If you thought Champagne only comes from Champagne – think again. There are Champagne vineyards in Picardy! It might surprise you to learn that the vineyards of Château-Thierry in the Aisne department of Picardy, Hauts-de-France account for a whopping 10% of AOC Champagne production… Wines and Champagne of Picardy The Aisne department is between Paris […]
Bonjour and welcome to this week’s newsletter from France I hope you had a good week. Here we had some snow at last. It’s been a very warm, very wet winter compared to most years. But on Thursday morning I woke to the sound of chickens pecking at the window making sorrowful noises and when […]
The village of Talmont-sur-Gironde in Charente-Maritime was founded in 1284 by Edward I, AKA Edward Longshanks, ruler of Aquitaine and King of England (1272-1307). He chose the land on a rocky promontory overlooking the Gironde Estuary, 15km south of Royan, in order to build a fortified town in the strategic location. The King wasn’t the […]
Bonjour, I hope you had a good week. It’s been a regular winter week here but without the snow we usually get this time of the year. What’s a normal winter week? Well, it means keeping our wood fire going most of the day (we don’t have central heating). Making soup and stews on the […]
Though France has plenty of Chateaux that impress, wow and take your breath away – some are more special than others. The Chateau de Chantilly in Picardy, a short journey from the centre of Paris, is one of them… Potted history of the Chateau of Chantilly Castles have stood for many centuries on the site […]
When you visit Dinan in the Cotes d’Armor, Brittany, it’s a short journey to the neighbouring village of Léhon. Well worth the detour, picturesque Léhon is historic and full of charm. From Dinan, you can easily walk to Léhon along the riverbanks of the Rance from Dinan which takes around 30 minutes. Or cycle – […]
Avignon is the beating heart of Provence. It’s the capital of the Vaucluse department and a small city with a big presence. Find out what to see and do, what not to miss, where to eat and drink and more in our Avignon city guide … Must-sees in Avignon With its UNESCO listed architecture, and […]
Read our guide to Cotes d’Armor Brittany and discover a dramatically beautiful coastline of legends, secret islands, beautiful beaches and fabulous food… La vie on Granite rose Someone once said that the great rocks that pepper the landscape of the Pink Granite Coast (Côte de granit rose) look as if giants have been stoning their […]
Bonjour, I hope you had a good week. Here, for the second week running, we had power cuts due to stormy weather. One lasted all day long so there was nothing for it but to light the candles and the fire and read (thank goodness for Kindles!) surrounded by cats and dogs. Fat Cat was […]
Enjoy Provence in the spring, before the summer crowds arrive. Quiet hilltop villages, small city charm and the dazzling blue of the Mediterranean Sea and warm days await you… The best places to visit in Provence in Spring Aix-en-Provence Temperatures in spring in Provence are warm and pleasant. Blue skies and warm days with cooler […]
.
.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in Provence, in the south of France, is famous for its wines. The town’s name means “the pope’s new château” because many centuries ago a summer papal palace was built here. The main Palace of the Popes was in nearby Avignon. Popes need good wine to drink, so vines were planted, barrels were crafted, […]
La Meuse is a winding river which meanders its way through the French Ardennes and on into Belgium. It’s a haven for cyclists, especially if you enjoy cycling on the flat. A cycle path follows the Meuse for over 50 kms with incredibly scenic views on either side of the river where hills descend sometimes […]
On summer evenings, the swallows dip and swoop in nervous arcs as if anxious to protect, or preserve, the close of day in its melancholy stillness. A light hovers over Collioure, on the Vemillion Coast in the Pyrenees-Orientales. Caught in a pale brushstroke of watercolor blue, a wash which holds the houses together as they […]
Paris is an ancient, time-shifting, secret society. I made it to the ripe old age of 61 by creating plans and organizing my life around them. This should come as no surprise. The clearest memory I have of my father is him sitting at the breakfast table looking from my sister to my brother then […]
In the centre of Paris you can visit a café that’s also a cosy refuge for abandoned cats. Highly recommended for cat and coffee lovers! Margaux Grandelon opened her first Cat Café in 2013 in the Marais district. I visited her second little establishment close to the Bastille monument at 9, Rue Sedaine and enjoyed […]
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 […]
