Monday 17 March 2014

Celebrating Easter in France

If you are organising household removals to France this year or next, with Easter just around the corner, you may be thinking about how the French mark the occasion. If you are moving house with children, the youngest members of the family will excitedly look forward to celebrating the event in their new surroundings. There are many similarities between Easter in France and Britain, and the good news is that you, and the children, won’t miss out on your chocolate treats!

Hamiltons Removals takes a brief look at how the French celebrate Easter so you know what to expect when you move.  Meanwhile, whether you are moving home or office to France, Hamiltons makes the whole process run smoothly as we are specialists in high quality removals to all areas of the country and further afield in Europe and worldwide. We provide household removals to France  to suit your requirements and whether you require packing services, unpacking, specialist removals, storage and/or cleaning of the property you have vacated, just click here to receive your free quotation and find out how much money you can save through Hamiltons.

Easter in France – What to Expect


Easter, which is called Pâques in France, is a major day, as it not only marks the resurrection of Christ, but also embraces spring. Just as in the UK, you will find a host of shop windows decorated with eggs, ribbons....and, more unusually, chocolate fish and bells - so you can stock up on your Easter surprises well in time for the big day. One major thing of note is that instead of a bunny, Easter in France is marked by a Fish, called Poission d’Avril, or Easter fish. And, anyone over the age of 18 years should remember to watch their back at this time, as one of the traditions is for children to stick paper fish on the back of as many adults as they can find!

Another fundamental difference about the festivities in France is that you won’t find any church bells ringing in the few days before Easter. Most of the population are Roman Catholic, and it is a tradition for the church bells to remain silent from Good Friday until Easter Sunday. The story behind this is that the chimes fly to the Vatican – taking the distress of Christ’s Crucifixion with them – and they return to towns and villages on Easter Day to mark the resurrection. The children are told that when the bells return, they bring eggs and goodies with them.

Easter Egg Hunts and Games

Just as in England, youngsters can expect to wake up to an array of delicious chocolate treats such as chocolate eggs, bells and fish; and they can also enjoy an egg hunt in their gardens, or around their homes. Some families make nests the night before and put them out in the garden, ready to receive the treats! There are also a variety of games played at Easter. One of the most common is an egg rolling competition; this is where children decorate raw eggs and roll them down a specially constructed gentle slope. The egg that survives, or rolls the furthest, is the winner. Another game is an egg throwing game, where children throw eggs into the air and catch them and the owner of the first egg that breaks loses the game.

On the lead up to Easter Day, on Palm Sunday, the children might carry decorative branches to church for the priest to bless them. This is to remember when Jesus rode into Jerusalem and people laid palm leaves on the ground before him. On Easter Day, many families will attend a church service, after which they will host a dinner for friends and family where traditionally a leg of lamb or lamb stew is served. Guests may also exchange gifts which may include Easter baskets of goodies for the children. 

Easter Festivals and Events

As it is a public holiday at this time, you will find all sorts of events and activities taking place across France including parades and carnivals, so it is well worth contacting your local Tourist Information Centre or browsing the local newspaper to find out what is going on in your area.

About Hamiltons Removals


For household removals to France, or office moves to France, Hamiltons Removals  are the people to call. We have 20 years of experience in UK, Europe wide and international removals and offer high standards of service at low prices. Just click on the above link to find out more about our services and what we can do for you.

Thursday 13 March 2014

Bringing in the New Year in Paris – A Round Up of the Celebrations

If you are moving house from the UK to France, you will be delighted to know that the French celebrate the New Year in style. On New Year’s Eve in 2013, thousands of festivities took place up and down the country, although some of the biggest events were to be found in Paris. If you have missed the 2013/14 celebrations, don’t worry, you still have plenty of chance to soak up the atmosphere next year. This article gives a round-up of some of the best New Year celebrations in Paris which will give you some idea of what to expect.

Hamiltons Removals operate a weekly removals to France service from the UK and also provide removals back the other way. If you are moving house from the UK to France we are proud of the high standard of service we provide, at very competitive prices. We are specialists in European removals and also provide shipping to international destinations. Just click on the link above to find out more about our full and part load removals to France service or click here to receive your free quotation.

Lights – Paris, the city of romance, is rated one of the top places around the world to see in the New Year. If you like to mingle with the crowds, the top place to head for is the Champs-Élysées, where you will be rewarded with a magnificent light show around the Eiffel Tower. The trick is to arrive early as people usually start congregating down the Champs-Élysées at about 9pm. For a more relaxed street party celebration, however, it is best to head to the Sacré Coeur Cathedral Plaza in Montmartre. It is also worth mentioning that for two days around New Year, Paris hosts a grand parade involving singing, dancing and street entertainment. It finishes up, as you would expect, near the Eiffel Tower.

