Dear Friends of French Affaires Allow me to introduce French Affaires Associate Maud Hacker. Many of you know her already. We have now completed ten trips together. She worked with Elizabeth on various projects (and they competed for favorite shopping items!) and she joined me at French Affaires on the “Paris at the Holidays” 2021 trip. Since then, we have been to Provence, the Cote d’Azur, Normandy, Burgundy, and Paris. We are about to embark on a visit to the Dordogne, in February, to review details for that popular French Affaires offering. It is also a place full of memories for Elizabeth ..read more

Dear Friends of French Affaires, It is that time of year to warm up our “Joyeux Noël” as Christmas approaches. I trust you are all well and ready to enjoy the approaching Holidays. For French Affaires, 2023 has been a busy and productive year. I am just back from the popular “Paris at the Holidays” trip. You can see us at Instagram. Maud and I made some minor modifications and they were all clear improvements. One of the highlights was the special visit to Chaumet Jewelry on the Place Vendôme. We were treated to a private two-hour visit. We also modified the programme with a visit to the Marai ..read more

Dear Friends of French Affaires! I am just back from a 4-week stay in France. September is a great month to be there. Good weather, fewer crowds, and of course, it’s France! The language immersion trip of Aix-en-Provence is always a popular choice. I decided to try a new venue and a different model, for alternate years. Virginie Rouxel was our language specialist and host in the charming town of Beaune, historic center of the Burgundy wine trade. We stayed in two medieval-era hotels, run by a couple from Beaune, and ten minutes on foot from each other, inside the historic ramparts. The trip st ..read more

How the time has flown! The last French Affaires newsletter went out in March, now 5 months ago. Maud and I had been in the Côte d’Azur for a trip planning session. I then headed off to Aix for some days of holiday and memories. Elizabeth and I know every lane and route in this delightful region, and I wanted to climb to the grotto of Mary Magdalene (Sainte Baume) on Ash Wednesday. We are headed back to the Riviera in September, for a private trip with Dallas friends. I believe this six-day tour (Èze, Monte Carlo, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Nice, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Cannes, Île Saint-Honorat, Ant ..read more

Dear Friends of French Affaires, Our weather in the US in February is literally all over the map. Howling winds and cold bursts in Texas, frozen roads in the Northeast and Upper Midwest, unpredictable days in the Carolinas. France is about the size of Texas (and Dallas and Paris occupy about the same location respectively). The south of France has typically cool days, lower sixties during the day time, and clear skies. The lovely azure blue of sky and sea. Hence, Cote d’Azur. French Affaires has two trips planned for June and September in Provence and in the Var (Cote d’Azur, or Riviera). Maud ..read more

Dear Friends of French Affaires It is that time of year to warm up our “Joyeux Noël” as Christmas approaches. I trust you are all well and ready to enjoy the approaching Holidays. For French Affaires, 2022 has been a busy and productive year. I am just back from the popular “Paris at the Holidays” trip. It is one of the best groups I have experienced. You can see us at Instagram. Maud and I made some minor modifications and they were all clear improvements. One of the highlights for me was the special visit to the Mellerio Jewelers on the Place Vendôme, the oldest jewelers in the world. We saw ..read more

Dear Friends of French Affaires, As usual, we have the heat and humidity challenge during the US summers. Pretty much everywhere. So, it was pleasant to enjoy open windows at night, upper 50s, maybe 80F during the day, on my recent trip to Normandy. France has not, of course, been immune from the summer heat (and fires in the SW). Paris had a couple stints of canicule (heat wave), getting up to 104. I can recall a couple occasions in Courances and in Paris when it got this hot. We purchased a floor unit a/c that worked reasonably well. Elizabeth bought me a kiddie pool and I’d fill it with the ..read more

Dear Friends of French Affaires, I so enjoyed hearing from many of you after the last Newsletter. I have had interest shown in trips presently on offer at our website. I have made contact with former participants at French Affaires, as well as new people excited to be in contact. Some others were unaware of Elizabeth’s sudden passing. As you know, she had so many friends and supporters of her, and those who have appreciated her wisdom, kindness, intelligence and love of things beautiful. Thank you for reaching out. This has also enabled me to evaluate the present climate for travel and where t ..read more

Dear Friends of French Affaires As you know, I am excited to be able to continue Elizabeth’s fine work at French Affaires. Two successful trips took place in Burgundy and Lyon in September and October 2021, followed by the popular “Paris at the Holidays” offering. These are being offered again in 2022. You can see the descriptions here. In addition, we are doing a major private trip in April-May in Paris, followed by the very popular two-week “Live Like a Local” French language immersion trip in lovely Aix-en-Provence. Two weeks in Provence. I am headed there to review the events the first wee ..read more

Dear French Affaires Friends, Elizabeth New Seitz passed away on 23 September 2021. It was a tragic loss for me, her husband, and all her many French Affaires friends, among others. She fought bravely, just as she did with everything in her life. Elizabeth and I married in 2009 and shortly thereafter, with my enthusiastic encouragement, she started French Affaires. I have had the joy and the privilege to journey alongside her. We moved to France in 2015 and this only increased our love for, and hands-on commitment to, the French Affaires vision. Many of you will have visited us in our Courance ..read more