Many of us dream of making a living from our creativity, but France is not the easiest place to run your own business, let alone in artistic work. So how can you make it succeed? Annaliza Davis talks to Nathalie…
When it comes to shopping in France, there are certain loosely held rules to adhere to! It appears common belief amongst Anglo-Saxons that queueing is their unique cultural reserve and that the Latins, or more especially the French, don’t queue. My…
Did you think twice about coming to Brittany this summer? Quite right. There are many, many reasons to stay away from this part of the world, as local resident and Community Contributor Annaliza Davis explains. 1. The terrible weather We…
When you go on a carp fishing holiday in France, you will be preparing for your holiday for weeks if not months in advance. You have a lot to think about, from logistics and food to satnav and tackle. I…
A visit to the Musée d’Orsay unveils unexpected delights From grimy railway station to custodian of one of the world’s most important art collections, the building at 1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur in Paris is a masterpiece of survival.…
France is one of the world’s greatest fishing destinations and it’s not surprising when you see the variety of fishing experiences you can go for: from sea to ocean and from rivers to lakes. With so much choice of types…
When you are planning to visit Lyon, the French ‘Capital of Gastronomy’, it’s vital to not miss out on the best culinary experiences on offer in the city’s legendary bouchons and restaurants. A typical French dinner is a proper feast, long and filling and full of…
Before committing to the home you have fallen in love with, heed some expert advice from Susie Hollands, one of FrenchEntrée’s partners for real estate in Paris, on how to buy with your head, not your heart. “Litigation concerning property…
Two or three years ago, I decided I would start working as a DJ in France in the summer, in order to pay for longer holidays in the Dordogne. In the summer of 2014 I managed to get up to 22…
L’Institut de Français is proud of its French heritage and culture, arranging a number of optional excursions to enhance the language-learning experience outside of the classroom setting. It is a win-win situation, set in the jewel that is Villefranche-sur-Mer quieter…
One of Provence’s memorable but unsung courses is the Frégate at the Dolce Resort. It was one of the first “destination” golf resorts in continental Europe. A round begins on a secluded par 4 that challenges you to place a…
One thing that you cannot miss out on when you visit Lyon is eating at the local, traditional bouchon. These little, family-owned bistros are synonymous with the Rhône-Alps capital and cannot be found in any other French city and are…
Immersion in la langue française began from birth. Mother intended to name me Chérie, spelt the French way, but instead went with Sheree penned the Irish way. It means darling, in both. Couple that with Charles Trenet singing ‘La Mer’,…
The warmer weather is now upon us. This means more visitors to France – to Paris, in particular. Many of my friends ask me what to see, where to go, where to eat… the usual. There is one place in particular…
It was a Saturday in July and my son and I had just arrived in Lyon, the city described as the ‘world capital of gastronomy’. Our quest was the restaurant ‘Chez Mounier’, a bouchon at 3 Rue des Marronniers,…
There are over 8,250 registered campsites in France plus a further 1,400 farm campsites or aires naturelles so knowing how to pick the campsite that is best for you can seem a bit daunting. France has almost three times more…
I went to Paris once and the city is beautiful as they say. I was happy there, I visited it properly and took some great photos. Yet I was not overwhelmed by it. Maybe because I had such high expectations, I was told that…
It was a particularly cold day when I visited Jardin de l’Hôtel de Sens, 7, rue des Nonnains-d’Hyères. November days in Paris tend to be dreary and it is difficult to wake up in the morning when it is warm…
I knew there were snakes in France and, in particular, vipers, but fortunately I had never seen anything up close and personal until the snake slipped as smoothly as its skin into our woodpile. A shiver shot down my spine.…
My cousin and I exited the A51 shortly after Manosque onto the D82, faithfully following the GPS mounted on my windshield. We were excited to be on the last leg to our vacation rental, chattering like magpies, wondering if we’d…
A strange thing happens in France when the fire-wood runs low. Deserted villages and small quiet rural towns breathe a sigh of relief and disgorge winterized humans into the pale spring sunshine. This seasonal migration from a central, warm winter…
Oftentimes I receive a call from a friend or an acquaintance telling me that they are going to tour Europe and will be in Paris for two or three days. They mention the sights they plan on seeing (in two…
France has the largest number of campsites of any country in Europe and the largest variety in terms of size and facilities. There is therefore something to suit everybody. They range from small “campings à la ferme” with half a…
There is no doubt that travel broadens the mind. Meeting people from other countries and coming into contact with other cultures is always an enriching experience. Camping and caravanning in France definitely broadens your horizons. On many of France’s enormous variety…
Carnac is one of the world’s greatest prehistoric sites with over 3,000 menhirs ( from the Breton men “stone” + hir “long”) – a tall upright stone erected in prehistoric times in western Europe which are the most common megaliths…
When is a house a habitable house? I had expected a straightforward answer and not some internal meta-ethical discourse on the nature of the meaning of the French word “habitable”. I might be old-fashioned but in my mind a house…
It started with bells. The sound of tin bells, behind the small hill overlooking the village. They seemed to move towards me, but soon faded, then came back from another side. Intrigued, I walked to the end of the only…
Southwest France is a treasure chest of history to be discovered and one of its oldest riches is the noble brandy Armagnac. Armagnac is France’s most time-honoured spirit that was first recognised in 1310 when Prior Vital Dufour vaunted the…
To noz, or not to noz? We have added a new verb to our French vocabulary which will most probably upset the language police in the lost land of academia. It is to noz. It means to rummage in…
Le Golfe du Morbihan is officially one of the most beautiful bays in the world, and the headquarters of “Les plus belles baies du monde” is now in Vannes. And the most popular time to visit? La Semaine du Golfe,…
Where can you shop in Leclerc or Decathlon, say “au revoir” to the local boulanger as you walk out with a baguette under your arm and be on a tropical island 6,000 miles from mainland Europe? Where can you spend…
I always dreamed of residing on a houseboat, but have never really had much insight into living on water and never experienced driving a boat. A boat trip starting from Bellegarde on the Canal du Rhône near Nîmes in southwest…
The French have not had a Tour de France winner since 1985 when Bernard “The Badger” Hinault claimed their last malliot jaune but that quirk of history does not stop every French man on a bike from thinking – and…
It occurred to me recently, as I was swimming lengths in my local municipal pool in Tarascon-Beaucaire in Provence, how the French swim like they drive: fast and furious. In comparison, the Brits in general take a more leisurely, Sunday…
THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED FrenchEntrée, the French travel and property specialists for overseas buyers, is launching a competition to find the best photos of france of France taken this year. Photographers of all ages and abilities are invited to…
We have been very fortunate to have developed a friendship with a French family which has lasted some 25 plus years. This has afforded us the opportunity to see and at times be part of French family life not usually…