Nightlife – A memorable way to bring in the New Year is to go to one of the cabarets, or if you like to party, why not dance the night away at one of the city’s many clubs? Madam, Masquerade, Jane Club, Mix Club, Rex, The WAG, Les Planches and 1979 were just some of the clubs hosting events last year. Those who are settled in their host country may well get invited to one of the many balls and private parties, which gives you a great excuse to put on your best eveningwear. And, you never know, you might be lucky enough to get a kiss! It is traditional to pop open a bottle of bubbly when the clock strikes 12 and kiss the person next to you (on the cheek, of course!).

Restaurants – France is well known for its excellent cuisine and there are plenty of restaurants in and around Paris where you can bring in the New Year. Most of the restaurants will offer fairly pricy set menus, and champagne and Foie Gras may be among the delights on the menu. For something really special, why not book a table at one of the Eiffel Tower restaurants? Dinner cruises are also big in Paris, and what could be more romantic than sailing down the River Seine at New Year? Just make sure you book well in advance so you can be sure of a place on the cruise, barge or sailing boat.

For a high quality service you can rely on, moving house from the UK to France will go smoothly with Hamiltons Removals  at the helm. Our removals are tailored to suit your requirements, just click on the link above to find out what we can do for you.

Monday 3 March 2014

European Removals to France: Why Paris is a Popular Place for Expats to Move to

While European removals to France is one of our most popular requests, Paris is one of the favourite cities to move to. In fact, as many as 8,500 British people live and work in Paris, a city known as the worldwide capital of romance, art and fashion. However, it is also one of the world’s most expensive capitals for expatriate employees, so what makes it so appealing? Hamiltons looks at the attraction of Paris, and, in addition to a job move, why so may people choose to settle in this city.

Hamiltons Removals are experienced in domestic and commercial removals to France and we have made scores of successful moves to Paris during our 20 year history.  Whether you want a full packing, unpacking service, sole use of a container or a groupage service, we provide tailor made packages for European removals to France.

European Removals to France – Click here to find out more about our services or contact us direct to discuss your UK to Europe house moves.

Why British People Like to Live in Paris

Mention to friends and family that you are moving to Paris and your response is likely to be one of fascination, followed by a slight trace of envy. There’s something chic and glamorous about moving to Paris, and, as it is so close to the UK, it is easy to jet home for the weekend to visit those back home.  If you are moving house to Paris, this article looks at why it is such a popular and stylish city to put down roots

Culture

Paris is a leading city of culture: whether you enjoy opera, art, music or theatre, you’ll find plenty of places to go to enjoy a wonderful evening out. The city is most popular for its art museums, with Musée D’Orsay and the Louvre being prime tourist destinations, but there are also plenty of little known places to visit, such as Musée de la Publicité, a museum dedicated to advertising and poster art.

If you like theatre or opera, you’ll also be spoiled for choice as Paris has over 100 theatres, including Opera de la Bastille, a modern opera house, and Comédie Française, the oldest theatre group in France. And, if you enjoy classical music, the Orchestre de Paris performs the majority of its concerts at the Parisian concert hall, Salle Pleyel.

Food

France is known the world over for its culinary delights, but you won’t just be limited to French dishes when you move. Instead, you will have all sorts of flavours to choose from as cuisine from all over the world is represented here. From Michelin Starred French restaurants to North African restaurants, Asian restaurants, Israeli, Japanese and Italian, you will find pretty much anything to suit your palate. Eateries are available in all price ranges, from the top end of the market, to fast food. As a general rule it is best to stay away from the main tourist areas, so you don’t have the pay the extra prices.

Work

Expats moving to Paris work in all sorts of areas, although the majority of these are in the high value service industries such as finance, IT, and technology. Many large scale international companies have offices in France, so employees often take up positions in Paris through relocations - although as the city is such a popular destination, these jobs are generally few and far between.  Other expat positions include posts as au pairs, nannies, babysitters, or English teachers.

Fashion

Paris has been named globally as the ‘capital of style’, so it has long been attracting people from the modelling industry. And, with the Paris Fashion Week featuring twice yearly, it is a huge draw for fashionistas. It is also a centre for haute couture, and its numerous exclusive boutiques makes it the perfect shopping destination for high earners. So, if you like to splash out on clothing and accessories, there’s plenty to delight in Paris.

Study

A number of British students move to Paris each year to study at one of the city’s universities, particularly the famous and prestigious Sorbonne. Others move here as a temporary measure to brush up on their language skills - as the only true way of learning French is to live and speak among the locals. Paris also appeals for those who want to study art, design and/or fashion.

About Hamiltons Removals

If you are moving to house from the UK to France, Hamiltons offer a high quality, competitive service. We provide a weekly removals to France service and also offer a special service, where you set the date for your move.

Professional Removals from the UK to France – contact us today to find out more about our European removals service.