A little while back, I shared my first Parisian gem – the Musée de l’Orangerie. Through this series of posts I am looking to shed light on some Parisian sights that many people would have heard of but might not had the opportunity to visit. Today I’d like to let you in on one of […]
The Distant Francophile Blog
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It is safe to say that Scott takes the majority of the photographs that we share here on Distant Francophile. He has been a keen hobby photographer for a long time now and has learnt a lot – through both formal and informal learning – on how to take a great photo. Scott is also […]
It’s Thursday night in Melbourne and I’ve been using my time productively…to day-dream about Paris, France and all things French. To be more accurate, I’ve probably been remembering more than day-dreaming. I’ve been recalling the flavours, the scents, the light and most of all, the colours of France. And in thinking about colour it occurred […]
I’m not much of sweet tooth – I actually prefer cheese over dessert. But the desserts I do like, I really like, if you know what I mean. One of the desserts that I always struggle to say ‘no’ to is Moelleux au Chocolat. Sometimes called Chocolat Fondant, this rich, oozing, chocolate concoction is a […]
We’ve just spent a fabulous weekend in Sydney, staying with some close friends who moved up there a little while ago. We hadn’t caught up with them properly since we got back from last trip, so there were lots of stories to share. Unsurprisingly, one of those stories centred around our enrolment in an immersion […]
It’s almost the end of the week and therefore time for me to recommend another tip to Frenchify Your Friday. And this week I’m suggesting we celebrate Friday and Frenchify it at the same time with a French 75 cocktail. Refreshing, cool and bubbly, a French 75 makes a perfect apéritif. And whether you raise […]
Monumental understatement coming up – there is a lot to see and do in Paris. You’d certainly need a substantial amount of time in Paris if you wanted to tick off all the big and small ‘must sees’ in one visit. As a result, most visitors understandably prioritise their precious time, concentrating on either the […]
Welcome to August everyone. I’ve got lots of French inspiration to share this month, so I am going to dive right in. Paris has a kind of mixed reputation during August. Some francophiles love visiting in August because things are sometimes quieter as the locals head out of town for their summer vacation. Others are […]
I’m not sure what the weather is like where you are at the moment but where we are, it is absolutely freezing. At the minute, I really don’’t want to move too far from the couch – which is conveniently located in front of the heater. So with our weather in mind, I’m being […]
If you’ve checked out our website lately, you might have noticed that we’ve undergone a mini makeover. There are some new photographs popping up here and there and I just have to share where they have come from. Scott and I had always dreamed of doing a professional photo shoot in Paris. We’d seen so […]
It’s funny. So many people love travelling to Paris (or they would love to travel there someday). And while they are in Paris they are more than happy to take in the big name tourist sights. Yet (unsurprisingly) no one wants to actually look like a tourist. It’s the big dilemma – how can you […]
I simply adore French markets. Whether I’m in Paris, or a long way off the beaten track, checking out the local market is an absolute must for me. The first French market we ever experienced was at Anvers in Paris. The apartment we were staying in overlooked the market square and we were fascinated as […]
Unsurprisingly, we got a few raised eyebrows when we mentioned we were visiting Barcelona as part of our last trip. Clearly, Barcelona is not in France and everyone knows how desperate I am to spend as much time as I possibly can in France. As a result, since returning home, “How did you go in […]
It’s that time of the week again, and this week I’m recommending that you Frenchify Your Friday by climbing some stairs. Ok, so I know that there is nothing particularly French about climbing stairs. But having said that, for me, stair climbing seems to be something I do way more when I am in France […]
It’s time for the last instalment in our little ‘do-it-yourself tour of Champagne‘ series. And today I want to share our Ruinart experience with you all. Following our visit to Veuve Clicquot, we walked back into the centre of Reims where we ate lunch and visited the famous cathedral. We then wandered back to Ruinart, […]
I never thought I’d ever be able to name a favourite place in Paris. When we first visited Paris I loved absolutely everything, and equally. But over the years one special Parisian landmark has drawn me back again and again. In fact, it is now the only place I definitely have to spend time in […]
Frenchify Your Friday this week by throwing your favourite scarf around your neck. Regardless of the season, by adding a scarf you are also adding a big dose of French style to both your outfit and your day. And this week’s Frenchify Your Friday idea couldn’t be any more simple – scarves are super easy to […]
I talk to stacks of people who really, really want to visit France but who, at the same time, are entirely overwhelmed by the entire idea. They are more than a bit put off by things like a lack of French language skills, the challenge of finding decent accommodation and the whole issue of not […]
Well, summer has definitely hit Paris this week. And the high temperatures reminded me that I still owed you all an updated summer packing list. My first Packing For Paris In Summer post was more of a guess than a guide. But as it turns out, I didn’t do a bad job of packing clothes […]
One of the things I love about the French is their complete dedication to quality, particularly when it comes to what they eat and drink. There is simply no way that they will let their tastebuds put up with anything less than what makes them happy. Think about it – excellent chocolate, top notch wine, […]