Montpellier, the capital city of Herault, Occitanie was once a tranquil fishing village. Now it’s a cool city with a hip vibe. Our essential guide to Montpellier reveals a city of surprises and beauty. With an average of 300 days a year of sun, a historic centre, architecturally thrilling new town, fabulous bars and restaurants, […]
Discover secret Toulouse. The pink city as it’s known, thanks to the beautiful red brick buildings that fill its streets, is an absolute paradise for culture vultures… Colourful, cultural and captivating France’s 4th largest city has a multi-faceted personality. It’s famous for being home to Airbus headquarters, hosts satellite, space and aerospace industries and has […]
Brioche is a classic French pastry. Part cake, part bread, it’s a staple dish in France. Eaten for breakfast or as a snack, it’s buttery-eggy-sweetness make it a firm favourite. For those who love to cook or can’t be in France, here’s how to make French brioche at home. No one knows when it was […]
Bonjour I hope that you and yours are well. Here in France, with lock-down restrictions eased, this week I went to one of my favourite local bars for the first time in more than 3 months. It’s very hard not to kiss on the cheeks as we normally do, it’s become such a normal reaction […]
Of course Paris has plenty to keep visitors happy for weeks on end. But. Sometimes it’s great to get out of the city. To see what else France has to offer. It’s really easy to get around and about by train from Paris. We’ve chosen 10 captivating cities you can easily visit on a day […]
Gascony is like a planet where time has stood still… thus starts Perry Taylor’s latest book of drawings. Every page presents a snapshot of life in the beautiful rural countryside and medieval villages of South West France, in the area known as Gascony. Like his previous three books, Planète Gascogne has a ‘feel good’ factor, […]
Bonjour, I truly hope you and yours are well. Sone days I think, I’m ok at this talking French malarkey. I’ve wandered into builders merchants, ordered up tons of ballast and hundreds of bags of cement so we can lay floors in our rickety old house and acrow props (poles that hold the house up), […]
This delicious Provencal version of pizza is a firm favourite in Nice and the French Riviera. It’s easy to make at home, is great for a snack or light meal, very moreish and goes well with a green salad or on its own or with a glass of chilled rosé… Ingredients for a Pissaladière for […]
Bonjour, I truly hope you and yours are well. Here, a little more normality is being introduced into daily life with most hotels, restaurants and cafés being allowed to open and the 100km travel limit being lifted. It’s going to be challenging. We must wear masks for instance in restaurants (though not when eating) and […]
Le Havre’s port is vast. And its contemporary architecture has UNESCO heritage status in recognition of its exceptional urban design on a grand scale. This cruise ship destination city is a vibrant, friendly and fascinating city to visit. The birthplace of impressionism with an arty vibe offers plenty to do in the town. And with […]
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As a chicken keeper, I’m always amazed by the antics of my birds. I keep ducks, chickens and geese – they’re pets, not for the pot despite the urging of my French neighbours. I love them all but it’s the chickens who for me are the most fascinating. Ducks fight it out to establish a […]
At No. 18, Rue de Paridis, close to the Gare de L’Est is a house of horrors that’s popular with Parisians and visitors alike. Le Manoir de Paris is a theatrical show that’s very unusual. If you want a very different sort of Paris experience from the classic Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre type […]
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 […]
