Marseille is one of those places that you simply can’t visit just once. There’s so much to discover, so many facets to this bustling cosmopolitan city that you find you just have to go back. 5 million people a year visit the city. It’s the second largest and also the oldest city in France, a […]
Situated in southwest France, in the department of Loire-Atlantique, region Pays de la Loire, Nantes was once the capital of Brittany. It was independent from France and home to one of the country’s largest ports. Although not directly accessed by the sea, the city’s strategic historic location on the confluence of the Loire and Erdre […]
The weather is usually fine all over France in May and that means it’s time to get out and about and enjoy one of the many events that take place. Don’t forget there are several national holidays this month, and that means shops may be closed all day or part day. And if you’re planning […]
When it comes to a day trip to France, wine isn’t the only thing that should be on your shopping list… When you take a day trip to Calais, build in time to shop for great French produce. Right next door to the Eurotunnel station is Cité Europe. A huge shopping mall stuffed full of […]
Is Bordeaux the new gastronomic capital of France I found myself wondering as I wandered its streets. It may be known as the capital of wine in France, but with an influx of innovative new chefs, a programme of renovation to the streets and buildings which has brought a plethora of new eateries – it’s […]
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 […]
More than 80 million visitors from across the globe flocked to France in the last one year alone. France has continued to be a global tourist hot spot since 2013, with the local authorities hoping to attract as many as 100 million visitors per year by the end of 2020. So what makes France an […]
In late spring there’s loads to do in France. And if you’re looking for fabulous things to do in or out of the school holidays – be inspired by our France for families visit tips: boats, bikes, beasties and brilliant theme parks… Bordeaux River Festival Massive fun for the whole family at this fabulous festival. […]
Camping in France is a great way to enjoy the best of France without having to spend a fortune. You can stay in the most popular areas in the most stunning locations. And, it costs a fraction of what you’d spend to stay in a hotel, especially in the summer months. There’s an enormous choice […]
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 […]
Taking hardly any time at all to prepare these sweet, crunchy meringues filled with chestnut cream and covered in hot chocolate sauce are a dreamy dessert! Serves 6 Preparation time: 10 minutes 1.5 cups (200g) thick crème fraiche 1 heaped tablespoon mascarpone 2 teaspoons sweet chestnut purée (crème de marrons) 50z (150g) bittersweet chocolate 5 […]
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 […]
What do an abandoned quarry and an old iron foundry have in common? They both house magical sound-and-light shows that must be seen to be believed. The Carrières de Lumières (“Quarries of Light”) has been operating for decades near the mountaintop fortress of Les Baux-de-Provence, and is one of the most popular tourist sites in […]
Claude Monet’s paintings of the Alabaster coast in Normandy, and in particular Etretat, are hung on the walls of the most prestigious art museums throughout the world. (Above: Etretat painted by Monet in 1885, now hangs in the Musee des Beaux Arts, Dijon). Monet spent time in the Etretat fishing village in February of 1883. […]
Ravishing Rouen The historic capital of Normandy sits on the Seine River as it wends its way to the sea from Paris. What makes this city unique is its incredible Gothic architecture coupled with more than 2000 half-timbered medieval street houses that blend effortlessly and its long, turbulent history whose traces can be seen in […]
The devastating fire that occurred at the 12th century built cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-Paris on 15 April 2019 caused immense damage. With more than 12 million visitors each year, the cathedral is the most visited monument in France and Europe, epitomising the soul of the French capital and symbolising the history and culture of France. Thanks […]
One of the charms of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is the river that runs around and through it. This river, the Sorgue, is a favorite of tourists and fishermen alike, with its crystal-clear waters sparkling in the sun. The source of the river lies just five miles east of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in one of the most beautiful spots in […]
“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 […]
Social media remains awash with post Brexit scaremongering! ‘They’re going to abolish the pet passport system’ is just one headline I’ve read recently, although it doesn’t appear to have any foundation in fact. For those of us who now regularly travel with our pets (I’m predominantly talking about dogs, but I have met a few […]
There has been a sharp decline in many common garden birds across the whole of Europe over the last 40 years. Winter and early Spring often present bleak and extremely cold conditions, with long periods of sub-zero temperatures in many parts of France. It’s important to remember that birds die of hunger, rather than cold, […]
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 […]
Purchasing and owning a gîte or holiday rental property in France can be fun and rewarding – but from the start it’s good to be clear about what to consider. Location, location, location, yes it’s a cliché, but it’s totally true says Donna Sloane, General Manager of FrenchConnections, one of the UK’s leading holiday home […]
The last few years have seen unprecedented numbers of buyers seeking homes in France and particularly homes that can be run as a gite business. It seems that TV shows like Place in the Sun and Escape to the Chateau have fuelled the desires of many Brits to give up the rat race and escape […]
Bonjour Hope you had a good week. Both in France and around the world, people have been shocked and horrified by the terrible fire which ravaged the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. So much history has been witnessed by this grand dame known as the soul of the city and it was awful to […]
Every day I walk the dogs around the hills and dales that make up the Seven Valleys where I live. On account of the fact that I am able to resist anything but temptation in the form of cakes, wine, cheese, bread, chocolate and a few more things, I’ve had to up my exercise this […]
Montauroux is a small hilltop village in the department of Var, Provence. From its elevated position, surrounded by forests there are fabulous views over the gorgeous countryside. One of 8 traditional Provencal villages in the Fayence area, it is ideally situated between the mountains and the sea (Cannes beaches are only 25km away) and close […]
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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, […]