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 Distant Francophile Blog
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The latest Franco-Files episode is a bit different. Why? Because I don’t I have a guest. Nope, it’s just me sharing my tips on how to pack lightly. I’ve been travelling a lot for work lately. And Scotty and I are about to head back to Canada which means that the need to pack lightly […]
Before I share my thoughts on Parisian Chic encore, I have to tell the story about how I came to buy the book in the first place. You see, I was feeling sorry for myself. I was at the airport. It was stupidly early in the morning. I was in the early stages of a […]
Choosing accommodation in France can be tricky. Like really tricky. In fact, tricky might not be the right word – especially for first time travellers. Downright challenging might be better. Or perhaps even outright difficult. You see, there are so many choices. Do you opt for a hotel or a short stay apartment? Which part […]
Happy new year francophile friends. I wish you a 2020 full of life’s true gifts – love, health and happiness. Before I get into this post, I wanted to say thank you to so many of you for reaching out to Scotty and I as bushfires have been decimating the Australian landscape. We were truly […]
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 […]
I love style. I love it so much I did a whole course on it. And it probably comes as no surprise that I especially love French style. After all, it was our visits to France that got me interested in developing my own style in the first place. There’s something so simple yet elegant […]
Given we were in the area recently, there was no way in the world I was going to miss visiting Grasse. In a country renowned for perfumes, the town of Grasse is at the heart of the French fragrance industry. Located in the south of France, it’s a ‘must visit’ for any perfume lover. It […]
I’ve been a people watcher for a long time. I’ll happily sit for hours watching the passing traffic. Sometimes I just watch the show as it goes on around me. And other times I look for something specific. Recently my eye was drawn to the specifics. I’ve had the unique opportunity to spend hours of […]
If you’ve been hanging around here for a while, you’ve probably guessed that I like to read. When I was a kid, I always had my nose in a book. And it turns out that, when I have the luxury of time, things aren’t that different today. I’ve actually surprised myself with how much I’ve […]
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 […]
One of the best things about travelling is that you are constantly in discovery mode. It’s highly likely that you’ll be meeting new people and exploring different places and flavours. And more often than not, the change in routine will give you the opportunity to learn something about yourself. As it happens, I discovered something […]
What’s the first thing you notice when you arrive in a new-to-you part of the world? For me, it’s always what people are wearing. For whatever reason, I almost immediately get a feel for the local style, whether that be dressy or laid back or something in between. And more often than not a single […]
We’ve had a lot on lately. Who knew that getting ready to spend nine weeks in France would take up some serious time? Truth be told, things have felt pretty hectic. What does that look like? Well, for us it’s looked like long days at work ensuring our teams were set up for success before […]
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 […]
When it comes to packing, there’s one area that challenges even those most committed to travelling light. I can almost hear some of you yelling out the word ‘shoes’. But I promise that packing shoes isn’t that much of a problem. Not when you compare shoes to beauty products! Beauty products and travelling light. These […]
The south of France. The words alone conjure up visions of long, warm days, olive trees and glasses of chilled rosé. But the joys of travelling to picturesque towns like Saint-Rémy-de-Provence or Aix-en-Provence can be replicated – without the crowds and potentially with a lower price tag. How? Easily, via a visit to what Catherine, […]
I have a confession to make. I read way more books related to France than I share with you here on Distant Francophile. Actually, scratch that. What I should have said was… I start way more books related to France than I ever finish. Some come highly recommended, but fail to grab my attention. Others […]