It probably doesn’t surprise anyone that many of the posts on Distant Francophile are inspired by the questions we receive from people who are keen to visit France. Regardless of how these queries reach us – via the website, email or in person – they always get me wondering whether I might be able to […]
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I think I’ve mentioned before that my very favourite skincare is created by the French brand Caudalie. I always come home from France with a stack of Caudalie products. While I am occasionally unfaithful – usually trying different skincare brands when I run out of Caudalie, which is not readily available in Australia – I […]
Via a gift from a couple of gorgeous friends, I was recently introduced to Lillet, the Bordeaux wine based apéritif that comes in blanc and rouge varieties as well as a rosé version. Now I know many of you would be rolling your eyes right now and wondering how this self proclaimed francophile has managed […]
While they don’t quite evoke deep memories for me like they did for Marcel Proust, one of my all time favourite French sweet treats is the madeleine. Madeleines are not nearly as fancy or elaborate as some other French cakes, pastries and petits fours but they are just perfect served with a cup of tea […]
Many travellers head to France wishing to experience the amazing food. And if you feel like you want to take the ‘foodie’ experience to a whole new level, then checking out a Michelin-starred restaurant could be for you. We’ve been lucky enough to eat at a number of one, two and three starred restaurants now […]
Welcome to the first Frenchify Your Friday for 2016. To start the year off in a pretty sort of fashion – and to bring a little bit of French inspiration to this coming Friday – why not buy yourself a Phalaenopsis Orchid. While I doubt these gorgeous blooms are of French origin (two seconds of […]
I’m always equally flattered and terrified when I’m asked to write guest posts for other blogs. On the one hand, I am so grateful to be given a chance to share my love of France with a broader audience. On the other hand, I’m usually incredibly nervous that my words won’t hit the mark. But […]
Welcome to 2016! I hope you’ve all had a fabulous festive season. I was fortunate enough to spend time with family and friends over the Christmas period. And although I headed straight back to work after Christmas, I’ve been able to use the public holidays and the weekends to do some planning and relaxing – […]
Given the fact that tomorrow is not only Friday but also New Year’s Day, why not Frenchify Your Friday this week by choosing make your new year greetings in French? Personally, I’ll be going with ‘Bonne année et bonne santé’ (happy new year and good health) however my internet research offered some alternatives that you might like […]
Our regular Frenchify Your Friday post is having a little holiday tonight so we can take a moment to wish all of our fabulous Distant Francophile readers a safe and happy Christmas. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing we hope you have a wonderful day. Maybe you’ll even have a chance to incorporate […]
I love the comments that Distant Francophile readers share – they always get me thinking. A comment earlier this week had Scott and I discussing how generic cultures can become. Australian culture is a great example. Post white settlement, the Aussie culture was driven by the British Empire, prior to being deeply and positively influenced […]
People watching is one of my very favourite things to do in Paris. I love every bit of it. I’m very happy to check out the current fashion trends and what shopping bags people are carrying. I try and determine what people might be eating for dinner and I smile knowingly at fellow travellers struggling […]
For this week’s edition of Frenchify Your Friday I was really keen to find an idea that not only delivered a little bit of French inspiration into everyone’s day but also helped to get us all into the Christmas spirit. And there is really only one option for a brief like that! The French Christmas […]
There is so much to enjoy about Strasbourg. The history. The architecture. The sheer beauty of the place. And you can’t help but enjoy the food. Given the location and the history of Strasbourg, it won’t come as a surprise that the cuisine of the area applies French finesse to some German classics. This cultural […]
When Paris was so tragically attacked last month, many people questioned whether we were still planning to travel to France, and specifically Paris. While our travel plans were never in danger of changing, we were curious to understand what had changed in France after the Paris attacks. Personally, I was hoping for nothing – but […]
The French obsession for beautiful lingerie is legendary. I’m sure we’ve all read statistics about the percentage of French income spent on new lingerie each year. And these legends are certainly supported by the sheer number of lingerie boutiques you see in every city and town in France not to mention the number of parcels […]
Apart from being a perfectly delightful holiday destination in its own right, Strasbourg is also an ideal base for exploring more of France’s stunningly beautiful Alsace region. When you first start investigating villages to visit in the Alsace, the town of Colmar will definitely pop up in your search engine. It is regularly features in […]
It was inevitable that one day Scott and I would spend time in Strasbourg. You see, Scott loves Germany almost as much as I love France so, given Strasbourg’s history, this very French city which is full of German flavour is almost the perfect destination for us. While we were confident that we would enjoy […]
I can go weeks without eating bread. Like weeks and weeks. I kept count recently and I actually went seven weeks without bread. Yet, I arrive in France and all of a sudden I’m lucky to go seven hours without eating bread. In fact, don’t get between me and a French baguette – you may […]
I love it when I get to write the monthly French inspiration posts from France. It just adds something to the whole experience for me. Maybe it’s because I’m feeling so inspired myself. And I have to tell you that where we are – France’s Alsace region – would have to inspire anyone. Situated […]