France

[Michael]

The place to dicuss local topics and to meet others in your area.

[Rahkoon]

Thank you very much Michael!
All right, y a-t-il des Français par ici? Jme sens un pti peu abandonnée là, des compatriotes siouplé lol
Those in France (and the others, too), have you heard of the "Veggie Pride"? It's a vegetarian/vegan march in Paris. I go there every year (the next one is on the 15th of May) since I live near Paris, but even if you're far it's worth the trip! It's a so good way of meeting new same-minded people for those who don't have the internet. So good atmosphere, and everything :). Grab your slogans and "go vegan" T-shirts!

[Azalea]

Salut :)

Can I post here ? I'm half French, half Danish, but generally just Norwegian :p(lived here all my life)

(there's no Norwegian or even Scandinavian forum here)

I speak French at home with my mom, but my written French is pretty bad.
When I am with my family in France, I always find it difficult to express myself in French... here at home I rely a lot on putting Norwegian words in-between the French ones where it's convenient, and obviously, I can't to this in France...

[Rahkoon]

Coucou! Ca va?
Well, I couldn't picture myself getting a word of Norwegian, and I guess very few frenchies could lol. Anyway, while you're in France, do you have problems being veggie (or vegan)? Everybody says it's hard but i don't have no problems...
A plus

[Black Heart]

Rahcoon, I'm going to Paris for the Veggie Pride march! I'm trying to learn French and the march gave me an excuse to spend a weekend in Paris. I live not too far from London so it's easy for me to go by Eurostar.

[Azalea]

Rahkoon

Ca va bien...:)

The last time I was in France I was still hovering somewhere in-between lacto-ovo and strict veg, meaning I was generally avoiding dairy and eggs when I had a choice, but would otherwise accept to eat them when there would be nothing else around... I've actually not been in France since the summer of 2002 (wow.. longer that I thought it was)
But I don't think I'd have problems eating strict veg [I no longer eat egg & dairy, but am not vegan either... meaning I wear wool, eat honey and such...] there if I were to go there soon... As long as I can participate in the cooking, or cook for myself, there'll be no issues.
We always stay at my grandmother's (in Mantes-la-Jolie, about 50km from Paris), if we're not visiting my aunt (near Saint Nazaire (sp?)) and staying at her house....
There's of course always plenty of veg food (fresh & canned fruit & veg, beans, lentils, bread, pasta, grains, sauces...I could go on..)in the supermarkeds, even soy milk and speciality vegetarian foods, so I really don't see the problem...
The fruit & veg compartement are far better than those we fiind in regular Norwegian supermarkeds, and the prices are better too.... to me that's veggie heaven... -not to mention the open markeds with all their fresh produce, olives, dried fruits & nuts.. oh man :drool:


So yes. No problems :)

(but I admit that if I were to visit people and have others cook, that might be a problem.... but I guess that's not limited to France)

[remilard]

J'etudie francais depuis septembre. Je ne parle pas tres bien. Je veux visiter la France.

Sorry about the lack of accented characters, I've never really typed in french before. So who can give me a short list of vegetarian/vegan vocabulary and idioms?

[Cissy]

Bonjour tout le monde! J'habite à Michigan, aux États_Unis, mais je faire du français à l'école (Je suis en l'année quatre). Malheureusement, ma prof de français ne sera pas une prof à l'école l'année prochaine, parce que notre école est très pauvre. Je veux visiter la France... peut-être quand je vais à l'Université.

(Je suis très désolée si mon français n'est pas bon! :))

[Azalea]

Tu parles très bien, Cissy :cool:


Sorry to hear about your French teacher... I know you get along very well with her :(

[Rahkoon]

Coucou tout le monde!
Je ne savais pas que vous étiez si nombreux à parler français ici lol.
Azalea I'm glad to hear you saying it's not so hard to be a veg in France... everybody told me it was . You were talking about Mantes-la-Jolie? I know this place, i'm not far from there (I mean, not too far lol).
Black heart it's so great you're going to the veggie pride march!! i dunno if you went there before but you'll see it's really awesome. Are friends of yours coming with you?
Remilard, just ask me for words you want to know and I'd be glad to translate them to you :)
Well there has been no problem with your french but please, don't be too severe with my english lol :o

[Azalea]

Your English is excellent :rockon:

[That Alpaca Guy]

Well it LOOKS like nice words. :P

[Walter]

(Je suis très désolée si mon français n'est pas bon! :))I think you need to see my French! :sick: :p


One of my grandfather's is Québecois and the other is from Louisiana (cajun). ...mais je ne parle pas français.

