Bordeaux nestles on the edge of a river, surrounded by world famous vineyards in sunny south west France. A 20 year rejuvenation project has left the UNESCO listed neoclassical architecture of the city gleaming and given it a unique air of vibrancy and joie d vivre. When it comes to visiting Bordeaux, you’re utterly spoiled […]
When I was a kid I was entranced by stories of mythical beasts. My favourite tale was of a Minotaur who roamed a labyrinth on the Greek island of Crete. Small me believed that Minotaurs, a species which had the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man, really lived, much […]
This magnificent Girls Guide to Paris tour starts and ends in Bordeaux city from where you’ll discover, and stay in, some of the most beautiful areas around from – magical vineyards to a famous spa town… Wine, wellness and wonderful food in Bordeaux tour Bordeaux is often called France’s greatest city. Quite simply, it has […]
When it comes to filling your gîte weeks there’s lots you can do to help yourself and if you’re in north Dordogne, there are some excellent experts on hand to help… Holiday home and gîte management services in north Dordogne Brits Joni and Ross Snedden moved to north Dordogne where they run a landlord services […]
How to spend a perfect day in Paris in Summer. From dawn to dusk and much later – we’ve got you covered… Morning jog under the Eiffel Tower It’s a magnificent cliché but like so many clichés – absolutely fabulous. Running in the Champs de Mar where the Eiffel Tower stands – utterly inspiring, and […]
Welcome to the Spring issue of The Good Life France Magazine… It’s positively bursting with fabulous features and gorgeous photos – and if you’re not reading it in France – it’s the next best thing to being here! Click here to read it free online This is a free magazine, written by professional travel writers […]
A short walk from the Palace of Versailles you’ll find the “King’s Vegetable Garden” – the Potager du Roi. It was built between 1678 and 1683 by French gardening genius Jean-Baptiste La Quintinie, at the request of Louis XIV. Open to the public, gardeners will love its beautiful paths, raised beds, statues and fabulous planting… […]
There are cruises and then there are really special cruises. The sort of cruise that becomes legendary. Cruising Corsica and Sardinia with Doni Belau’s Girls Guide to Paris cruise and tour holiday is one such. There’s nothing else like it, nothing else to beat it and nothing else that will make you experience the French […]
In Paris (and indeed the rest of France), many museums are free year-round. And, if you’re thinking that the free museums are only for hanging out in when its raining and you need a place to shelter, you couldn’t be more wrong. We’re talking top museums that you’d want to go to anyway including the […]
The origins of the little French cakes known as canelés remains a mystery, but one of the most plausible theories is that they were invented by the nuns of the L’Annonciade monastery in Sainte-Eulalie, in Bordeaux. When basking them, some people use a silicone mold. But I always recommend using traditional copper molds. Granted, copper […]
A light, airy and utterly scrumptious dessert. Most people think it’s a tricky recipe but it’s not really that difficult when you know how. The soufflé as we know it is said to have originated in France in the 18th century when it was apparently created as a dish for the mistress of Louis XV, […]
Whenever I visit the small town of Buxy in France’s Côte Chalonnaise, you will likely find me at the tiny market held in the centre ville on Thursday mornings. Though there aren’t many stalls, every-thing on offer is absolutely delicious. I especially look forward to stopping by the stand selling honey and French gingerbread, or […]
A series of of short vignettes details the lives of Keith and Val, a couple of Americans living a double life. Half the year they’re in Silicon Valley, California and the other half they spend in St Remy de Provence, France. After several years of to-ing and fro-ing, learning French, making friends and really digging […]
Claude Monet, the impressionist painter is one of the most famous artists that ever lived. Many people visit his house and beautiful gardens at Giverny, in Normandy, and fall in love with the artistry present in the garden’s beauty. I, like many, associate him with his famous paintings of the lily ponds there. When I […]
When it comes to innovation in architecture, Paris has long been a leader and in the last 150 years, dozens of architectural gems have made it famous for originality and boldness. Just a few include the Eiffel Tower, Pompidou centre, the Louis Vuitton Foundation and La Grande Arche in the Défense business district. These new […]
The French coastal resort of Etretat on the Normandy shoreline is a magnificent place. It’s a place of surprises as well as good looks… The white limestone cliffs offer a breath-taking view from either the surface beach line or the pathways extending up to the cliff tops. They rise to 90 meters or so above […]
UK arts writer, Tony Cooper, looks in on the Picasso Museum in Antibes on the French Riviera. It’s an area that was loved by the iconic and controversial 20th-century artist… I’m a regular visitor to France and I’m off on yet another great adventure to what I class as my adopted country travelling to Antibes […]
If you follow the “Route des Villes d’Eaux” you’ll come across the town of Volvic, known for its water, sold all over the world. It’s just eleven kilometres from Clermont-Ferrand, home of “Michelin”, and the same distance from the “Puy de Dome”, one of the youngest volcanoes in the central Massif area of central France. […]
