We chat to Olivier Baudry, owner of luxury hotel-barge Alegria, who has been running cruises on the Canal du Midi for more than a decade. FrenchEntrée: How long have you been offering luxury hotel-barge holidays on the Canal du…
Brittany possesses a wealth of religious heritage, including over 300 saints. The region’s Christian identity dates back to the 4th century, when seven founder saints brought Catholicism to its people…
Located on the banks of the Charente, Cognac has a history as rich as its famous drink’s flavour. The area has been inhabited since the Prehistoric era and, even if their origins remain a mystery, there are still relics from…
One Sètois tradition is guaranteed to jolt the Languedoc from the languor of midsummer days. Water jousting was a popular medieval sport in the South of France, first appearing in Sète in 1666, at the inauguration of the Canal Royale.…
An Englishman Aboard Charles Timoney, Penguin Books, £9.99 We all know how it goes: it’s New Year’s Eve, the champagne is flowing and, inevitably, someone recklessly agrees to take on some madcap resolution. Timoney’s proved to be more challenging than most…
Author Charles Timoney gives us an insight into his vie française – including his thoughts on the Gallic disposition, having bilingual children and rowing the length of the Seine…
Brittany tends to get overlooked in the winter. It only has one mountain peak, which is the mysterious and magical Menez Hom, but at 381 metres it certainly isn’t the place for a ski resort. Think of Brittany in winter…
While engaged in a conversation discussing the recent terrorist events in Paris, I was asked if I was going to move forward with my plans to visit France later this year. The question caught me slightly off guard. Of course…
I’m in Paris. It’s evening and the snow is falling. I’m standing before the huge open window in the parlour of the apartment on the Rue des Grands Augustins. I’m gazing at the white lights twinkling on the Eiffel Tower…
Prepare to suspend your disbelief for the time it takes to read this tale. Even I feel it has the gloss of fiction to it, reading it back. In begins with my own love affair with France. Autumn school exchanges…
David Shoestring heads to the prestigious Riviera village to see how the other half live. A visit to St-Tropez last year managed both to confound and to exceed expectations. The boats in the harbour may be somewhat grander than of old,…
On Sunday the 7th September 2014 under the scorching sun of an Indian Summer an estimated 50,000 people gathered in Rochefort on the banks of the River Charente. The long anticipated event that drew them there was the departure of…
Boating holidays in FranceYour guide to exploring rural France by barge and boatMORE BOATING AND SAILING ARTICLES Great Canal Journey: Luxury Barge Hotel By Jeannine Williamson It was chance and a big helping of get-up-and-go that saw Caroline and Rory…
From Amboise and Bourges to Tours and Vierzon, the Centre boasts a wide variety of music concerts, sporting events and festivals celebrating local heritage and gastronomy – something for everyone.
Commitment is not always a ball and chain; in Paris it’s a padlock. On the Pont des Arts, thousands of romantic couples lock their promise to the railings of the bridge creating a dilemma for the authorities.
Jacqueline Davies gives an update on the state of the property market in Coastal Vendée
Health and Safety for your property in France needs to be based on a common-sense evaluation.It is about managing the level of risk involved.
The programme of concerts and shows, sporting and cultural events on offer in Paris ensures visitors come back time and time again. From foodies to film buffs, everyone is catered for.
Sue Aitken owns a flat in Sanary-sur-Mer, a town in Provence that she discovered as a student. Here Sue tells FrenchEntrée how the town has managed to retain its charm over the years and why she decided to buy the first property she saw.
When sisters Judi and Gail from Australia made their first trip to Europe, tour organiser Carolyn suggested they spend time in Paris (Île-de-France) and Beaune (Burgundy) on their way to Avignon (Provence).
Some great news – we are putting the finishing touches to the July edition (pictured above) of our fab interactive digital magazine Bonnes Vacances. It’s a FREE online mag featuring great last-minute holiday deals, inspirational holiday ideas from the French…
Here is a list of some of the key words that you may come across during your boating holiday in France.
Kathy and Paul Conner moved from Woking in Surrey to Gemozac, Charente-Maritime four years ago. Their efforts to learn the language, speak to their French neighbours and socialise in France have made integrating easy!
