Learning French in France is a great thing to do and I wouldn’t want to put you off it for a second. There is perhaps no better way to improve your French than to be surrounded by the language and the sights and sounds of French life.

Paris, for example, is a beautiful city and you can imagine the joys of a French lesson followed by a walk along the Rive Gauche of the Seine, stopping at a riverside café for a coffee or a glass of something and just watching the people go by – to my mind it’s a marvellous way to pass an hour or two. What about Nice or Cannes? Places rightly renowned for their style and glamour. “Immersion Learning” is one of the current buzz-words when learning French so what better way to immerse yourself than to go to France?

If that’s the case, you might ask, why on earth would I suggest that learning French in France might not be the best way?

Well if you’ve got deep pockets then I’d thoroughly recommend it. As I said there’s probably no better way to improve your French. But the important word there is “improve”. If you haven’t got deep pockets and you’re just starting with learning French, I’d have to say there are not only much cheaper ways to learn but ones which, given your situation, are actually better for you, easier and will help you learn French faster.

The drawback with learning French in France if you’re just starting out is the pressure you’re almost certainly going to put on yourself. Many of us learn French long after we’ve left school, and we’re not all together comfortable with going back into the classroom situation. OK, you’ll be surrounded by like-minded individuals and it’s going to be a bit different to when you were fifteen, but it’s still a classroom.

On top of that, you will have travelled a long way and paid a considerable amount of money to be amongst four, six or eight people you probably haven’t met before and who almost certainly all have different levels of French language skills. It can therefore be quite difficult for the teacher to give you adequate attention and you won’t be able to get the best out of it. The result is that you might well feel dissatisfied with your progress, you’ll put more pressure on yourself and end up trying to study outside of class time when you should be enjoying the many pleasures and beauties of France!

Now if you’re thinking of going to France on vacation, don’t let me put you off in the least. You’ll get on better if you can speak a few words of French, but if you’re in one of the larger towns or cities you can probably get by just fine with English. Go, you’ll have a great time!

But if you’re thinking of learning French in France – and I mean going there specifically to study the French language – I’ll offer a small piece of advice if I may, as someone who’s been there and done it. Before you invest a thousand dollars there, invest a few dollars – and I mean around $100 – in a good home study course which gives you computer-based exercises, interactive games, written texts and MP3s that you can listen to at your PC or copy to a player to carry around with you.

Do that first, get a bit of a grasp of the basics, then go to France. Trust me, you’ll be so much better prepared and you’ll enjoy the whole experience so much more. As I said at the start, learning French in France is a great thing to do – a little work before you go can make it the trip of a lifetime.

Get Angelina’s celebrity maternity style only at Queen Bee Australia!  While vacationing in Cannes, France, preparing for her summer twin delivery Angelina was spotted wearing our Juliet Dream shirred tank PLUS Seraphine London straight leg trousers…..

Juliet Dream Shirred Black Tank

Step out in effortless style – simple maternity tank in black by Juliet Dream.  Thin shoulder straps with gathers at the neckline so the fabric drapes over your belly.  Banded underbelly fit in a light cotton jersey fabric.

Designed by Seraphine London – Straight Leg Black Trousers

Design: Straight leg, with a low waist and discreet adjustable side stretch, no one would guess these are maternity trousers. They fit comfortably under the bump and have all the details of a regular pair of trousers like a front zip and back pockets.
Material: Made in light-weight, comfortable superb quality cotton stretch. Machine washable. 
You said: “The Séraphine black maternity trousers are a perfect fit” – Nifa McLaughlin, Glamour magazine.  “The most flattering pants I have ever worn”, QueenBee.

Celebrity spotting

This week weâ??re â??celebrity spottingâ?? and weâ??ve got a whole range of items that have been worn or bought by your fave celebs! The new sex and the city flick premiereâ??s this week and we spotted good girl charlotte in this cute polka dot dress! Our maternity inspired version by Childish Clothing â?¢ comes in black or pink with white polka dots â?? a HOT price at only $76.95. Perfect worn over jeans or leggings!

We just have to mention the ever popular Seraphine Crochet Dress worn by actress Halle Berry. She looks stunning seen shopping in LA just 2 days before she gave birth. Great news is that we will be re-stocking this exact dress in all sizes mid June 08 so get in quick and snap one up before they sell out again! The empire line is ultra flattering to the bust and the dress hugs your bump whilst the skirt part is A-line and does not cling on your hips and thighs so you get a very slimming effect.

