The swishing of skirts and clacking of flip-flops in the street, people drinking lemonade outside the cafés, the scent of BBQ in the air… And above all, sunshine! Yep, it definitely looks like the beginning of summer. So get ready to make good use of those fleeting months ! It’s time to get together with your friends and neighbors around a “make your own“ ice-cream buffet or a barbecue. And if you watch the French Open (Roland-Garros) and the Tour de France, it totally counts as exercising ! Almost…
With the nice weather also come seasonal fruits and veggies : tomato, avocado, zucchini… Oh my ! So hit your local farmer’s market, and then head to the kitchen, to bake a strawberry-rhubarb crumble, or whip up a European cantaloupe and watermelon salad, or a strawberry shortcake. Why not go for the chill factor with an ice-cream cake or an ice-cream soda float. A great opportunity to let your French friends discover those american summer traditions!
And since summer also means vacation, so you’ll need to keep the kids busy : visit a farm, build a piñata… Call your “mairie” to get information on their summer programming. If you live in the South, a lot of cities (even small ones) organize outdoor movie showings for families. And of course, don’t miss the 14 Juillet’s (Bastille Day) fireworks!
Also check if your city has set up a “plage” : a urban beach for the holidays, complete with an outside swimming pool, a large sand area and free activities for those who are stuck in the city but still want to take a swim and play-beach volley. Toulouse, Metz, Saint-Quentin, Cahors, Rodez, Clermont-Ferrand, Pau, Cognac, Brive-la-Gaillarde, Tourcoing already organize such events. So grab a book from our selection of great summer reads for expatriates and work on your tan while the little ones build sand castles!
