Le Link is loving his new life in France, writes Greg Growden in Paris.

It hasn't taken long for Le Link to become an avowed Parisian again. His apartment is 100 metres from the Seine, the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe in one direction, and the majestic Parc des Princes in the other.

Ewen McKenzie is striding the boulevards and has discovered some of the best cafes, bistros and brasseries in the 15th and 16th districts. He talks the language, and the man who was once the fast food buffet king can guide you to the place to try the escargot, the bouef, the canard and the creme brulee. It was, and we did. He chose and ordered impeccably.

Le Link has immediately fitted in, and is certainly more settled than a few treacherous months ago when he was an endless headline as the NSW Rugby Union pointed him towards the exit while the Waratahs team he coached kept winning. His composed state may have something to do with his Stade Francais coaching offices being a considerable improvement on his Waratahs abode, as he is no longer surrounded by administerial vipers. There is also the view. Parisian urban delights are easier on the eye than the Sydney Football Stadium car park.

"There was never any fear about coming to Paris, especially as I spent some time here 15 years ago," McKenzie said. "I've travelled extensively, and Paris is top shelf in the great cities. Being a student of architecture and town planning, this is a marvellous place to live. To look at the evolution, architecture, how they have done things, it is amazing.

"Outside where I work is a fantastic piece of architecture, which people pay homage to. When you look at it, it appears to be a modern building, and for some time I couldn't understand why people were stopping and taking photographs of it. That was until someone told me it was built in the 1930s. This is a town full of surprises.

"I enjoy the lifestyle. And as long as you embrace it, you get the benefits of it. The food is terrific. But I have still lost weight without even trying. Even if you want to eat poorly, it is near impossible. There's nowhere you can buy junk food. There's no kebab shop on the corner. You've just got to tough it out. And the baguettes are something special. There's no fat in the baguettes."

Like many foreign coaches who come to France, McKenzie could have taken the easy option of getting a translator, and delivering his coaching instructions in English. But no. He thought that would be demeaning.

"I want to do it in their language, because I respect the fact that it is a French team. The biggest frustration for me is trying to communicate in French with a level of detail. After four months, I am reasonably happy with my progress. I still feel like I am standing still, but you subliminally pick up a lot of stuff.

"I watch French TV. The French radio is always on. I am constantly bombarded. I don't have my family here at the moment. So I don't speak English at home. I haven't got pay TV with English channels. I just sit there and absorb."

He is also getting a response from those listening.

"I do ask the players who can speak English, whether it makes sense. And they say it does. That's encouraging. The French trust me enough to talk to me back in French."

The French media is also mightily impressed that McKenzie has immediately attempted to converse with them in their language. Still, he knows it is a long haul. The French club championship goes on and on, and coaching in Europe can be an endless trial.

"It's a marathon over here … a nine-month marathon. The Super 14 is over in little more than three months. So since being in Paris, I have effectively coached another Super 14 tournament, and we are only a third of the way through the season."

There is also the stress involved with his family being on the other side of the world.

"It's not normal to spend a significant amount of time apart. You feel as if you are short-changing your children in terms of knowing and participating in what they're doing. That's been the toughest part. My wife has carried a significant burden, because she has had to supervise the last couple of months of a house renovation in Sydney, and a move. You do feel guilty about that.

"Unfortunately, there are hardly any jobs in Australia, but there are jobs over here. I'm just pleased they will coming over here soon."

And it appears the pain involved in his Waratahs departure has subsided. He will never lose his interest in NSW rugby.

"I don't sit and think too much about the past. With the web these days, you can obviously track what's going on. I do track the fortunes of the Waratahs players. Every time they pick an Australian team, I count how many Waratahs players are in the line-up to make sure the selectors are being honest.

"Where I am now, at this point of time, it is a fairly apolitical environment. So it is fairly easy to focus on the task."

He also fervently believed he "focused on the task" during that tense time when he was told mid-season by NSW officials that he was no longer wanted, but still had to prepare the team for a Super 14 title challenge.

"The reality was that I tried to keep my situation separate from the team. We ran business as usual. And we never talked about my situation in a team sense.

"Off the field I thought I handled it as well as I could. I still get plenty of correspondence about it. A lot of people wrote to me and said that I did a good job handling a difficult circumstance. Still, when you are getting vilified, that's tough, especially on your family. I've been around long enough to see it, and you know it's going to happen one day."

Whether it happens a second time is doubtful, especially with Le Link now able to focus on coaching without worrying over what is happening behind his back, and so eager to embrace his new environment. As he headed into the darkness towards Pont Mirabeau on the Seine, with his club fourth on the ladder, one could see that the proud swagger in his stride had returned.