It’s not often that I’m lost for words. Some say if there was a medal for talking, I’d win gold. But, when I went to Amiens and discovered les hortillonnages, I was dumbstruck. How had I visited before and missed this incredible natural treasure of the city? Apparently many people miss it, but if you […]
If you dream of living the good life in France – you’re certainly not alone, it’s a popular dream! Expats in France are numerous and from all around the world. Drawn by the diversity of the landscapes, the food, sunshine, wine – there’s lots to tempt. Those who love snow and mountains head to the […]
There’s a legend in France that the Coq au Vin recipe goes back to the Romans. The story goes that in 52 BC Julius Caesar arrived in France with his armies, intent on victory over the Gallic tribes. One of the Gallic chiefs sent Caesar a cockerel, meant to taunt him, a symbol of Gallic […]
The Loir Valley is situated between Le Mans, Tours, Laval and Angers. The little Loir, a cousin of the larger Loire, into which the river flows, means ‘dormouse’. This conjures a very apt description of the area. Sleepy, rolling countryside, with charming villages and enchanting towns that seem to belong to a past era when […]
Situated to the south of Lyon on the eastern side of the Rhône river, the Drôme department is split into three main areas. The Provençal part is to the very south, the Valley – Diois, and to the north, the Plain of Valence. The Drôme is the number one department in France for organic production, […]
Welcome to issue No. 25 of The Good Life France Magazine. Click here to download your Free copy or PDF There’s no paywall, the whole magazine is totally free to read online, download or subscribe – and it always will be. Inside The Good Life France Magazine This issue is stuffed full of fabulous features […]
In 1787, 14 years before he became the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson toured France. He left Paris where he was based and made his way south, stopping en route at dozens of towns and cities, tasting wine, enjoying the food and writing about the people he met and the sights he […]
The Louvre is the world’s most famous and largest fine arts museum. It’s home to the one of the most impressive art collections in history. It’s also the most visited museum of the world with a stonking 10 million visitors a year – but it wasn’t always this way. Once it was only for royalty […]
Finding time to write. It can be a problem. We’ve all been there. We have big plans for a great story and then we have to go to work, we have to cook dinner, pick up the kids, clean the house, entertain guests, go on outings. And then after all of this extra work all […]
Courgette fritters, or zucchini cakes, depending on what side of the pond you’re on, are a really easy dish to make. They make for fabulous snacks and are just perfect with a glass of wine. They’re also good paired up with meat dishes or with tapas. We asked chef Nadia Sammut of the Michelin Star […]
Like the sweet sister of savoury Gougères, those oh so French cheesy puffs, chouqettes are delicious sugary dough balloons. The light pastry was invented in Italy in the 16th century and perfected by French chefs and renamed choux pastry in the 17th century. It’s used extensively in French cakes – eclairs, Religieuse cakes and chouquettes, […]
For me tapenade is a taste of Provence. Crushed olives, piquant tasting and utterly delicious spread onto a piece of bread, perfect with a glass of wine or Pastis. A taste of summer, of sunshine, the spirit of southern France on a spoon. According to food historians, tapenade was born from Romans preserving olives in […]
A wonderful contemporary romance set in beautiful Carnac, Brittany. Tracy Chollet, the author of this award-winning beautiful work of contemporary fiction brings to life the true beauty of its setting, Carnac in Brittany, and its legendary standing stones which give it the title of the biggest megalithic site in Europe. This lovely seaside town and […]
You might think, when you visit Montmartre and gaze at the beautiful church of Sacré-Coeur, perched on a hill in the highest part of Paris, that is has been there for centuries. There is something timeless about the iconic luminous domes, pure white walls and elegant lines. But this is a relatively modern church. The […]
When I posted on The Good Life France Facebook page about five of my favourite French films I asked my friends – what’s your favourite film set in France, about France or French? Little did I know that a whole host of fabulous recommendations would be shared. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of recommendations to […]
In the stunning countryside of the Seven Valleys, at the foot of the medieval hilltop town of Montreuil-sur-Mer in Pas de Calais, northern France, lies a rather large secret. A long, tree lined drive surrounded by fields and forests, makes for an impressive entrance to a grand arched doorway. Step through and you’ll enter a […]
Right in the centre of the old town of Lille in northern France, the Musée de l’Hospice Comtesse is a gem of a museum. From its entrance in cobbled rue de la Monnaie, you have no idea what lies behind those grand wooden doors. Set into a long wall peppered with arched windows and doorways, […]
With its rows of standing stones, Carnac, on the south coast of Brittany, has long fascinated man. Along the northern side of the town, around three thousand standing stones, called menhirs in French, stretch in alignments for several kilometres. The three main alignments are Le Ménec with 1,169 stones, Kermario comprising 1,029, and Kerlescan has […]
