Make the Leap and Visit Auvers-Sur-Oise
Walk in the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh as we visit Auvers-Sur-Oise, the picturesque village where he spent the final months of his life, creating some of his most iconic works. This inspiring destination is part of our itinerary during our workshop Making the Leap: The Fine Art of Business, a transformative art business workshop led by Vanessa Rothe
A 48-Hour Artist’s Dream Trip to Paris
A 48-Hour Artist’s Dream Trip to Paris: The Perfect Itinerary for Art Lovers
If you’re an artist — or simply an art lover traveling to France, the question isn’t if you should visit Paris, but how to make the most of your time there. Whether you’re stopping over before or after an art retreat or painting workshops in Normandy, spending two days in Paris can be an unforgettable experience. The enchanting city is filled with world-class museums, inspiring neighborhoods, and charming cafés where some of the greatest painters once gathered.
24 Hours in Florence
What if you just had 24 hours spend in Florence? Let the team at Workshops in France guide you through some of our favorite highlights in this famous city.
Dreaming of Glorious Provence in Glorious Color
If you asked an artist “What would be your dream painting trip look like?”, their answer would inevitably include a myriad of details that perfectly describe the landscape and colors of Provence. Every season in Provence is an artist’s dream, but September ranks high as one of our favorite times to travel to the South of France.
The French You Already Speak
You Already Know More French Than You Think. Just for fun, we started looking at the French words that have been in common usage in the English language for a long time. Remarkably, many of these words seem to pop up in the realms of culture and cuisine. No surprise there, as France is known for exactly that – their wonderful culture and delicious cuisine. Let’s start right here with food! Cuisine “Cuisine” – This is exactly the same word in both languages. Let’s look at some more… You already know so many of them! With this in mind, rest assured you won’t starve! “Restaurant, chef, café, vinaigrette, gâteau, sauce, pique-nique, salade, soupe, aperitif, menu, croissant, hamburger, chocolat.” Ha! And, there’s “silhouette”, which might change depending on your consumption of the aforementioned. The Arts and La Renaissance We also find a host of French words in the world of art. Florence, Italy was the epicenter of the greatest rebirth of creativity which the Italians call the ‘Rinascimento,’ but in English and in French we refer to it as the Renaissance. Art in French is ‘Art’, pronounced Arr, even in the plural. Let’s look at a few more art terms. Art nouveau, art deco (art décoratif), artist (artiste), impressionism (impressionisme), avant-garde, realism (réalism), surrealism (surréalisme), cubism (cubisme), trompe l’oeil, paper maché (papier-mâché) and film noir. Although French is also the language of ballet, it was actually brought to France from Italy by Catherine de Medici. Ballet dancing as we know it was adopted by the French royal courts where it flourished. “Cuisine” – This is exactly the same word in both languages. Let’s look at some more… You already know so many of them! With this in mind, rest assured you won’t starve! “Restaurant, chef, café, vinaigrette, gâteau, sauce, pique-nique, salade, soupe, aperitif, menu, croissant, hamburger, chocolat.” Ha! And, there’s “silhouette”, which might change depending on your consumption of the aforementioned. Royalty and French French was the official language of the courts, that is, the Royal courts. Around 700 years ago it was the most widely spoken language throughout all of Europe. At that time, the rulers in Europe used French to communicate with each other. It was spoken by their liaisons and international treaties were hashed out in French. No doubt a few French swearwords were tossed around at those who disagreed. French was the language of the gentry. It was generally seen as the language of sophistication, power and wealth. It became a popular second language. By the end of the middle ages, the lingua franca of Europe was indeed French. Of course, the term ‘lingua franca’, is Latin and not French, but it means the language used between people who do not share a common language. A contemporary example of a lingua franca would be Emoji. ❤️ 🇫🇷 🍷 Pronunciation So, you do know these words, but do they sound French when you say them? Probably not. It’s the pronunciation that makes them French. So here’s the mini-lesson of French pronunciation. It’s very general, but it should help. Firstly, the French pronounce every syllable without the English way of stressing one syllable over the others. Take “pronunciation”. We say “PRO-NUN-SEE-AISHUN”, with the stress on NUN, the French would say each syllable – “PRO-NUN-SEE-A-CEE-ON”. If that doesn’t slow you down a bit, the French also tend to drop or swallow the very last consonant if it ends the word. Yes, drop the last consonant, unless the next word starts with a vowel, in which case you need to add it back in. Complicated? Oui! Even More French To round out this blog on the French words you already know, look at these: R.S.V. P. (Répondez S’il Vous Plaît); bourgeois; brunette; blonde; déjà vu; fiancée; chic. All French and all English too. There must be so many more but hopefully these will give you a little confidence about being able to speak this beautiful language. In order to gain more understanding of French and the culture of France, may we suggest that you drink good coffee, share excellent wine and come join us on an artistic and inspirational journey with WorkshopsInFrance. Blogger: Julie Snyder Julie Snyder is a professional artist and also the programs director of Workshops In France. A native of Scotland, she is a seasoned traveler who splits her time between California and France. You can learn more about her role with Workshops in France here and about her painting on her website.
