WINTER 2024

FREE

The

Good Life France

ISSUE Nọ 40

ISSN 2754-6799

Marvellous

MENTON

The perfect sunshine

winter destination

Effervescent

EPERNAY!

The Champagne city’s

luminous winter festival

Hidden France

Martin Walker’s (Bruno

books) Dordogne, plus

St-Bertrand-de-

Comminges, Hesdin

LE WEEKEND

in the

French Alps

Va va voom to the ski

resorts of Isère, just 3

hours by train from Paris!

Delicious recipes

Bringing you an irresistible

taste of France – including

the cheesiest charmers!

152 pages

Of inspirational features

and gorgeous photos

Magazine

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wel comes you !

Bonjour and bienvenue to The Good Life France Winter 2024

Magazine.

This is our 40th edition – and boy has it changed since its early

days. I started the magazine 10 years ago as a passion project. I

wanted it to be free, fabulous, and full of fantastic features about

the best destinations, hidden gems, culture, history, gastronomy

and practical guides. And, I wanted the photos to be dazzling –

the sort that make you want to step into the pages. I wanted it

to be inspirational, informational and entertaining. And that has

never changed.

But what has changed is how much more beautiful the magazine is,

and it’s brimming with more stunning content than ever thanks to a

talented team of writers, photographers and designers behind the

production, it’s not just me anymore. But it’s still as I wanted it from

that very first issue – free, fabulous and uplifting.

In this anniversary edition, come with us to captivating Menton on

the French Riviera, the perfect sunshine winter destination. Find

out about an effervescent light festival in Epernay, Champagne.

And discover the charming ski resorts just three hours by train from

Paris! Head south to gorgeous Gordes, the poster-boy village of

Provence, and north to the quintessential market town of Hesdin, a

hidden gem in the secret Seven Valleys.

Find out about a unique (and a bit scary!) Christmas festival in the

city of Nancy in the east of France, and travel through Burgundy,

and the Rhone Valley, by boat. Discover the fascinating history

of French street names, and meet an artisan in Paris whose rare

pleating skills are in high demand with Haute Couture designers.

Explore Annecy and its snowy mountains, sun-kissed Nice and its

ancient remains, and colourful Collioure and Perpignan on the

Mediterranean coast. Visit medieval Sarlat, Strasbourg AKA the

capital of Christmas, and Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges.

There are practical guides, property hotspots, and top tips to help

you live the good life in France. Plus, there are superb recipes from

the crème de la crème of the French food world.

And now – it’s time to enjoy this anniversary issue which is totally

free to read, and subscribe to, just hop on to page 4 and subscribe!

And please do share this issue with your friends – that’s free too.

I wish you a very happy Winter.

Bisous from France,

Janine

Janine Marsh

Editor

Bienvenue

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Contributors

Gillian Thornton is an award-winning

travel writer specialising in French

destinations and lifestyle. Her favourite

place? ‘Usually where I have just been!’

Ally Mitchell is a blogger and

freelance writer, specialising in food

and recipes. Ally left the UK to live in

Toulouse in 2021 and now writes about

her new life in France on her food blog

NigellaEatsEverything.

Anna Richards is a writer & guidebook

author living in Lyon. Her work has

appeared in Lonely Planet, National

Geographic and many more; she is

the author of Paddling France

(Bradt Guides). annahrichards.com

Jeremy Flint is an award-winning

photographer (Association of

Photographers Discovery Award Winner,

National Geographic Traveller Grand

Prize Winner, five-times finalist Travel

Photographer of the Year) and writer

specialising in travel, landscape and

location photography.

Annaliza Davis is an editor, translator

and writer. She lives in Brittany after

falling in love with the area on a school

exchange and loves to explore the

coast with her scruffy dog Mimi!

Amy McPherson is a London based

travel writer whose work has been

featured in many international

publications. When not on assignment,

she loves to ride her bike, go

running along the river Thames,

or relax with her cat on her lap.

footprintsandmemories.com

The Good Life France Magazine

Dana Facaros has lived in France for

over 30 years. She is the creator of

French Food Decoder app: everything

you want to know about French food,

and co-author of the Bradt guide to

Gascony & the Pyrenees.

Christine McKenzie is a Franco-

British journalist who writes in both

English and French. Her stories

have been published in anglophone

and francophone media. Married

to a Frenchman and mother of

four, she settled 30 years ago near

Fontainebleau.

Front Cover: Menton, French Riviera

Editor-in-chief: Janine Marsh editor@thegoodlifefrance.com

Editorial assistant: Trudy Watkins

Press enquiries: editor@thegoodlifefrance.com

Advertising: sales@thegoodlifefrance.com

Digital support: websitesthatwork.com

Layout design: Philippa French littlefrogdesign.co.uk

ISSN 2754-6799 Issue 40 Winter 2024

24

8

58

CONTENTS

The Good Life France Magazine

No. 40 Winter 2024

ISSN 2754-6799

ON THE COVER

8 Marvellous Menton

The perfect sunshine winter

destination on the French Riviera.

18 Effervescent Epernay!

Discover the Champagne city’s

luminous winter festival.

24 Le weekend in the French Alps

Va va voom to the ski resorts of

isère close to the city of Grenoble.

30 Hidden France

Author Martin Walker (Bruno

series), shares his favourite place in

France.

DISCOVER

34 The scary Christmas festival

of Nancy!

A Christmas festival that’s

definitely not like the others!

38 The treasures of the

Rhone Valley

Discover the rich cultural heritage

of the Rhone Valley from its river.

44 Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges

A tiny village with a big history

AKA the Cathedral of the

Pyrenees.

48 Secret France - Hesdin

Off the beaten track, this market

town in northern France has a rich

history

54 Winning Winter cities in France

Strasbourg, Sarlat and Nice –

perfect Winter destinations.

58 Gorgeous Gordes, Provence

Officially one of the prettiest

towns in France.

4 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 5

72

78

62 Remembrance sites of

northern France

From Normandy’s D-Day

Landing Beaches to cemeteries,

memorials and Museums.

68 Mendiants

Discover the historic chocolate

sweets of Christmas in Provence.

72 Colioure and Perpignan

Two historic and enchanting

Mediterranean cities.

78 Burgundy by boat!

The spectacular Burgundy Canal

is lined with must-see marvels.

84 Street names of France

Take an enlightening stroll

through the streets of French

history.

90 The secrets of Nice

The sunny city has more than

great beaches – discover its

hidden sites.

96 Maison du Pli

Meet a master of the traditional

art of pleating at his Paris atelier.

100 Charming Châtaillon-sur-

Chalaronne

A hidden gem, this medieval town

near Lyon has a fabulous market.

104 Le weekend in the Annecy

Mountains

Enjoy a non-ski weekend in a ski

resort in the Annecy Mountains.

110 Best Tours

The very best of France for your

tours and holidays.

PHOTO SPECIALS

118 France Calendar

Winter in France.

124

118

144

150 Last word

Life in a rural French community –

winter joie de vivre.

GUIDES

108 France Channel

Immerse yourself in France

and French culture with France

Channel TV!

124 Spotlight on Aude

Oodles of sunshine, historic towns

and affordable property.

130 Planning Permission in France

Get the lowdown on property

planning regs.

132 Emily’s Paris!

Emily in Paris - where the city is

the star!

136 Moving to France checklist

Top tips for moving to France –

from an expert.

139 Am I too old to move to

France?

Wondering if you’re too old to

move to France – read our

helpful guide.

BON APPÉTIT

143 Breaded Fresh Goat Cheese

Paired with Spiced Quince Paste.

144 Maroilles Tart

A legendary cheese in France

makes for a tasty tart.

146 Corsican cheesecake

This traditional dish is a mouthwatering

delight!

148 Aperitifs

5 Festive French cocktails

Fabulous, traditional French

apéritifs that are perfect yearround!

84

REGULARS

120 What’s New

All the news and events you need

for your next trip to France.

4 Subscribe to The Good Life

France Magazine

Everything you want to know

about France and more -

subscription is totally free.


Old town of Menton @Joëlle Martin

MENTON’S

Marvellous

Winter Festival

Menton, AKA the ‘pearl of France’ on the French Riviera

is a fabulous winter destination says Janine Marsh.

“My grandparents told me that Adam and

Eve planted the lemon trees here” said a

man standing next to me at the top of a hill in

Menton, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea

above a swathe of terracotta rooftops. I must

have looked sceptical as he added “They say

that Adam and Eve took not just an apple

from the Garden of Eden but a lemon. And

when they arrived here, it was as beautiful as

paradise, so they stayed a while and the seeds

from their lemon grew here, cherished by the

soil, the sun and the sea air.” He laughed and

spread his arms wide looking out over the

town below us. I could see his point – this little

corner of the French Riviera is enchanting.

Menton is on the border with Italy. Here the

Alps drop down to the sea whilst providing

protection from the wind for the ancient

coastal town at their feet – and that gives

Menton a unique microclimate. It lured British

aristocrats, including Queen Victoria, to

spend their winter breaks in the sun here in

the 1800s. The legacy of their time includes

several exotic gardens, and celebrity graves

including William Webb Ellis, inventor of the

game of rugby in 1823 and artist Aubrey

Beardsley, who, like many Brits, came for the

sunshine and fresh air, believed to be a cure

for Tuberculosis. These early wealthy tourists

also inspired the architecture of Menton, and


several palace-like former hotels remain in the

town and on the hills overlooking the sea.

Today’s Menton is a more bustling place,

but it retains an air of relaxed joie de vivre.

It’s undoubtedly influenced by its Italian

neighbour but resolutely French. Smaller and

more sedate than its famous neighbour Nice,

a few kilometres round the coast. And less

chi-chi than next door Monaco. However, this

French Riviera beauty has so much going for it

that it’s hard to know where to start singing its

praises, but I think the lemons have it.

Lemon history

Lemons have been cultivated in Menton for

800 years. In the 14th century, the Grimaldis

- who were at the time the ruling family of

Monaco and Menton – built a summer palace

facing the sea and they grew citrus fruits in

the garden.

Lemons have been important to Menton

ever since, and by the 19 th century annual

exports topped a whopping 35 million lemons.

Production declined through the late 20 th

century until the unique flavour of the Menton

lemons underwent a revival.

sculptures portraying Olympic athletes -

rowers, swimmers, wrestlers all made from

fruit! The 2025 theme is Journey to the Stars!

There are night-time parades called Les

Corsos, with the streets taken over by bands,

acrobats and dancers, and floats that

feature dreamlike magical animals and giant

creatures made from oranges and lemons.

Confetti canons blast a colourful mist of

rainbow-hued confetti over the happy crowds

as upbeat music fills the air.

During the day there are shows, concerts

and entertainment. It’s a feel good, fun

and fantastic festival – when life gives you

lemons at Menton, you’ll definitely be in a

lemonade mood.

Though it’s a celebration of the Menton

lemon, the fruit used to create the sculptures

comes from Spain, far more economical for

use in the floats but you can try the real thing

at the many stalls that line the gardens, at the

restaurants in town and by visiting producers

in the hills. And afterwards, the festival fruit is

sold to the locals to make jam!

Discover the lemons

Lemon festival

In 1895 local hoteliers thought a carnival

might entertain the British visitors. They can

have had no idea how popular their idea

would become. In 1928 the carnival included

an exhibition of citrus fruits, and in 1934

this officially became the Fête du Citron®,

the Lemon Festival, in honour of the city’s

revered fruit.

Citrus sculpture in the Jardin Bioves

View from La Casetta

One of the best ways to find out more about

Menton’s unique lemons is to visit to La

Casetta, the municipal citrus nursery which

opens to the public during the Festival. This

steeply terraced citrus grove flourishes in a

magical setting, protected by the mountains

as it overlooks the Mediterranean. The nursery

boasts 120 different species. Centuries

old olive trees grow alongside the lemons,

mandarins and oranges which were ripe for

eating in mid-winter when I visited.

Today’s Lemon Festival is a wildly wonderful

and joyful extravaganza of colour and scent.

Monumental fruit sculptures up to 10m (33ft)

high are erected in public gardens in the

centre of town. Made with a humongous

130 tons of oranges and lemons, they are an

incredible sight. Every year has a different

theme, in 2024 it was the Olympics, huge

“Menton lemons are unique because of

the microclimate” the guide at the nursery

explained. “Even in winter, the town basks in

the sun and the steep cliffs shelter the groves

from northern winds, while the sea provides

humidity. The climate is the most important

thing, then the care we provide, nurturing the

lemons” he said proudly “it makes them the


best in the world. No other lemons are as juicy

as ours, and they have a unique perfume and

taste. Have a bite!” He plucked a lemon from

a tree, sliced it expertly and held out a wedge.

Now, ordinarily as we all know, biting into a

lemon makes you wince at the sharpness, but

these lemons are different. They bathe your

taste buds in utterly delicious, delicate lemon

flavour without the acid flinch. The guide

smiled at my surprise “Menton lemons have

IGP (Indication Géographique Protegée), an

appellation, they’re like a fine wine. We call

the little lemon beads ‘caviar’” he said. “Even

the pith is edible, and very prized by chefs.”

This heavenly garden is filled with the aroma

of citrus fruits and the tranquility is interrupted

only by the sound of an occasional plonk of

oranges dropping from the fruit-stuffed trees or

from bells ringing at a nearby church. Visit for the

exquisite views, the fruit tasting, and to see these

extraordinary terraces (visits in French only).

What to see and do in

Menton

Menton’s beaches are among the most beautiful

on the French Riviera and whilst you may not

fancy a dip in winter, it’s often warm enough for a

spot of sunbathing. Picturesque and sandy Plage

des Sablettes is the busiest and most central of

Menton’s beaches and is lined with restaurants

and bars. Take a stroll along the Promenade

de la Mer, a palm-tree lined avenue with great

views over the town. Head to Quai Impératrice

Eugenie, one of the most picturesque spots,

where you can sit, dip your feet in the water, soak

up the sun or enjoy a glorious sunset.

Basilica Saint-Michel © Menton, Riviera & Merveilles Franck Barbier

Zigzag staircase © Menton, Riviera & Merveilles Marine Marrec

La Casetta

Tear yourself away from the beaches and

head to the old town with its labyrinth

of narrow, steep cobbled streets lined

with buildings in every shade of ochre

and yellow from pale apricot to flaming

saffron, with shutters painted in strictly

controlled shades of green and grey. One

of the most iconic buildings is the 17th

century lemon-coloured Baroque style

Basilica of St Michael which sits atop

a grand zigzag flamboyantly sunflower

coloured staircase. Inside the magnificent

ceiling frescoes, glorious chandeliers and

rich décor are dazzling.

He’s not exaggerating. Tests on Menton

lemons grown elsewhere in the Mediterranean

have proved that the variety grown in its

native home does have more juice as well as a

different perfume due to the unique chemical

composition of the skin. And the finger-thick

pith is soft and creamy. Top chefs around the

world sing the praises of Menton lemons.

For a culture hit, Musée Jean Cocteau

celebrates the work of renowned poet,

playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker

and artist Jean Cocteau (1889-1963)

with a permanent collection of his works,

including drawings, ceramics, tapestries,

and paintings. The museum is in a 17thcentury

fort which Cocteau decorated

with beautiful murals and mosaics.


Jean Cocteau Museum

Menton cemetery © Menton, Riviera & Merveilles

High on a hill sits Menton cemetery. An odd

choice for a visit you might think but hear

me out. This is a cemetery with astonishing

views. Look south over the city to the sea and

as far as Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, look east

to see Italy, and to the north are the soaring

Alps. The cemetery, built on the ruins of the

ancient castle of Menton, is the last resting

place of several prominent residents. It’s filled

with statues, sculptures and monuments, and

tombs that look like tiny villas. Much as the

town grew organically over the centuries, the

five levels of the cemetery simply spread out

over time. You can’t miss the last resting place

of William Web Ellis, his tomb is permanently

honoured with rugby shirts and rugby balls left

by fans.

From spring to early winter, bright pink and

purple bougainvillea grows everywhere and

orange and lemon trees thrive in gardens

and streets year-round, but one of the

best places to see them is at the beautiful

Palais Carnolès. In 1717, Prince Antoine 1 of

Monaco commissioned a summer palace to

Palais Carnolès © Menton, Riviera & Merveilles Joëlle Martin

Serre de la Madone © Menton, Riviera & Merveilles Pango Visual

be built in the style of Versailles which is now

the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Prince’s

ornamental fruit grove contains the most

important collection of citrus fruits in Europe -

137 varieties of citrus in a single site.

The locals say that the grass really is greener

here and that’s not hard to believe because

there are so many spellbinding gardens. One

not to miss is Serre de la Madone, created

by British botanist and garden designer

Lawrence W. Johnston in the early 20th

century – he also created the legendary

Hidcote Manor Garden in England, though

many consider the Menton garden even

better than Hidcote. Take a guided tour, or

simply get lost in the beauty of its gorgeous

green alleys even in winter. It’s a lovely place

to while away a few hours.

And for a more exotic garden, Val Rahmeh,

complete with fountains, giant waterlily

pond and plants from around the world is an

absolute beauty.

Don’t miss the fabulous art-deco covered

market Les Halles de Menton where you’ll

find fabulous local produce from Monday to

Sunday. Lemons flavour everything here and

there are plenty of shops to indulge your new

passion! Try lemon beer from Mentounasc,

4* family-owned

hotel and restaurant

Exceptional service &

stylish rooms, suites and

cottages plus pool &

gorgeous gardens

A truly unique & authentic

Provence experience in a

stunning location

Les Baux de Provence

Benvengudo.com


lemon everything at Au Pays du Citron – from

jam to candles and even lemon flavoured oil

from L’Huilerie Sainte-Michel!

Where to eat out in

Menton

You’re spoiled for choice in this

gastronomic town that offers everything

from Michelin starred restaurants to

traditional Provençal cuisine.

Menton’s most famous restaurant is the

3 Michelin Starred Le Mirazur, run by

chef Mauro Colagreco, awarded the title

“best Restaurant in the world” in 2019

(Restaurant Magazine).

He also runs the La Pecora Negra pizzeria

and, sitting in the sunshine overlooking the

bay I couldn’t resist tucking into a cheese and

lemon zest combo designed for the lemon

festival, washed down with a lemon flavoured

aperitif. A moment of unadulterated pleasure.

For seasonal dishes including superb fish and

vegetarian dishes, made with local products,

Le Petit Prince bistronomic restaurant, a

stone’s throw from the sea, is outstanding.

Feast on the local speciality – barbajuan -

deep-fried crispy ricotta cheese and Swiss

chard filled pasta, a mix of Niçoise and Italian

cuisine, that’s de rigeur as an appetizer. A

culinary speciality of Monaco, the name

means ‘Uncle Jean’ in Monégasque. There is

a legend that a man called Jean who lived in

Monaco, created the dish when he realised

he had no sauce to go with his ravioli and

decided to deep-fry them instead. His guests

loved them, the recipe was shared, became

immensely popular, and they were named

in his honour. Try them at locals’ favourite –

Entre II (2 Av. Boyer).

You’ll have no trouble understanding why

aristocrats and the wealthy flocked here in

winter – Menton is a joy!

