This month, Melissa Stromberg, an American translator and writer living in Nantes, will be answering Knowing Nantes’ questions.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
I would hate to think that I have already accomplished my greatest achievement! Can I buy a bit more time?

There are a few things that I am proud of having accomplished, however: working since the age of 15; attending the Sorbonne for a year and interning with a sports marketing firm (MasterCard account for World Cup Games '98) in Paris; helping to build homes for the poor in the US with Habitat for Humanity; earning my Bachelor's degree; working for 6 years as a proposal writer for an international non-profit organization, which included travel to Peru and Indonesia; and having the courage to come to Nantes with my husband and start again, sans permit de travail! At the moment, I am preparing for enrolment at the University of Nantes to pursue an advanced degree.

WHAT MAKES YOU GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING?
Shamefully, I must admit that I am not a morning person. On those grey, drizzly winter mornings in Nantes, only the thought of my morning cup of Joe will get me out of bed!

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON LIFE HAS TAUGHT YOU, TO DATE?
The most important life lesson, I believe, is to learn from and appreciate the strengths of those around you.

WHAT OR WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE?
Hmm. The most important thing in my life is a moving target, whatever project I am working on at the moment! Without question, the "who" would be my husband, family and friends.

IF YOUR APARTMENT WAS ON FIRE? WHAT WOULD YOU RESCUE APART FROM YOUR LOVED ONES.
That would have to be my Apple iBook! Of course, if time allowed, I would grab anything else I could carry: purse, photo albums, official documents, a plant or two...!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FRENCH EXPRESSIONS? WHY?
Oh, there are too many wonderful French expressions! I love the vivid imagery of someone living on a little cloud, or having a little bicycle in his or her head, or putting their feet in their plate. Perhaps the most useful is “marée basse!” But, my current favourite is "ça fait du bruit dans Landerneau," meaning some thing or event is stirring up interest far and wide. Last year, we attended our Breton friends' wedding in Landerneau, and let me tell you, it is the back of beyond (a beautiful place for a wedding, though, and we did make some noise)!

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT LIVING IN FRANCE?
The quality of life as an American expatriate in France is superb. In addition to extremely low crime rates, unparalleled vacation time, ridiculously inexpensive healthcare and that world-renowned, mouth-watering French cuisine, my husband and I have enjoyed true hospitality from our French colleagues and friends. Our experience thus far has been overwhelmingly positive.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE DAY IN FRANCE?
I was standing on the grounds of Guillaume le Conquérant's boyhood home with my 84-year-old grandfather. Six members of my family came from Louisiana to visit us in France (and for some of them, it was their first time on a plane), so my husband and I rented a van and we took them on a Paris-Nantes-Normandy tour. My grandfather had come over that way in WWII, so of course, being in Paris and Normandy again, some 60 years later, was a profoundly emotional experience for him. Oddly enough, he has been fascinated with the Bayeux Tapestry and William the Conquerer's 1066 Norman invasion (and particularly the impact it had on the English language) since he was just a kid, so we walked in William's dusty footsteps together. It was so moving to see my grandfather's smile as he was transported into this distant world of castles and knights that he had read of and dreamed about as a child. That was my most memorable day in France.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SHOP IN NANTES?
This is a tough question! There are so many tempting choices, and I discover new ones all the time, but I suppose I should mention the chocolate shop on Rue Fosse, Gaultier-Debotte, where we like to get our Christmas gifts (queue up early!). If I can name another, I might add Les Petits Papiers, across from the Eglise St. Nicolas, where they have the most beautiful handmade and printed papers, journals and cards.

HOW DO YOU RELAX IN NANTES?
Nantes is fairly laid-back, so I am never really stressed here. I enjoy walking along the Erdre and through the Japanese garden on the Île de Versailles, visiting the Château des Ducs and having coffee in the café there, seeing films at the Katorza, and of course, dinner and drinks with friends. I have also enjoyed afternoons spent visiting the new Machines de l’Île site and taking the little ferry over to Trentemoult.

WHERE DO YOU LIKE EATING IN NANTES?
We live in central Nantes, and I love going out for a casual lunch or dinner at Petit Flore, a cosy little French café and teahouse just off the Place Royale, where the ingredients are fresh and portions are small enough to allow room for le dessert maison du jour. For heartier fare, my husband and I like Les Bouteilles, a tiny-but-fabulous wine bar and restaurant in Decré. They specialize in wines from the Southwest, and that savoury cuisine has us coming back again and again. On my short list, I should also include the new Japanese restaurant on the Île de Nantes, Taï Shogun. They claim that they will soon be offering sushi for take-out orders!

WHAT MADE YOU JOIN THE KNOWING NANTES NETWORK?
I saw the website while surfing the Internet one day, and I thought it would be fun to meet other people like ourselves, who have arrived in Nantes and made a home away from home. So far, I have met some very interesting people, and with the Knowing Nantes Book Club, I am reading some good books, too.