Janine Marsh, journalist - has written for numerous magazines and newspapers. A complete Francophile who now concentrates on writing about France and all things French.
Bonjour Hope you had a good week. Here it’s been super busy as I’ve been writing my second book. But now it’s finished, gone off to the publishers for printing and will be out in the spring. So, I’m back with the weekly letters and the daily chats on Facebook (did you see it was […]
After reading Mark Greenside’s first and extremely entertaining book, ‘I’ll Never Be French (No Matter What I do): Living in a Small Village in Brittany, I couldn’t wait to start this one, and I was not disappointed! The first book tells how in 1991 a reluctant Mark agrees to visit Brittany with a girlfriend, and […]
Girton, Cambridge. Nice house, good jobs, lovely friends. The most frequent question I’m asked is, ‘Why did you leave the UK?’ The most honest answer is that we left because we could. I mean, why not? We were happy in Girton, but sometimes it’s a case of wanting to do something different, something a little […]
Patricia Sands, the author of the Love in Provence series returns to the South of France with a poignant portrait of a woman who must learn how to create a new life for herself… Sixty-two-year-old Arianna arrives in the South of France for a two-week artists’ workshop full of anticipation but burdened by guilt. Back […]
Bonjour Here in France we’ve been through a bit of a cold spell the last week. Even in the normally not too frosty south, my friends have been complaining of below zero temperatures. I quite like it when it’s cold out. After several years here, I’ve got the hang of making sure there’s enough wood […]
The French celebrate Christmas on the evening of the 24th of December when ‘Père Noël’ leaves gifts for good children in shoes beneath the tree. Start with a champagne aperitif with nibbles or amuse bouches (literally nibbles that amuse the mouth). Then the serious task of feasting commences. There are usually several (sometimes as many […]
Jonathan Fenby provides an expert and riveting journey through he history of France from First Revolution through two others, a return of Empire, catastrophic wars and period of stability and hope. “The definitive guide to understanding France”. With the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, the next two centuries […]
French Expressions in every day use In this video, there are some sentences that the French really use in everyday life. These are typically French expressions that you’ll hear in friendly conversations, in the streets and cafés. Use them and people will immediately think you’ve been living in France for years! Learn how to use expressions […]
Today the sun has been shining all day long and summer feels like it is well and truly here. I’ve been out and about in St Omer and nearby villages in the Nord-Pas de Calais region in the far north of France. I visited a boulangerie with an award winning baker who makes the most […]
Bonjour from France! The big news this week has been the announcement of the winners in our spring 2014 writing competition. We were amazed to receive 104 entries from all around the world and the standard was incredibly high. Authors Susie Kelly, Kimberley Petyt, Deborah Lawrenson, Patricia Sands, Julia Stagg and author/publisher Stephanie Zia had […]
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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 […]