Practical information:

For information about the Menton Lemon

Festival and tickets for the night-time parades:

feteducitron.com

Website for Menton Tourist Office where

you can book guided tours, tasting tours,

find details of garden visits restaurants,

accommodation and more:

menton-riviera-merveilles

Nice Cote d’Azur

Paris to Menton via Nice takes from

6h 28m

La Maison Trumeau Retreats 2025

Creative - Wine & Gastronomy - Upholstery

In a beautiful 19th century Mansion

Saumur, Loire Valley

Lamaisontrumeau.com


Christmas and Champagne – the perfect pairing, says Janine Marsh as she treads

the light fantastic along one of the world’s most famous and stylish streets.

For most of the year, Épernay’s Avenue

du Champagne, one of the most famous

thoroughfares in the world, is an elegant, and

rather serene street. The long, wide avenue

hosts some of the most famous Champagne

names from Moët to Pol Roger, based in

stately houses and maintaining an image of

silky sophistication which we, the public get

a glimpse of on polished tours of their cellars

and tasting rooms.

But – once a year, for three days, the

refined image goes out of the window as

the capital of the champagne-making

region goes all out festive for its famous

winter festival – the Habits de Lumière.

Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of

Champagne tasting, but there’s also music,

an extraordinary street light show, pop up

Champagne and food stalls, fireworks and

shows, a parade and cooking contests.

2024 celebrates the 24 th edition of this

unique Champagne light show. Just over an

hour from Paris by train, Épernay’s winter

festival is easy to get to, and if you want to

see the very best of the event, go on Friday or

Saturday and stay overnight so you can enjoy

the night-time spectacle.

Each day offers something different, on

Saturday it’s gastronomy that’s highlighted

with chefs and winegrowers pairing up to

offer cooking demonstrations and tasting

sessions. There are wine and food workshops

and cellar tours. On Sunday a parade of

vintage cars takes place.

As dusk falls on Friday and Saturday, the

street starts to transform into a sea of colour,

light projections and luminous art. Pop up

Effervescent

ÉPERNAY’S

Luminous

Winter Festival!


A Taste of Provence. © Exquisite, all-inclusive, small group tours

to Provence and beyond

Champagne tunnel, Epernay photo © Randy Romano via Canva

Champagne bars start sprouting like truffles

under an oak tree. Tables groan under the

weight of bottles. The streets fill with people

who promenade along the mile (1.5 km) long

Avenue, stopping to sample a glass here and

there, to admire the son et Lumière shows or

dance at a pop-up disco.

Beneath your feet in this refined city, are

miles and miles of magnificent champagne

cellars. They were first constructed hundreds

of years ago to hold the precious fizz -

making this one of the most prosperous

streets in the world. It’s estimated a whopping

200 million bottles of Champagne are held

underground here in around 60 miles (90

km) of cellars, billions of dollars worth, quietly

ageing to perfection.

The first to dig out the chalky soil to keep his

wine in, was Claude Moët, founder of the

maison that still carries his name. He needed

somewhere dark and cool with a steady

temperature to keep the bottles of fermenting

Champagne. Others followed his lead.

In 1807 Napoleon Bonaparte took a tour of

Moët’s cellars, a fan of Champagne “…In

victory one deserves it; in defeat one needs

it” he once said. He left his tricorne hat

behind, it’s still there. Legend has it that the

tradition of sabrage, opening a Champagne

bottle with a sword, is said to have been

invented by Napoleon’s troops as a way to

celebrate their victories.

Castellane

If you want to find out more about the history

of Champagne, pop in to the Champagne

Wine and Regional Archaeology Museum

which was the former home (Chateau Perrier)

and reception rooms of Champagne maker

Pierre Nicolas Perrier (now Maison Perrier-

Jouët). Let’s just say those champagne

makers of old made a lot of money and they

certainly knew how to spend it. You’ll discover

“If you have ever

considered culinary

tourism, Goût et Voyage

will be the trip of your

dreams. Excellence

at every turn!”

DS, NY

www.goutetvoyage.com


Epernay balloon

Give the joy of

French wines!

5 generations of

French Wine making

in every bottle!

10%

OFF

USE CODE

TGLF 2024

Pop up bar Champagne de Venoge

a fascinating exhibition about the history of

Épernay and the region. To traverse this area

45 million years ago, you’d have needed a

boat, it was covered by an ocean. You’ll also

find out about champagne the drink from its

history to how it’s made. I was astonished to

find out that it takes around 120,000 grape

pickers to bring in the Champagne harvest

each year – plucking each grape carefully

by hand!

somMailier.com/gifts

You can take a tasting during the day at one

of the many Champagne houses – it’s best to

book in advance and some can only be visited

by appointment.

Restaurants get booked up during the festival

so book in advance if you can, or eat early to

avoid the rush! La Cave de l’Avenue (Chambre

d’hotes/restaurant) at one end of the Avenue

de Champagne has an excellent wine list and

a bistro-style menu.

Feast your eyes and look out over the town

and surrounding Champagne vineyards - hop

into a basket and soar 150m into the sky in a

tethered balloon (ballon-epernay.com)!

If you’re a Champagne fan, the Habits de

Lumière colourful celebration of the end of

the year with its glitzy and glamorous tasting

bars, fireworks and feel-good factor, will leave

you feeling effervescent!

This is the place to be if you want to taste the

stars under the stars.

When: 13,14, 15 December 2024

Details: habitsdelumiere.epernay.fr/en

Find out more about Épernay at:

epernay-tourisme.com

WOOD-FIRED HOT TUBS AND SAUNAS

Relax. Replenish. Revive.

Kick back and relax in a Cotswold Eco Tub

Delivered all over France

hottubsinfrance.com


Bernard Mure-Ravaud, Fromagerie Les Alpages

Great Winter

Mountain and

City break

Janine Marsh explores the winter charms of

Grenoble and the surrounding mountains in the

heart of the French Alps.

Villard-Lans © Alexandre Gelin, for La Grande Odyssée

Grenoble’s bubble cable car © Pierre Jayet

Nicknamed the “Capital of the Alps,”

Grenoble in Isère, just 3 hours from Paris by

train, is known as the gateway to the Alps

as it’s within easy reach of the snow-capped

Belledonne, Vercors, Chartreuse and Oisans

Mountain ranges. On the one hand, the city

is cosmopolitan and vibrant, with a modern

twist - and on the other hand, it’s a historic,

traditional, and refined town with a rich

cultural heritage. And, in winter, it’s a pretty

irresistible combination.

Grenoble describes itself as the flattest city in

France though it’s completely surrounded by

mountains. The city boasts several museums

and historic landmarks, including the Musée

de Grenoble, which has an astonishing

collection of 900 works of fine art and

sculptures. In the old quarter, Place Grenette

has been the city’s main square since the 17 th

century and the area is packed with excellent

restaurants including Café de La Table Ronde,

which opened in 1739 and is the second

oldest cafe in France. Don’t miss a visit to the

19th century hilltop Fort de la Bastille via an

unusual cable car ride (the first urban cable

car in France) with baubles for carriages – the


View from the top of the piste at les 7 Laux

views are jaw-dropping. And stop off to taste

superb cheese at Fromagerie Les Alpages,

run by champion cheese specialist Bernard

Mure-Ravaud who set a Guinness Book World

Record for the largest cheese platter ever with

a gargantuan 479 cheeses!

From Grenoble, it’s an easy drive or bus ride

to the mountain villages and snow-capped

ski resorts.

Locafé – vegan food with natural wines

Rocky Pop Hotel, funky, friendly and

comfy rooms.

tourist office Grenoble-tourisme.com/en

Laura the goat cheese farmer

and the atmosphere was buzzing as I sat

outside a terraced cafe, watching the lights

of ski vehicles come down the mountain in

the moonlight.

Ski symbol: 120 km of ski slopes, H05 snow

park, you can hire equipment here, and it’s

a good resort for free-riding, snowshoeing,

cross-country skiing, and downhill skiing.

Prapouta Alpine chalet style, in the heart

of the resort.

Kaktuss – traditional mountain cuisine,

generous portions of alpine raclette cooked

on your table are memorable!

Visit the Chèvrerie des 7 Laux, one of

the suppliers to Les Alpages fromagerie in

Grenoble. Cheesemaker Laura Schmidhauser

and her team make sublime cheese every day

from around 80 very friendly goats who love

to meet visitors.

www.les7laux.com

Col de Porte

Col de Porte is a family resort in the

Chartreuse National Park, just 20 minutes

from Grenoble.

I took a bushcraft and orienteering course

with Ecole de Porte to discover the

mountains in a different way. We snowshoed

in the forest, where I learned to tie ropes,

read a compass, and light a fire in a tin to

toast marshmallows. But it was the pure air

and the absolute still beauty of the scenery

that stole my heart—it’s stunning.

For a

different

kind of

experience,

head to

Les Skieurs

restaurant/

B&B. This is

not just any

old dining

experience—

Cosy nook at Les Skieurs

it’s an

institution. Located in the charming village

of Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse, it’s old-school,

glamorous and cosseting, the

sort of place where you lose track of time.

Their unique cone-shaped chocolate cake,

gateau Ardechoise, is the finest dessert I

have ever tasted.

Generally excellent snow conditions, 19km

Nordic slopes, cross-country skiing.

Les 3 Sommets residence, which has

a tremendously cosy indoor restaurant or

outdoors on a terrace for sunny days.

grenoblealpes.fr

Shuttle bus to resorts Transaltitude

Col de Porte © Emilie Favre, Col de Porte Tourism

Les 7 Laux

Part of the Belledonne Massif, Les 7 Laux is

perfect for nature and mountain enthusiasts.

It has three stations: Pipay, which is less

well known and popular with the locals; Le

Pleynet, which is off the beaten track; and

Prapoutel, the base camp of 7 Laux resort,

where a ski lift gently carries you to the top

of the ski slopes for thrilling views and ski runs

back to the village.

I took a guided snowshoe tour through the

pine forest at sunset and watched as the

sky turned every shade of pink from rose to

crimson, reflected in the snow, I felt like I was

inside a snow globe! The light was amazing,

the air was pure, and the experience was

exhilarating.

Returning to the village, the lights were

twinkling, and it felt like Christmas. Actually,

the locals say, it feels like Christmas for

several weeks after the Christmas season

officially ends! There were kids sliding about,


Villard-de-Lans © FOCUS OUTDOOR

Villard-de-Lans

This lively village, with plenty of shops and

restaurants, is in the heart of the Vercors

Plateau - it’s charming and bustling.

A must-do while you are there is to have

a picnic in the woods – nomad style, but

luxurious nomad style with Le Cartable a

Raclette. On a snowy day, in a pine-treeshaded

glade a short walk from the pistes,

we sat on chairs made from branches strung

together bushcraft style and sprinkled with

comfy cushions. We feasted on cheese melted

over a fire and slathered over hot potatoes,

mixed with delicious charcuterie and pickles –

it was the best raclette ever.

Work off the calories with a spot of canirando

– snowshoeing with sled dogs who just

love to go for walks with you (ExtraPattes).

And talking of dogs, in January 2025, the

final stage of a very special race—La Grande

Odyssée – ends in this lovely town.

The biggest family resort in the Vercors

with 125km of runs to suit all abilities,

especially families, plus forested tracks

that are perfect for cross-skiers and snowshoe

walking.

Take a pottery class with a local artist.

Vielle Forge, great ambience, cosy

and funky.

Grand Hôtel de Paris, A lovely old hotel

with big rooms and fabulous views.

villarddelans-correnconenvercors.com

© Benoit Diacre, La Grande Odyssée

La Grande Odyssée

La Grande Odyssée is one of the world’s

longest and most challenging dog sled races.

Over 10 days in January 2025, the world’s

best mushers and their dogs will travel nearly

750 kilometres and pass through several

resorts in the French Alpine areas, including

Les 7 Vaux (21 January), Col de Porte (22

January) and Villard-de-Lans (23 January). At

the start and end, point there’s a party

atmosphere with pop-up bars, food stalls and

entertainment, from walks and snowshoe

hikes, mulled wine, giant tartiflettes, themed

exhibitions, children’s introduction to sled

driving and igloo-building.

At the race start, the dogs bark excitedly,

waiting to dash across the snow and always

get the biggest cheers. The length of the run

depends on the weather and snow conditions,

and when I was there, it was sunnier than

usual, so the race was cut short so as not to

work the dogs too hard, and a dozen vets are

on hand to check every dog. In Col de Porte

I met up with some lovely sled dogs who were

there specifically to meet their fans and have

cuddles! With four dogs of my own, I was

astonished at how calm these sled dogs are.

It’s a free event with a brilliant, festive

atmosphere – a true mountain experience in

this winter wonderland.

Details: grandeodyssee.com

Find heaps more information about Isère:

alpes-isere.com/en


Secret France:

Limeuil

Limeuil © D & D Colle, Dordogne-Perigord Tourism

Martin Walker, author of the brilliant

Bruno series of books set in Dordogne,

chooses one place that for him, sums

up the Perigord.

There is a magical place in the Perigord

called Limeuil where the river Vézère flows

into the much stronger river Dordogne and

where thousands of years of history have

unfolded before you. The Gauls were here

and built a fort on the hilltop overlooking

the junction of the two rivers until Julius

Caesar’s legions stormed the place in 58 BC.

The Romans then built their own oppidum, a

fortified village, on the same strategic peak

and the place has been occupied ever since,

and probably for far longer.

Its ruins were still there when the Moors,

newly converted to Islam, came up across the

Pyrenees from conquered Spain in 719, built

a base at Narbonne and began raiding north

across the rivers of Aquitaine until defeated

and driven back by Charles Martel in 732 AD.

His grandson, the great Charlemagne, rebuilt

the Limeuil hilltop fort in the 790s to stop

Viking longships raiding up-river.

Limeuil is known as one of the loveliest

villages in France, its ancient houses of honeycoloured

stone clambering up the hill, past the

new chateau, built in the 17th century. And it

keeps on climbing and winding, passing stone

wall after wall, all the way to the hilltop and

the ruins of the medieval chateau that was

built in the 12th century.

Panoramic gardens © Au Fils du Temps, Dordogne-Perigord Tourism

And for the next five hundred years the

fighting never stopped. First it was the English,

fighting to win control of the region after

Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, married the

young count of Anjou who would become King

Henry II of England in 1152. Those campaigns

lasted for the next three centuries, the English

usually prevailing with their longbows until the

baffle of Castillon in 1453, when the French

countered with gunpowder and cannon.

The peace did not last long, to be followed by

civil wars as France’s Protestants fought for

the right to worship as they chose until the Sun

King, Louis XIV, finally forced them into exile

in 1685.

At the bottom of the hill by the roadside is a

simple plaque built into a stone wall. And in


June every year since 1944 there are flowers

there in tribute to the Young Lieutenant

Chatelreynaud who ‘fell under German

bullets’ at this spot. He was trying to monitor

the movements of a German battalion

that was ordered to hunt down the local

Resistance. The young Lieutenant got too

close and was shot.

A young boy of 15 who was with him escaped

by running across the fields to a small chateau

called La Vitrolle where the secret HQ of the

Resistance for the whole region was based

under Colonel Berger, the wartime name of

the famous writer André Malraux. Ordered to

slow ‘at all costs’ the movement of a German

SS Panzer division from southern France up to

Normandy where it would attack the D-Day

beaches, the Resistance delayed the Panzers

for three crucial weeks.

That young boy ran past a small but historic

church as he went to warn Malraux and the

other Resistance leaders that it was time to

flee for safety across the Vézère river. The

Chapel of St Martin was built in the 12th

century to commemorate a murder - the

assassination of Thomas a Becket, Archbishop

of Canterbury, by his erstwhile friend, Henry

II, king of England (and thanks to his wife,

Eleanor, also Duke of Aquitaine.

Supposed to bring the English church under

royal control, Becket instead backed the

authority of the Pope, and when a furious

Plaque dedicated to Saint Thomas a Becket 1194

© Par MOSSOT — Travail personnel, wikimedia

Limeuil © Luc Fauret, Dordogne-Perigord Tourism

King Henry asked as a drunken dinner, ‘Who

will rid me of this turbulent priest?’, four of his

knights rode to Canterbury and slaughtered

Becket in the altar of his own cathedral. The

Pope ordered Henry to build two churches in

England and one in France as penance.

And here it is, still standing, with some of the

oldest frescoes in France inside, including one

of two men with a bottle. Experts say they are

Old Testament prophets. We locals believe

they are Becket and his King, in happier times.

In this one village almost the whole history

of France stands before you on this hill. And

I have not forgotten the prehistory, that

time when this Vézère valley was the heart

of human civilisation with the glorious cave

art of Lascaux and Font de Gaume, just upriver.

Because a century ago archaeologists

were called in when builders enlarging the

basement of a local bakery in Limeuil found

some two hundred flat stones, each about the

size of a large

dinner-plate,

along with stone

and bone tools.

Each stone

portrayed almost

identical animals,

about half of

them deer and

reindeer, another

third were horses,

Limeuil © CP Dordogne-Perigord Tourism

but there were

also goats, bison, prehistoric cattle, two bears

and a single fox. Nothing at all like has ever

been found elsewhere, and the only explanation

the experts have was that this was the world’s

first art school – some 12,000 years ago.

MARTIN WALKER,

after a long career of

working in international

journalism and for think

tanks, now gardens,

cooks, explores

vineyards, writes, and

travels. His series of novels featuring

Bruno, Chief of Police, are best sellers

in Europe and have been translated into

more than fifteen languages. He divides

his time between Washington, DC, and

the Dordogne.

His latest book A GRAVE IN THE WOODS (Knopf | 9/24/24), is the newest

instalment in the Bruno, Chief of Police series. Featuring an archaeological

dig in the French countryside and a cast of characters from all over the

world, the book is full of culinary magic, mysterious characters, and buried

secrets - perfect for armchair detectives and armchair travellers alike.

WINE + PLUS

U n i q u e W i n e & T r a v e l

E x p e r i e n c e s i n F r a n c e

TM

CONTACT US TO START YOUR JOURNEY

info@ospreybt.com www.ospreybt.com


Have yourself a

merry scary little

Christmas!

Nativity plays are replaced with reenactments

about cannibalism in this

eastern French city, that’s just an hour

and a half from Paris by train says Anna

Richards as she traces the history of the

unusual Christmas event.

Krampus, Hans Trapp, Zwarte Piet — Father

Christmas (or St Nicolas, as he was originally

known) has many nemeses across Europe.

The Father Christmas we know today, rotund

yet still mysteriously capable of sliding down

the chimney with much more elegance than

Bridget Jones on a fireman’s pole, jolly and

dressed in red, is a modern creation. If you

don’t consider it Christmas until the illuminated

Coca-Cola float crosses your TV screen,

you’re not wrong. Father Christmas as we know

him was arguably the cleverest marketing

campaign in history, created by Coca-Cola.

His predecessor was St Nicolas, and St Nicolas

Day, December 6th, is celebrated with more

zeal than Christmas in many parts of Europe,

including Lorraine, France.

