The Good Life France Magazine Autumn 2018 issue is out – and it’s totally free to read online, download a PDF and subscribe to. There’s no catch, sometimes the best things in life really are free. Just click here to access it: The Good Life France Magazine Autumn 2018 What’s in the autumn issue of […]
National Event in Paris – Nuit Blanche 6 October 2014. Held annually on the first Saturday night in October when museums, public buildings, monuments, swimming pools, cinemas, parks, universities and historic sites are open to the public all night – an art and culture party! Read our review of Nuit Blanche here. Event details: quefaire.paris.fr/nuitblanche National Event: Semaine du Gout […]
Poitou-Charentes (Nouvelle-Aquitaine) in the southwest of France is one of the country’s most popular camping destinations. It’s no wonder, with a diverse landscape incorporating four departments that take in some of the best beaches and most glorious countryside in France, this is a region that makes for very happy campers says Finán O’Donoghue, CEO of […]
Calvados is both a place and a drink. It is a department that lies in the heart of Normandy and includes amongst its many jewels the pretty harbour town of Honfleur, swanky Deauville, and the port town of Caen, capital of Calvados as well as William the conqueror’s last home town. This area is known […]
Discover beautiful, gastronomic south west France on a bicycle made for two… Cycling in France is massively popular and that’s no surprise, in the land of the Tour de France, where roads are less populated and the scenery from a saddle is second to none, riding your bike is an absolutely joy. For 2019, there’s a […]
My French House estate agents in France have been helping people to find their ideal home in France since 2014. The company was founded by Patrick Joseph who wanted to create the sort of agency that he himself would want to deal with. Passionate about French property, culture and lifestyle, having spent half his life […]
France is such a huge and diverse country that exploring it in its entirety would take a lifetime. That said, 1 million one-night trips are taken by British people every year – and a huge number of those people head straight to France. With flight times making the rest of Europe easily accessible… why is France so […]
Have you ever dreamed of travelling the world getting to really savour the best that each country has to offer? An authentic travel experience like house sitting is hard to beat. It enables you to travel pretty much everywhere including of course France, with the huge advantage of literally cutting out the accommodation costs. And […]
When it come to accessible accommodation for the elderly, disabled and those with mobility issues, there is quite a lot of choice in France. At French Connections holiday rentals for instance, you can search using their filter buttons for gites and holiday homes that are suitable for the elderly and/or have wheelchair access. You can […]
Nice is one of the most beautiful cities in France, nestled by the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Founded by the Greeks long ago, it has changed hands many times—for centuries it was part of the Duchy of Savoy, then part of France, then part of the Kingdom of Sardinia in Italy, before finally […]
Calvados, the apple brandy eau de vie produced in Calvados, Normandy is not just great as an aperitif, digestif and in cocktails – but also for cooking! Ingredients for 4 people 4 chicken breasts 4 apples to cook 4 small turnips (Golden balls are good) (optional) 1 quince (if you can’t get hold of one […]
The Grande Epicerie de Paris Rive Droite (right bank) is the gourmet food store emporium of the Bon Marché department store. Think Harrods food store with French je ne sais quoi! It opened in 2017 and has quickly built up a reputation for being one of the most delicious food stores in Paris. You’ll find […]
This book is simply beautiful, within its pages are stories within stories, and they all began with an encounter between an American soldier and a little French boy in the months following the D-day landings on Omaha Beach, France, in June 1944. Finding Gilbert, a true story The soldier was the author’s father, Donald Kenneth […]
When it comes to foreign languages, we can be impatient. Many of us look for the best and most innovative methods, devote time to French online courses, download special apps and so on. We’re keen to learn as quickly as possible and most of us spend ages looking at the dozens of methods available for […]
History and drama fans will really enjoy this terrific blend of fact and fiction. Montségur by Catherine de Courcy starts in 1236 in southern France. Esme, a young forest child finds herself caught up in the frightening days of the inquisition. Raimond, her foster brother is taken by an inquisitor called Friar Pierre Tiquè and […]
If money is no object, and we mean it – as a single night could set you back €28000, the Coco Chanel Suite in the Paris Ritz is the epitome of elegant refinement and luxury. But if you really want to channel your inner Chanel – this is the place to do it. Coco at […]
It’s coming to that time of year: the days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler and you’re in need of a family break before Christmas comes along. If you’re after holiday ideas for October half-term, then look no further: Normandy is the perfect destination for a short break with the kids, come rain […]