Saint Tropez is a town dedicated to art, culture and tradition. Celebrities, artists and writers all fell under its spell in the 1950s. Back then one could bump into Picasso, Francoise Sagan and Jacques Prévert amongst others…
“Approaching retirement from our university teaching careers, we were ready for new challenges, making a product that we both enjoy – red wine! ” – British couple describe their steep learning curve since buying a vineyard in 2005…
Sally Stone, who runs a successful gîte and property management business, reveals how to ensure, in these changing financial times, that your gîte not only attracts holiday-makers but keeps them returning year after year…
Gordon and Jocelyn Simms are writers and poets and, when they decided to retire to France, it was important that they found the perfect place in which to ‘live their dream’. Gordon tells the tale of how they found their mill home by the river.
Fancy dining out in Dieppe? Rob Silverstone, author of best-selling novel A Mule in Rouen tells us about some of his favourite eateries in Dieppe’s ‘Le Pollet’ district – guaranteed to tickle your taste buds….
Image not found.Information on western France’s population, economy, education, quality of life, work ethic and much more.
Looking for new friends in Burgundy? Peter Edmunds, president of the association Burgundy Friends talks to FrenchEntrée Burgundy about how he came to live in Burgundy and about the Burgundy Friends association.
Coral Luke talks about why she decided to retire to Burgundy with her husband. Some regions, she said, felt “inundated with British people and what we didn’t want was to move to Britain with the sun”.
Amber Kelly Turner talks to FrenchEntrée Burgundy about her new life on the Côte d’Or. She moved To France with her two young children.
The department of the Creuse is situated in the center of France, within the region of Limousin.
Creuse is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution
“Patricia in front of her house”FrenchEntrée Burgundy talks to Patricia Ballard about her recent move to Burgundy …
“Lesconil Harbour”Richard and Margaret Hadley bought a holiday home in a small coastal village in the Breton department of Finistere nearly eight years ago, and enjoy holidaying there for two months…
“Marie-Odile & Simon” If your looking for a friendly face whilst visiting Auxerre in the Yonne, why not pop into a shop in the town centre called Village Deco…
“The barn undergoing DIY”Patricia Mostyn talks to French Entrée Burgundy about the ups and downs of trying to renovate a house in the Yonne…
Do you know your Chablis from your Aligoté? Marc Ragaine advises French Entrée Burgundy which vinyards to look out for…
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“Jane from Burgundy Brocante” Four years ago, it was all change for David and Jane Gratton. They left the quintessential Englishness of the Cotswolds to start a new life in Bissy sur Fley…
Artist and chef Tessa Baker has led a seriously eventful life – from the time she spilled to wine on Lauren Bacall to sailing around the world. Here she describes what brought her to France and how she has found happiness here
British-born Liz Turner has lived in France for the past 27 years – since she met her husband on the first stop of a trip around the world! She now lives in Paris, and takes an amusing interest in the two cultures
Normandy is the countryside of Paris and second home to many a Parisien. In fact, Parisiens refer to Normandy as the 21st district of Paris! So the Brits are not the only ones interested in the region…
In July 2003 we began our search for a place in France. After several months of looking for a holiday cottage we changed our minds and decided to look for a permenant home …
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Guests frequently approach us with questions such as; “How long is the Park open for?” “What are the annual Site Fees?” “Are there any vacant plots available today?” So, to give you as much information as possible we have compiled this set of useful questions and answers.
Prices range from €15,000 for a 2 bedroom, pre-used mobile up to €60,000 for a new luxury 3 bedroom mobile home.
A look at the life of an oyster and a visit to an oyster farmer at Gujan-Mestras, on the Arcachon Basin, to find out, among other things, how the oyster parks prepared for the huge French Christmas rush…
One of the reasons I was so excited about moving to France was the French fish markets. The amazing array of sparklingly fresh seafood in a poissonnerie makes me feel like a hungry child in a sweet shop, and since…
Haute Vienne derives its name from the river that runs though the department. As the river is also the main waterway through Vienne, the “Haute” was added as the department …
A true tale of one family’s decision to leave Britain and head for France in search of a mortgage-free bigger house with more time and space for family life. Not to mention lorries heading backwards down hills, battles with French bureaucracy and building up a dog-breeding business…