Here, St Nick’s adversary doesn’t have horns,

red eyes and fangs like Austria’s Krampus.

He is vagabond-like, dressed in grubby rags

and a hooded cape, with dirt smeared across

his face. If bad children are lucky, they might

receive everything they need to make a winter

soup: turnips or potatoes. If they’ve been really

bad, they’d better watch out for his enormous

whip, lest Père Fouettard (Father Flog) live up

to his name.

One of the biggest St Nicolas Day

celebrations is held in Nancy, and the story

of St Nicolas is projected onto the handsome

buildings of Place Stanislas, Nancy’s main

square. It’s a bit like a Halloween slasher set to

slightly eerie choral singing, and could easily

confuse first-timers. Who is the butcher, and

why is he dismembering, salting and curing

three children into lardon-like chunks?

Nancy’s cannibal butcher and Père Fouettard

are one and the same, but to find out how the

two became intertwined requires retracing the

region’s entire history.

St Nicolas Day in Nancy, Place Stansislas © Pierre Defontaine ARTGE

One of the most famous Christian saints, St

Nicolas was said to have been a bishop, born

in Turkey in the 3rd century CE. There are

countless legends about his life, but one of

the most famous involves three Constantine

generals falsely accused of inciting rebellion.

The soldiers had been sentenced to death,

until St Nicholas appeared and revealed that

the juror had been bribed.

In 1087, Italian merchants raided his tomb in

Myra, Turkiye, and took his remains to Bari,

Italy. St Nicholas was the saint of sailors,

merchants, children and the unmarried,

among many others, and his body was a

source of great interest for many. Among

them was a lord of Lorraine, who during the

first crusade, stole St Nicolas’ severed fingertip

from its new home in Bari, brought it back

to his homeland and built a church around

it in St-Nicolas-de-Port, 12 km from Nancy.

In the 11th century, Nancy was still a swamp.

It’s hard to believe now, the gold gilding and

mix of Baroque, rococo and Art Nouveau

architecture is certainly more Princess Fiona’s

ancestral home than Shrek’s.

34 | The Good Life France Aerial view of Place Stanislas in December © Thuria ARTGE


: Pierre Lenoir and Saint Nicolas © Nancy Tourism

Saint Nicolas photo © nickgavluk via Canva

By the 15th century, trade had pulled Nancy

out of the marshes, but it was still far from

the rich, attractive city it is today. Charles

the Bold opposed Louis XI and tried to make

Burgundy an independent state, and in 1476

he set his sights on Nancy. It should have

been an easy conquest, but Nancy held out,

citizens resorting to eating rats to survive.

Local historians and guides believe that some

were desperate enough to turn to cannibalism.

The Duke of Lorraine, René II, prayed for

deliverance, and against all odds Nancy

withstood the siege and won the battle. St

Nicolas’s status as patron saint of Lorraine was

firmly cemented.

Less than a century later another Charles set

his sights on Lorraine. Charles Quint, Holy

Roman Emperor, King of Spain and Archduke

of Austria targeted Metz, just over 50 km

from Nancy. To taunt him, the city’s tanners,

who used whips to tan their hides, created

a grotesque puppet of Charles Quint which

they paraded through the streets. The puppet

became known as Père Fouettard.

As the stories were told, largely orally, tales

of cannibalism during Nancy’s 15th century

siege and Metz’s 16th century Père Fouettard

got mixed up. The butcher’s name may have

had something to do with it. Legend had it that

the cannibal butcher was called Pierre Lenoir,

and he allegedly chopped up and ate children.

Pierre Lenoir translates as Peter Black in

English, or Zwarte Piet in Dutch — the same as

the Dutch nemesis of St Nick.

Place Stanislas decorated for the festival © Nancy Tourism

The festival features street artists, music and more © Pierre Defontaine ARTGE

Throughout December, the resulting

amalgamated story is played out in

projections on Nancy’s Place Stanislas. A

butcher welcomes in three lost children,

before slicing them up and putting the

chunks in a salting barrel to marinate for

seven years. It’s at this point that St Nicolas

pays the butcher a visit, and he’s hungry. The

butcher may be vicious, but he’s no fool, and

he recognises such a holy man instantly. The

only food he has to offer is the (now extremely

well cured) children in a salting barrel, but

he can’t offer this to St Nick. All-knowing St

Nicolas places three fingers on the barrel

and resurrects the three children, whole and

untroubled, as though they’ve awoken from

a long sleep. The butcher becomes Père

Fouettard, St Nick’s grim sidekick.

The gory story is projected on the walls of the building in Place Stanislas © Michelle Tucci Studio

The main celebrations happen the weekend

closest to December 6th (7th–8th this

December), when Père Fouettard and St

Nicolas take to the streets to hand out coal

and turnips to children (Father Flog) or

sweets (St Nick). The spectacle culminates

when St Nicolas arrives on the balcony of the

magnificent Hôtel de Ville. The mayor gives

him the keys to the building and the Christmas

trees, Christmas lights and streetlights burst

into life, and none of the children, real or

fictional, seem in the least bit traumatised

from their cannibal-themed nativity play!

Find out more about this fabulously fun festival

at nancy-tourisme.fr/en

The festival features street artists, music and more © Pierre Defontaine ARTGE

36 | The Good Life France


Martigues, one of the coastal gems of Provence.

It’s astonishing just how diverse the route is over

a relatively short distance of around 300km (180

miles) and how many cultural treasures there are

to discover en route.

Avignon and around

Avignon

Sunset on the River Rhône at Tournon-sur-Rhône

Discover the riches

of the Rhône Valley

from the river Rhône

Known for centuries as the Rhône Sauvage,

after its ferocious nature, the Rhône river has

been largely calmed over the years thanks to

the creation of locks and dams which have

now made it a fabulous cruise destination for

exploring valleys of vineyards, picturesque

villages, historic cities and the Camargue, an

area of outstanding natural beauty. Janine

Marsh explores the riches of the Rhône Valley

by boat…

The Rhône river runs for 505 miles,

starting in the Swiss Alps and ending in the

Mediterranean Sea near Arles. I joined a

6-day cruise (CroisiEurope.co.uk) which took

in some of the most beautiful sites along

the banks of the Rhône Valley from Lyon to

Avignon is the capital of the Vaucluse

department in Provence, southern France.

It’s the world-famous seat of the 14th-century

Popes. Their former home is the greatest

Gothic palace in Europe and UNESCO World

Heritage listed. Avignon is also home to a

famous medieval bridge which inspired a song

known around the world. Only half the bridge

remains, the rest carried away by persistent

flooding on the once very wild river. Avignon

is small enough to get a feel for its many

attractions on foot from where the boat docks.

There’s even time to dance on the bridge!

The city is close to many of the most famous

and loved Provence villages and our tour

managed to fit in two of them – Les Bauxde-Provence

and St-Rémy-de-Provence

which are just minutes from each other

though quite different.

I visited on a rainy day, but the charms of St-

Rémy were not dampened. Plane-tree shaded

squares, elegant streets, cafés filled with locals

chilling over coffee or wine, tinkling fountains

– this little town is a photographer’s dream.


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St-Rémy-de-Provence

Arles

Les Baux-de-Provence

The Romans arrived here in the second century

BC and if they were to return today, they’d

recognise the amphitheatre, the Thermal Baths

of Constantin and the Theatre. There are

grand churches, ancient buildings, and flowerfestooned

cobbled streets – Arles is one of those

cities that has something to thrill every visitor. In

1888 Vincent Van Gogh fell for its charms. He

shared a house with Paul Gaugin, and painted

many of the masterpieces that have won him a

legion of admirers. The café he immortalised in

Café Terrace at Night is instantly recognisable.

The hospital where he was treated after cutting

off his ear has changed little since his iconic

painting which captured the bright colours and

flowery courtyard, though it is now full of offices

and shops.

Hear French,

Experience French,

Speak French!

xpfrance.net

View of Arles Amphitheatre from a side street

The former hospital of Arles, and Van Gogh’s painting…

Les Baux-de-Provence is quite different,

reached via steep roads, you arrive at a

perched village topped by a ruined castle.

It’s a small town with just a few roads that

are lined with restaurants and tiny shops. The

views are dazzling, and you may, like me,

leave a little of your heart here.


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Martigues © Mariane Furnes

Tain l’Hermitage © Jeremy Flint

In Arles, the Rhône River splits into two

branches which flows onto the Mediterranean

and we had time visit to lovely Martigues, just

40km from Marseille. Known as the Venice

of Provence, this Mediterranean town is

crisscrossed by canals and streets lined with

pastel-coloured houses. Sip a chilled Pastis in

a café along the marina to get a true feel of

Provençal life.

The Camargue

Our cruise took us to one of the most exotic

parts of France – the Camargue. After the

river splits in Arles, the two branches, the Petit

Rhône and the Grand Rhône, form a delta.

The Parc Naturel Régional de Camargue, a

nationally designated protected area with

salt ponds and freshwater marshes is home to

flamboyant pink flamingos. On land, herds of

white horses and long-horned black bulls roam

– this is France’s cowboy country, wild and

wonderfully lush.

Tain l’Hermitage and the

Vercors Massif

The Rhône Valley is wine country and having

enjoyed the local wines onboard our ship,

we stopped off at Tain l’Hermitage to visit

the stupendously steep terraced vineyards.

The Syrah grapes that grow here are said

to have been bought back from the Middle

East by a Crusader called Henri Gaspard de

Staremberg who planted the vines near the

little chapel at the top of the Hermitage Hill.

From here we headed into the mountains of

the Vercors Regional Nature Park for views

to die for and a wine tasting of the famous

sparkling wine, Clairette de Die.

For an all-round tour of the abundant

treasures of the Rhône Valley, this is a great

cruise that shows the incredible diversity of the

regions that make up this historic, wine making

part of France.

Comfy rooms, superb cuisine and fabulous

wines (all-inclusive), plus a great choice of

excursions. Find out more at:

CroisiEurope.co.uk

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of souls’, hombres so tough that even a great

Roman general like Pompey preferred to win

them over by kindness; he declared them to

be Romans and granted them the territory,

henceforth called Lugdunum Convenarum.

The Convenii turned out to be excellent

citizens. Lugdunum thrived, and was important

enough to host the exiled Herod Antipater,

wife Herodias and her daughter Salome.

Some six centuries later, in 1083, Bertrand de

l’Isle-Jourdain, cousin of Count Raymond IV

of Toulouse (leader of the First Crusade) was

appointed bishop of Convenarum, now called

Comminges and was canonized in 1175.

In the late 1200s, Bertrand de Got of Bordeaux

(later Pope Clement V) rebuilt the cathedral

of Sainte-Marie and encouraged pilgrims to

visit St Bertrand’s tomb. Today, the pilgrims are

back, it’s a stop on the Piedmont Pyrenees Way

to Compostela and a World Heritage Site.

Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges © Dominique Viet, CRTL Occitainie

Saint-Bertrand-de-

Comminges:

The Cathedral of

the Pyrenees

It’s an unforgettable sight: the teensy village

of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges squeezed

on an isolated promontory under a mightilybuttressed

Gothic church. Before Lourdes, this

inland Mont-Saint-Michel was the religious

centre of the Pyrenees and an ideal spot for a

tranquil stay says Dana Facaros.

Salome woz here

The ancient Celts called it Lugdunum, the

‘Citadel of the Sun’ for its temple dedicated to

the sun god Lug. By 76 BC, the only tribes left

in the area were the Iberian Convenii, ‘robbers

Plus a crocodile and a

unicorn

Few cathedrals enjoy such a majestic setting.

At night, when it’s illuminated, it appears to

float like a golden ship over the mountains.

Walk up through the medieval gate and

note the pagan tombstones from Lugdunum

embedded in the tower.

The interior is full of marvels, starting no less

with the ‘Third Wonder of Gascony’ - a 3,000

pipe organ perched on columns, inaugurated

in 1535. It still blasts out a wall of sound,

especially during the summer music festival.

Opposite, an embalmed crocodile is bolted to

the wall, reputedly slain by St Bertrand when it

swam up the Garonne.

An opulent Renaissance rood screen closes off

the choir. You’ll need to fork out a few euros to

see the rest, but it’s worth it.

Start with the cloister. Built by St Bertrand,

it sits on the edge of the promontory, with

an open gallery overlooking the mountains.

Among the tombs is one belonging to a Canon


Cathedral © Dominique Viet, CRTL Occitainie

Ruins of the roman theatre © Tingra, Canva

Vital d’Ardengost (d.1334) of the pungent

epitaph: ‘Here lies a rose of the world, but no

longer a rose intact. She no longer perfumes,

but smells of what she should smell.’

Sculptors from Toulouse carved Sainte-Marie’s

66 magnificent choir stalls between 1523-51,

whose Renaissance humanistic view of the

universe includes sibyls, prophets, Christian

virtues, knights, imaginary beasts -- and an

abbot caning a naughty bare-bottomed monk.

St Bertrand is buried in his own chapel,

decorated with folksy 15th-century paintings of

his life. The last scene shows Pope Clement V.

Because of his importance, the painters made

him the size of the Jolly Green Giant.

Upstairs, the Treasury’s exquisite hoard includes

the alicorne, a ‘unicorn’ (actually a narwhal)

horn. Water filtered through it was considered a

sure-fire antidote for poisoning. In 1594 a band

of Huguenots under Corbeyran d’Aure stole it,

but even Corbeyran feared the vengeance of St

Bertrand, and he returned the horn in exchange

for amnesty.

Lastly in the nave don’t miss the tomb of

Hugues de Châtillon, the wealthy 14 th - century

bishop whose fine alabaster effigy lies on a slab

sculpted with 70 figures in a funerary procession.

The good thing about going in winter is you

can usually have it to yourself; the bad news

is the information centre and the nearby

Archaeology Museum are closed.

Third wonder of Gascony’ © Dominique Viet, CRTL Occitainie

An ancient shopping mall

Sainte Marie overlooks the excavated

sections of the ancient Lugdunum

Convenarum. Although the ruins are basically

foundations, it appears life in this town of

10,000 was pretty jammy 2000 years ago.

The forum temple (c. 15AD) is opposite the

school, by the Thermes du Forum, built about

the same period; you can make out the hot

and cold rooms (caldaria and frigidaria) and

much of the plumbing. Roman bathing was a

long-drawn-out social ritual, a place to talk

business and politics.

Across the D26 stood the commercial heart

of Lugdunum: a once-covered shopping mall

or Macellum, from 15 AD with 26 boutiques

paved with black and white mosaics. At over

500 square metres, it is among the largest

covered markets ever discovered in the

western Roman Empire. Towards the car park,

a raised circular sanctuary marked the main

crossroads. The municipal baths, the Thermes

du Nord complex, included an early sauna.

South of the Macellum, Lugdunum’s

Palaeochristian Basilica dates from the 5th

century, making it one of the oldest in

southern Gaul. It had a green, red and white

mosaic floor; it was used even after the

Merovingians trashed the place in 585.

Nearby, Saint-Julian was rebuilt in the 12th

century over the original cemetery chapel.

Little remains of the Roman theatre on the

slope—it was just too convenient to quarry.

Into the Valley of Goats

Valcabrère’s name, ‘valley of goats’ comes

from a trick pulled by the Vandals in 407 AD.

When they found Lugdunum too well defended

for their tastes, they gathered all the goats

they could find and tied torches to their horns,

and at night drove them towards the city

Basilique de Saint-Just © Père Igor via Wikimedia Commons

gate. Everyone rushed to ward off the attack,

leaving the other gates undefended for the

Vandals to waltz in and overturn the wagons,

break the windows and paint their names all

over the walls.

There’s one last must-see. Isolated in a field, the

12th-century Basilique de Saint-Just is a crazy

quilt of cannibalized Roman and Merovingian

stones. The portal was inspired by the Roman

models so near at hand and it features

an unusually pudgy Christ in Majesty and

Evangelists clutching their emblems. Serenely

elegant figures of Saints Stephen, Just, Pasteur

and Helen guard the door, under capitals

showing cartoonish scenes of their lives. If it’s

open, stand near the altar and sing a few notes:

the acoustics are well-nigh perfect.

visit-occitanie.com/en



About an hour’s drive from the port of

Calais, Hesdin is a small town nestled

in the Seven Valleys region of Pasde-Calais.

Surrounded by rolling hills

and beautiful countryside, Hesdin is

something of a hidden gem – a lovely,

traditional French town says local

Janine Marsh.

In 1554, if you had visited what is now the

town of Hesdin, you’d have seen a building

frenzy in progress, the ruler of the area having

destroyed most of another nearby town –

then also called Hesdin (now known as Vieil-

Hesdin- Old Hesdin), for resisting his rule. No

ordinary ruler either. He was Charles Quint,

Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain.

Confused? Well, this area has a long and yes,

confusing history. Formerly part of Artois then

Flanders, this corner of northern France was

long coveted by the Spanish, the Burgundians

and the English for its rich fertile lands, lakes,

forests and proximity to the English Channel.

Hesdin only became French in 1659.

What to see and do

in Hesdin

Today the well-preserved buildings and

historic remains bear witness to Hesdin’s

rich history. The former palace the Emperor

built for his sister Marie of Hungary is now

the town hall. Above the lavishly ornate

entrance porch you’ll spot the Imperial Eagle

of the Hapsburgs, and above the sculpted

balcony is the Spanish royal coat of arms,

added by Charles’ son and successor, Phillip

II of Spain. Inside, the vaulted dungeons look

much as they did hundreds of years ago, you

can visit the little museum there as part of a

guided tour with the tourist office. The palace

ballroom is now a theatre. And the building is

dominated by a UNESCO-listed belfry.

Hesdin town hall

Pont Blondin

SECRET FRANCE

Hesdin, Pas-de-Calais

It’s a quintessential market town, with cobbled

streets and ancient Flemish-influenced

buildings, and boasts one of the best markets

in the region, a sprawl of stalls on the main

square, Place d’Armes, which spill out into side

streets, selling everything from mattresses to

live chickens. Legend has it that the Niagara

Falls tightrope walker Charles Blondin, AKA

the ‘Great Blondin’ was born in a circus tent

on this square in 1824! He’s honoured at the

flower-bedecked Pont Blondin, a great place

to sit and relax under the ancient trees, or to


The centuries old Hesdin forest on the

edge of the town, where nobles and kings

once hunted, is crisscrossed by footpaths,

horse riding and cycling trails beneath a

leafy canopy of oak and sycamore trees.

There’s plenty of wildlife such as colourful

pheasants, buzzards, woodpeckers and

deer, and magnificent views over the

surrounding valleys. In spring the forest floor

is a sea of bluebells, and in summer the lush

green haven is perfect for a picnic among

the wildflowers.

Franck and Cookie teaching pottery!

launch your canoe into the river Canche that

gently meanders through the town, lapping

the walls beneath the windows of the ancient

houses that line the river.

There’s an ancient church, a sprinkling

of shops, an art gallery, and plenty of

cosy cafés, bars and restaurants. Just off

Place d’Armes, a plaque on the wall of a

magnificent mansion marks the birthplace

of French author Abbé Prévost (1697-1793).

