Saintes in the Charente-Maritime department, Nouvelle Aquitaine (formerly Poitou-Charentes) has been a market town since time immemorial. The Romans called it Mediolanum Santorum – the Market Town of the Santones people. If the Romans returned today, they’d certainly recognise some of the buildings. And, they’d surely appreciate the truly spectacular market that still takes place […]
Of course, one day in Provence is never enough but, for those who really only have one day – it can still be super special and leave with you with memories that last forever. Beware, you’ll want to return and stay for a lot longer! We asked Emily Durand of My Private Chauffeur Provence how […]
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 […]
Angoulême is located on a limestone plateau overlooking the Charente River. Thanks to its perched position, the city is nicknamed the “balcony of the southwest” France. When you stand at its edge looking over the surrounding countryside – you’ll know exactly how it got that name. Its location has always made it highly coveted, the […]
If you go to Saint-Emilion, you have to do a wine tasting – it’s practically the law! And there are loads of lovely little restaurants dotted throughout the cobbled streets. All the hill climbing you’ll do in this famous wine town certainly gives you an excuse to indulge. Where to do a wine tasting in […]
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 […]
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 […]
Rosalie and Malcolm Lewis found their dream home in France in 1995, a former convent built in 1837 in the village of St Martin de Vers in the Lot. Rosalie reveals how their wonderful home is also now a gorgeous holiday house rental. She trained as an interior designer and her skills are apparent in […]
If you’re a fan of flowers, then the breath-taking iris farm Iriseraie de Papon, just outside of the village of Laplume in the Lot-et-Garonne in south-western France is a must-see. Iris Paradise in France With a collection of 2,500 different varieties of irises, there are 5 fields – one for walking through and four for […]
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 lovely hilltop town of Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux, surrounded by vineyards is a wine legend. UNESCO listed, as well as a “plus beau village de France” (officially one of the most beautiful villages) its medieval streets are an absolute delight. Here’s what to see and do in Saint-Emilion. You don’t have to be a wine […]
Tours has many restaurants to choose from but we’ve picked just a few which the locals recommend. Top of the wine list are the local Touraine wines. Choose from fruity reds, lively and aromatic whites, fresh and delicate rosés and superb sparkling wines. So, if you want to know where to eat out in Tours – […]
Tours in the department of Centre is the gateway city to the Loire Valley. It makes for a great base to visit the area. But, it’s a terrific place to visit in its own right with wide and grand avenues, a charming old town and Haussmanesque style architecture mixed with medieval, Renaissance and modern. In […]
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 […]
“Just borrow a dog for a few hours,” a Toronto friend once told me. I was trying to figure out ways to become more local – to connect more deeply – during the three-or-so months that we spent in the South of France each year. I could see myself gliding through Antibes’ streets with little […]
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 […]
Bonjour Hope you had a great week. Summer is well and truly on the way here in the middle of nowhere – at least that’s what my neighbour Marie-Claude says. At almost 90 years old she is as spritely as a woman half her age and as thin as a reed despite her favourite snack […]
Bonjour Hope you had a great week. Life here has been somewhat topsy-turvy and full of first time experiences in the last couple of weeks. For one thing, an ornamental pigeon has adopted me. Seriously. This beautiful brown and white dappled bird with a pink tinge turned up in the garden a couple of weeks […]
It’s hard to imagine a more exuberant art festival than the one which takes place in the northern French city of Lille every few years. An enormous event which takes place over several months in the city centre and surrounding districts – it’s known as Lille3000. A cultural season of art and events Lille3000 is […]
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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 […]
“When I move to France I only want to have French friends”. This was a line in an email I received from a couple of Brits. They wanted advice on where to move to in France and this was one of their criteria. They also wanted to be near a town that has a market, […]