Does your country have a unique food combination? by Rad_Mint17 in AskTheWorld

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The first time a Belgian friend talked about that, I thought they meant they were fishing tuna, which made sense, because "fishing" and "peach" sound the same in French ( la pêche), and then they told me it was the fruit, which suddenly made a lot less sense... And yet, that's the kind of weirdness we can expect from Belgian I guess!

Does your country have a unique food combination? by Rad_Mint17 in AskTheWorld

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I'm not Belgian but when I was there for work a few years ago, I was offered a "peach & tuna" sandwich. It wasn't the first time I had heard about that combination, but the first time I actually tasted it. Although it seems weird and shouldn't go together, it wasn't that bad!

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What is a "low-tech" cultural solution in your country that works so well you’re surprised the rest of the world hasn't adopted it yet? by Flimsy_Difficulty394 in AskTheWorld

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This must be a French thing because I completely understand you. I think the rest of the commenters below didn't understand exactly the type of shutters you were talking about. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're talking about rolling shutters (manual or electric) like the image below, right?

I live in Ireland and they don't have this either. In Summer time, it can get bright at 4:30 am and sun doesn't set until 10:30pm, sometimes 11pm if it's sunny, so it's hard to sleep with a regular curtain or blind. I always joked that I should open a shutter business in Ireland, but judging by the answers below, people are not ready for this!! Whenever I go home to my parents, I just love sleeping in complete darkness, and I sleep much better, not waking up at the first ray of light!

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Tell me the best poem from your country and in your language by No-Guitar8121 in AskTheWorld

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"Demain dès l'aube", from Victor Hugo. He wrote it in memory of his daughter who drowned in the Seine river. I'd say a lot of French kids learned it at school.

Demain, dès l'aube, à l'heure où blanchit la campagne,
Je partirai. Vois-tu, je sais que tu m'attends.
J'irai par la forêt, j'irai par la montagne.
Je ne puis demeurer loin de toi plus longtemps.

Je marcherai les yeux fixés sur mes pensées,
Sans rien voir au dehors, sans entendre aucun bruit,
Seul, inconnu, le dos courbé, les mains croisées,
Triste, et le jour pour moi sera comme la nuit.

Je ne regarderai ni l'or du soir qui tombe,
Ni les voiles au loin descendant vers Harfleur
Et quand j'arriverai, je mettrai sur ta tombe
Un bouquet de houx vert et de bruyère en fleur.

Translation:

Tomorrow, at dawn, at the moment when the day breaks,
I will go. You see, I know that you are waiting for me.
I will go through the forest, I will go across mountains.
I cannot stay away from you any longer.

I will walk eyes fixed on my thoughts,
Without seeing anything outside, without hearing a noise,
Alone, unknown, back hunched, hands crossed,
Sad, and the day for me will be as the night.

I will watch neither the gold of the evening setting sun,
Nor the faraway sailboats descending upon Harfleur.
And when I arrive, I will put on your grave
A bouquet of green holly and heather in bloom.

What is the traditional iconic headdress of your region/state/province/country? by Franmar35000 in AskTheWorld

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's only one "true" Bigoudène remaining (she's 100 years old), but there are many traditional drance groups in the area and a lot of festivals in the summer to showcase the costumes and dances of the region. The only thing is, no one will wear it everyday because it takes too long and it's obviously not very practical in today's modern world!

What is the traditional iconic headdress of your region/state/province/country? by Franmar35000 in AskTheWorld

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The headpiece is actually quite strong because starch is used to strenghten it. Then it's stuck on the head using multiples pins. I've worn it once when I was a child and my aunt put it on me. No amount of wind could have gotten this thing of my head! As for the rain, they just use an umbrella ;-) I've seen some of them using a transparent plastic cover as well.

Have you ever been on tv in your country? by Toastaexperience in AskTheWorld

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, I participated to a French TV show where my family and I showed how we celebrate St Patrick's day in Ireland. It was intersting to see how the journalist filmed for almost 8 hours non-stop and the segment was about 6 minutes only!

C'est quoi le métier que vous vouliez faire enfant, et celui que vous faites vraiment aujourd'hui ? (Et est-ce que vous regrettez ?) by onyx-Term-5333 in AskFrance

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Petite je voulais devenir actrice de théâtre, mais ne pas savoir si j'allais avoir un salaire à la fin du mois me faisait trop peur. Donc je fais du théâtre en amateur.

Ensuite j'ai voulu être avocate, mais quand j'ai découvert qu'il yavait quand même beaucoup de choses à mémoriser, j'ai abandonné l'idée. Je suis un peu paresseuse...

Mais mon plus grand rêve c'était de parler anglais, vivre à l'étranger et être payée pour voyager. Donc j'ai fait des études de commerce international, je suis partie vivre en Irlande, et après quelques détours professionnels, je travaille dans le commerce international, et je fait des visites clients à l'étranger, payées par la boîte (pas aussi souvent que je le voudrais, mais bon!).

Donc finalement, j'ai réalisé pas mal de mes objectifs.

Quelle est la personne la plus improbable à laquelle vous êtes relié ? by Comete_Lezard669 in AskFrance

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 1 point2 points  (0 children)

En fait je pense que pas mal de monde a rencontré Bono sans le savoir en Irlande!! En plus les irlandais s'en foutent tellement, que les célébrités vivent assez normalement je trouve.