Head to Saint-Denis, a district in the suburbs of Paris for its incredible Basilica, last resting place of dozens of Kings and Queens of France. Saint-Denis is a suburb of Paris located 10km north of the city centre. The district took its name from a Christian Martyr buried there after being beheaded on nearby Montmartre […]
We’ve had a record number of enquiries about life in France in the last 12 months. It seems that moving to France is on the minds of many and some questions come up over and over about financial issues, after all, you want to know that you can afford to live the dream and making […]
In France everything has its season: in February it’s skiing; in May it’s lily-of-the valley; in August it’s idleness; and in October it’s tax. This last is why, as the leaves begin to fall each year, my husband and I get together for a financial summit. Our budgetary discussions have a peculiarly French flavour, however: […]
Years ago, expats in France who wanted an income usually took the gite route. Gites really took off in the 1950s when the French Government introduced a gite classification system to breathe new life into rural economy and British expats in particular saw the attraction. These days expats are becoming more and more entrepreneurial and […]
It’s not all about the house, when you’re looking for a vineyard property, the vines take centre stage… Vineyard properties in France Many of us have a romantic notion of owning some vines so we can produce our own wine to bottle and share with friends and family. It’s a trend that has grown internationally […]
Keeping horses in France is a popular past time. A hectare of land is enough for one horse, with good management, two horses, so the opportunities for home, land and potential stables, often converting existing outbuildings, are plentiful. Looking for properties suitable for keeping horses in France The cost of agricultural land averages around […]
With land prices currently very attractive in France, a steady flow of UK farmers are heading to France to expand their holdings. Whilst northern France is best for cereal growing, Brittany is prime for pigs. Poitou-Charentes offers huge tracts of maize and sunflowers, whereas the Limousin is famous for its attractive rolling cattle and sheep […]
The chances are that if you visit Provence from mid-June to mid-August – you have lavender on your mind and in your sights. Though Provence is well known for the fragrant purple blooms, it is not grown in abundance throughout the whole of Provence, though you will find fields of the purple blooms during your […]
You could say that my love affair with France and passion for the French language began in earnest, when, at age eleven, I heard French spoken, loving the soft, musical and even sensual sounds that floated into my ears. But the truth is that the story began before I was born, when my father landed […]
The Dieppe Kite Festival is colourful, dynamic and has a big dollop of international flavour. Energising the city of Dieppe on the Normandy’s Alabaster coast, it’s a fabulous, fun and fascinating festival. Dieppe Kite Festival Every two years, eight hectares of land, between the city and the sea, forming a kind of natural amphitheatre, is […]
The chances are that if you visit Provence from mid-June to mid-August – you have lavender on your mind and in your sights. Though Provence is well known for the fragrant purple blooms, it is not grown in abundance throughout the whole of Provence, though you will find fields of the purple blooms during your […]
You could say that my love affair with France and passion for the French language began in earnest, when, at age eleven, I heard French spoken, loving the soft, musical and even sensual sounds that floated into my ears. But the truth is that the story began before I was born, when my father landed […]
One evening a few years ago my wife and I overheard several tales of woe that almost made us re-think our plans to buy a house in France. We were on a golf break in Le Perche, Normandy, staying at a lovely hotel with a fantastic restaurant. One evening, after our eighteen holes we went […]
April 1, 2018 marked the first hundred years since the creation of the British Royal Air Force. The combining of the Royal Naval Air Service and the Army’s Royal Flying Corps into a new service took place at St. Omer aerodrome in Nord, pas de Calais as the Great War was approaching its close. The […]
Provence in summer… the aroma of warm baguettes and the fragrance of the Lavender that is in vibrant bloom in July lingers on your senses. Our family first stumbled upon this region in the south of france as part of a business trip over a decade ago. Speaking very little French and understanding even less, […]
The idea began, as many good ideas do, in the pub. Rebecca Randall, a criminal barrister and husband Greg who works in the City came to the realisation that they didn’t want to be commuting to and working in London until they reached 70. “Several glasses in and one of us (we still aren’t sure […]
In France everything has its season: in February it’s skiing; in May it’s lily-of-the valley; in August it’s idleness; and in October it’s tax. This last is why, as the leaves begin to fall each year, my husband and I get together for a financial summit. Our budgetary discussions have a peculiarly French flavour, however: […]
Years ago, expats in France who wanted an income usually took the gite route. Gites really took off in the 1950s when the French Government introduced a gite classification system to breathe new life into rural economy and British expats in particular saw the attraction. These days expats are becoming more and more entrepreneurial and […]