Fiona Jones from London fell for a 12th century chateau in the Limousin region. Undaunted at taking on a massive project on her own, she moved to France in 2014 to bring the neglected Chateau du Masgelier back to life. Featured on the superhit reality TV series “Escape to the Chateau DIY” Fiona talks to […]
All about Euro savings accounts: what’s available for both residents and non-residents in France… Let’s start with the basic euro savings account information. If you have a current euro account with a French bank which you use to make all your euro payments, then you can open a euro savings account. It’s a simple application […]
In all the excitement of moving to France, it’s easy to forget things, including the dreaded administration requirements. Making sure you enter the French tax system correctly as a tax resident is vital. But it doesn’t need to be as difficult as you might think, says Jennie Poate at Beacon Global Wealth. She explains how […]
Londoner Linda Devine moved to France with her husband Bernard, an engineer, in 2014. After a lifetime of work in hospitality including management roles at the Ritz, Hilton and Accor Hotels, she knew just what makes guests happy and bought all the experience to her latest venture, a gorgeous gite near Carcassonne in the south […]
Miles of beautiful coastline offer you a mix of fishing villages, sandy beaches and rugged cliffs. Close in terms of distance, this area is worlds apart from the UK… Northern and western France have always been popular holiday home destinations for UK buyers seeking easy access, excellent value for money and beautiful scenery. From the […]
When you have a property in the Dordogne, the most popular department for British expats in France, and you want to let it out or have help maintaining it, you’ll need a trustworthy, efficient and caring property management company. Voila Villas are a professional team based in Dordogne. After 20 years in the UK property […]
Sur le Pont d’Avignon L’on y danse, l’on y danse Sur le Pont d’Avignon L’on y danse tous en rond Many of us learned that song as kids, about the famous Pont d’Avignon in Provence (real name: Pont Saint-Bénézet). For those of us lucky enough to visit Avignon and see the bridge in all its […]
Bonjour Hope you had a good week and a great big welcome to new subscribers – I’m delighted to meet you, and a warm re-bonjour to longterm friends here… This week I’ve been in Charente-Maritime, lovely La Rochelle, the exquisite island of Ile de Ré – where the colourful hollyhocks were out alongside the poppies […]
Travel writer Amy Mcpherson discovers where the locals go when it comes to eating out in Paris… “Don’t go for a restaurant that lists onion soup in its menu,” said Leo Goldstein of Eating Europe Tours when I asked him for his advice on how to choose a good place to eat in Paris. “Onion […]
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Sur le Pont d’Avignon L’on y danse, l’on y danse Sur le Pont d’Avignon L’on y danse tous en rond Many of us learned that song as kids, about the famous Pont d’Avignon in Provence (real name: Pont Saint-Bénézet). For those of us lucky enough to visit Avignon and see the bridge in all its […]
I love all my animals, five cats, three dogs, four geese, 13 ducks and 25 chickens. They’re part of the family though the birds don’t live in the house with us. At least not permanently. When they’re a bit poorly, I’ll bring them in for some TLC until they’re well enough to go out. Sometimes […]
I live part of the year in Provence and one day I was reading Le Monde and a headline about a “sexy politician” caught my eye. “Well, those are two words you don’t see together very often,” I thought. So I read the article and found out that there had been a poll asking French […]
It was lunchtime in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area of Paris, and I was ravenous looking for a place to eat away from the usual tourist traps. I turned down a quiet street and saw the most unassuming bistro. In fact, I wouldn’t usually have considered going in but I decided to take a chance. As soon […]
Catharism has been described as “the most successful heresy in history”. In Languedoc, “Pays Cathare” signs dot the countryside. One cannot drive far in any direction without coming upon the ruins of a Cathar fortress. Who were the Cathars? “Cathar” is allegedly derived from the Greek word, katharos, meaning “pure”. The Cathars were also known […]
The people of Provence have been raising sheep for centuries. You see flocks of them all over the countryside, grazing under the watchful eye of shepherds. But Provencal summers are scorching hot and sheep have heavy wool coats so they’re moved to cooler pastures. The transhumance in Provence The answer to dealing with the heat, […]
There have been many famous families in history. Take the Curies, for example: Marie Curie won two Nobel Prizes and her husband, daughter and grandson each won one. Quite the talented family! And then there are the Wright brothers and the Brontë sisters. And let’s not forget those comic masters, the Marx brothers. But imagine […]
“They are NOT babies, they are chickens” remonstrated my French neighbour Jean-Claude. He had come to inspect the eight point of lay hens and two “babies” with which I had returned from the local street market. “I’m going to call that scrawny baby one Eaglet” I said “Non, non, non” came the emphatic response “You […]