“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece” said Claude Monet. And he chose Normandy as the place where he wanted to live, work and play. Who can blame him? Normandy has it all – exquisite countryside, fairy tale villages, castles, beaches, marvellous monuments and great gastronomy. It takes a very special tour to experience all […]
Paris is a city where you’ll always find something new to fall in love with. But sometimes it’s good to get out of the city and see some of the rest of France. Luckily, there are loads of lovely villages you can get to and from within a day from the city. Giverny Normandy Claude […]
Wine, dine and shine like a queen on this effervescent, elegant and exquisite Queen Marie-Antoinette week-long luxury tour of Paris and Versailles. Explore and experience the fascinating life of Marie-Antoinette This week-long tour of Paris and Versailles is run by the renowned Girls Guide to Paris team and is co-hosted by historian and Queen Marie-Antoinette […]
Raclette is one of those tasty dishes that’s comforting and hearty, delicious and filling, cheesy, meaty and tasty. This easy recipe for raclette is perfect for sharing and utterly scrumptious – it’s alpine soul food… History of raclette Legend has it that in the bitterly cold winter months in the mountains, would light a fire […]
Follow the Route of Richard the Lionheart in France for a trip back in time and a lesson in history. The trail takes you through Haute-Vienne and Corrèze (Limousin) to the edge of Dordogne. It covers almost 200km and includes 23 sites open to the public. Including possibly the only bowels in the world which […]
For the best virtual visits to Paris , look no further than Google Arts and Culture says Melissa Barndon. Dedicated to bringing, well, arts and culture, to everyone, it means there are many sites and museums all over the world, more than 2000, that you can visit without stepping out your front door. So head […]
Early summer is the perfect time to head to Brittany. Discover bucolic landscapes and beautiful beaches in a land that’s brimming with culture and art. Chateaux galore, medieval towns, mile after mile of peaceful and picturesque countryside dotted with pretty little villages or oodles of long, golden sandy beaches. Local cuisine, boulangeries with fresh baked […]
Hone your photography skills on a seriously special tour amidst the scented lavender fields and in the most beautiful villages of Provence. You’ll experience the Provencal way of life, visit colourful street markets, celebrate Bastille Day, explore magical medieval villages and discover secret places. And you’ll capture this enchanting experience on camera with a superb […]
One of the main reasons we all love France so much is for it’s wonderful gastronomy. Those marvellous markets, the cake and bread shops, cheese and wine – they are as every bit as alluring as the enchanting castles, fabulous countryside and wonderful vineyards. French gastronomy is world famous. It’s UNESCO listed even. And in Dordogne […]
Imagine being a judge in a contest where more than 1000 different sparkling wines from around the world need to be assessed. Each sparkling wine must be blind tasted without any information about who made them, and what they cost… That’s what being a judge at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) annual event is all […]
Wine expert Philip Reddaway shares his top tips to help you choose wine that’s just right for you… Standing in the wine aisle of the super-market, confronted with a range of 500 different wines, or perusing a 4-page wine list in a restaurant can be quite a daunting experience. France produces more than 2,900 different […]
There’s a thriving coffee culture in France and for first time visitors it takes a bit of getting used to. Generally French cafés don’t have a menu of types of coffee. You’re expected to just know what to ask for (find a handy guide at the end of this article). But how did it get […]
Winston Churchill, Painting on the French Riviera is a beautiful coffee table book by Paul Rafferty. It’s a joy to read for any lover of art, Provence and Winston Churchill, voted the Greatest Briton… Winston Churchill, Painting on the French Riviera Churchill once declared that only one of his life’s ambitions had not been fulfilled […]
TV5MONDEplus is the francophone streaming platform that allows you to watch subtitled films, series, documentaries, concerts and more, all for free! With 2020 being the year that we’ve spent more time in front of the TV than we might have expected, it’s a great new addition to the online stable of on demand films and […]
“Discover wine, food, castles and the French Way of life” it reads on the cover of Exploring Wine Regions – Bordeaux. It’s an apt and accurate summary of what’s inside this superb, almost 500 page long book. Michael Higgins, the author and photographer has delved deep into the heart of Bordeaux – the city, the […]
The department of Gers in southwest France, a land often called by its historic name of Gascony, is small – but beautiful. It’s a land of sunflower fields, vineyards and rolling hills. Medieval towns and tranquil hamlets, ancient churches, chapels and glorious castles dot the landscape. It’s where Armagnac is made and wine, and the […]
Rocamadour is a world famous pilgrimage site in the Lot departments, south west France. WriterAmy McPherson find it lives up to its reputation for being one of the wonders of France… A mythical place “That’s real, right?” “Yes.” “It’s not a mirage?” “No.” Imagine, having just spent four hours hiking through wilderness. Having encountered only […]