It’s now a Chambre d’hôtes, bookshop and

home to artist Franck Groux who gives

pottery lessons on the top floor with the

help of his friendly parrot Cookie! There’s

also a lovely reading room where you can

enjoy a coffee, and a shop that sells Franck’s

pottery and art from other local artists

maisonnateldelabbeprevost.com

Hesdin was once an important garrison town,

with the first barracks constructed in 1667,

and several historic military buildings remain.

There’s plenty going on year-round, from

flea markets and festivals to a rendezvous

of vintage vehicles and free concerts in

summer months.

Close by, the historic Battle of Agincourt

was fought between the English King

Henry V and the French army on Saint

Crispin’s Day, 25 October 1415. The event

is brought to life at the superb Centre

Azincourt1415, where interactive displays

and exhibitions tell the story of the battle,

the players and of life in the Middle Ages.

It’s well worth a detour.

Hesdin’s considerable charm is in its

sleepy vibe, rich history and traditional

Embark on a Timeless Journey:

Discover the Soul of the Loire Valley

Unveil the secrets of ancient châteaux

and savor the enchanting landscapes

with our expertly guided tours

loirevalleychateautours.com/tours


architecture. There are humpback bridges

over the rivulets of the Canche and Ternoise

rivers, and flower festooned streets lit by

pretty copper streetlamps. It’s brimming

with welcoming bistros and cosy cafés. And

there are a few quirky things you won’t find

elsewhere. A bee museum for instance in in

the nearby village of Bouin Plumoisin. There’s

even a beehive with glass viewing windows

so you can watch them going about their

business and buy some of their honey or pollen

which is famous in these parts. Coach loads of

old people stop off here to buy it and swear by

its power to keep colds, hay fever and aching

joints at bay.

Pick up an English language guide, or book a

tour at the tourist office which is located in the

main square: valleesdopale.com

Chai Pinot wine bar (1 rue d’Arras), cosy

inside or sit outside overlooking the pretty

square. Ask Florent the friendly wine expert

for advice about what wine to take home -

he speaks a little English and is super helpful

La Bohème Créperie (38 rue d'Arras), is

run by artist Korî and chef Paul who makes

superb Breton style pancakes. It’s a few

doors down from the free-to-visit Ateliers

d'Art et d'Artistes 7 Vallées which showcases

the work of local artists of which there are

many.

Step back in time

and discover the past at

Azincourt 1415 historic centre

Stained-glass by Emilie at Manor Marceau

Practical information

Trois Fontaines Hotel restaurant has a

lovely garden, perfect for sunny days, a short

walk from the town centre but feels like you’re

in the countryside.

Belle Epoque, a long-time favourite with

the locals for its classic, traditional menu.

Manor Marceau in Vieil-Hesdin, a short

drive from the town, is a stunning 16 th to 19 th

century manor house, now a B&B run by

stained-glass and decoupage artist Emilie

Delattre Marceau, who also runs onsite

stained-glass workshops.

Azincourt1415.com

24 Rue Charles VI

62310 Azincourt


Seasons in

France:

Where to

visit in Winter

December: Strasbourg –

AKA: Capital of Christmas

If you had to pick just one Christmas market

to go to, then Strasbourg in Alsace, the

biggest Christmas market in France is an

absolute stunner. First off you have the

spectacularly pretty pickled-in-the-past old

district, winding cobbled streets, canal side

paths, elegant squares, half-timbered houses

and medieval architecture.

Then there’s the food. Strasbourg in winter is the

perfect time to enjoy the hearty local cuisine

like meaty backeoffe - beef, lamb and pork and

veg stewed in white wine) and choucroute garnie

– picked cabbage and sausage, best enjoyed

in atmospheric winstubs and bierstubs – that’s

wine bars and beer bars to you and me, and

Alsace excels at producing both. The scent of

gingerbread will assail your nostrils this time

of year, and with the Hansel and Gretel-like

architecture – it’s pretty magical.

What with 300 Christmas stalls, and enough

shops to keep even the most ardent of

shoppers happy including a year-round

Christmas store (yes, they do take it seriously

here), Christmas fans are going to be full of

glee and good cheer.

Don’t miss the dazzling Cathedral which soars

into the winter sky and brings an element of

gravitas to the Christmas season.

Strasbourg Christmas market 2024:

27November - 27-December.

Rue des Orfèvres, Strasbourg Photo © Cédric Schell, OTSR

Petite France, Strasbourg Photo © Cédric Schell, OTSR

Sarlat in winter

Truffle Festival Sarlat © Sarlat Tourism

January: Sarlat –

enchanting and delicious

January in Sarlat in the heart of Dordogne is

generally chilly and uncrowded but for many,

that makes it a really alluring time to visit. The

old town with its medieval and Renaissance

buildings is enchanting whatever the time

of the year – but with a spot of frost it’s

positively sparkling! The fabulous Wednesday

and Saturday morning market is a mustdo,

sprawling along the cobbled streets and

passages, bustling with shoppers, brimming

with stalls full of the most delicious produce. It’s

a cultural event as much as a market.

In January, another market takes place – the

famous Truffle festival, where the prized local

‘black gold’ funghi are the stars. Feast on

truffle-infused dishes, watch truffle-hunting

demonstrations, and join in truffle-hunting

excursions with excitable dogs.

Sarlat Truffle Festival 2025: 18-19 January

Details: sarlat-tourisme.com


UK / Ireland - France

Set sail to

France with

DFDS

Nice Carnival

February – French Riviera

and a feel-good carnival

Nice, the French Riviera’s unofficial capital

and a magnet for European aristocracy since

Queen Victoria’s reign, is France’s secondmost

visited city for good reason. Even in

Winter the sun shines on the Cote d’Azur

which is what made it popular in the first place

as a winter holiday destination. You might not

fancy a swim in the sea this time of the year

but there’s so much to do with museums, art

galleries, Roman ruins, lovely walks along the

promenade, that you won’t care.

In February the town bursts into life for the

outstanding Nice Carnival, a riot of colour,

music and dancing, flower battles, and

parades take place day and night. Expect

to feel the beat as marching bands get the

crowds going, get covered in confetti, cheer

loudly, applaud the fantastical costumes

of energetic and bendy dancers and float

characters. The theme changes each year but

always involves a Carnival King and the 2025

theme is “King of the Oceans” – expect a

bucket load of fishy characters!

Duncan Greenfield-Turk, expert travel advisor

and creator of unforgettable journeys at

Global travel Moments says “the feel-good

factor of this truly happy event is off the scale!

It’s one of the oldest carnivals in the world

and with that much practice, you can be sure

it’s utterly brilliant and you can expect an

extravagant and cultural experience when you

party in Nice at carnival time.”

Nice Carnival 2025: 15 February to 2 March;

includes Lou Queernaval, the first Gay

Carnival in France - 21 February.

Details: nicecarnaval.com/en

Nice in Winter

PS: If you’re there for the carnival, pop to

Menton a few kilometres away where the

fabulous Lemon Festival takes place at the

same time (see page 8).

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Latest prices on our website. Bookings and travel period valid until 22

December 2025. Prices correct at time of printing.


The enchanting

beauty of GORDES

Author Elizabeth Birkelund shares her favourite place in Provence, the

Plus Beaux Village (prettiest village) of Gordes, perched atop a hill in the Luberon.

I wonder if Louis XI knew what he had

gained in 1486 when Provence, a semiindependent

state ruled by the Counts of

Provence, was legally incorporated into

France. He must have known that the Rhone

River was a highway of commerce and

communication, that the area bordered the

Maritime Alps and included Mount Ventoux,

the Giant of Provence, and that thanks to

the Mediterranean climate, the area had

the potential of producing the most fruit and

vegetables in all of France. Perhaps he had

already tasted Provence’s dessert grapes, figs,

almonds, oranges and lemons.

If Louis XI didn’t appreciate the bounty and

beauty of Provence, I sure do! I fell in love

with France when I was 8 years old. But I fell

head over heels in love with Provence only

nine years ago, when I stayed with a friend in

a house in the hilltop village of Gordes. That

first morning, when I walked to the center of

the village, heard the church bells chiming,

saw people under umbrellas chatting over

morning café, smelled baguettes baking from

the nearby boulangerie, and took in the view

of vineyards in the valley, something about this

place connected with something deep inside

me. It was a soul touchpoint.

© Destination Luberon

Since 2015, I have visited many villages in

Provence extensively, but I keep returning to

the perched village of Gordes. My favorite

spot in the village is the postage-stamp

sized balcony of the café tabac, Le Cercle

Republicain. Because we writers like to relive

our lives through characters, that is the

location where my character, Ilse Erlund in A

Northern Light in Provence, a Greenlander,

spent her first hours in Provence. When I’m in

Gordes during the summer months (generally

it’s best to avoid visiting at this time of year), I

try to arrive before the rest of the world to sit

in one of the eight tables overlooking the view,

to take in the sky, the misty lavender/blue

colored Luberon mountain range and the lime

green vineyards below. In the late afternoon,

there is no better way to say au-revoir to the

day but to sit on the same balcony with an

anise flavored Ricard in hand, and to gaze

at the unfolding shifting orange rose colored

kaleidoscope of color.

There, as Ilse Erlund does in my novel, I meet

my friends to discuss the cares and delights

of the day. And unlike fetching a morning

coffee in NYC, where I will wait in line, offer


Gourdes © Destination Luberon

Le Cercle Republicain © Destination Luberon



a shortened version of my name (it’s faster),

respond to texts while I wait, then about face

to work, in the perched village of Gordes,

there is no such thing as “to go” coffee (at

least with the residents). A “coffee to go” is

the antithesis of the concept of Provence.

Provence tells you to stop, to smell the coffee

(and the lavender), savor the croissant, touch

the plump fig hanging from the fig tree, notice

the colors in the light in the distant views. They

say the unusual light is thanks to the strong

wind, the mistral, that strips the dust from the

atmosphere. No wonder Cezanne, Van Gogh,

Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, and more drew

inspiration from this setting.

After the adrenaline-rushed days in New York

City, I feel the need (not that I can always

satisfy it) for a yearly visit to Provence to

remind me to touch, listen, smell, taste and

see the world afresh —and to connect with the

deeper part of me that that knows…. to quote

from C.P. Cavafy, that “arriving there is what

I’m destined for.”


Elizabeth Birkelund is the author of

A NORTHERN LIGHT IN PROVENCE

(Ballantine hardcover,

ISBN 9780593722213):

A woman leaves her coastal Greenland

village to translate the works of a

renowned Provençal poet and finds

her life irrevocably changed, in this tender

and romantic novel set in a French village.

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Gillian Thornton reflects on some of the remembrance sites she has visited in

northern France. Each one is special, but this personal selection reflects sites from

both wars that have lingered the longest in her memory.

On 11 November 1918, an Armistice signed in

a French forest marked the end of hostilities

in World War I. Nearly 10 million soldiers had

died and another 10 million civilians. But

barely 20 years later, the world erupted again

and in 2025, we look back on 80 years since

the end of World War II.

From Normandy’s D-Day Landing Beaches

to the cemeteries, memorials and museums

of Hauts de France, the French countryside

is dotted with remembrance sites, every one

of them an emotional reminder of courage

and sacrifice.

Northern

France

remembers

Armistice Memorial

Museum, Compiègne, Oise

Deep in the heart of the Compiègne forest,

just a short drive from the vast Imperial palace

of Napoleon, the Armistice Glade is where

the German Empire signed the surrender

document in a train carriage on 11 November

1918. But in June 1940, it was the French who

surrendered in this historic carriage after the

German invasion. The original wagon was

taken to Germany but later destroyed, and

today an identical one stands inside a

museum in the woodland clearing.

armistice-museum.com

Etaples Military

Cemetery, Pas de Calais

Servicemen from many nations including

China, India and Poland rest beneath the

soil of Northern France, their cemeteries

often within shouting distance of their fallen

comrades from the US and Canada, Britain

and France. Commonwealth practice is

to bury soldiers where they fall or die of

Etaples, CWGC Cemetery © Gillian Thornton

wounds, hence why small groups of marble

headstones often signify a skirmish for

a strategic wood or ridge. But the sheer

numbers of headstones at Etaples Military

Cemetery are humbling. Close to many

hospitals and reinforcement camps, Etaples is

now the largest Commonwealth War Graves

Commission cemetery with 10,771 burials from

WWI and 119 from WW2 in a green, tree-lined

amphitheatre. cwgc.org

Wellington Quarry, Arras,

Pas de Calais

In late 1916, experienced tunnellers from New

Zealand sailed to France to enlarge ancient

underground chalk quarries beneath Arras

in preparation for a surprise assault on the

Sword Beach © Gillian Thornton


who fell during the Great War in Nord-Pas de

Calais. All are listed alphabetically without

distinction by rank or nationality, thus creating

a powerful symbol of international peace.

Standing on the plateau of Notre-Dame-de-

Lorette – a strategic positioned occupied by

the Germans – it is one of three sites making

up the 14-18 Memorial. Complete the visit

with the French Necropolis and the excellent

history centre at Souchez that tells the story of

the conflict in Nord-Pas de Calais.

memorial1418.com

Vimy

Ridge ©

Paul Jones

via Canva

Wellington Quarry, Arras © Gillian Thornton

Western Front. Some 24,000 British soldiers

lived in these tunnels for a week before

emerging into daylight on 9 April 1917 at 0530

right in front of the German front line. Share

their experiences on an unforgettable guided

tour to this extraordinarily poignant site.

arraspaysdartois.com

Ring of Remembrance,

Pas de Calais

Inaugurated on 11 November 2014, this

enormous ellipsis is engraved with the names

of nearly 580,000 soldiers of 40 nationalities

Canadian Memorial, Vimy

Ridge, Pas-de-Calais

Occupied by the Germans from the start

of World War I, the strategic hill at Vimy

overlooked the mining basin to the north and

was captured by Canadian forces in April

1917. The two pylons of the towering 27-metre

monument represent Canada and France,

and show a mother weeping for fallen soldiers.

Experience reconstructed trenches, visit the

cemetery, and tour the Interpretation Centre

in a park that honours all Canadian soldiers

who lost their lives during World War I.

arraspaysdartois.com

Lochnagar Crater, Somme

Yes, it’s a hole in the ground, but a hole

supercharged with atmosphere. Close to the

village of La Boisselle, the Lochnagar Crater

was created on 1 July 1916 by an underground

explosive detonated by British tunnellers.

The explosion was, at the time, the loudest

manmade sound in history, launching wave

after wave of infantrymen towards the German

front line on what was to be the bloodiest day

in British military history. Measuring 330 feet

across and 21 metres deep, this grassy crater

on privately owned land is open to visitors free

of charge. lochnagarcrater.org

Thiepval © Gillian Thornton

Lutyens and inaugurated in 1932. Historian

Sophie Shrubsole of Sophie’s Great War Tours

says “The photos just don’t do it justice. The

scale is difficult to capture, so one really must

stand in its shadow and look upon the tens of

thousands of names of those British and South

African troops that have no known grave. If

that weren’t enough to comprehend the scale

of human loss, open up the two metal doors

to reveal the CWGC registers that contain

the names of those on the memorial. They are

numerous and thick, but they have to be in

order to list more than 72,000 souls.”

Visit the interpretation centre and also the

nearby Ulster Tower, a replica of one near

Belfast. visit-somme.com

Ring of Remembrance

Thiepval Memorial,

Somme, Hauts de France

Visible for miles around, the Thiepval Memorial

towers over the rolling countryside of the

Somme Valley to honour 72,000 officers

and men from the United Kingdom and South

Africa who died in the Somme between July

1916 and March 1918 and have no known grave.

Built of red brick and stone, the 45-metrehigh

monument was designed by Sir Edwin

Omaha Beach, Calvados

Stroll the broad sands today at Vierville-sur-

Mer and it is hard to believe the horror that

took place here on 6 June 1944 when US

troops stormed the stretch of Normandy

coastline codenamed Omaha Beach. Their

mission, to disable German guns on the cliff

at Pointe du Hoc that threatened the Allied

invasion on D-Day. The Normandy American


Les Braves, Omaha Beach © Gillian Thornton

Poppies at Arromanches © IOW Sparky

Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer is one of the

most beautifully landscaped cemeteries you

will visit, and the visitor centre one of the most

moving. Look out too for the Memorial to the

Brave at the centre of the beach.

abmc.gov/normandy

Maisy Battery, Calvados

The English Channel coast is dotted with gun

emplacements from two World Wars, but the

Maisy Battery in Normandy is unique. Sunk

below ground level, west of Grandcamp Maisy,

the battery was invisible from the road, but

could fire on both Omaha and Juno Beaches.

Captured on 9 June 1944 by the US 2 nd and

5 th Rangers, it was subsequently covered with

earth for over 60 years until rediscovered

by British military historian Gary Sterne.

Today Maisy is one of the most authentic

remembrance sites along the Calvados coast.

Walk through 2km of trenches and explore

authentic World War II bunkers.

maisybattery.com

British Normandy Memorial,

Calvados, Normandy

Opened in June 2021 by King Charles III –

then Prince of Wales – the British Normandy

Memorial at Vers-sur-Mer records the names

of 22,442 servicemen and women under

British command who fell during the Battle of

Normandy in summer 1944. Located above

Gold Beach, the memorial columns are laid

out in the shape of a Union Jack flag, with five

sculptural signposts lower down the hillside

pointing to the five D-Day Landing Beaches.

Stunning in its simplicity.

britishnormandymemorial.org

Arromanches, Calvados

Get a feel for the ingenuity and scale of the

D-Day invasion with the remains of floating

Mulberry Harbours that were towed across the

English Channel and assembled offshore to

enable Allied ships to unload men and supplies.

A broken chain of harbours is clearly visible at

sea, whilst others are forever stranded on the

sand at low tide. Don’t miss the new D-Day

museum on the promenade, opened in 2023,

for the incredible background story.

musee-arromanches.fr

Cote 204, Aisne, Picardy

Located on a hill two miles west of Château-

Thierry, this huge memorial on a wooded

hillside overlooks the champagne vineyards of

the Marne Valley. A double sculpted colonnade

above a long terrace commemorates both

American and French sacrifice during the

Aisne-Marne and Oise-Aisne offensives in

1918. Also close by is the tranquil Aisne-Marne

American cemetery and Memorial, laid out in

a semi-circle around Belleau Wood, once the

scene of fierce fighting. abmc.gov

66 | The Good Life France Aisne-Marne Memorial © Gillian Thornton


© dem10, Canva

MENDIANTS:

The begging brothers

of Christmas

France loves its Bûche de Noël at Christmas, the decorated Christmas log

cake appears on every table. However, France has secretly enjoyed

other festive desserts for centuries. In Provence there is an ancient tradition

of thirteen – yes, thirteen! – desserts, including chocolatey morsels

known as mendiants says Ally Mitchell.

Mendiants are not just a Provencal speciality

though. Every Christmas, these treats are

a common sight in confectionary shops all

over France. These puddles of chocolate are

studded with dried fruits, nuts, and candied

citrus. Chocolatiers outdo themselves,

competing for the title of innovation, whether

it’s caramelising nuts, candying ginger,

sprinkling with seeds, or tempering varying

shades of chocolate. But once upon a time,

the toppings of each mendiant were specific

for a reason.

