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 […]
The Distant Francophile Blog
445 posts
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 […]
France and perfume just go to together – well, at least in my mind they do! Grasse, in the south of France, is famous in the world of perfume and almost all of the great fragrances are French. I say almost because today I have a new favourite fragrance and although it was crafted in […]
Sometimes I marvel at the fact that we ever even made it to France. At the time we booked our very first trip we’d barely flown anywhere, we were anything but savvy travellers and Scott had a pretty large fear of flying. But somehow we managed the 24 hour flight relatively well… We’ve come a […]
When choosing accommodation in France, it seems to me that most travellers go with one of two main choices. They either a opt for a hotel or stay in an apartment. Now let’s be clear. I’d stay in a tent if it meant I was in France (Scott will raise his eyebrows at this. It’s […]
I can’t believe I haven’t shared this one with you all before! Way back in November, we spent a very pleasant Sunday at Melbourne’s Paris to Provence. And, while we were enjoying all things French, I managed to pick up one of the most gorgeous – and clever – pieces of jewellery I’ve ever owned. […]
This year’s supply of Paris Metro tickets arrived at our house on Friday night and naturally, I was very excited. It’s a great service – I only placed the order last Sunday! The tickets being delivered really got me thinking about how quickly have changed since the first time we travelled to France – mostly […]
Regular readers of Distant Francophile will know that I spend a fair amount of time looking for similarities between Australia and France. Well today, I’m deeply saddened by one of those similarities. The tragic shootings in Sydney’s Lindt Cafe and the horror of what’s happened at Paris’s Charlie Hebdo is one connection I just didn’t […]
I’m not much of a goal setter, but I do love the fresh feeling of anticipation that comes with the new year. Anything seems possible on the first day of the year. Personally, I’m looking forward to a year full of French fun both here in Australia and abroad. It’s started off nicely – French […]
Wishing all of Distant Francophile’s readers a Christmas that is more fabulous France – which would, of course, make it very fabulous, at least from our perspective! We really want thank all of you for your support of Distant Francophile during the year. We love sharing all the French things that come into […]
Anyone who enjoys reading Distant Francophile probably keeps an eye out for other sources of French inspiration. As such, you might already be aware of one of my personal favourites – the online magazine My French Life. I’ve been an avid reader for a very long time. Judy and her team of contributors do an […]
Since I shared the fact that I love visiting Paris in winter, I’ve had a stack of questions regarding what stylish bits and pieces you might pack for a visit to Paris when the weather is cooler and the days are shorter. To be perfectly honest, I find it way easier to pack for a […]
I mentioned last week that I first travelled to France as an adult. I’d wanted to visit the country for what seemed like forever and I took the first opportunity – which came in my mid thirties – to get myself (and my husband and son) there. Friends who had already visited were concerned that […]
As a rule, I love the lead up to Christmas, and this year is no exception. Yesterday, we selected and decorated the tree and we are now enjoying the gorgeous, once a year smell of fresh pine. I’ve also started planning the menu – I am always happy leafing through cookbooks, searching for the perfect […]