Roubaix in northern France, once an industrial powerhouse city has undergone a regeneration and is emerging as a centre of art and culture … A once thriving textile town, Roubaix is a district that’s undergone enormous change as the world of industrial output has shifted. No longer the powerhouse of production that it once was, […]
Winter is a great time to visit Paris, the crowds are thin (except at Christmas), the cobbled streets on the hill of Montmartre glisten with frost and the city of light is as vibrant and bustling as ever. Any time of the year, this is a city you should wander. But in winter in Paris, […]
Bonjour, Hope you had a great week. Here in my little office, which was once a pigsty, I’m trying to finish writing my next book which is scheduled to be published in spring or summer of 2020. So, for a couple of months, the newsletter will be every other week as I focus on the […]
Christmas is when Paris really does live up to its name as the City of Light. Wandering along charming squares and frosty cobbled streets where the breath-taking ancient architecture of this historic city provides the perfect backdrop for the twinkling Christmas lights in December is magical. The city can be very cold in winter so […]
If you take your Christmas shopping seriously, you’ll find it hard to find a more inspiring city in Europe than Lille. Not only are there almost 4000 shops in this historic city in northern France but there is also the super festive Lille Christmas market and cultural attractions galore… Festive fun at Lille Christmas market […]
Bonjour, Hope you had a great week. Here it’s definitely feeling like winter is on the way, chilly nights, frosty mornings and cats that want to be laying in front of the wood fire in the house all day and all night. I love the turn in the weather in many ways though carrying buckets […]
Alsace is pretty much where modern Christmas started almost 500 years ago. It was the first place to hold a Christmas market, to have Christmas trees in homes and it’s where the Christmas bauble was invented! Located in north-eastern France, Alsace, like Lorraine, is unlike other French regions in that its culture is heavily influenced by its […]
Le Touquet is a chic and charming seaside town on the Opal Coast, about 45 minutes from Calais. Famous for its smart villas, Paris-style shops and art deco covered market place, at Christmas Le Touquet pulls out all the stops and hosts a traditional Christmas Market, wonderful lights, an enchanted forest and more. The festive […]
Since it began in 1990, Mulhouse Christmas Market has grown to be one of the most popular and authentic Christmas Markets in Alsace. And that’s not easy. Up against Strasbourg and Colmar, Mulhouse had to work at being different in order to stand out – so they made it one of the most colourful markets […]
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Experience in Arras is where a group of extraordinary men and women work to honour and maintain the cemeteries and memorials of the Commonwealth soldiers who lost their lives in WWI and WWII. Based in France they operate on a global basis and a visit to their workshops at […]
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In August 2014, I gave up my job teaching English in Lyon to house-sit a farm in Vienne and write a novel. I wasn’t particularly looking for the literary good life. I just wanted a break from the city. Six months later I finished it. But the elation was short-lived. I didn’t like it at […]
We chat to Rosy Rabson, a British expat who retired to Burgundy and run a gite from which all proceeds go to charity. Based in the Morvan area, with its regional natural park, a land of ancient castles, picturesque villages, forests and lakes, it is a largely undiscovered by tourists part of France – and […]
Katharine Tasker from London upped sticks in the city and moved to the sticks in rural northern France. With her she brought a sprinkling of urban style to her new build home and thriving new business, a café and shop… Pas de Calais is a region of meadows and forests, the countryside is criss crossed […]
British stand-up comedian, mod, expat, goat whisperer (maybe) – and now Chambre d’hote host – Ian Moore’s unique insights into life in the Loire Valley will make you laugh out loud… Hosts, Goats and Chambres d’Hôtes There’s a point in my first or second book, probably both, where my wife, Natalie, and I sit down […]
Making friends in France isn’t difficult I’ve found. They don’t care if my French is not great or I get my grammar all wrong. They don’t even care that much that I am “Flop chef not Top Chef” and can barely grill a bit of French bread without spoiling it. But there are some things […]
Honfleur is a French fishing village in the department of Calvados, Normandy. It sits on the southern bank of the Seine estuary where the great river flows into the Atlantic Ocean. If you love authentic old French towns, then you will find Honfleur one of the most beautiful there is. What to see in Honfleur […]
The Lot-et-Garonne department is in the southwestern of the Nouvelle Aquitaine region (previously Midi-Pyrénées). It’s has been described as “the France that you always hoped existed but could never quite find”. It’s idyllic; a paradise… Discovering Fongrave I looked over at my friend as she was talking feverishly about the still, quiet beauty of the […]
If you’re looking for a fun way to visit northern France, Les Belles Echappees in Saint Omer fits the bill. Located within the peaceful Ferme de L’Abbaye at Clairmarais, this family run organisation hires out restored classic vintage vehicles. Choose from sparkling VW camper vans to prestigious Citroen 2CV cars and VW convertible Beetles. There’s […]
