So, it’s now less than four weeks until Scotty and I head back to France. We’re headed back to the French Riviera and it’s safe to say that I’m super excited. I’ve been in full scale planning mode. Thoughts of what to pack have obviously been on my mind. I’m thinking there will be lots […]
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Ok, so this one comes under the heading of: ‘And now, for something completely different…’ Long time readers might remember that Scotty (the principal photographer here on DF and my awesome hubby for anyone who hasn’t been here for a long time) is a rail enthusiast. He’s loved trains since he was kid. He’s built […]
In the words of the renowned story-teller Meatloaf…. ‘I remember every little thing as if it happened only yesterday…’ I’m talking about the day that we decided to go to France. Scotty finally agreed to travel to France. I’d been working on becoming a Francophile for around 7 years by then. (If you haven’t read […]
You’ll probably think I’m slightly bonkers when you read this. But I knew I was a francophile before I knew what a francophile was. Mmhmm. I know. That makes no sense at all. I was in my late twenties and, at the time, working in retail banking. An elegant woman had sauntered into our Williamstown […]
Have you ever had a hobby or a passion that you suddenly fell out of love with? What about a thing that you’d done consistently for a long time and then just stopped? Well, that’s what happened to me over the past six months. After adoring France and everything French for almost 15 years, one […]
I was heart-broken earlier this week when I learned of the passing of my dear friend and mentor, Alisa Bearov Landrum. Alisa hadn’t been well for many months. But that did nothing to reduce my shock and immediate grief when I picked up the sad message from her husband Charles. A devoted wife, mother and […]
It’s almost impossible for me to believe, but Distant Francophile turns six this month. Six! Six years of creativity, joy and sharing one of our favourite things – France and our experiences of French culture – with people all over the world. Why Did You Start A Blog? I’m often asked why I started Distant […]
The holiday season has snuck up on me. Again. Or should that be ‘As usual’? Given I write those same words every year, I’m not even going to try to excuse or justify the position I find myself in this year when it comes to buying gifts. Instead, I’d like to share with you some […]
Do you own any traditional French knives? If so, there’s a good chance those knives were made in the charming French village of Thiers. How can I make that assertion? Because around 70% of French knives are made in Thiers, a village you’ll find nestled into the hills of central France’s Auvergne region. Scotty has […]
Please tell me I’m not the only one in the world who has crashed back to reality after a luxuriously long stay in France? Since we’ve been home, it’s safe to say things have been crazy! I managed to pick up a new role in my day job while we were away. So it goes […]
There was only one question on our minds as Scotty and I left the fabulous city of Nice. Why on earth had it taken us over a decade of French visits to get to this part of France? It’s safe to say we were smitten with Nice. It had such a relaxed vibe, and felt […]
It’s only a couple of weeks now until Scotty and I head off on our two month adventure in France. It has been one very long countdown. It’s over 15 months since we were last in France – and to say we’re excited for our trip to arrive is a massive understatement. We simply can’t […]
I am super excited today! Why? Because we just launched our brand new interview series – The Franco-Files. It’s almost five years now since Scott and I created Distant Francophile. Over the years, we’ve had a great time sharing our love of all things French. From travel and packing tips, through to the exploration of […]
Ten years ago this week my family and I were getting ready to return home following our first visit to France. On our last day in Paris, as we prepared to brave the 24 hour flight to Australia, Scott and I splurged by ordering two glasses of champagne. We sipped them, gazing out toward the […]
Do you ever look back on a period in your life and get a little shock at how far you’ve come? Perhaps a thought like ’Wow. I would never have imagined that I would end up here’ runs through your mind. Or maybe you just wake up one day and realise you’ve been on a […]
One of the many and varied reasons that I originally established Distant Francophile was to share some of the many beautiful photos of France that Scott had taken on our travels. I promise I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that we already had thousands of shots when I started DF. I thought that they […]
I know. I must have written it a gazillion times. But I really do get super excited when I receive questions from Distant Francophile readers. I can’t tell you how important it is to me to create content here that is, first and foremost, useful, If I can also provide a little bit of entertainment […]
Thank you so much for being a part of the Distant Francophile community. I just wanted to let you know that I’ve updated the Distant Francophile Privacy Policy in line with the EU’s Data Protection Regulation. You can find the updated Privacy Policy here. I adore sharing my love of all things related to style […]
I’ll come right out and say it. From my perspective, 2017 has been an amazing year. I know not everyone will be nodding in agreement (and my heart goes out to you), but I honestly knew before it began that 2017 would be a transformational one for me. My excitement started building a couple […]
Wishing you, our style loving, francophile friend, all the very best for the holiday season. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing we hope your days are chock full of fun, laughter and dreams come true. And may your year ahead be filled with life’s true gifts – love, health and happiness. Thank you […]