) Here's the link to sign up: bit.ly/MaisonColiNewsletter
The tip about appliances is excellent. In Barcelona, I had one of those washer dryer contraptions hold my clothes hostage for hours before I was able to unlock the machine. 😬
Beth, we have the same program with shopping carts in NJ, only difference is the use of a quarter which you get back with the return of said cart!! Enjoyed all your videos from France so sorry they have to end.
OMG you are such a Delight! My late husband and I stayed at a hotel over Christmas and New Years in Portugal and were the only guests! That washing machine, I swear, took had a three hour cycle! No one to ask, no English instruction; it kept our clothes hostage, Lol. Great tips, especially about reservations. We're going to St Pierre et Miquelon and my husband doesn't believe we need to make dinner reservations!
I love this! Thank you. I can't deal with waiting on the last person to arrive before a glass of wine though. Dinner table rules shouldn't apply here. But, it's France, which I love.
In the US Aldi requires a quarter to place in the slot of the grocery cart and it is returned when you return the cart. You also need to bring your own bags.
Hello, safety travels, regarding the token in supermarkets we have already have the same concept (tokens or .25 cents) in the Los Angeles area, ,for the shopping cars, and French people I found the are very friendly, And willing to help you 💕 love seeing you in the mini series 👏🏻
In Fargo, ND, USA I shop at Aldi’s and we use a quarter to get a cart and then get it back when it’s returned. And you have to bring your own bag or you can buy theirs. Great video. Safe travels back to CA.
This is such great info! I even enjoyed the kids section and I don't have any in my life right now. You have a practical approach and your advice is clear. Thanks!
I know me too! I'm already back home and SO missing my French kitchen. It's so much more functional than the LA kitchen ha! But yes excited for the holiday recipes which I'm working on now! :)
Thanks Beth for providing these great tips. As a European I would have added to try to be less loud and wear clothes less blinks. Not all tourists are unfortunately educated and you too often hear « oh ce sont des américains « .. Also, the little town you have your house is very animated in the summer time but comes October and the winter it probably falls asleep and many shops and restaurants are closed. June and September are best. July and august every place on the ocean line is crowded. Prices are often higher and service less good. Did you spend time there in the winter time. Makes probably a huge difference.
Yes we've been there in winter and funny enough, it's still pretty lively! SGCV has really grown over the last few years and many residents now live there full time, I was so surprised! I thought it would be really dead ha!
Dear Viviane, I am French, and as a tourist in foreign countries, I happened to meet some very, very loud French people. So, I agree with you : not all the tourists are educated, and some French people are among them 🙂
Spot on, Beth. Thank you for reminding us that traveling is so perspective-building. You’ve clearly put your heart and soul into these videos (and this house). Thanks for taking us along.
Beth ur so resourceful with this final video! Thank u and bless u, for the French series of videos! Must say, as a Floridian I’m looking forward to ur “home” videos again! Lovely ur back on US soil.💕💝💕
Yes I'm happy to be home too, just to stop all that drinking and eating LOL! Kids back in school, and laundry done, now to tackle some fall recipes! I have a yummy one coming up next week! Stay tuned! :)
SO funny! Great job these are the same exact things that were such a challenge when we first moved here! and one's we laugh and tell stories to our American friends/family
I couldn't agree with you more Beth. My husband is German and when we went to visit with the children. Our children were born 1980 and 1981, we would do very similar things with them. It took 26hours or more to get to Germany so I had lots of entertainment for them, my medicine bag etc. My Husband's family were very curious about me. I always tried to put my best Aussie foot forward but sometimes there were a few little hiccups. Eg, at home here in the summer we all go bare footed around the house. Well, I never thought about that and just carried on my usual self......It was not well received, oh dear. They all thought I was the wild colonial kid!!! Loved your France vacation. Have a safe trip back home.
Thank you 🙏 thank you 🙏 thank you ☺️ For this video my girls recently invited me their (mom) to go France 🇫🇷 late November this year 😁 I found this video so helpful 😘😘
My family and I went to France in July 2019 and my niece got sick. We took her to the local clinic and there they prescribed a medicine that she needed to pick up from a pharmacy but they were unable to tell us which pharmacy to go to. They referred us to the local police station to find out where we would be able to go to have the prescription filled. Apparently the location changes. It was super strange. My guess is because of the type of medicine. This may be how they control prescription drug use. The clinic did administer the medicine while we were there but it was only one dose. Needless to say, we were told exactly where to go and we were able to continue our wonderful vacation. We stayed in France for two weeks and then we hopped over to Spain for another two weeks. I did NOT want to return back to California. It was a wonderful month long vacation. We are planning a trip to Morocco next in 2022. Hopefully by that time, we won’t have to loose any of our precious vacation time to quarantining once we reach our destination.
Oh wow! Yes there are things in France that always surprise me. Right before we left, all of our electricity went out, because the "plan" we signed up for apparently wasn't enough, and when you reach the limit they just shut it all off ha! So we upgraded to the second tier ha! Morocco sounds wonderful, I've always wanted to go there :) Have a wonderful time!
I think what happened here is it was “after hours”. The French have a system of “on call pharmacies” which change every week. Unlike here in the US where specific pharmacies are always open 24h, in France pharmacies take turns opening at night. So my guess is the clinic didn’t know which pharmacy was “de garde = on call” and that’s why they sent you to the police station because they have a list of which pharmacy would be open at what time. In Morocco you can usually find the name and address of the nearest open pharmacy at whatever closed pharmacy you come across lol hope that helps ;) Also Morocco is wonderful (but I’m biased since I’m Moroccan lol) I hope you enjoy your time there !
Yes, at night or on weekends, pharmacies are closed except for one pharmacy on duty ( pharmacie de garde ). The police or a gendarmerie will tell you which one is open and what is the phone number to warn them ( The same system also exists for doctors and dentists)
