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Some 20 years ago, Londoner Janine Marsh took a trip to Nord-Pas de Calais in rural France and spontaneously bought a house that “cost less than a designer handbag”.
For several years, she split her time between the UK and France, but eventually decided to relocate permanently and has not looked back since.
The French kiss of friendship is still common in France post-Covid
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For those planning a move rather than a vacation, Janine offered her top tips on how to make friends in France, plus the essential skill that is required.
Most recently, she shared what Britons need to know before relocating.
This time, the expat spoke to GB News about an interesting practice that she certainly didn’t experience back in Beckenham: the French kiss of friendship – or La Bise.
Janine told GB News: “In Britain, we shake hands, or we might hug if it’s a really good friend or family member.
“In France, they kiss – which can take a bit of getting used to – and the etiquette of kissing is a bit confusing. How many times? Which cheek do you start with?
“Now that I live here, I know that even the French aren’t always sure as it differs from region to region.
“For instance, it’s one kiss in Finistère in Brittany, whilst some regions like the Loire claim a lip-smacking four kisses is normal!
“And which side first: the left or the right? That differs too, according to where you’re from – generally to the right, but in the far south, to the left.
“And if you’re in a supermarket, especially in rural areas, it’s quite usual for people who are friends with the cashier to swap kisses at the counter as they pay for their goods!”
Answering whether or not the pandemic shifted the way people feel about La Bise, Janine said: “Since Covid, it hasn’t really changed – people still kiss.
“But there is a better understanding that people don’t necessarily take it for granted when they’re meeting strangers. They wait for you to say, ‘I’m happy with that’.”
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Extending a kiss of friendship is customary at work – just not to the boss
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After several years of living in France, the routine kissing no longer shocks Janine – except for in one specific setting.
She said: “What does surprise me is that whenever you go into the office, people kiss their colleagues.”
Janine shared that when she writes for the Tourist Office, they all kiss her when she goes in – a far cry from the office environment she was used to back in her London days.
She did make an important distinction though: at work, you might kiss your good friends – “but not the boss!”.
Janine is the author of several best-selling books and the editor of The Good Life France, for everything you want to know about France and more.
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