The French word “mendiant” means beggar.

This unusual term for a chocolate originates

from the “Mendicant Orders,” monastic orders

from the twelfth century that depended entirely

on charity. They lived in poverty to be able to

dedicate their lives to devotion, begging alms

from the faithful and often receiving coins

and dried fruit. In the Middle Ages, there were

four monastic orders, therefore the different

mendiant toppings represent those colours:

the raisins symbolise the Franciscans who wore

brown hooded tunics; the hazelnuts represent

the Carmelites, also known as the Brown

Brothers, dressed in brown robes; the blanched

almonds stand in for the Dominicans, the White

Brothers, who wore white; and the regal dried

figs are to commemorate the Augustinians

bedecked in purple.

Even though chocolate has connotations

of rich indulgence, mendiants are in fact

the embodiment of spirituality in Provençal

tradition. Mendiants were simply assorted nuts

and dried fruit until the sixteenth century, then

chocolate arrived in France, and they took on

a luxurious chocolate medallion shape which

became the norm.

But where do those thirteen desserts come in?

These dried fruits and nuts make up four of

the sacred thirteen, symbolising Jesus and

his twelve apostles. Each family in Provence

would adapt their thirteen according to their

preferences, however, the bare bones include

nougat – both white and black to represent

good and evil – fougasse or an olive oil and

orange water bread known as pompe d’huile,

dates, calissons d’Aix – morsels of almond and

candied melon paste – and seasonal fruit. You

would be expected to taste each one to bring

yourself luck for the coming year.

The thirteen desserts are part of “le gros

souper,” a ritual loaded with spiritual meaning,

served on the 24 th December – le réveillon.

First, the table would be covered with three

tablecloths to represent the Holy Trinity.

A three-branched candlestick celebrates

another triumvirate: those who are deceased,

those yet to be born, and those who are

present. The table would be laid, including an

additional empty place, available for anyone

needing somewhere to stay. All the courses

would be brought to the table at once to

prevent getting up to serve. Therefore, the

night’s repas maigre (“light meal”) of seven

lean dishes, such as fish or vegetables, would

mingle with the thirteen desserts. To end the

meal, the table would not be cleared. Crumbs

are left for passing angels to nibble on, so the

leftovers would stay out for three days.

The tradition of 13 desserts is still popular in

Provence. Without the chocolate medallion,

the French mediants would have been


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Crystallised

fruit traditional

at Christmas in

France

forgotten to time. So, next time you spot a bag

of those chocolatey discs garnished with their

different dried fruits and nuts, spare a thought

How to make

MENDIANTS

Mendiants make for a lovely treat at

Christmas, or any time of the year – and

they’re super easy to make!

Ingredients for 15 mendiants

200 grams of dark chocolate

Nuts – whatever you like, hazelnuts,

almonds, walnuts

Dried fruits such as raisins, cranberries,

crystallised oranges etc.

Break the chocolate into small pieces and

place in a bowl placed over a saucepan with

water filled two-thirds of the way up. Heat

the water gently to melt the chocolate.

Place a sheet of baking paper/parchment

paper on a baking tray. Once the chocolate

has melted, place a teaspoon of chocolate

for the begging brothers and for the ancient

rituals of Provence that have helped them stay

in our consciousness to this day.

© Julia Sudnitskaya, Canva

on the tray and spread thinly to obtain a disk

about 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter. Gently

vibrate the tray to avoid air bubbles. Quickly

top the chocolate disc with two or three

dried fruits/nuts of your choice.

Leave them to cool for an hour at room

temperature – or 15 minutes in the fridge if

you can’t wait that long!

© Sasha64f via Canva


COLLIOURE

PERPIGNAN

&

Bell tower of Collioure church © G Deschamps, CRTL Occitainie

Collioure © H. Argence, Tourist Office Collioure, CRTL Occitanie

Collioure

A rail tour of Occitanie’s coastal cities is a great way to see

its gems says Gillian Thornton

Sunday morning and the 9 o’clock train

heading south from Narbonne carries only

a handful of local passengers as we travel

along the narrow finger of land separating

the Mediterranean shore from the lagoons.

Rosy flamingos sift the shallows for breakfast

against a backdrop of rounded hills, before the

line curves gently inland towards Perpignan.

I’m travelling with Best Buddy Liz on a

zero-birthday exploration of Occitanie’s

most southerly coastal cities. From

Narbonne in the department of Aude

we have slipped seamlessly into

neighbouring Pyrénées-Orientales to

explore Perpignan. But first, a stop in

Collioure on the Côte Vermeille, one of

the last French seaside towns before the

Spanish border.

At every small station as we approach we’re

joined by passengers with shopping baskets.

And when we all disembark at Collioure,

everyone heads the same way. Not straight to

the beach but to twin squares by the harbour

where the produce and craft market is the hub

of the retail and social scene on Wednesday

and Sunday mornings.

We leave our bags at the third-generation

family-run Hôtel Les Templiers just 50 metres

from the beach and join the shoppers in the

shadow of the Royal Castle, favourite summer

home of the Kings of Mallorca. Already we

notice a subtle change in atmosphere. Signs

are in French and Catalan, rather than the

Occitan wording we have seen further north,

a legacy of the days when Spanish rule

extended north of the Pyrenees.

Market shopping ticked, we settle down to a

glass of chilled local rosé and a scrumptious

salad topped with the town’s signature

anchovies at Derrière le Clocher, a beachfront

tapas bar on Plage Saint-Vincent behind the

famous bell tower of Notre-Dame des Anges.

At the turn of the 20 th century, Fauvist artists

Henri Matisse and André Derain spent many

hours painting the bell tower and boats,

attracted by the clear light and vibrant colours

of the harbour. A century on, Collioure still

exudes creativity, its narrow pedestrian streets

dotted with galleries. The Hôtel des Templiers

has also welcomed many artists who have all

left their mark.

We tour the Royal Castle, strategic frontier

post on the Catalan border until 1659,

when the peace treaty between Louis XIV

of France and Philip IV of Spain put an end

to the Franco-Spanish war. And we enjoy a


Mariages is not in use, pop inside to feast your

eyes on its ornate carved ceiling and Rococo

style paintings that tell the story of the city.

Perpignan’s best-known heritage attraction is

the vast brick Palace of the Kings of Mallorca,

built on an outcrop of rock, and the seat of

Mallorcan power during the 13th and 14th

centuries. Join a guided tour of the royal

apartments, banqueting hall, and chapel, and

take in the panoramic view of the Pyrenees

from the top terrace.

© H. Argence, Tourist Office Collioure, CRTL Occitanie

panoramic view over Collioure on a 45-minute

trip into the vineyards on the Petit Train

Touristique, before savouring more Catalan

flavours at La Cuisine Comptoir.

Perpignan

Next day, it is just 20 minutes to Perpignan

where we book into the 3* Hotel de la Loge,

a 20-minute walk from the station. Offering

simple but spacious rooms in the heart of the

historic quarter, the 16th century building

is located down a quiet alley opposite the

Gothic Loge des Mers. Now the city Tourist

Office, the Loge was built as a trading room

for merchants importing goods to Collioure

from around the Mediterranean.

Pick up a free map and wind through the

narrow streets of the pedestrianised old town

to soak up the warm Mediterranean colours,

the beguiling mix of retail and refreshment,

and the city’s many cultural sites. Next door to

the Tourist Office, the courtyard of the Town

Hall is home to La Méditérrannée, a female

statue by Aristide Maillol, born in nearby

Banyuls-sur-Mer in 1861. If the Salle des

Close to our hotel on the banks of the river

Têt, the towering red brick Castillet is also

impossible to miss, a 14 th century fortress,

city gate and one-time prison that was

adopted by the fast-growing city as its

emblem. Today it is home to a museum of

local history and traditions.

But not all Perpignan’s cultural attractions

are quite so obvious. Behind a sober façade

in rue Emile Zola, we come across the

extraordinary Hotel Pams, once the home

and factory of Pierre Bardou who set up the

New YouTube OBSESSION

Five years ago, a family moved from New

Zealand to South West France.

They fell in love with a traditional French

property: a maison de maître with attached

longère. The property needed more work than

they could afford or had ever done before, but

they decided to pursue their dream.

Castillet © Perpignan Tourism

JOB cigarette paper factory here, before his

daughter Jeanne and her husband Jules Pams

transformed it into a sumptuous Art Nouveau

townhouse with upstairs courtyard garden.

Now owned by the city, this glorious property

is free to visit.

We are also enthralled by the Hyacinthe

Rigaud Museum that houses the city’s fine

They are currently knee-deep in extensive

renovations, doing everything themselves and

amassing an intrigued following on Instagram

and YouTube. They offer a raw and honest

glimpse into the reality of renovating a dream

property abroad, with beautiful results.

JOIN THE JOURNEY...

Statue of Saint Michel above the Basilica © Gael Fontaine

Growing in France

and watch the transformation unfold. Subscribe

to their YouTube channel to catch every nailbiting

and heartwarming

scan to watch

moment. Tune in for a

new video every month.

www.youtube.com/@growinginfrance

74 Perpignan | The © Good Perpignan Life France Tourism


'Real' South of France Tours

Centre of Perpignan © Perpignan Tourism

Hotel Pams © Gillian Thornton

arts collection. Remembering how we shuffled

round the Louvre on our teenage trip, we love

the tranquillity of this small but rich museum

that guides you seamlessly through four of

Perpignan’s key artistic eras, Gothic and

Baroque, Modern and Contemporary, with a

major new exhibition every year.

Immediately after World War II, the city

attracted many contemporary artists

including Pablo Picasso who stayed several

times in one of the two adjacent buildings that

now form the museum. Look out for sketches

and monochrome photos recalling his visits in

the early 1950s.

We are also

rather taken

by Mr Rigaud

himself – yes,

Hyacinthe was a

man – who was

born in Perpignan

in 1659 and rose

to become court

painter to Louis

Hyacinthe Rigaud

XIV. If his 1698

photo © Gillian Thornton

self-portrait ‘Au

turban’ is to be believed, Rigaud was very easy

on the eye, a delightful distraction no doubt

for the ladies at court. The museum collection

includes a number of Rigaud’s portraits, all his

subjects pictured with a fetching half-smile.

And if architecture is your thing, or you

simply like beautiful buildings, head to the

Casa Xanxo – pronounced Casa Sancho – a

restored Gothic property that now houses

an interactive interpretation centre for

architecture and heritage. And don’t miss Saint

John the Baptist Cathedral with its wroughtiron

bell tower and cloister cemetery, the

Campo Santo, only one of its kind in Europe.

When Perpignan’s shops close for the day,

the atmosphere changes in the historic

centre where the buzz moves from retail to

restaurants and wine bars. We enjoy the Art

Nouveau atmosphere and traditional brasserie

dishes at Café Vienne, open daily on Place

François Arago, followed by a nightcap in a

cosy wine bar.

Perpignan hosts many festivals, fairs, and

concerts that bring the city alive throughout

the year, often in the most idyllic settings.

The Foire Saint-Martin throughout November

with more than 150 fairground vendors;

festive markets and illuminations as Christmas

approaches; and all kinds of musical events

as spring turns to summer and a packed

programme of free outdoor concerts for the

annual Fête de la Musique.

In fact stay a couple of days and you soon

understand why Perpignan Tourism has

adopted the slogan ‘Welcome to the Centre

of the World’. Whatever you are after in a city

stay, Perpignan seems to have it!

EXPERIENCE THE

AMAZING CULTURE,

HISTORY, FOOD

AND WINE IN

THE REAL SOUTH OF FRANCE

realsouthoffrancetours.fr


© Jeremy Flint

Meandering through picturesque locks and

pleasant countryside, we moored up for our

first night near Nogent, alongside a field of

vibrant sunflowers which glowed as the sun set.

Cruising the

Canal de Bourgogne

© Jeremy Flint

The locks

One of the things people wonder about are

the locks. Well on this route the locks are all

operated by friendly lock keepers between

9am to 12pm and 1pm to 7pm, and the boats

have fenders for protection for when the water

swirls into and out of the lock chamber.

The Burgundy Canal is a magnificent

242km long waterway connecting Paris

to Burgundy and though in its early days

it was an essential trading route, now

it’s perfect for a relaxing boat holiday

and there’s no better way to experience

it than a self-drive Nicols boat says

Jeremy Flint who floated along the

glorious stretch of Northern Burgundian

countryside between Venarey-les-

Laumes and Tanlay for a week.

Navigating this spectacular route and

beautiful waterway takes you through the

heartlands of the Cote D’Or. En route, you’ll

encounter magnificent landscapes, lush rolling

hills, picturesque villages, wonderful wildlife,

and historic treasures including the Château

d’Ancy-le-Franc and the UNESCO World

Heritage Site of Abbaye de Fontenay.

But first we had to learn to drive! My Sedan

PRIMO boat was ideal for me and my wife, if

there are more travellers, the Nicols fleet of

smart, spacious motorboats caters for crews

of up to 10 family and friends. Everything

you need is included from a well-equipped

kitchen - to an outdoor terrace with garden

furniture and even a parasol! We collected

our boat and after a brief explanation of

its intricacies and safety features, and with

sufficient fuel for the length of the cruise and

200 litres of water reserves, we set sail north

towards Montbard. Having never driven a

boat before we were pleasantly surprised at

how easy it is!

© Jeremy Flint


© Jeremy Flint

Chateau of Ancy-le-Franc © Jeremy Flint

After a tranquil night in the silent countryside,

we set off to meet the operator at lock

number 60 to continue our journey. There

is no commercial traffic on the Canal de

Bourgogne and it’s a very tranquil route. You

can hop off an enjoy a walk, cycle along the

tow path or simply gently float and soak up

the splendid scenery as we did on route to

Ravières where we jumped on our rented bikes

to the nearest town and gorged on Gougères –

a Burgundian savoury speciality - fluffy choux

pastry with Gruyère cheese.

Plunging through picturesque locks in the

afternoon, numerous sites of interest caught

our attention along and near the canal,

including the fascinating 18th century historic

monument, the Grande Forge de Buffon and

Rougemont, a medieval ‘Cité de Caractère’

with a magnificent 13th century church.

© Jeremy Flint

and once home to Antoine III de Clermont,

brother-in-law to Diane de Poitier (1499-

1566), mistress of French King Henri II, who

stayed here and in whose rooms, it’s said, her

ghost has been seen!

Continuing on to lovely Lézinnes, we arrived

in time to relax at the side of the boat with

an aperitif in the sunshine - you can’t help

feeling it doesn’t get much better than this!

The next day we were due to turn back but

it was tempting not to as fellow boaters we

had met recommended cruising on towards

Tanlay to see its spectacular moated chateau

and extravagant interiors and frescoes. And

beyond that, Tonnerre is another must-see

with its Fosse Dionne, a circular basin fed by a

natural spring that was once a public washing

place and the striking church of Saint-Pierre

that sits on a rocky terrace overlooking the

town. On this route, you’ll never run out of

pretty villages to fall in love with, castles to

be wowed by, boulangeries to try, markets to

shop at…

Overnighting at Ravières, a pretty little village,

we strolled the town’s streets lined with halftimbered

houses, before stocking up on food

(by the way, some lock keepers also sell local

products such as honey, wine and jam).

Continuing to Ancy-le-Franc the next day,

we snaked through the locks and glided

along at a gentle pace, appreciating the

ease of the self-drive boat and the pleasure

of slow travel. Gradually, the locks become

more widespread and the lush landscapes

and teeming wildlife even more alluring.

We spotted numerous herons fishing at the

water’s edge, otters enjoying the sunshine,

kingfishers, dragonflies, and a variety of

interesting bird life. Be sure to have your

binoculars and cameras at the ready.

Arriving at Ancy-le-Franc, we cycled to the

delicious Maison Kieffer bakery to feast on

fresh bread and mouth-watering pastries,

before visiting the 16th century chateau, a

masterpiece of Renaissance architecture

Aperitifs at sunset © Jeremy Flint

Abbey of Fontenay © Jeremy Flint


Montbard © Jeremy Flint

Cloisters of Abbey of Fontenay © Jeremy Flint

Slowly making our way back to base, we

found yet more places to explore. Strolling

the ancient streets of the tranquil town of

Montbard, and wandering along the banks of

the Brenne river gives you a lovely feel for the

town and there are plenty of friendly cafés

and bistros to enjoy.

Don’t miss the UNESCO World Heritage Status

listed Abbey of Fontenay, a fantastic example

of early Cistercian architecture, founded

by St Bernard in 1118. You’ll get a glimpse

into Cistercian life through the remarkable

buildings, gardens and fascinating cloisters.

At Venarey-les-Laumes, cycle for around

20 minutes to visit the enchanting chateau

of Bussy-Rabutin with its sumptuous salons,

portraits, and French style gardens.

The combination of outstanding natural

beauty, the historic treasures of Burgundy, and

taking things slowly as you enjoy river life are

an irresistible mix - we’re already planning our

next boating adventure!

Head to the Nicols Boats website, get inspired

about the routes, find out about where you

can stop off, what sites you’ll visit, and take a

look around all the different boats so you can

choose the one that best suits you. Get your

crew together, choose your dates and get out

on the water!

History of the Canal

In the early 1600’s a tax was raised in and

around Dijon to fund the cost of a canal

to connect Burgundy to Paris. The project

didn’t go far. Almost 100 years later, Louis

XIV’s great military engineer Vauban came

up with 5 possible routes the canal could

use to connect the rivers Saône and Yonne.

It was impossible to get a consensus. Civil

engineers disagreed, local mayors wanted

the canal to pass as closely as possible to

their towns in order to reap the economic

benefits from the trade that would follow,

and landowners wanted to sell at very

interesting prices. It wasn’t until 1765

during the reign of Louis XVI, more than

150 years after the first steps had been

taken to create a canal, that construction

actually began.

Progress was not smooth. The state of

Burgundy paid for its bit, the French state

paid for the rest - or rather they didn’t.

Then the French Revolution came along,

and the French state funding came to a

standstill in 1793. The Burgundian section

carried on and the first barge arrived in

the port of Dijon in 1808. Even with the

Emperor Napoleon insisting it be finished,

there wasn’t enough money and too many

problems to get the job done. Eventually

a huge loan allowed the completion of the

Canal including a complicated 3.33 km

tunnel and finally in 1832, some 225 years

after it first began with the raising of a tax,

a barge journeyed the entire route.

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WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The fascinating street

names of France

Every nation has its own way of celebrating

famous people. Statues or plaques. Public

buildings and parks. But in France, the

ultimate accolade is to have a street or a

square named after you. Preferably hundreds

of them.

Iconic Frenchmen – though rarely women

– are honoured all over the country with

destinations you can plug into your GPS.

Boulevard Victor Hugo. Avenue Louis Pasteur.