Angelina was seen buying these cute baby lovie mini security blankets for her children. Available in â??fuzzyâ?? or â??flannel polka dotsâ?? trimmed with luxurious soft satin your baby will love holding the blankie when they sleep. I have one for my little 7 month old son Koby and it never leaves his side! The size is perfect for travelling and when youâ??re on the go, and the blanket and comes in handy for little milk spills â?? so your best to grab two when one is in the wash!!

The long sleeve hoodie by 1 in the Oven is now available (sorry about the wait!) and was worn by Jessica Alba. Great for this chilly weather itâ??s sure to keep you and your bump super cosy and comfy! Available in gorgeous winter colours â?? black, faded black, brown, baby blue and navy (coming soon!)

And last but not least are our BEST SELLING maternity henleyâ??s by 1 in the Oven. Famous model Heidi Klum was seen wearing her navy one shopping when pregnant late last year. Made of beautiful soft waffle weave cotton â?? many women rave about the comfy fit and buy at least 3 in their fave colours. Iâ??m still wearing my maternity ones as they are so easy to breastfeed in and look great with a tank layered underneath.

Thanks for your patience last week whilst we were upgrading the backend of our site. The â??frontendâ?? will be up soon and shopping with Queen Bee will be BIGGER and BETTER than ever…..!

Have a wonderful week,
love queen bee
xxx

Check out more articles by Queen Bee! 

www.QueenBee.com.au – the hottest place to shop maternity!

Pamper yourself like royalty as if you were in Grasse itself. Grasse??? Never heard of it? Oh dear, oh dear!!!
Grasse is the center of the French perfume industry and is known as the world’s perfume capital (la capitale mondiale des parfums). Many “noses” are trained or have spent time in Grasse. It produces over two-thirds of France’s natural aromas (for perfume and for food flavourings). This industry turns over more than 600 million euros a year.

Grasse is a sunny little refuge that hangs 1,148 feet high on the hill of Roquevillon, about 12 miles north-west of Cannes. Its exceptionally mild climate and fertile soils yield an abundant wild and sweet-smelling flowering. The local people transform the beautiful coloured petals into subtle and delicate perfumes that have made Grasse the perfume capital of eastern Provence.

Legend has it that Catherine de Medicis was behind this newfound enthusiasm for perfume. While staying in Grasse, she was greatly impressed by the profusion of fragrant multicolored flora that filled this area of Provence, around the Mediterranean sea. Bored with the exotic perfumes that she was importing from the East at great cost, she chose Signor Tombarelli, a native of Florence who was a member of her entourage and perfumer by trade, to create a workshop in Grasse where he could make delicate essential oils from the local flowers.

The aromatic frangrances of Dermastir Candle Massage Oil are made in Grasse. This candle when heated, besides providing you with a home fragrance system, will  also make available a warm body oil ideal for a massage treatment and a natural moisturizer for hands, feet and other dry skin areas of your body. 

Massage is a complementary therapy that, when applied with love and care on affected area, can evoke many beneficial changes within the body, mind, and spirit of the whole person. Massage is a powerful treatment precisely because it works on both the physical and psychological levels. While the hand strokes of massage can ease pain or tension from stiff and aching muscles, boost a sluggish circulation, or eliminate toxins, the nurturing touch of the hands on the body soothes away mental stress and restores emotional equilibrium at the same time. Especially beneficial is thus a massage with the pure massage oils of Dermastir Candle Massage Oils.
 
Alta Care Laboratoires is offering you products designed to give you the ability to pamper yourself as if you were vacationing in the worlds most luxurious spa. Experience the vibrant fragrances and silky feel of our massage oil candles. They may also be the perfect gift for yourself or someone special without spending a fortune.
 
The rich and famous from all over the world travel to the most luxurious spas and resorts to be treated like royalty. Fortunately, with the help of spa candle, you don’t have to be wealthy or “know someone” to treat yourself the same way! Just get a beautiful massage candle. However it is important that the candle’s essential oil is of an excellent quality. Grasse, the place of origin of Alta Care Laboratoires’ candle provides ample proof for this. The mythical Chanel No.5 was created here and France has always been a world authority in the industry – the first guild of perfumers was established in the 12th century by Philippe-Augustine of France. The texture and smell of these candles will make all the difference.

Finally it is good to know that essential oils, work in different ways. At the scent level they activate the limbic system and emotional centers of the brain. When applied to the skin in the form of “massage oils”, besides moisturizing, toning and relaxing it, they also activate thermal receptors. Many have tried to copy Dermastir candle massage oils but the secret lies in the aromatic scents found in Grasse and the quality of the Alta Care massage oils.

www.altacare.com

India is a country of various kind of land. In south there are oceans and rivers. This coastline area have different climate. Rajasthan is deserted area. In north several lakes and rivers add the beauty of high spreading mountains. Some area is famous for fertile land. 