Lyon in the south of France is the proud owner of the title “gastronomic capital of France”. It’s long been home to many top chefs from the famous Mère Brazier, who ran a famous bistro and taught the renowned Paul Bocuse, the man who put nouvelle cuisine on the food map. Lyon has a unique […]
The deal agreed between the EU and the UK after January 2021 brings changes and clarification to some key points. Beacon Global Wealth have summarised some of the key changes for British expats in France post Brexit: Pensions for UK expats in France post Brexit The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, states: “The […]
When it comes to buying a house in France, a euro mortgage is definitely worth considering. It’s a good idea to start the borrowing process early. Knowing you have the finance sorted can help you plan expenses with confidence. And you might find you get a more favourable borrowing rate as well as being in […]
Moving to France has never been so popular. So, if you are planning to start your new life, here are some great tips from the experts at CA Britline, the French bank that speaks English, to help make your move smooth… Living in France is going to change for UK citizens post-Brexit (1 January 2021). […]
If you’re torn between choosing a home in France that’s somewhere by the beach or up in the mountains – with the Pyrénées-Orientales you can have both. This sunny department is in southern France, adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier (Catalonia) and the Mediterranean. It’s slow starting to be discovered by British buyers, although the […]
Would you buy a property in France after a couple of virtual visits? Before the global pandemic, virtual viewings would be a rare necessity for Home Hunts’ property-buying clients. However, this year Covid-19 has shut down travel and prevented standard visits. But virtual viewing has come into its own – and to the rescue. “In […]
The department of Morbihan is in southern Brittany. It’s a land of contrasts, beaches, islands and captivating countryside. Home to Broceliande, a forest that’s said to be where the wizard Merlin once lived. Full of beautiful villages and historic towns like Quiberon and Vannes and going back further in time, Carnac with one of the […]
Bonjour, I hope that you and yours are well. This week it’s been raining cats and dogs in my bit of France. Or as the French say il fait un temps de chien – weather suitable for dogs. Whoever thought up that phrase certainly doesn’t know my dogs. Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Bruno and Churchill (here […]
Bonjour, I hope that you and yours are well. Sometimes I sit down to write the newsletter and I think… hmm not much has happened this week in my tiny village of 142 people and 1000 cows. At least not anything of newspaper-worthy importance. I have no problem with this. I am happy that the […]
Bonjour, I hope that you and yours are well and that you had a good Christmas… In France we wish Happy New Year for a least six weeks after the new year starts – and I truly wish you a happy (happier) 2021. Usually New Year’s Eve in my village is marked by a party […]
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If you look at a list of the most expensive wines in the world you’ll see it stuffed with beauties from France. Look closer and you’ll see one name pop up over and over—Leroy. You think to yourself, I don’t know who this Msr. Leroy is but he must be quite the winemaker. Surprise! It’s […]
Life as an expat in France can be a little bit odd at times… Promenading is a popular “sport” in France. Wandering along a Paris street, admiring the buildings, the alluring cafés, the Eiffel Tower is one of life’s greatest pleasures. And there’s nothing quite like ambling along the swanky Croisette in Cannes. Oor the […]
Our farmhouse, La Creuserie, lies almost exactly in the centre of France, in what is known as the Bourbonnais. It’s an historic area in the department of Allier in Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes. It had been a small farm for beef cattle, was tenanted for 165 years and passed out of farming in 2003. It then consisted of […]
Although I live in America, I’m a hardcore Francophile. I listen to French podcasts, sip French wine, and have seen every episode of House Hunters International that’s set in France like a dozen times. And while there are many things to love about my native land such as the great customer service and ample freezer […]
Sarah Daly hops on an electric bike and works up an appetite for a dining experience with a difference. As a resident of Montreuil-sur-Mer in Pas de Calais, I am a regular visitor to Le Touquet, just 10 miles away on the Opal coast. I love its bustling atmosphere, clean sandy beach, colourful beach huts […]
We talk to chef and author Lisa Baker Morgan who splits her life between Los Angeles and Paris. As a Paris local with a love of food, culture and history, she shares some of her top tips for visitors the the city of light… What draws you to Paris – the things that make you […]
Visitors to the French Riviera between Nice and the Italian border can experience many heavenly hikes. Signposted walks take you alongside the glorious blue Mediterranean sea, past some of the richest real estate in the world and through gorgeous villages. Australian Susan McDonald has enjoyed many walks in the South of France and shares some […]
Some quotes from France are beyond famous. King Louis XIV saying “I am the state” or Napoleon’s “An army travels on its stomach” are known around the world. And, if you love quotes, you’ll enjoy these fun France sayings from around the world… “How can you govern a country that has 246 varieties of cheese?”—Charles […]