[Final Aeon]

Coucou ^^
Well, I'd say that you can eat veg in France with no problem but you can't have yummy things like icecream or already cooked stuff ... and there's never a veg choice in the restaurants, I was so surprised to see that when I came to sweden, there were always vegan options in the school restaurant and vegan waffle "sauce" in every shop. I'm not vegan, I just avoid eggs and dairy but I wear whool and eat honey like Azalea :)
I guess we could speak about the french soy products because I can't find any drinkable soymilk (I tried "Bjorg" but I didn't like it at all), do you know a better brand ?

[Azalea]

Of French brands I've only tried Sojasun, which tasted fine to me :)

http://www.sojasun.fr/fr/gam_boissons.php

[Cinders]

While in france last year in the region of Poitou Charentes, I found it hard to find food that I could eat. The vegetables were of plenty and really amazing quality in the supermarkets, but with regards to other things like 'quorn' or soya products etc was virtually non existent - maybe this was due to the fact that we were in a quite agricultural/non touristy area....

Next year I am going to the Mid Pyrenees region. I think the house is near St Antonin Noble-val. If any of you have any good advice on what products are available on a wide scale or around that region it would be very cool.

Thank you!

[Unregistered]

I drank Bjorg Soymilk, the Vanilla flavor, assuming you like sweetened/flavored, was great. I drank some Sojasun unsweeted/unflavored Soymilk was not so hot, but I don't like any brand that isn't sweetened actually. We also saw rice and almond milk available. Sojasun makes some great veggie patties, try the Provencal flavor.

If you can find a Carrefour (like the French Walmart but way better) or E.Leclerc (smaller version of the same) you should find a whole aisle of veggie / organic stuff... Intermarche, Casino and Spar generally had good selections as well, and not just in the big cities. The trick is to find which of the local small towns is home to the biggest supermarket for the best selection.

[soilman]

"The vegetables were of plenty and really amazing quality in the supermarkets, but with regards to other things like 'quorn' or soya products etc was virtually non existent "

Jeez, I've gone my entire life never even tasting quorn. And I could easily manage without soybeans -- soybeans are only 1 kind of thousands of kinds of beans, and France is famous for its cultivation of many varieties of beans, and beans served succulent. Yea -- succulent beans are a vegetable. This should make France a vegetarian heaven, as succulent beans are the best protein source, they tend to be eve better than rehydrated dry beans, and since they are fresh, they have the most vitamins and minerals, and are usually the best tasting kinds of beans, too.

I suppose vegan bread is hard to find in France? Doesn't seem likely.

Try and ask for a plate of steamed succulent beans in a restaurant in les Etats Unis. Now try it in France. Get a plate of beans, a salad, a hunk of superb bread, and you're all set.

[cymbeline]

I'm happy to be going to Paris for a week in February. I have an apartment in the Marais. I'll be looking in the basement of the nearest Monoprix and hoping I'll find food I can eat. I pulled up a web page of a supposedly large organic supermarket in Paris, but it is quite far on the metro from me. Also, there are restaraunts, but I'm not sure if they will be sans milk or eggs or fromage. Also, it's so expensive to eat out in Paris!

Hello to any French Vegans who read this. I'd love to come to your July march someday when I can afford the summer fares. :bobo:

[Morticia]

J'ai habite a paris l'annee derniere pour quatre mois. Je l'ai beaucoup aimee. J'habitais dans une appartement dans le septieme arrondissement- c'etait si jolie. Je n'etais pas une vegetarianne; je mangais du poisson, alors je ne sais pas si c'est difficile d'etre une vegetarianne en france.
Maintenant je suis encore une etudiante dans les Etats-Unis. Je voudrais bien rentrer en France. La France est beaucoup plus interessant qu'ici.

