Win a copy of this book that’s written from the heart, a charming tale that’s easy to read. An inspiring “it’s never too late”, feel good memoir that will sweep you along on the author’s journey as she finds herself in the France of her dreams. For thirty years, Diane Covington-Carter dreamed of living in […]
Win a Pair of tickets for the South of France’s most glamorous and gorgeous music Festival… Set in the shadow of a 1,000-year-old Chateau, Machine du Vin is two parts festival, one part fairy-tale: a boutique destination event like no other. It takes place from 31 July to 2 August 2018 and it is going […]
France is a treasure chest of inspiring destinations. For this reason you have plenty of options when it comes to holidays in France. However, such an abundance of choices creates a dilemma. Which one should you choose? If you are longing to escape to the countryside or coast, and if your preference is a self-catering […]
You just can’t help but fall in love with Sarlat in Dordogne. The medieval buildings, fabulous market and gourmet food shops are so enticing. The cobbled streets lure you on to discover winding alleyways, steep stairways and their treasures. It’s a town where restaurants serve the most delicious of local dishes with pride and flair. […]
Financiers are an excellent handheld after-school snack. Essentially a tea cake made with a touch of almond meal, these are a little more substantial than madeleines. They come in various shapes, including rectangles and ovals, and here we’re using a mini muffin pan because they’re easy to find and many people have them in the […]
Summer is served in the free to read online, download a PDF and subscribe to The Good Life France Magazine Summer 2018 – and it always will be free. Just click here to access it: The Good Life France Magazine Summer 2018 In this sunny issue discover Calvados, Grenoble and Toulouse Calvados is a department […]
Paris is playing host to the one of the greatest golf matches in the world in September 2018. The Ryder Cup, a contest between between the top golfers of Europe and the visiting team from the United States will be hosted at Le Golf National course, at Guyancourt, near Paris. Ryder Cup Paris 2018 From […]
Saint Omer in Nord, Hauts de France is a quintessentially French market town. It has a long and illustrious history. Thomas a Becket AKA Saint Thomas Becket took refuge from Henry II of England in there in 1165. Centuries later, three of America’s Founding Fathers, Daniel, Charles and John Carroll, studied at the Jesuit Chapel. […]
Several years ago, on my way south from Dunkirk in northern France, I stopped off at Eperlecques, a small town you access off the main autoroute. A sign for the Blockhaus d’Eperlecques was intriguing enough to lure me from my travel plans. What I discovered, in an area of beautiful countryside where the sound of […]
This delicious recipe is from La de Villa Mazamet in the south of France where the summers are long and hot and chefs love to create recipes that are perfect for sunshine days… Ingredient for 8 people 2 limes – juice and zest 1 large medium-ripe avocado – finely diced 1 large red bell pepper […]
The recipe for nonnettes, which means little nuns, is a speciality of Dijon in Burgundy finds its origins in the Middle Ages… Recipe for Orange Nonnettes with Grand Marnier Ingredients: makes 12 150ml water 80g butter 200ml honey 50g light brown sugar 1 tbsp pain d’épices spices 2 tbsps Grand Marnier 180g whole wheat flour […]
Friendship, gastronomy, elegance, magic: Diner en Blanc Paris is the chic-est annual gathering the world has ever seen. It is the pique-nique of pique-niques. A giant sea of laughing faces and popping champagne corks. A magical night: Le Dîner en Blanc celebrated 30 years in 2018 On June 3rd 2018 the world’s biggest organized pop-up picnic, the exclusive Dîner en […]
A trip to France as a teenager by this talented author, awakened a lifelong love of France, its culture, food, and people. This love resulted in the beautiful Dordogne area, and in particular the village of Frettignac, becoming the setting for an intriguing mystery story. However, the tale actually begins in Manchester in the UK, […]
Research shows that learning a second language offers proven benefits for intelli- gence, memory and concentration, plus lowered risks of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Learning French can be challenging but fun – and it makes trips to France that much more rewarding. Here’s how I learned French in my 50s: Build a Foundation You need some […]
American Diane Covington-Carter was obsessed with France. She had spent her youth listening to her father’s wartime tales, studying French, and saving every spare penny to go there on her junior year abroad when she finished school. Alas this was not to be, and instead she found herself becoming a young married mother. However, two […]
Chateau Vault de Lugny, Yonne Burgundy | A hotel fit for royalty Channel your inner King and Queen at this stunning moated chateau hotel – you can even book the room once reserved for kings. Built between the 13th and 17th centuries the chateau Vault de Lugny oozes charm and history. A roaring open fire […]
As you drive south from Calais to the town of Saint-Omer, you’ll pass by the low lying flat fields on the way, you can’t help noticing that the local landscape resembles the wide-open district of the Fens in eastern England. UNESCO listed Marshes Head to Clairmarais, which rests on the edge of the Audomarais Marshes, […]