So, you’ve reached retirement age. After a life time of getting up to the alarm clocks call, going to work every day, maybe caring for your family, and saving for this day – you might be wondering what options you have. And these days, you have plenty of choices including some that are not your […]
The Dordogne area is one of the most popular with expats seeking a dream home in France. We talk to expat Brit, now local, Angela Martyn from London about what it is about Dordogne that’s so alluring… What inspired you to move to Dordogne I came on holiday to France with my architect husband and […]
The Pyrénées-Atlantiques department is in the far southwest of France in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It borders Spain and includes the seaside superstar Biarritz, mountains and glorious countryside. Taking its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, the department is roughly half Pays Basque Country and half Béarn. We talk to Charlie Ellis, an […]
Who doesn’t long to live in picture postcard pretty Provence? It’s the dream for so many, surrounded by lavender fields, relaxing in hilltop villages, enjoying the local rosé. We talk to Denis Descampes. Originally from Brittany he fell head over heels for the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and moved there to enjoy the southern French good […]
Tarn-et-Garonne in south west France is one of the smallest departments in France but that doesn’t mean there’s not plenty to fall in love with. Named for the two mighty rivers which flow through it – the Tarn and the Garonne, it’s an area of outstanding natural beauty, gorges and forests, fields and vineyards pepper […]
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest corner of France. It takes its name from the Pyrénées mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. The region is split between two distinct areas: Pays Basque Country and Béarn. We talk to local property agent Charlie Ellis to get an expert view of property in the region… What areas […]
Bonjour, I truly hope you and yours are well. Here in France, each day it feels a little bit more normal. A new normal for sure, but more like the old normal. While I was walking the dogs one morning this week I saw “Young Man” going to work in his van for the first […]
Bonjour, I truly hope you and yours are well. I didn’t think my animal life could get much odder until I opened the front door to find a blackbird eating out of the cat food bowl I leave for strays on the doorstep and two very fat hedgehogs rolling about in the cat food bowl […]
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie in the Lot department in southern France, is a cliff hanger of a village – quite literally. Perched on a cliff top, the River Lot curls its way along the bottom of the limestone cliff. From the top, the canoeists and kayakers who paddle their way down look tiny. Here’s what to see in […]
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A couple of years ago now, we went through a torrid time in what is now called “The Year of 52 ducklings”. It was all my fault. As a city slicker, moving to the countryside of northern France has been a bit of a learning curve to put it mildly. And when it comes to […]
Tarn-et-Garonne in south west France is one of the smallest departments in France but that doesn’t mean there’s not plenty to fall in love with. Named for the two mighty rivers which flow through it – the Tarn and the Garonne, it’s an area of outstanding natural beauty, gorges and forests, fields and vineyards pepper […]
History is full of horrible monsters. The Cyclops terrified the ancient Greeks, the Abominable Snowman haunts the Himalayas, and Godzilla stomps on Tokyo from time to time. The French have their own terrible creature and—unlike the others—this one was real. The mysterious Beast of Gévaudan ravaged the French countryside in the 18th century, killing so many […]
One grey dismal day, I took a day trip to northern France to buy some cheap wine with my dad and my husband Mark. My mum had died two years before and my dad, broken-hearted and bereft, turned to whisky to drown his sorrows. I thought getting him to drink wine would be better for […]
The French Mediterranean village of Collioure is nothing short of enchanting. Travel guru Rick Steves refers to it as “paradise reclaimed” – it’s hard to disagree. These gorgeous photos of Collioure, basking in the sun, are sure to make you want to visit… Collioure is everything that describes an idyllic postcard-perfect retreat from modern stresses… […]
The day came recently when I realised that this year, the year of Coronavirus, I would have time to do the garden and it’s probably going to be a very good idea to make my vegetable bed as efficient as possible. But I am a chicken mum and some of my chickens are as much […]
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in Provence, in the south of France, is famous for its wines. The town’s name means “the pope’s new château” because many centuries ago a summer papal palace was built here. The main Palace of the Popes was in nearby Avignon. Popes need good wine to drink, so vines were planted, barrels were crafted, […]
La Meuse is a winding river which meanders its way through the French Ardennes and on into Belgium. It’s a haven for cyclists, especially if you enjoy cycling on the flat. A cycle path follows the Meuse for over 50 kms with incredibly scenic views on either side of the river where hills descend sometimes […]