Place Général de Gaulle. Some of course

are local heroes, little known outside their

hometown, but many have made a national or

even international mark in science or politics,

combat, literature or medicine. But how many

can you identify?

a national hero when he broadcast a radio

appeal from London urging the French to

resist Nazi occupation. And whilst dates hardly

trip off the tongue when you are asking for

directions, the day of that famous broadcast

is celebrated in streets and avenues dubbed

Le 18 juin 1940. Look out too for Rue du 11

novembre, the date of the 1918 Armistice, and

Rue du 8 mai, the German surrender of 1945.

Boulevard Raspail is a puzzle to many overseas

visitors. Whilst not having quite the international

status of Louis Pasteur, 19 th century scientist

Francois-Vincent Raspail was both a

Republican politician and a founder of the cell

theory in biology. Who knew?

Military heroes

Quai Jeanne d’Arc, Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, Picardy

Place Saint Pierre, Montmartre, Paris

What do Victor Hugo, Louis Pasteur and Charles de Gaulle have in common?

Gillian Thornton takes an enlightening stroll through the streets of French history.

The Big Hitters

Place du Generale de Gaulle, Lille

France loves a literary hero and they don’t

come much bigger than 19 th century poet

and playwright Victor Hugo, author of Les

Misérables. Hugo died in 1885, the year that

microbiologist and chemist Louis Pasteur

invented pasteurisation, a discovery that has

earned him thousands of kilometres dedicated

to his name.

Five years later, Charles de Gaulle was

born in Lille, a career soldier who became

Frontline soldiers are widely commemorated

on French streets. Enduring symbol of

liberation, Jeanne d’Arc is one of just a

handful of women whose name pops up town

centres throughout the Hexagon. Famously

burnt at the stake in Rouen in 1431 – where of

course she has her own square – the peasant

girl from Domrémy liberated Orléans from the

English in 1428, claiming guidance from God.

Fast forward to the 18 th century and Général

Lafayette crossed the Atlantic from

Rochefort in his frigate Hermione to join

the fight against the English following the

Declaration of Independence on 4 July 1776.

Meanwhile honoured military men from the

20 th century include Joseph Joffre, hero of

the Battle of the Marne in 1914; Ferdinand

Foch, Supreme Allied commander on the



Western Front in 1918. and, in World War

2, Philippe Leclerc, liberator of Paris after

serving in both North Africa and Normandy.

French town planners have always loved a

politician, especially a President of one of

its five Republics. Drive down any Boulevard

Thiers and you are in the shadow of Adolphe

Thiers, first President of the Third Republic

after the 1870 defeat of Napoléon III and his

Second Empire, an empire that was strongly

opposed by Léon Gambetta, a Republican

deputy from Cahors. You will find Sadi

Carnot popping up all over the place too,

fourth President of the Third Republic but

assassinated in 1894 by an Italian anarchist.

And of course you are never far from a Place

de la République!

areas. But writers are held in high renown,

especially if they unwittingly founded a literary

movement along the way. Take Breton-born

Francois-René de Chateaubriand, founder

of Romanticism, and Emile Zola, hailed as

the founder of Naturalism, a literary style that

demonstrated the effects of social conditions

and environment on the human character.

Local heroes

Versailles, Rue de la Cathedral

Politicians

Place Gambetta, Cahors

World War I produced many popular

politicians including Raymond Poincaré,

President from 1913 to 1920, and three times

Prime Minster. Other top ministerial men were

Georges Clemenceau who held office from

1906 to 1909 and again from 1917 to 1920,

and Aristide Briand who led no fewer than

11 Governments between 1909 and 1929,

receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926.

Avenue de la Libération, Montpellier © Kasto via Canva

Rue Eduard 1er, Talmont

Human rights and liberty

With ‘Liberté, egalité, fraternité’ as its maxim,

it is no surprise to find that France celebrates

these values from the smallest hamlet to

the heart of the capital. Socialist party

leader Jean Jaurès crops up everywhere,

remembered for founding L’Humanité

newspaper in 1904 but sadly also for being

assassinated ten years later.

Kings and queens rarely feature in a French

name game, but the nation’s moral principles

are drummed home in many a Boulevard

de la République, Place de la Résistance,

or Avenue de la Libération. Champions of

free speech too. You will not travel far without

finding yourself on a public place dedicated

to 17 th century philosopher, writer and social

reformer Voltaire.

Somewhat bizarrely for a country that

takes pride in its artistic heritage, France

dedicates few streets to Monet, Cézanne or

their contemporaries outside of their local


Tour the beautiful Loire Valley at your own pace

with a guided e-bike holiday

Rue Friedland, Angouleme

Rue du Massacre, Chartres

Many a medieval city centre or bijou village

has a Rue des Tanneurs or Rue de la

Monnaie, a reminder of the leather tanning

and money minting that took place there

in centuries past. Chartres is home to a

grisly-sounding Rue du Massacre, not a

major battle however, but the location for

the local abbatoir! Among battles that are

remembered however is Napoleon’s victory

over the Russians in June 1807 at Friedland,

commemorated in the comic strip capital of

Angoulême where street names in the city

centre are appropriately contained within

speech bubbles.

Nice honours the two nations who put this

Mediterranean gem on the winter holiday

map with the Promenade des Anglais and

the Quai des Etats-Unis, whilst Talmont on

the Gironde estuary has a rare street named

after a king. Not a French king though, but

Edouard 1er d’Angleterre who founded the

fortified village in 1284. Travel to the Avesnois

area of the Nord department and you will

even find Place des All Blacks in honour of

the New Zealand soldiers who liberated the

town in November 1918.

Place des All Blacks, Avesnois

Get your head round even a few of this huge

cast of characters and your travels around

France will take on a whole new dimension.

Slow Down And Enjoy The View

www.loirebrakes.com

Promenade des Anglais, Nice © Milos Ruzicka via Canva

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France podcast

Everything you want to know about

France and more...

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Hidden Nice

The images conjured up in most

people’s minds by the word “Nice” (as

in the French Mediterranean city not

the adjective!) are sea, sun, beaches

and fabulous restaurants. But the

city has some hidden sites too – and

they’re well worth discovering says

Christina Mackenzie.

Amongst these are four that reveal a broad

span of Nice’s history from prehistory to

the 19th century. Two of them are literally

hidden: underground or masquerading as

subterranean parking!

Model of homo erectus with fire © Christina Mackenzie

Nice © OTC Nice Médias

Prehistory

You may think you’ve made a mistake when

you arrive at 25, Boulevard Carnot, the

address of the recently modernised Terra

Amata museum, because little on this block

of flats with its balconies flounced by blue

and white striped awnings hints that this is

anything but residential. But you’ll spy a sign

on the front, half obscured by bushes: “Musée

de Terra Amata” and sure enough instead of


an underground car park, you’ll find a museum

on the very site where some of the world’s

most ancient prehistoric remains were found

in 1968 when foundations for the building were

being dug.

In the 1960s, exploratory archaeology prior

to any construction work was not mandatory

in France (it is today) but historian Professor

Henry de Lumley negotiated long and hard

with the building company to halt work for six

months so the site could be explored. What

de Lumely and his team discovered were

400,000-year-old vestiges of a campsite,

including what is now the highlight of the

museum: one of the world’s oldest traces of a

domestic hearth.

When Homo Erectus lived here, the sealevel

was about 25m higher than it is now, so

this campsite would have been on a beach

with the caves and inlets of the cornice

providing shelter.

Given the importance of the discovery, the

city authorities agreed to conserve the site

and built a museum over it – the first such

in-situ museum in France – but also permitted

the housing project to be completed. It was

awarded the “Musée de France” label in

2002. This means researchers can work here,

sifting through 2,173 drawers which contain

everything found on the site that is not on

public view.

Roman remains

Musée d’Archéologie de Nice/Cimiez © Christina Mackenzie

Moving smartly along the historical timeline,

the Musée d’Archéologie de Nice/Cimiez,

right next to the better known Musée

Matisse, is where you can visit a small

section of Cemenelum, the Roman capital

of the Alpes Maritimes territory. Built atop

Cimiez hill, it was a thriving community

whose inhabitants were clearly fond of spas.

Still visible are the ruins of three thermal

establishments used between 1 to 3 AD, a

few streets and living quarters, shops and

an amphitheatre (of which little remains).

There are also some Paleochristian ruins of

a cathedral and a baptistry dating to 5 AD.

Covering roughly the site of 5 football fields,

the site is very impressive – and you’re likely

to have the place almost entirely to yourself.

There’s also a museum with exhibits of daily

life in Cemenelum.

Crypte – with supports for the tram that runs above © Christina Mackenzie

of Nice’s first tramline uncovered extremely

well-preserved remains of the city’s medieval

fortifications and gates which previously were

thought to have been entirely demolished on

21st July 1706 by order of King Louis XIV when

the troops of his enemy Victor Amadeus II of

Savoy, capitulated after a 10-month siege.

The entrance is so discreet as to be almost

invisible! Look for a sign which says “Visite de

Site, Crypte Archéologique, Place Jacques-

Toja” in front of the Monoprix shop. You’ll be

forgiven for thinking this is a poster on a busstop

but at its foot you’ll find the concrete

steps which lead not to an underground

carpark, but into a vast area where you can

see fortifications and parts of an aqueduct

and the sturdy remains of the Pairolière gate,

which was the main entry to the northern point

of the then-triangular shaped city, bounded on

Medieval

Musée d’Archéologie © Christina Mackenzie

In Place Jacques Toja you’ll find France’s

second biggest archaeological crypt (after

the Louvre in Paris). Here, exploratory

archaeological work prior to the construction


Villa Lou Patio

Palais Lascaris © Christina Mackenzie

the south by the Mediterranean and the west

by the Paillon river.

Reservations at the Centre du Patrimoine, 14

rue Jules Gilly.

Tip: Don’t wear heels as the ground is uneven.

18th century

The most remarkable baroque monument in

Nice is the Palais Lascaris at n°15 rue Droite

(which used to be the old city’s main street).

This is interesting not only for its 17th century

architecture, furniture, décor, frescoes and

fabulous staircase but also for one of Europe’s

most important collections of antique musical

instruments gifted to the city by collector

Antoine Gautier in 1904.

Tip: The Nice museum 4-day pass gives

you access to all of the city’s museums and

galleries at a very discounted price.

The area around Nice is also filled with history

evident in the pickled-in-the-past villages,

including lovely Saint-Paul-de-Vence which

is about 20km from the city. Kevin Suther of

Villa Lou Patio, a stunning rental holiday home

nearby says “There’s so much ancient history

evident in this area, it’s like a journey through

time. Pebbles and shells have been found that

prove that at the end of prehistory, the sea

would have lapped the slopes of the hill on

which the town is now perched. Roman tiles

are nestled in the rampart walls, and buildings

which date back several hundred years give

St-Paul-de-Vence a unique charm.”

Nice and the many villages offer not just wall

to wall sunshine, mouth-watering gastronomy

and fabulous wines – but a stew of rich historic

remains at every level.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence © Ewa Malysz

The perfect base for exploring the French Riviera

Pool – garden – 4 ensuite bedrooms

Perfectly located, just minutes from St Paul de Vence

Villaloupatio.com


Lognon, the workshop was sold to Chanel, and

Karen decided to set up on his own.

His wealth of skills and experience of this

unique craft translates creative ideas into

wonderfully sculpted and elegantly shaped

works of art. He creates moulds from

cardboard entirely by hand, and these are

used to form the perfectly precise pleats.

Sketches of a design are usually provided by the

client, along with their chosen material which

ranges from fabric to leather, plastic, bronze

and parchment, even sheep and goat skin).

Karen says, “We start by tracing the design

on two identical sheets of cardboard, then we

trap the material between the sheets.”

© Jeremy Flint

The Paris

Pleater

Jeremy Flint visited the Maison du Pli in

Paris to meet one of the last masters of

the traditional art of pleating in France.

Karen Grigorian practises the delicate art of

pleating, a tradition that is said to go back

as far as the ancient Egyptians, and long

practiced in Scottish kilt making. Fashion

designers have had a penchant for pleats

for decades – think Marilyn Monroe’s white

dress in The Seven Year Itch and haute

couture designs from the likes of Yves

Saint Laurent and Issey Miyake. Over time,

the traditional art of pleating has been

replaced by machines, and Karen’s is the last

remaining independent pleat workshop in

Paris - and the only one in France not to use

a pleating machine.

For the love of pleating

Karen welcomed me into his workshop,

Maison du Pli, on the heights of the

Belleville neighbourhood in the 19th

arrondissement, an area which is a haven

for artists. Born in Yerevan, Armenia, he

started working as a pleater when he

moved to Paris in 1990. He learnt the craft

at the workshops of Plissés Garbis and at

Gérard Lognon, whose family had been

pleaters since 1853. Karen says, “I learned

on the job and have been dedicated to

the craft ever since.” With no successor to

© Jeremy Flint


© Jeremy Flint © Jeremy Flint

https://frenchcountryadventures.com/

© Jeremy Flint © Jeremy Flint

The moulds are then clamped between strips

of wood and steamed at a low temperature in

a home-made oven in the basement until the

material takes shape. The moulds are then left

to dry completely, and the material is removed

showing not the slightest sign of a wrinkle.

Artisanal pleating is very labour-intensive

and requires physical strength. Karen works

mostly alone, with occasional help from

his wife, his sister or one of his children to

assemble the larger moulds or pleat the most

imposing panels, which can measure up to

3.5 meters long. Days are spent unfolding

and closing moulds, where each step is vital,

every detail counts and the work demands

the artist’s full attention.

clients, but he also works with architects,

interior designers, luxury boutiques, theatres

and opera houses as well as artists to create

surreal, organic, imaginative, geometric and

even whimsical masterpieces.

Karen’s finely pleated fabrics convey a

timeless beauty – savoir-faire in action.

See more of Karen’s work on the Maison du Pli

Instagram page: Q maison_du_pli

fabulously easy.

Insurance services for English speakers in France

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and more

We work with more than 30 insurers and many more

providers so we are always able to find the best and

most affordable solution for your situation.

We can help with:

• Moving to France or Spain

• Setting up and running a

business

• Help with VISA, residency

and work permits and taxes

• Legal advice and Insurance

• Healthcare advice

“What excites me the most is the creative side

of my work. I enjoy being able to interpret

my clients’ desires in detail, whilst working

with my hands” he says. Fashion houses such

as Valentino and Givenchy are amongst his

© Jeremy Flint

We’ve got you covered.

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HIDDEN FRANCE:

Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne,

Dombes

Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne © Sandrine Ferrier, Dombes Tourism

Flower-strewn village of Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne © Michael Zeildelder, Dombes Tourism

A stroll through Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne’s lively market hall and antique

town is a free ticket to understanding the role food has played in an

historically poor French region, and a reminder that medieval culture is

alive and well today says Carla Rocavert.

As I peered at the mind-boggling array of

saucisson sizes and flavours – somewhere

between the giant côtelée tomatoes and a sea

of ivory cheeses – a hearty young butcher at

the Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne farmers’ market

kindly ventured: “bull, boar, or pork?”

I hesitated. An icy breeze raced through the

medieval hall as I considered mental images

of the various beasts. I went for the pure pork.

Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne is an easy

destination to miss for most international

travellers. Even in Lyon, people squint and

raise an eyebrow when I mention the town.

Only 60km to the north of the gastronomic

capital, the Lyonnais tend to say “Ça me dit

quelque chose” (It rings a bell).

Châtillon is not well known even to the French.

The cradle of an historically poor region

called the Dombes, little do many know that

Châtillon quietly enjoys the longest market

in France – a weekly festival of old-fashioned

cheer and colour. In 2021 the market was

voted “third-best” in the nation.

The butcher dared me to reconsider,

emphasizing the aromatic robustness of his

family’s special bull mix. My bags already full

of his neighbour’s freshly picked pot-roast

vegetables, camembert from the nearby

Ferme de Collonge, and a stunning bouquet of

dried winter flowers, he eventually gave in. “La

prochaine fois” (next time), we agreed.

As an Australian resident of this obscure

little pocket of France, I have passed several

unofficial levels in rural French culinary

culture. I have learned to speak at length

about the texture of a baguette, and debate

the merits of winter cheese dishes: fondue,

raclette, tartiflette. I’ve even made my own

version of my “belle famille’s” (in-laws’)

mustard and vinegar salad dressing. But there

are other local specialities – including black

pudding made with pig’s blood and frogs

drowning in an intense Dombiste recipe of

garlic, parsley and butter – that I’ve so far not

been hungry enough to try.

Châtillon is saucisson country. While the ancient

tradition of “slicing up magnificent acorn-fed

pigs” from Gaul (western Europe encompassing

France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland

and Germany) can be traced back to Roman

meat seasoners and pork butchers, for several

centuries the production of cured sausage has

been centralised in the Rhône Alpes.

As a testament to the town’s importance

during the Middle Ages, the remains of an

11 th century chateau can be found on the



Les Halles, the market of Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne © Sandrine Ferrier, Dombes Tourism

Ancient hospital © Michael Zeildelder, Dombes Tourism

hillside above the market in Châtillon (the

name means “little castle”). The fiefdom was

constructed on the ancient Roman castrum

of Pagus Dumbensis, and today provides a

pleasant walking trail with great views.

In the romantic town centre, half-timbered

buildings surround the central market site,

with the military archway Gate of Villars

(containing traces of the old drawbridge),

church of Saint André, and Saint Vincent

de Paul House all intact from the medieval

period. National-prize-winning flower displays

coat the town in colour, lining the Chalaronne

river, little stone bridges, and various central

streets. This has earned Châtillon the coveted

label “ville fleurie.”

Even before 1440, the year of the market’s

construction by Piro Girard, a “maison du

marché” had been in its place from 1273,

the space also serving as a religious site, a

playground, a warehouse, and a barn.

Eighty meters in length and 20 meters wide,

Châtillon market hosts 60-plus local vegetable,

cheese, wine, bread and other merchants. Its

spectacular rectangular structure is bolstered

by an oak frame extending ten meters above

ground, composed of 89 pillars on brick bases

and a “clever assembly of beams, supporting its

gable roof.”

Adjacent to the market, as was common in

the Middle Ages, sits the church in theatrical

gothic style. “Austere at first glance,” as local

tourism officials admit, the red brick church

(which is missing a bell tower) is remarkably

tall for churches in the region. Inside is an

elaborate apse of gold, green and burgundy

frescos, complemented by 19th century

stained glass windows lighting the nave and

the choir. Many of these depict episodes

from the life of Châtillon’s best-known former

inhabitant, Saint Vincent de Paul who served

as pastor there for five months in 1617.

Walking tours of the former charity hospital

and apothecary are on offer, treating

visitors to an impressive collection of 120

earthenware pots, an herbal tearoom, and a

triptych dating to 1527. Herbologists still tend

to ancient and medicinal plants on display in

the hospice courtyard.

Despite the proud spirit of charity, remedies

for the ailing from de Paul’s time onward were

often unpleasant. As the town’s heritage chief

revealed, patients would first be brought to the

chapel to confess so that their souls could be

saved, before sometimes being made to drink

water with rusty nails, swallow bleach to treat

ulcers, or have facial markings removed with

chloric acid. “The sisters would baste various

pills and treatments in liquorice or chocolate

for the poor to make them more palatable.

