by Anne Swardson | Jun 28, 2021 | France
I’ll come out and say it: Voter ID is a good thing. That’s a controversial view in the U.S. But I have seen it work here, not once but for every one of the 10 times I have voted in France. All voters carry their national identification card (a passport will do too)... 
by Anne Swardson | Jun 14, 2021 | France, Rouen
Charlie and I celebrated the phaseout of lockdown recently with a trip to Rouen, a lovely city with a knockout cathedral. The trip was also a reminder that France isn’t just Paris. In the past we’ve traveled widely in our adopted country, but the various COVID... 
by Anne Swardson | May 31, 2021 | France
Did you ever try to attend several parties in one evening because they all sounded so fun? I was given a similar opportunity via an email from the U.S. Embassy the other day. “Multiple protests on Saturday beginning at noon. Demonstrators are expected on a variety of... 
by Anne Swardson | May 19, 2021 | covid, France
It was the most-awaited day in France since the pandemic began: Restaurants and cafés could finally open. Closed by government decree since Oct. 26, eating and watering and caffeinating places had survived only by offering takeout, and by a dose of government aid. For... 
by Anne Swardson | May 10, 2021 | covid, France
I made my third circuit around Paris the other day. The first, a few years ago, was on foot, over 16 weekend days. The second, just after the second COVID lockdown ended last fall, was by bike. This trip was on the Paris tram system, which encircles almost all of the... 
by Anne Swardson | Apr 26, 2021 | covid, France
Much of what’s good about America can be found at the grocery store. Like many long-term residents abroad, Charlie and I experience reverse culture shock when we go back to the U.S. We marvel at the width of the highways and their broad medians as we drive away from...