[Rahkoon]

Hey again :)
Je tiens à féliciter tous ceux qui ont essayé de parler français ici, ils ne sont pas si mauvais qu'ils pensent :)
Bienvenue à la Veggie Pride pour tous ceux qui s'en sentent le courage :D
A bientôt ;)

[Azalea]

Hey Rahkoon :hi:

Je ne sais presque pas écrire le francais (ce n'est pas difficile à voir, non..,), mais je parle francais à la maison puisque ma mere est francaise.

L'année prochaine je vais commencer à etudier le francais à l'université, et je me demande bien commend cela va se passer. Just qu'a maintenant, j'ai seulement étudier l'anglais, mais je dois finir par avoir un "bachelor" en langues avec specialisasion en anglais, alors il va faloir que je m'y mette... :surprised

Au moins je sais que les otres norvégiens n'en sait pas plus que moi! :p

eta: ce n'est pas impossible que je choisisserais l'espagnol à la place de le francais, parce-que je sais aussis paler un peu l'espagnol, alors ce n'est pas complement sure que je vais finire par étudier le francais. Mais je sais que je suis plus forte en francais que espagnol, alors ca serai quand-meme le meuilleur chois.

wow, a lot of irrelevant information. And I've totally overstretched my exceedingly limited French writing skills here :p , Ugh, I know my ortography is terrible...

[Rahkoon]

Hey, your french is good Azalea!! :yes:
Well... choosing french or spanish is up to you. I recommend french but er that's a frenchie advice so... maybe it doesn't count :worried:
And don't worry about your french. It can't be worse than my english lol

[Azalea]

Ah, merci :beatnik: ( <---look, French person :p)

My (older) sister (who's also taken French at the university, and found it quite difficult), said that she knew others who'd taken Spanish. According to her they start at a very basic level. She claimed I'd just be bored in that class...since I know a bit already (understand a lot/ speak very little + mix it up with Italian /write even less). And that's strange, because I had actually though taking French would be the easier choice since my French is better than my Spanish. But apparently, then, the level in the French course is much higher than the one in Spanish. I though taking French would be the safer choice; that I'd find the Spanish one too difficult- and now it turns out it might actually be easier to go with Spanish. So now me=confused :think:

Enough with the rambling :p

BTW- I've read other posts that you've written, and I must say that my French is hardly better than your English. I think your English is excellent.

[missbelgium]

Bonjour les gars et les filles... Ma langue maternelle est le Flamand (le Néerlandais, en fait), mais je vis à Bruxelles et je suis professeur de français (niveau humanités/secondaire) de formation. Je travaille actuellement comme fonctionnaire/traductrice français-néerlandais.

Je voulais donc vous signaler qu'il y a encore une francophone dans ce forum ! D'ailleurs... Paris est ma capitale préférée pour un weekend, en fait j'y allais régulièrement avec mon ami, avant la naissance de notre fille. Un autre endroit que je fréquente est dans les Alpes Maritimes, près de Saint-Paul-de-Vence, là j'ai déjà été avec ma fille.

Je suis lacto-ovo donc je n'ai pas eu de grandes difficultés pour manger en France (il y avait toujours les options "pizza margherita" et "salade au fromage de chèvre grillé"...) mais j'ai toujours été étonnée du manque de tolérance et même d'information de base en France par rapport au végétarisme, les cercles végétariens en France, ça reste un petit monde bien fermé et la plupart des Français pensent réellement que les végétariens mangent du poisson et même de la volaille... pour un pays qui, effectivement, a un choix superbe de fruits et de légumes frais d'origine locale, je trouve ça très curieux...

Je ne fréquente pas ce forum de façon régulière mais l'envie de lire quelques échanges me prend de temps en temps.