They coated them in gold powder for the rich,”

Van Thuguyen explains. “Unfortunately many

came to the hospices to die rather than to be

saved; with up to three people to a bed, germs

spread quickly.”

A nearby museum displays selected

memorabilia illustrating the wares and daily

practices of local rural life, animated by

wax figures dressed in peasants’ clothes.

Peasant hardship (including famine and

startling mortality rates) was closely linked

to ponds dotting the surrounding landscape.

© Sandrine Ferrier, Dombes Tourism

Constructed by Catholic monks from the

thirteenth century, the ponds served to

cultivate fish to sell at Lyon’s illustrious

European trade fairs, created in 1420 under

the future King Charles VII. Today, however,

Dombes is a leading freshwater fish-producing

region, an unspoiled paradise for birds, flora

and fauna.

Rillettes, smoked fillet pond fish and

waterfowl are a staple across Châtillon’s

many traditional restaurants, which poke out

from various sides of the market and line the

Chalaronne River edge. Chefs eagerly await

patrons overflowing from the bustling stands

and cheerful banter of the market, where time

in the medieval hall seems to stand still. On

any given Saturday the butcher and baker still

clink chardonnay glasses at 10am, and the

rabbit and guinea pig merchants let children

cuddle their fluffy live toys. Their fellow

vendors proudly serve seasonal legumes,

luscious fruit, pigs ears and feet, homecooked

Sauerkraut, and chicken roasts swimming in

sizzling marinade – careful, like those before

them, not to let any produce from the farms or

wild fields go to waste.

Dombes Tourism: dombes-tourisme.com


A non-skiing weekend

in a ski resort on the

ANNECY Mountains

Love the idea of snow but don’t want to ski? Our reporter Amy Macpherson checks

out the cool credentials of a wintry holiday without skis!

From the balcony of my room in Hotel &

Spa Saint-Alban in La Clusaz, positioned

on a slight hill overlooking the pretty village

centre and snow-covered slopes, I could tell

the conditions were perfect for skiers. The

problem was, I can’t ski, and I’m not keen

to learn! But a snowy holiday in the Annecy

Mountains offers much more than ski slopes.

On the surface, La Clusaz may seem just

like any other ski resort. Surrounded by

the limestone peaks of five mountain areas

of the Aravis, there are enough slopes of

varying degrees of difficulty to suit every

level of downhill skiing and plenty of trails

for the Nordic skiers too. The centre of town

features a cluster of alpine houses, boutique

guesthouses, hotels, sport shops, restaurants,

grocery stores and a church, whose steeple

points towards the sky like a pin dropped on a

map. It’s very beautiful - but what’s a non-skier

do in the mountains surrounded by snow?

Day 1 Culture and cheese

On the edge of town, wedged in the valley

along the Nom stream, Le Hameau des Alpes

Museum, in a traditional mountain hut hosts

exhibitions dedicated to the history of skiing

in the French Alps, and the production of

Reblochon, the delectable regional cheese.

It’s a fascinating look at how the sport

developed from a form of transport in the

early 20th century, to a popular tourist activity

only a couple of decades later.

Hungry for a taste of the real deal

Lake Annecy © Christian Molitor

Le Hameau des Alpes © Amy Mcpherson


Walking and wildlife

Annecy and Menthon

Cheeses ripening at Jospeh Pacard © Amy Mcpherson

Reblochon after my visit, I hopped on the

easy-to-use local shuttle bus and headed

to nearby Manigod to visit the workshop

of Artisan Fromager, Joseph Paccard for a

cheesemaking tour and tasting. Even if you

don’t like cheese, the view from the balcony of

the building is worth the trip.

Soft and creamy Reblochon has a long history.

During the 14th century, landowners would

tax the mountain farmers according to

the amount of milk their herds produced.

Canny farmers didn’t fully milk the cows

until after the landowner had measured

the yield. The milk that remains is much

richer and makes for the creamy taste of

Reblochon. This area produces a whopping

6 million rounds of Reblochon per year.

Back in La Clusaz, after a fortifying lunch

at the cosy L’Ecuelle Restaurant, I jumped

on a gondola to the top of the Beauregard

plateau. The sky was a deep blue, the snow

sparkled and the air was so fresh it almost took

my breath away. From the top, at 1650m,

the view across the Aravis mountain range is

stunning. Skiers and snowboarders prepared

for their adrenalin fuelled adventure whilst

I studied my map of walking routes that in

summer are green with forests and bright with

meadows of wildflowers. Once I left the ski

area behind, it was just me with the silence of

nature, the pure air and the crunch of snow

under my snowshoes (which I recommend for

snow walking). Perfect.

There’s so much to do off skis that it’s hard

to know where to start! The horse and cart

ride is magical, clopping along with a rug to

keep you warm is so relaxing and for thrill

seekers there’s mushing – dog sledding with

beautiful huskies and a guide to take you on

a magical mountain tour. In La Clusaz, La

Bascule, a brand new giant swing perched on

the Balcon des Aravis Terrace (1860m) offers

incredible views – only for those with a head

© D Machet, H21

for heights. Or you could go paddle boarding

on Lake Annecy, play an Escape Game in the

mountains, do yoga in the snow, or take an

evening walk with guides overlooking Mont

Blanc, glowing pink as the sun sets. Followed

by dinner at restaurant Lucia in Saint-Jean-de-

Sixt, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect day.

Day 2

The next morning I headed to Le Semnoz, the

closest mountain village to Annecy, the historic

and chocolate box lid pretty capital of Haute-

Savoie. Joining a nature and wildlife hike with

guide Lauris Chaumond, we were soon off-piste

and wandering the white wilderness – a real

experience of winter paradise.

As we walked, the soft snow fell around us

and Laurence pointed out signs of wildlife

– mountain hares, foxes, birds and other

animals, and learned about the trees and

fauna and told tales of the mountains as we

admired the majestic views of mountains

and forests.

Annecy is lovely year-round and in winter

it’s especially pretty, it would be easy to

spend a weekend here too and there’s

lots to do from museums to wandering

the incredibly picturesque old town, to

learning how to make a dried flower

wreath at artisan florist Blomeko.

If you happen to be there in December,

there’s a colourful Christmas market

with stalls along the canal and Castle

walls. And there’s a very charming

Christmas market at the nearby Chateau

of Menthon-Saint-Bernard which is well

worth a visit any time, and where you can

also indulge in a dish of fondue with a

glass of wine, serenaded by local bands

or a choir while falling in love with the

views of the snow-covered mountains all

around, the lake and the city below.

Back at my lakeside hotel, Rivage Hôtel

& Spa, I thawed out with a session in the

steam room and sauna before heading

out for aperitifs in the city and a robust

dinner of tartiflette, mountain food that

makes you smile.

Who says winter around the mountains is

only for skiers?

TRAVEL

INFORMATION

Geneva is the closest international

airport for Annecy. The fast TGV

train from Paris takes from just

3h45m.

Aravis Bus offers free shuttle

services connecting villages in the

Aravis mountain range from

La Clusaz to Le Grand-Bornand,

Saint-Jean-de-Sixt, Manigod

and Thônes.

Beauregard Plateau © Amy Mcpherson

Chateau de Menthon-Saint-Bernard © Peignee verticale

Find out more at:

annecymountains.com


Get an eyeful of

France any time!

Learn effortlessly: As well as English

subtitles on all content, France Channel has

a dedicated ‘Learn French’ section that also

offers French subtitles. This section includes

every type of movie as well as documentaries

on everything from fashion shows to the

French Revolution.

It’s also a great way for kids to learn. Thanks

to an extensive library of cartoons, kids’ TV

programmes and family-friendly movies, kids

can pick something to watch, without ever

realising that they’re learning French. From

toddlers to teens, France Channel TV provides

a hassle-free way to learn another language in

a relaxed environment outside the classroom.

What is France Channel TV? Since it

first launched in the US in September

2021, France Channel TV has

become the number-one international

streaming platform dedicated to French

Culturetainment: entertaining content

that is culturally informative. The channel

never stands still, continuing to add new

content across all categories, including

music, sports programming, movies that

premiered at Cannes, new TV series and

additional content for kids and families.

Start watching at francechannel.tv

If you love France and live in the US, there’s

some great news: all things French are now

one click away! From French-language movies

and comedies to documentaries and culture,

France Channel TV is a new way to access

everything you love about France. And it makes

for a super gift for your favourite Francophile!

Specialist streaming service France Channel

TV means you can immerse yourself in French

culture as part of your everyday life. Enjoy

classic movies, get the latest news, indulge in

a cookery programme and feast on the rich

cultural programmes. And - it all comes with

English subtitles.

How does it work? If you’re based in the US,

explore the France Channel website, take a

free 7-day trial to see if it suits you, then sign

up annually ($79.99) or each month ($7.99),

and you can cancel at any time. Once you

have your account, you can stream all the

content of France Channel on your computer,

using a dedicated France Channel app on

your mobile phone, on Android TV, Apple TV

or ROKU.

If you prefer, you can also buy a subscription

directly from Amazon Prime Video Channels,

Roku Channels or Xumo or Xfinity platforms.

As these are operated independently to

francechannel.tv, you need to choose which

way is more convenient for you.

As if you’re in France: You can use France

Channel TV as a super-easy movie-streaming

service, just like Netflix, but it’s dedicated to

French content. As well as thrillers, comedies,

romances and action movies, take your pick

from hundreds of TV series, from the highly

popular soap crime drama Tomorrow is Ours,

to French detective dramas like Tandem.

Make a regular date to watch each episode or

throw caution to the wind and binge an entire

series in a single session!

On the cultural side, you’ll enjoy featurelength

documentaries such as Secrets of

History or The Louvre Behind the Scenes, plus

sumptuous travel shows and endless inspiration

for French cuisine, Parisian style and interior

design. Indulge in catwalk updates, real-estate

programmes showcasing elegant châteaux, or

enjoy the guilty pleasure of entertainment news,

and it’s great for learning French along the way.

If you prefer factual programmes, France

Channel has partnered with France 24 to

offer a live news stream, scheduled debates,

newsworthy guests and sports updates.


Vaison-la-Romaine, Provence in Winter

Luxury tours of Gascony,

the Basque country &

Provence

Nourish your soul and unleash your spirit of

adventure on tours that feature the famous

food, wine and Armagnac of Gascony, and

discover where to find the best antique

shops and flea markets, the most beautiful

villages and magnificent chateaux. From

one day to week-long tours that are

customised for you. Plus tours of Provence,

southern France and the Basque country.

frenchcountryadventures.com

postcard-pretty blooming lovely lavender

fields of Provence, as well as Normandy,

Bordeaux and Dordogne. Luxury, small

group tours where you’ll indulge in the best

gastronomy and wine, and discover the beauty

and culture of France... tripusafrance.com

Wine themed luxury tours

Osprey Boutique Tours offer a unique blend

of exceptional wine and travel experiences

in France. From the sparkling vineyards

of Champagne to the rich terroir of Burgundy,

the Loire Valley, French Riviera, Provence

and Alsace, their tours take you through

celebrated wine estates & lesser-known gems.

Immerse yourself in the essence of France’s

rich culinary heritage & timeless French

lifestyle: ospreybt.com

Inspiration for your

travels to France in

2025

Nicols Boats © Jeremy Flint

We’ve handpicked the best tours with the most

scrumptious food and wine, and the most

authentic experiences, in the most beautiful

parts of France (all in English). These are tours

that let you experience France like a local and

that will give you cherished memories to last a

lifetime…

Global Travel Moments

When it comes to planning an exceptional

holiday in France, the kind of experience

that lives with you forever, Global Travel

Moments private travel designers offer a

completely tailored service, creating travel

options and accommodation that will be a

perfect fit for your personality, budget and

preference and transforming your dreams

into a vacation that’s truly memorable.

globaltravelmoments

Immersion courses in

the most beautiful places

in France

SL Immersion offer French immersion courses

in several areas. There are tailor-made

lessons to suit each guest, you’ll stay in the

home of a fully qualified and experienced

tutor, and learn real French the way it’s

spoken in France. You’ll quickly improve your

French, and you’ll also have an unforgettable

cultural experience with activities, cooking

classes, sightseeing, wine tasting etc.

slimmersion-france.com

Self-drive boat holidays

Nicols Boats offer the best self-drive boating

holidays in France – no experience needed.

You have the freedom to explore canals and

rivers at your own pace, touring through

beautiful countryside and stopping wherever

the mood takes you. Discover chateaux,

picturesque villages, historic towns, superb

wildlife and more – slow travel at its very best.

Nicols Boats

Tours for those who love

the authentic

Discover southern France – from captivating

Carcassonne to magical Montpellier and the

Chateau of Azay-le-Rideau, Loire Valley

Loire Valley Chateau tours

If you really want to get under the skin of

the captivating area of the Loire Valley, take

a tour with an insider who can bring every

place zinging vividly to life. Enter Loire Valley

Chateau Tours who run six-day and 9-day

tours featuring enchanting chateaux, street

markets, wine tasting and vineyard visits,

super accommodation, means transport and

all that you need for an authentic Loire Valley

experience: loirevalleychateautours


Immersion courses Paris

and Normandy

Culture & cookery tours in

Provence

Learn French ‘naturally’ – from fully immersive

one day taster courses, to a week or more on

personalised courses, plus follow up online

lessons and online courses, curated audio

lessons and personalised activities, there’s

something to suit everyone: xpfrance.net

Cooking classes with chefs in their homes

where you’ll cook authentic French dishes.

Shop at enchanting street markets with chefs,

and dine at the most scrumptious restaurants

in beautiful towns of Provence on this fully

escorted, small group delicious and cultural trip

of a lifetime. goutetvoyage.com

Day trips and tour

packages all over France

Ophorus Tours are a French family run

business with a huge choice of tours from fun

and informative guided walking city tours to

very carefully crafted multi regional packages,

wine tasting, cycling and themed tours all over

France as well as day trips from Paris. Their

aim is to show you France as they believe it

should be shown – authentic, colourful and

friendly. www.ophorus.com

Lavender fields in Provence © Raina Stinson

Loire Valley Bike Tours

One of the best ways to visit the castles,

vineyards, pretty little villages, historic towns

and gorgeous gardens of the Loire Valley is

on two wheels. Loire Brakes guided tours are

relaxing (e-bikes provided) with friendly guides

for 1-day tours or 7-days (with accommodation,

meals etc), taking you to the very best of the

Loire Valley make this a superb slow travel

experience for those who like to discover real

France and enjoy the most fabulous food and

wine. loirebrakes.com

Photography workshops,

Provence

Half day and full day photography tours,

week-long art retreats, and artists residency

in the heart of Provence with award-winning

photographer Raina Stinson. Explore the

most exquisite villages, colourful markets

and spectacular scenery of Provence and

capture your precious memories on camera.

rainastinsonphotography.com

French Chateau retreats

In the heart of the Pyrenees, stay at a 14 th

century chateau and enjoy themed retreats

including wellness and cheese discovery stays

as well as winter breaks with ski stations close

by and relaxing discovery visits of the Vallée

d’Ossau, a land of vineyards, mountains and

outstanding natural beauty - a hidden gem.

Chateaudegere.com

CroisiEurope barge, Alsace © Michael Yung

Battlefield tours and

historical travel experiences

Tailor-made historical travel experiences by

a family-run specialist tour operator creates

exceptional WWI and WWII battlefields tours

across France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Sophie’s Great War Tours will research

the history and background of soldiers so

that each battlefield tour is a personal

historical experience. Add on experiences

to suit you, such as chateau visits in the

Loire, Champagne tastings in Champagne

or a classic car tour in Provence. Every

itinerary is designed to be perfect – for you.

sophiesgreatwartours.com

The very best cruises

in France

CroisiEurope are the largest cruise operator

in France, and their tours are unbeatable.

Sail France’s rivers and canals and the

Mediterranean Sea. Discover the culture,

gastronomy and cultural wealth of France. Enjoy

all-inclusive life onboard with the finest food and

wines and fabulous excursions that transport you

to the heart of France. There’s no worrying about

having to drive, make a train connection or

travel delays. There’s no queuing for tickets to

major sites. All you have to do is relax, enjoy the

wonderful gastronomy, and get to see the best of

France – in style. croisieurope.co.uk

Carcassonne

‘Real’ South of France Tours

Occitanie – formerly Languedoc-Roussillon

and Midi-Pyrenees – is to many the real south

of France. It’s a land of hidden gems,

postcard-pretty villages, historic giants like

Carcassonne, and of lush vineyards where



some of the very best wines in France are

produced (tastings are included on the

tours!). Take a 7-day, fully inclusive, small

group guided tour, stay in an award-winning

B&B, dine at hand-picked restaurants and

discover the heart of this area and its

innermost, delicious and fascinating secrets:

realsouthoffrancetours.fr

Day tours Provence

Tailored day tours Provence by local

guides from art tours in the footsteps of

Vincent Van Gogh, to wine tastings, Aix-en-

Provence, Marseille and more with transport

provided: idreamprovence.com

Immersive French

courses in Burgundy

10-day French immersion stays in Burgundy

that will have you learning French in a

fabulous and fun way. Stay in a gorgeous

luxury chateau, experience the real French

way of life, culture and gastronomy.

Cooking lessons, wine tasting and guided

tours by experts alongside lessons tailored

to your level with friendly, qualified teachers

make this a truly outstanding experience.

lapont.com

Year round themed &

bespoke small group tours

of Provence

Small group tours and customized travelling to

give you memories to last a lifetime. Discover

the best of Provence: Lavender tours (there’s

still room on the lavender and culture tour),

truffle, grape harvest, and bespoke tours as

well as chauffeur services for day trips or a

lot longer. Emily Durand’s Private Provence

tours are unique, exclusive and truly fabulous.

yourprivateprovence.com

Creative France

Workshops

There is nothing quite like the backdrop of

snow-capped mountains and the echo of

history and footsteps past to inspire creativity.

And in Vernet-les-Bains, Pyrenees, you

can immerse yourself in local culture and

cuisine and still take time to nurture your

creativity with one of a number of inspired

workshop experiences from writing to

painting, photography, cooking and more:

creativefranceworkshops.com

Perfect Paris Tours

Janine Marsh, editor of The Good Life France

Magazine and author of four best-selling

books will take you to her secret treasures on

a small group tour. Taking place in spring and

autumn, you’ll be treated to a captivating

cocktail of art, culture, history, architecture,

fashion, music, food and wine. There is

nothing ordinary about this tour. This is not

just any old tour. It is the Perfect Paris Tour:

tourwithabsolutely.com

LE MOULIN

SUR CÉLÉ

An enchanting luxurious riverside retreat in the beautiful Célé Valley

Experience la France Profonde

www.lemoulinsurcele.com

Paris in the spring © one.afi

The best places to stay

Where you stay is as important as where


you go, so if you’re dreaming of a chateau

stay, a gorgeous gite or a stunning B&B, here

are some of the best, most welcoming and

charming places to stay in France…

The ultimate getaway in

the Lot

Moulin

(4 ensuite bedrooms) in the French Riviera,

ticks all the boxes for a Mediterranean break

offering the best of coast and countryside.

