In a week’s time we will be in Paris which is, of course, very exciting. Given I have a massive week ahead of me at work (yes, we’ve decided to work until Thursday night) I really need to sort out my packing list this weekend. You’ll be pleased to know that I finally made a […]
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We loved our unplanned visit to Nîmes. It is such a beautiful town, perfectly located in the south of France, and just full of Ancient Roman history. It is easy to get around on foot, and there is so much to see and do while you are there. Given how much I adored the place, […]
People watching is almost an official pass time in Paris. Parisians are happy not only to watch, but also to be watched. Following on from our recent people watching practice session, I thought I would share my top 10 people watching spots in Paris. Les Jardins du Palais Royal. Easily my favourite place to watch […]
Potatoes feature heavily on French menus. And they can be prepared in so many tasty ways. Dauphinoise. Paris mash. Duchess potatoes. (And I’ve not even mentioned French fries). But one of the true classics is also a cinch to prepare – Boulangère Potatoes. All classics have back stories. And if you look into the legend […]
A trip to France can be big investment. Both in terms of time and money. Particularly if you are leaving from a far away land like Australia. Given this investment, you’ve got to make the most of it. See as much as you can. Squeeze everything in. Isn’t that right? No, it’s not right – […]
Over all our trips to France, we have now spent 35 nights in Paris. So I’m not all surprised when people suggest that there could be nothing left for us to see. But Paris is such an amazing city, I have a funny feeling that we will never get our entire ‘Paris To Do List’ […]
Are you a fan of rail travel? I am, as long as I am in France! However, I’m also aware that railways can be daunting, particularly if you are not used to rail travel and happen to be in foreign country. It’s also true that many travellers to Europe are more familiar with hire cars […]
I must admit that I’ve never been great at applying my own makeup. Don’t ask me to try a ‘smoky eye’ or a ‘cat eye’ – neither ends up looking right. And I find the French woman’s ‘no makeup look’ just plain hard. But the one thing I can do is a perfect red lip. […]
Happy Birthday Distant Francophile. Yes today, Distant Francophile is celebrating its first birthday. And to be honest, while I love our website to bits and pieces and happily work on it for creative expression, I’ve been both surprised and delighted by the amount of interest from others. It really is our great pleasure to add […]
Our next trip to France is getting closer and for the first time ever, I’ve hit a packing dilemma. For all of our previous trips we’ve followed the advice of a close friend and travelled with large backpacks. While the flash hotels aren’t quite sure what to do with packs – we actually had a […]
Over the weekend I suggested that, if you are new to Paris, it might be worth considering a city day tour. I’m happy to take that suggestion a step further and go so far as arguing that day tours are worth considering even when you’re a regular visitor to France. Over the years we’ve […]
People seem to either love or hate guided city tours. But to my mind, there is no better way to get your bearings in a new city. And this includes Paris. Many travellers seem to avoid Paris tours. I think it might be because Paris has such a long list of must-see highlights…if they choose […]
I’m counting the days until June, when we will be spending a few days in Provence. When compared to the time we’ve spent around Paris and Lyon, we’ve not spent much time at all in the south of France and I am really looking forward to returning. This time, we are headed to the village […]
It’s March already – I know it is a short month, but I seriously can’t believe how quickly February flew by! Given it’s the start of new month, it must be time for me to update you on some of the French inspiration I’ve been finding on the internet recently. It’s funny – no matter […]
I have a nasty little obsession with packing light. My goal is to one day leave Australia with less than ten kilograms of luggage. My record so far is just a shade over 11 kg. But I am also a realist, And I know that I will never achieve that goal when I am travelling […]
We adored our time in Lyon. It really is a magical French city. Lyon somehow manages to combine the romance of Paris with the endless charm of the south of France. And then there is the food! Lyon is a perfect the perfect place to sink your teeth into French culture and I firmly believe […]
I’m excited. It’s three months today until we next head to France. The ‘three months until we go’ date is always a special milestone for me as it signals two things – firstly, that I am officially allowed to start the countdown and secondly, that what I like to call the ‘booking window’ is about […]
Given my passion for France and all things French, it goes without saying that I love swapping French travel tales with anyone willing to share. I could literally chat for days about all the things I love about France and I absolutely adore it when I pick up some new tip or little French secret. […]
Confession time. There are stacks of things I’m happy to do in France that I tend to studiously avoid at home. Taking public transportation is one example. And climbing copious amounts of stairs is another. I’m always amused at how often we end up taking the stairs while we are in France and particularly Paris, […]
No matter how busy my day job gets, I take every available opportunity to share my passion for France. In that spirit, I have again worked in collaboration with one of my favourite sources of French inspiration, the online magazine My French Life. This time I share my tips on travelling to Paris as a solo […]