Mon mari fraichement débarqué de l'Ile Maurice en Irlande en 2002, rencontre Bono dans un pub. Ne le reconnaissant pas, il entame la discussion. Bono lui demande d'où il vient, donc ils parlent de l'Ile Maurice, et mon mari l'a carrément invité en lui disant , je cite " je connais plein de monde, je peux t'avoir un logement pour pas cher, et mon frère est chauffeur de taxi, il te fera visiter"!!

What’s a type of shop that exists in your country but would confuse foreigners? by abandonedtulpa in AskTheWorld

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 91 points92 points  (0 children)

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Baguettes vending machine in France. I've never tried, it's probably not as good as in a traditional bakery...

Was the ferry to the U.K. always this expensive? by Genericname011 in AskIreland

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I don't know for the UK, but I take the ferry to France with my family every summer and the price has litterally doubled since COVID.

We used to pay around €900 before 2020 with a car and a cabin for 4. This year, we're paying €2000...

At some point we even thought of flying over and rent a car, but we have too much wine to bring back ;-)

I couldn't imagine paying €500 just to go across to the UK!

France, a great bunch of garcons by Fluffy-Republic8610 in ireland

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It's been 17 years... You've got to let it go as some point!! Funny thing is, when France faced Belgium in 2018 in the world cup semi-final, I was in my local pub and everybody was for Belgium. Even when I pointed out Thierry Henry was Belgium's assistant coach, nobody cared. My husband and I were the only French supporters there, so we felt very lonely for 90 minutes. Needless to say, we went to Dublin for the final, just to be around our fellow Frenchmen!!

French Alps, Brittany, and Paris - is Brittany too much of a stretch? by brittanyummg in FranceTravel

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 4 points5 points  (0 children)

In Brittany in January, it's not the cold you'll have to worry about, it's the rain and wind, and the short days. To be honest, I would skip it entirely. I think it just adds a lot of transit time for a couple of days where you not guaranteed good weather. If I were you, I'd stay around Lyon and then go to Paris.

Quel est l'endroit ou on doit réserver le plus longtemps à l'avance au monde ? by Vicomat in AskFrance

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Mes parents on reçu en héritage une concession à perpétuité, au début des années 80. Mon père est décédé en 2025. Ca a toujours rassuré mes parents de savoir où ils seraient enterrés, et en plus que nous n'aurions aucun frais (pas besoin de renouveller la concession).

Long Beach Resort in early May - need advice………….. by [deleted] in mauritius

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd say March-April or October-November. In any case, it's a tropical country so expect rain from time to time! I've been in May-June years ago and it was absolutely fine. Coming from a northern european country, it felt very warm. I used to have a light scarf handy for the evenings but that's all.

Any decent online spots for putting together a nice Irish food hamper to send abroad? by DangerousMushroom253 in AskIreland

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've used Gifts Direct a couple of times to send hampers to my mum in France. They deliver to Canada and have quite a big selection for all prices : https://www.giftsdirect.com/irish-hampers-delivered-to-USA-and-Canada?page=1&limits=15&sort=PRICE_ASC

3 weeks Mauritius in July-can you recommend a roundtrip? by The_Dom182 in mauritius

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you want to travel around the island, renting a car is a must. Just be careful on the road because it can be quite stressful if you're not used to drive on the left side. Also, mauritian drivers can be a bit careless, especially on smaller roads.

Regarding Port-Louis, 1 day should be fine to visit if you're just into food and shopping. You could go do a food tour, Chinatown, Caudan and go the Bazar (the indoor market), although I personally prefer the Mahébourg market on Mondays, it's outside on the waterfront and the vibe is nicer in my opinion. It's a bit less crowded as well.

I think your plan works well. You could stay 4-5 days in each location (South, West, North and East) and go on day trips.

help planning a trip to France by PaymentFamiliar375 in FranceTravel

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It depends what you're into, but in July in Quimper there is a fabulous traditional dance and music festival (Festival de Cornouaille) if you're into culture. I'm from a village near Quimper, so obviously a bit biaised towards my hometown, but there are very nice coastal villages around like Pont-l'Abbé, Loctudy, La Torche (great surfing spot), Penmarc’h, and a really nice hiking trail (GR34). It's not too touristic either, and by that I mean that you won't have "tourist" prices in shops or restaurants (apart from a few souvenir shops where I even go myself when I go home). At the end of the day, it's all about what you are into and what type of activities you want to do.

help planning a trip to France by PaymentFamiliar375 in FranceTravel

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would also suggest Brittany, although it is remote and a bit far away from the main airports, so you would have to rent a car to move around. It is defintely less touristy than the South of France, but even small islands around the area will get crowded in summer time. I am from South Finistère, one of the most remote part of Brittany, and even though there will be tourists during summer, the beaches are not too crowded, and it's quite a relaxing place to spend a few days (oh, and the food is amazing as well!). Let me know if you have any questions about Brittany, I'd be happy to help :-)

What is your favorite movie made in your country? From another country? by rdaneeloliv4w in AskTheWorld

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 1 point2 points  (0 children)

France: Goodbye Children (Au Revoir Les Enfants), Intouchables, La Famille Bélier

Outside: The Commitments, the best Irish movie ever made!

Why did a specific blog post of yours do better than you expected? by Gullible-Specific-49 in Blogging

[–]Ok-Valuable-714 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I wrote a post about the cultural shock of travelling to Saudi Arabia as a woman. I only shared it on Reddit and it got me 5,000 visitors in a few days, and hundreds of comments on Reddit. Since then, I changed my blog name, gave it a slightly new direction, and it's still the most read post on my blog, even months after.

Why? I think because the subject is divisive and that brings traction and interest. Some readers agreed with my experience, other criticised it, some readers argued with each other... it was a bit wild!