Coffee is an Art Form in France
Coffee in France is an art form, and an art-form that we have researched intensively. We fully expect to spend the rest of our lives continuing our research, just to make sure we don’t miss any nuances.
Our conclusion so far? Yum!
Bonjour Decoded
To get the most out of your trip to France, you have to connect with the locals – and the best way to connect is to speak their language. Even if you don’t speak French, in large cities like Paris, most locals speak a good amount of English. But if you walk up and try to start a conversation in English, they’ll likely be a little less than willing to help. So, start with the one word of French you must know to speak their language! Fortunately, learning a few easy phrases makes a world of difference. It Starts With Bonjour Always, always, always start every interaction with a French person with “Bonjour”, or “Bonsoir” if in the evening. To do otherwise is considered extremely rude. Asking directions? Say bonjour! Buying a baguette? Say bonjour! If you’ve ever heard that the French can be rude, it’s probably because the person didn’t say bonjour! Oh, and resist the temptation to say excuse me (excusez moi) before you say bonjour. You’ll just make the person wonder what you did wrong! Then ask “Parlez-vous Anglais?” meaning, “Do you speak English?” Locals appreciate it when you at least attempt to speak their language, even if you’re terrible at it. Usually, they’ll answer with a smile and say yes or no. Head’s up – In smaller French cities and towns, locals often speak little or no English. In these areas, you’ll want to have a translator handy. Apps Help! Several smart phone apps are available for free downloads – Google Translate is one of the most popular. Using the app, you can download a language pack before your trip, so it won’t require data when you’re abroad. This is important because your U.S. phone plan likely charges exorbitant international data fees, and many phone apps require data. With Google Translate, you can type in anything and it will translate from English to French and vice versa. You can also use your phone’s camera to hover over signs and menus and see a translation. This feature is extremely useful when you’re at a restaurant reading through “Le plat du jour,” or the daily special. Speaking of food, you’ll want to check out these tips for eating in France. And when you’re ready to end with a thank you, say “Merci”, then “au revoir” which means “See you again!” Even if it’s someone at the train station who you know you’ll never see again! If you want to sound like a local, you can also add goodbye with “Bonne journée” (pronounced bon joornay) and wish them a good day! Where there is a plan to meet up again soon, you can really impress them with your French by casually throwing out “À plus!” (pronounced Ah ploose) which is short for “See you later.” Enjoy your trip and remember to sign up for our newsletters to receive insider travel tips and stories. Au Revoir! Blogger: Julie Snyder Julie Snyder is a professional artist and also the programs director of Workshops In France. A native of Scotland, she is a seasoned traveler who splits her time between California and France. You can learn more about her role with Workshops in France here.
Non-Painters at Workshops and Art Retreats
At Workshops in France, we are often asked if it’s ok if a non-painting partner comes too and we say, “Absolutely!” We have had husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, sisters and friends at our workshops and art retreats in the past and everyone has a wonderful time, whether painting or not! There Is Always Something To Do Of course we structure our events with painting in mind but we still give the non-painters a rich experience. Whether we are in the glorious south of France, in wonderful Scotland, or in stunning Tuscany we always give our guests the opportunity to experience more than just painting! We have Museum tours, visits to historical sites, and lots of cultural immersion that are enjoyed by both the artists and non-painters alike. This includes market days, wine tasting, (or visits to a whisky distillery in Scotland) trips to local landmarks and idyllic locations, and of course some down-time to relax, read or swim in the pool. We have had guests who go explore on their own, go to play golf, or go into town to enjoy the café culture and shops while we artists are tethered to our easels. In a way the non-painters are more flexible with their time as they have the freedom to wander and explore so much more! If the non-painter joins us with their painting spouse, we’ve even seen their relationship change for the better! We remove all of the distractions so they can better concentrate on their own interests when apart, and each other when together. At one of Carol Marine’s Workshops, Gregory a non-painter, came with his lovely wife Coralie. He was such an asset to the group as his enthusiasm for life was infectious! He even ended up painting and surprised everyone with his wonderful work! We enjoyed their company so much that we invited them to be crew for us in Scotland and they are returning again to help us deliver the retreat in Tuscany. We are thrilled to say that we have quite a few couples returning with us for our next season, so our harmonious blend of activities for painters and non-painters must be working! Blogger: Shirley Hambrick Shirley Hambrick is an award-winning stained-glass artist and painter. She has lived in Scotland, Spain and the USA. Shirley is part of the Workshops in France team and attended over 20 of these trips. She writes about her adventures. Being Scottish, she was trained at Edinburgh College of Art and Design. Shirley teaches in the West Virginia area and you can some of her beautiful work here.
Cost Saving Travel Tips and Best Time to Buy
When coming to a workshop, the cost of travel is obviously a major consideration. Many fly to Europe from all over the world, and such flights can carry a hefty price tag. Fortunately, since we have been doing this for quite a long time, we’ve pulled together some very useful tips…