While many people might think rail is an outdated form of transport, the idea of belting through the French countryside at 300kmh on a double deck train with a café – or, if it is little later in the day, a bar – really appeals to Scott. Like you wouldn’t believe. Luckily for Scotty, the […]
Janelle
440 posts
Travel is an excellent opportunity to learn. About yourself. About your travelling companions. And of course, about the country you travel to. Over the years, I’ve come to see the French culture as my ultimate mentor. I’ve learned so much over the years and sometimes it surprises me just how many of these lessons I’ve […]
If you follow Distant Francophile on Instagram or Facebook you might be aware that our darling son Cal turned 20 earlier this week. As should always be the case with birthdays, the celebrations went for days. There were dinners out, gifts and cakes. Yep, more than one cake. One of Cal’s thoughtful friends was clever […]
One of the things I always notice when I return from France is how easy things are. It feels like I don’t have to think when I get back to Melbourne. Driving is straightforward, as is getting a table in a restaurant. Crossing the road is simple and asking for directions takes no thought at […]
Well, the year continues to fly along. I seriously can’t believe it is April already. But as the days get shorter here in Australia, I’m finding more and more time to track down some excellent French inspiration that I can’t wait to share with all of you. So let’s jump straight in. On Paris Earlier […]
I don’t about you, but I like to start my weekend the way I plan for it to continue – with something yummy. And let’s face it, the French do yummy so well. For me, Friday nights are all about the French bistro classics – French Onion Soup, Steak Frites and my all time favourite […]
The week before last, I attended a conference for women in finance where I was absolutely delighted to receive a Lipault Weekender bag. In a fine show of generosity the bag was actually the sponsors goodie bag – a definite step up from the standard cloth bag that normally graces that sort of event. Now […]
Neither Scott nor I grew up in particularly religious families, yet whenever we are in France, you can guarantee we will set foot in a church. While we are generally there for the history or the legend rather than any spiritual calling, I’m always reminded that some of the ‘must visit’ churches, including the Cathédrale […]
Given that it is Good Friday tomorrow, I thought that a perfect way to Frenchify Your Friday this week might be to deepen your understanding of French Easter traditions. Rather than simply regurgitating my research, I thought it would be better to point you in the direction of sites that have already done an excellent […]
On the back of last week’s investment dressing post, a girlfriend and I got talking about shoes, and whether or not they qualify as an investment piece. For me, the answer is simple. While I certainly consider an excellent pair of shoes an investment worth making, I can’t consider them an investment piece. Let me […]
One of the best experiences we’ve ever had in Paris was the morning we spent with Carla Coulson on a ‘Personal Branding Shoot’. Not only did we have a whole stack of fun with Carla and her gorgeous team, but we also encountered Paris from an entirely different perspective. You can read all about our […]
I really adore what I do for a living but I have to tell you, the last couple of weeks at work have been fairly heavy going. So over the weekend, I thought I’d take some of my own advice and put together a perfect French Sunday. Things started lazily enough. We walked the dog and […]
I’m always impressed when I hear the younger crowd at work talking about saving up for an investment piece. When I was their age and in my mid twenties I didn’t even know what an investment piece was! (In my defence, I was somewhat occupied by a toddler and the mortgage at the time.) I […]
I’ve wanted to suggest Frenchifying your Friday with a glass or two of French rosé for quite a long time now. But, I’ve struggled with the timing of this recommendation. You see, the Distant Francophile community has been growing steadily in recent times, and our gorgeous readers now come from all corners of the globe. […]
Sometimes life gets more overwhelming than we’d prefer it to be. When these times creep up on me, the first thing I want to do is escape to Paris. It is no coincidence that our amazing photo shoot with Paris based photographer Carla Coulson was themed around running away to Paris! But actually being able […]
It is around seven months until we head back to France. While that seems like an eternity (I’m wishing it was seven weeks, or even better, seven days) I am in full on planning mode. While I’ve developed some fairly decent desktop research skills, I still can’t go past recommendations from people who have already […]
One item that I never fail to bring home from France is French soap. And it’s not just because they make excellent gifts and souvenirs. Every time I use French soap with its creamy lather, I am immediately transported to the French countryside. Often made in the south of France around Provence and Marseille, French […]
Welcome to March everyone. I just love it when March rolls around. March heralds the beginning of autumn in Australia – and anyone who has been reading Distant Francophile for a while will know that autumn is my favourite season. I adore the light. I marvel at the changing colours. I love warm days and […]
I’ve got to tell you – I’ve always found packing for Paris in spring a bit tricky. I always end up lugging way more weight than I want to – primarily because I’m forever trying to cater for the changeable weather. Shoes are definitely the worst. If there is ever a season that sees me […]
One of the things I love to do while I’m in Paris is to get a manicure. Let’s face it – nobody wants to be in one of the style capitals of the world with tatty nails. Depending on where we are staying, I’ll head with the Parisians to either Le Bon Marché or BHV […]