They’re the iconic car of France, quirky and with bundles of character – the 2CV, which stands for 2 deux chevaux (2 horse power), never seems to lose its popularity. Over the years it has picked up a few nicknames including the “umbrella on wheels”, the “ugly duckling” and “tin snail”. 2CVs are no longer […]
As of midnight 30 June 2018, the speed limit on all two-lane roads in France, was reduced from 90 kilometres per hour (55 miles per hour) to 80 kilometres per hour (50 miles per hour). The French Government say that the change is to increase road safety and decrease auto emissions to support the environment. […]
“It’s a misconception that you have to be a wealthy expat in France to benefit from talking to a financial advisor” says Jennie Poate, financial manager of Beacon Global Wealth. “Often people think that if they don’t have a lot of assets, then a financial planner can’t help them. But, they could be really missing […]
Adapting to life in a new country can be difficult, especially if you’re tackling a new language too. Add in the pressure of finding or starting a new job, and in the midst of all that change, your health and wellbeing can start to suffer. Luckily, France boasts an attractive work-life balance, made clear in […]
In a referendum on 23rd June 2016 the UK electorate voted to leave the European Union and the world looked on to see what the political and economic impact would be. Though still in the “negotiation” phase, officially the UK will leave the EU on 29th March 2019. However, a transition period has been put in […]
Four locations are particularly coveted on the Riviera: Valbonne, Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Villefranche-sur-Mer. The perfect location for a holiday home on the French Riviera Valbonne, Cannes, Saint Tropez and Villefranche-sur-Mer are four of the Riviera’s most desirable locations. Each has its own distinct personality, as well as offering stable investment opportunities for international buyers. What […]
The lush green area of Dordogne is popular with expats and none more so than the Brits. In fact the area has been termed “little Britain” as it’s attracted so many entranced Brits Why do we all love Dordogne? There’s loads that inspires our love for Dordogne. For a start the weather is great. There’s […]
Bonjour! Hope you had a good week. Bonne Fête Nationale! Happy 14 July! It’s a national holiday in France, us English speakers call it Bastille Day but in France it’s called La Fete Nationale and they say “joyeux quartorze Juillet”. It’s a day for celebration, fireworks, parades, flea markets and of course food – long lunches […]
A medieval French chateau is to be the setting for the first edition of La Machine du Vin, an exceptional music festival featuring DJs such as Claptone, 2manydjs and Booka Shade. ‘La machine du vin’ combines music, wine, food and art into one festival in the south of France The French expression “Vivre comme un […]
Bonjour! Hope you had a good week. I don’t know about you, but I am not a massive football fan (I’m more a rugby kind of girl). It seems that I am a bit of a rarity, certainly in my little village in the middle of nowhere rural France. Last Saturday the other half disappeared […]
My love of France sneaked up on me. Unlike my husband who I think came out of the womb loving France. His dream, which predates our meeting ten years ago, was to live in France. It wasn’t a dream I shared. But here we are in the process of buying our very own house in […]
Buying a house in France is the dream of many but what if you live on the other side of the globe and have never even set foot in France? This describes Annette Charlton who made her dream come true and now lives between her homes in Newcastle, Australia and Brittany, France. So, is the […]
A French shop assistant in Antibes’ old town asked me for the translation of a French word the other afternoon. We’d become bosom buddies in her quiet swimsuit store, but I was glad for the conversational distraction. I hated swimsuit shopping. It brought out all my insecurities. As my new friend rang up my purchase, she complimented […]
The first time I took my long-haired mini-dachshund, Ellie, to France, we spent two months traveling from Paris to Brittany and Normandy. Our last stop was the seaside resort of Agon-Coutainville, on the Cotentin peninsula which juts into the English Channel. There Ellie feasted on raw milk Camembert and prė-salė lamb. When we returned to […]
A French town without a baker – it’s unthinkable – everyone would move away! A butcher is almost as important to French village life as a baker. The butcher sells the usual roasts and chops and chickens, as well as a variety of prepared foods. My wife Val and I live part of the year […]
Nice might seem like an obvious place to settle if one is planning to move to France. After all, the Cote d’Azur is the second most touristed spot in France, after Paris But it wasn’t even on my list when I decided to fulfill my lifelong dream to live in France. I never considered moving […]
We talk to British expat Linda James who with her husband Alex runs Le Pommier gites and a cake making business in Riberac, Dordogne department, Aquitaine, south west France. What inspired you to move to Riberac? Coming here on holiday, I fell in love with the sunny weather, the stunning countryside, being able to swim […]
Life isn’t all sitting around eating cheese and quaffing wine for expats in France. There’s the tricky issue of everyday life and administration to deal with too! Never annoy a Fonctionaire… I read somewhere that 20% of the French population work for the government. If you buy a home in France, you will eventually come […]