If you have planned for north India tour, you may go with the option of north India tour. Mathura, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Amritsar are renowned pilgrims. In India people have a great devotion in religious works. North India tour package is just to explore Indian states as Delhi, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Jammu Kashmir. Jammu Kashmir is the heaven of India. The beauty of this place cannâ??t be explained in words. Since last two years some area of this state is affected badly by terrorism. Therefore tourists do not feel at ease to travel there.

The main cities of north India tour are Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chandigarhh, Jammu and Ludhiana. These cities are known to rich historical and cultural heritage.

This is one of the best tour packages of India tour. North India tour includes the great mountain series with glaciers beside this, the great historical rivers of India flows here. These rivers help us in farming that is the main business of India.

North India is famous for its natural beauty. During the summer vacation, you can enjoy the cool and soothing atmosphere of hillside. The main hill stations are Nanital, Mussorie, Dehradun, Shimla, Chail, Manali, Laddakh, and Jammu. These are the places where you can spend your vacations in the lap of nature.

 A lot of religious places are here in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Haridwar, Rishikesh, north India tour package begins with Delhi, capital of India. Various spots are like Redford, Qutub Minar. Raj Ghat, Parliament house and India gate. Delhi is connected with rest of India by various transport modes. Agra, wonderful Tajmahal city on the bank of river Ramuna tells its history of mugal time. Fatehpur Sikri nearby Agra made by mugal emperor Akbar, famous for its architectural art. Rajasthan is popular fort its majestic and exotic forts, palaces, monuments and temples. No one can deny seeing this unexceptional art of ancient time.

 

Whether you think you can still find affordable French property is going to depend to a large extent on a couple of factors. Where in France you want to live and how much work you want to do. If you’re prepared to live away from the coasts and mountain ski resorts you’ll find some very good value houses in France. French property gets even more affordable if you’re prepared to get your hands dirty.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the French property market. Many people seem to think you can buy yourself a French house for next to nothing. Sure, if you live in the south east of England you’ll find a similar place in France for about 25 – 30% of the price, but you gone are the days when you could buy a six bedroom farmhouse with a few acres of land for 50,000. The market has matured and, unfortunately for us, the French are much more aware of what they’ve got and what they can get for it.

Similarly people think that you can buy a wreck and renovate for peanuts. It’s just not the case. French building workers, electricians, plumbers, etc., are usually highly skilled and in great demand, which of course means they’re not cheap! If you have the skills to do it yourself you’ll find materials at a good price but can you do building work and electrics and plumbing? Can you do them to the increasingly stringent French standards? If you can’t, you might find your home insurance is invalidated.

But I don’t want to give the impression that it’s all doom and gloom and bargains can’t be had. For many of us France is still a country with lots of very desirable and very affordable property.

There genuine bargains are for older properties that are very popular with foreign buyers but not with the French. The majority of the French would rather live in a new house than renovate. Indeed it’s a much cheaper choice for them. In addition to this, it’s difficult for the French to get a mortgage on a house that requires renovation. Finally there’s the lack of employment in many rural areas that leaves many young French people with no option but to move to the towns and cities.

If you want to live by the coast, you’re probably going to struggle to find something. As a general rule these areas have been well developed over the last ten to fifteen years and the barns that could be converted have been done, the houses in need of renovation have been renovated. The north coast is still not expensive by many people’s standards, but prices drop quickly when you come inland.

As you move down the west coast prices increase until the south where they’re just plain expensive by anyone’s standards. Nice and Cannes is millionaire territory and the alps aren’t cheap. Fine if you want a fortnight skiing but not the place to look for bargain homes!

No, it’s the rural heart of France that offers the real bargains even now. The Limousin has become more popular recently with an influx of Dutch, German and English buyers in part due to improved air links. It’s the Centre that offers the best house values in France at the moment though. If you’re looking for truly affordable French property, that’s the place to go.

Like, is it even possible? Could I buy tickets? Sneak in? See the celebs? Party?
Because I was thinking of going there for vacation, and May would be the perfect time =]

We are hitting Rome (3 days), Italy; Naples, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Venice, Italy; Venice, Italy; Messina, Sicily, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; Cannes, France; Livorno, Italy in June via Carnival cruise. Especially would like input on day excursions/points of interest that are not to be missed at the above locations. Any other advise would helpful as well. I’ve never been on a cruise ship before either.
Yes, Amsterdam is a favorite, not this time though.