Just five minutes’ walk from the village of La

Colle-sur-Loup, this stylish property is less

than 5 minutes by car to St-Paul-de-Vence, 10

minutes to Cagnes-sur-Mer and 15 minutes to

Nice airport: villaloupatio.com

In the Lot region, southwest France you will

find a magical place – the Moulin sur Célé,

a spectacularly restored 14th century water

mill in 25 acres of glorious countryside in the

Célé Valley, one of the most beautiful parts of

France. The restored Miller’s House and The

Tower, with gorgeous gardens and pool offer

luxurious relaxation at its best. Surrounded

by landscapes of hypnotic beauty, activities

galore, pickled in the past postcard-pretty

villages and close to historic Cahors, famous

for its marvellous Malbec wine and world class

gastronomy. France at its very best and most

authentic. Lemoulinsurcele.com

Chateau de Masburel

Villa Lou Patio

Hotel Benvengudo

Charming, authentic hotel

in the heart of Provence

Located in the heart of the Alpilles Regional

Nature Park, Hotel Benvengudo is a familyrun

4* hotel with a pool and restaurant, set in

a 4-hectare park at Les Baux-de-Provence

in a landscape of olive groves, lavender

fields and vineyards. You’ll experience the

true Provencal lifestyle with luxurious rooms,

aperitifs by the pool, a game of petanque – a

fabulous authentic, welcoming and delicious

break awaits: benvengudo.com

Majestic B&B near

Bergerac

With honey-toned stone walls and sagegreen

shutters, the 18th century Chateau de

Masburel wine domain and award-winning

B&B, and gorgeous gite opening this year, has

a timeless, unhurried feel to it. It’s a working

winery producing award winning wines. Close

to Bergerac, Saint-Emilion and ten minutes

from the bastide town of Sainte-Foy-la-

Grande on the banks of the River Dordogne

in the Gironde. it’s the perfect base to explore

the area and enjoy a delicious and relaxing

break. Chateau-masburel.com

Luxury farmhouse,

Charente-Maritime

In a charming village, surrounded by fields

of golden sunflowers, lush green vineyards

and truffle forests, Gite No. 22, a beautifully

Cognac No. 22

restored 19th century traditional farmhouse

with a luxurious heated pool, is utterly lovely.

Ideally situated for the historic towns of

Cognac, St Jean d’Angely, Saintes and the

Atlantic Coast beaches. Quintessentially

French markets, traffic free cycle routes (bikes

provided for guests), delicious bistros, distillery

visits, glorious countryside – what are you

waiting for? Cognac-no22.com

Luxury villa rental,

near Nice

A holiday at Villa Lou Patio luxury villa rental

RAINA STINSON

PHOTOGRAPHY

International Award Winning &

Fine Art Photographer

Guided Photography Day Tours

and Workshops

Customized photo sessions to capture

your special moments in Provence

rainastinsonphotography.com


France Calendar

WINTER

DECEMBER

A view of France each month to

illustrate the stunning seasons

– Winter in France is a time of

celebration, comforting dishes and

snowy walks!

JANUARY

Every weekend we invite you to share your

photos on Facebook and X /Twitter – it’s a

great way for everyone to “see” real France

and be inspired by real travellers snapping

pics as they go.

Join us on Facebook,

Instagram and X to enjoy our photos of France and share your photos

too (tag us on Instagram #thegoodlifefrance)

Market day

in Sarlat,

Dordogne

Even when

it’s chilly out

and the sky

is grey, the

Saturday

morning

market in

the pickledin-the-post

town of

Sarlat is

always

colourful and

vibrant!

Rochefort-en-Terre, Brittany

It’s not on the main list of top Christmas venues in France, this

little Breton village sparkles in December when thousands of

twinkling lights are festooned across streets and buildings.

© Wazim Tagauly of Wazim photos

FEBRUARY

Place

Stanislas,

Nancy

Place

Stanislas,

the beating

heart of

the city of

Nancy, built

to honour

the Sun King,

Louis XIC is

beautiful all

year round,

even in

winter when

snow covers

it.

© Ville de

Nancy


What’s

NEW

winter 2024-2025

Vaison-la-Romaine, Provence, in winter

The winter season in France is brimming with festive sparkle. From the end of

November to early January, Christmas markets are held across the whole country.

In February and March, it’s carnival season. And there’s loads more going on - here

are just a few of the major events this winter:

National Events in Winter

25 December - Christmas Day is a national

holiday.

31 December - La Nuit de la Saint Sylvestre

– New Year’s Eve. The feast day of Saint

Sylvestre includes a festive celebration

spent with friends at home or in a favourite

restaurant. A kiss under the mistletoe is shared

at the stroke of midnight.

1 January - New Year’s Day is a national

holiday.

6 January - La Fête des Rois. It’s traditional

to eat a special cake called the Galette des

Galette des Rois cake

Rois on this day (read more about it here).

You’ll see these scrumptious cakes in every

patisserie in France. Inside the cake a lucky

charm is hidden – the fève, and the person

who finds the charm in his or her slice of cake,

is crowned king or queen for a day! If you

want to make one at home, here’s a recipe for

Galette des Rois

14 February - St Valentine’s Day

Christmas markets and

festive events

Discover loads of information about the

Christmas markets, Christmas lights, festive

food and events in our Ultimate Guide

to Christmas in France on The Good Life

France website: thegoodlifefrance.com/

ultimateguidetochristmasinfrance

Enjoy our podcast on Christmas in France!

Saint-Remy de Provence looking festive © Emily Durand

What’s new

On 15 April 2019, a major fire partially

destroyed the upper part of Notre-Dame

de Paris cathedral. After five years of

work, the famous monument will reopen its

doors on 7 and 8 December 2024. Note

an online slot reservation system is due

to be introduced before the opening to

ensure the visitor experience is as its best –

this is completely free, you do not need to

buy tickets.

Lyon: Festival of Lights, 5-8 December 2025

The people of Lyon will, as they have since

1852, light candles and put them in the

windows of their homes and the city puts

on a spectacular light show with large-scale

projections over some of the city’s most

beautiful monuments. It all started when the

residents of Lyon placed candles in coloured

glasses on their windowsills to celebrate the

installation of a statue of the Virgin Mary on

the Fourvière Hill.

fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/en

Dordogne: Sarlat Truffle Festival, 18-19

January 2025

A big truffle market takes place mid-

January in the enchanting medieval town

of Sarlat, Dordogne. Expect to indulge in

truffle flavoured gourmet specialities, music

and festivities including workshops. And

take home a couple of truffles, you can

get them at a good price at the market.

Details: sarlat-tourisme.com

Angoulême comic book festival 30 January

to 2 February, 2025

France has one of the largest markets

for bande-dessinée (comic book or graphic

novels) in the world, and Angoulême,

Charente, is where this is celebrated. People

come from all over the world to enjoy this fun

art event

Mimosa Festival 12-16 February 2025

Spring is in the air and in Mandelieu-La-

Napoule millions of sweet-smelling Mimosa

flowers, known as “yellow suns”, bloom.

Parades, processions, singing and dancing,


Dunkirk Carnival

Mimosa at Cannes market

this joyous event signals the end of winter in

the south of France.

Mandelieu-tourisme.com

Nice Carnival 15 February - 2 March 2025

Processions, flower parades and flower

battles, rock, pop, fireworks, and giants.

Over a million people flock to Nice to join

in the fun heralding the start of spring. One

of the most glamorous of all the French

carnivals. nicecarnaval.com

Menton Lemon Festival 15 February –

2 March 2025

This amazing fruity festival features

immense structures built with thousands of

lemons and oranges. It’s one of the most

popular festivals in the region and attracts

many thousands of visitors from all over the

world. fete-du-citron.com

Dunkirk Carnival

This unique carnival takes place From

January to March when Dunkirk bursts into

song and dance with locals and visitors

for the carnival. This has to be one of the

loudest and most fun carnivals in Europe.

Here the people are the parade, dressed in

quirky outfits. It’s especially frenzied when

the Mayor throws herrings off his balcony

into the crowds on the first day of the event

known as the Trois Joyeuse (3 happy days) –

Sunday 2 March 2025!

dunkerque-tourisme.fr

Alexander

Bates

Campbell

Europe Limited

Nice Carnival

Coming up

Spring starts 20 March, 2025 – don’t miss

the spring issue of The Good Life France

Magazine – subscribe here for free:

SUBSCRIBE

Perfect Paris Tour 6-12 April 2025

Join author (and editor of The Good Life

France) Janine Marsh for a week in Paris

to discover the most perfect, authentic and

fascinating parts of the city of light.

We help you to build long term strategies

to take care of wealth preservation & wealth management,

financial & succession planning, and minimise tax

Enquiries: jennie@abc-eu.com

abc-eu.com


Living in

AUDE

Welcome to Aude: a part of France that offers plenty of sunshine, historic towns

and beautiful homes that are far more affordable than the nearby Côte d’Azur.

In the south of France, inland from Toulouse

and Marseille, the département of Aude is

within easy reach of the mountains and the

coast, surrounded by charming villages and

historic sites, making it a great place to visit

or to put down roots.

The sunny south

Estate agent Andrew Gluck moved from New

York to France in September 2011, and he

lives with his French wife in Carcassonne.

“I would say there’s nowhere like this

anywhere else in the world. We get

between 200 and 225 days of sunshine

a year, a lush landscape of cypress

trees, olive groves and vineyards, plus

a Mediterranean climate at far more

affordable prices than you get on the

French Riviera. If you want a dip in the

sea, Narbonne is close by, and if you want

the snow, it’s a short distance to the Black

Mountains or the Pyrenees within a couple

of hours. It really gives you access to some

of the best aspects of France, and that

includes the local wines!”

Equally smitten with the area is Honor

Davis-Marks who, in 2007, moved from

Kent to Ferrals-les-Corbieres (40km east of

Carcassonne), where she runs midlife retreats.

“Initially, we came here for sunshine and that

elusive lifestyle, but it gave us so much more

than we expected. We get amazing weather

here as early as March, and you can literally

ski in the morning and be on the beach in

the afternoon. Accessibility was crucial as I

wanted to run a ‘me-treat’ business, and Aude

has great transport links - even Barcelona is

only a 2-hour train ride from Narbonne.”

Property and lifestyle

Thanks to its location, climate and

landscapes, Aude attracts both French

and foreign tourists all year round, so there

are plenty of events and activities and no

shortage of appealing places to stay. If

you’re considering a move here, Andrew

Guck recommends the village of Montoulieu

(22 minutes northwest of Carcassonne),

offering a lively centre with dozens of shops,

124 Carcassonne | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 125

or Caunes Minervois (25 minutes northeast

of Carcassonne), a medieval town famous for

marble, and it’s surprisingly cosmopolitan: a

high percentage of residents have chosen to

relocate here from overseas.

To get the most from your buying budget, look

inland away from the coast and the most popular

towns, perhaps heading toward the Black

Mountains, where the weather’s a little cooler,

and the properties are a little bit more rustic.

Key towns

The medieval town of Carcassonne (pop.

48,000) is one of the country’s most popular

tourist destinations, welcoming around 2.5

million visitors each year. Its star attraction

is the medieval town itself, which is utterly

photogenic and free to visit: explore its 3km

of ramparts and admire its 52 separate towers

as you browse the shops within the walls.

Running right through the heart of the lower

town which is also fabulous, is the famous

Canal du Midi, originally built in the 1600s to

connect the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.

Hire a pleasure boat to navigate the canal or

stroll or cycle alongside, enjoying the scenery.

Forty minutes west, Castelnaudary (pop.

10,000) claims that this is where engineer,

Pierre Paul Riquet, first came up with a plan

to create the Canal. The town also claims to

be the capital of the dish cassoulet, but has

plenty more to offer: a charming port, clusters

of terracotta rooftops and an avenue of

bicentennial plane trees.

If you prefer the coast, Narbonne (pop.

51,000) is about an hour south, in the

heart of a Regional Nature Park between

Montpellier and Perpignan. One of the

wealthiest Roman colonies outside Italy,

Narbonne has a wealth of architecture

from this period, including the Via Domitia

cobblestones leading from the main square,

while the Narbo Via museum houses more

than 6,000 artefacts and wall paintings.

Thirty minutes west of Narbonne is Lézignan-

Corbières (pop. 11,000), capital of Corbières

wine country. The town has developed over the

centuries around its Gothic-style church, Saint-

Félix, which dates from the 1200s, although a

church has been here since 800 AD. Also in

the centre is an old wine estate, Maison Gibert,

where you can see the original cellar as well as

the workers’ quarters and stables.

Particular to the area

Inland, Lagrasse was officially recognised as

one the most beautiful villages in France, and

you’ll immediately see why. Centred around

the stunning Sainte-Marie Abbey, Lagrasse

is home to cobbled streets, artisans and the

picturesque River Orbieu. It’s also possible to

take a freshwater swim either in the river or

Thinking about relocating to France but

uncertain about what you need to know?

Our free live webinars provide direct access to our

team of experts who can address all your questions about the

visa application process, French residency requirements, navigating

French bureaucracy, and more aspects of moving to France.

Sign up for our upcoming sessions.

www.fabfrenchinsurance.com


Our latest properties for sale in Aude

Lastours © Andrew Gluck

upstream in Saint-Jean lake, where you can

cool off under the trees.

Also inland, Lastours sits 20 minutes north of

Carcassonne, and is a truly surprising location

featuring the remains of four château turrets

built in the late 1200s to replace ancient

feudal structures, but archaeological finds

date back to at least 1500 BC. The turrets

survey the valley from a dizzying 300 metres

altitude, and you can follow the rocky trail

up to the turrets, but you’ll need at least

two hours and some sturdy footwear! (See

Andrew’s properties for sale in Aude)

If you’re a fan of unspoilt beaches, head to

Gruissan’s Plage de Mateille, a spacious

1.2-kilometre beach whose northern section

is often used by naturists. Running parallel to

the beach is the Étang de Mateille, a sheltered

lagoon of shallow waters that’s ideal for

kayaking and sailing.

Why is this Cathar

country?

You might hear Aude referred to as ‘Cathar

Country’, referring to a religion that took hold

in southern France around 800 years ago,

promoting values of equality, neighbourliness

and charity, in contrast to the pomp, hierarchy

and material wealth of the Catholic church.

Many of the Languedoc commoners and

nobles adopted Catharism, distancing


Lastours © Andrew Gluck

themselves from both French royalty and

from Rome. Unsurprisingly, they were then

attacked, and the area’s fortified castles,

villages and towns are a stark reminder of

those crusades. Aude is home to the last

Cathar stronghold, Château de Peyrepertuse,

which fell in 1255.

Food and drink

You can tell from all the vineyards in Aude

that wine production is taken seriously here,

with ten different AOP quality labels, its

best-known being Corbières. Thanks to the

olive groves, you’ll also enjoy local tapenade,

but the rustic casserole dish of cassoulet

is a regional favourite. For fine dining, you

can choose from five Michelin-starred

restaurants in Aude, one of which has the

rare distinction of three Michelin stars: the

Auberge du Vieux Puits in Fontjoncouse. For

a truly special celebration, this restaurant

would be hard to beat!

Getting here

Aude is extremely accessible, with direct

flights from all over Europe into Toulouse

or Carcassonne. Trains from Paris to

Carcassonne take around 5 hours.

Find properties for sale in Aude:

frenchesetateagents.com/aude

EXCLUSIVE

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Carcassonne €929,000

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with two pools, jacuzzi and orangerie.


Energy class: C Climate class: C

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Rieux-Minervois €240,000

Ref: A31806 - 5-bedroom maison de maître

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EXCLUSIVE

Original Features

Lézignan-Corbières €235,000

Ref: A31031 - Fabulous 6-bedroom townhouse

with garden, summerhouse and garage.

7% agency fees included paid by the buyer.


Sitting P r e tt y

Pouzols-Minervois €239,000

Ref: A33247 - 3-bedroom house with pool,

lovely gardens, workshop and storage.



Beautiful Views

Fabrezan €335,000

Ref: A32085 - 3-bedroom Maison Vigneronstyle

house with pool, garden and terrace.



Recently renovated

Pieusse €275,000

Ref: A32957 - 5-bedroom villa with spacious

garden, garage and independent studio.


Energy class: C Climate class: A

Wow Factor!

Sallèles-d’Aude €547,000

Ref: A31246 - Charming 4-bedroom canalside

home with garden, indoor pool and barn.



Dream Home

Ferran €475,000

Ref: A28356 - Attractive 4-bedroom home

with private pool, garden and 2-bedroom gîte.



Picturesque Property

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Ref: A22277 - 3-bedroom fairytale property

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Energy class: E Climate class: B

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Join our

team!

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We are recruiting

independent

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across France

+33 (0)5 53 60 82 77

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Information on the risks to which these properties are exposed is available on the Geohazards website: www.georisques.gouv.fr


A short

guide to planning

permission in France

© Изображения пользователя Nadine-de-Trevile

Perhaps it’s an extension or a completely new

build. There are different types of permission

and different regulations for each whether

that’s full planning (permis de construire),

minor works (déclaration préalable) or outline

planning permission (certificat d’urbanisme) or

something different.

If you’re buying a property in France and know

you’ll need planning permission take steps

to make a successful planning permit part of

the deal. At French Plans, we often prepare

and submit outline planning applications

(CUb) during the contract phase of a property

purchase, and your notaire (solicitor), can

often add a clause to the sales contract

making the purchase contingent on receiving

a positive response.

If you are looking to sell off part of your land,

or split an existing dwelling into one or more

individual houses, then you’ll need to get

planning permission.

Don’t forget that as part of a planning

application, you may need things like

French planning

& architectural services

drainage design, service connections and

even soil studies.

You may find that retrospective planning

permission is needed when you come to buy or

sell a house. This is quite common and often

happens when people have undertaken work

to their home without realising that planning

permission was required. If this happens to

you, don’t panic. You may need to be a little

creative if there are no “before” drawings but

as long as the work done is in line with relevant

planning rules, then getting permission after

the event is often possible – you just need to

tick the right boxes.

Be aware that some communes have stringent

planning restrictions in place, for example

what colours can be used to paint the shutters

of houses where the authorities have a

palette of colours to be used. If you have any

questions about planning permission in France

or would like to get help with your property

design and planning needs, contact the team

at: French Plans

When it comes to making changes to your

property in France, the chances are you’ll

need to apply for planning permission.

Whether you’re extending the property,

building your own home, and even changing

the colours of the shutters or walls, you may

need official authorisation - or you could void

your insurance policy, face substantial fines or

be forced to undo the work you’ve done.

Nothing would please us more than to tell

you that it’s a simple process – but it’s not.

This being France, you can be certain there’s

plenty of documentation and paperwork

involved – not just formal floor plans. The

fact is when you’re dealing with official

planning permission it boils down to several

things. Completing the steps required is time

consuming and if you get even the most minor

thing wrong, you will fail in your application.

Trust me, we’ve been there. It can be a

frustrating and seriously stressful experience.

We asked architect Tom Easdown at French

Plans for his top tips. They have a huge

amount of experience of working on every

kind of building including historic monuments,

chateaux, business offices, gites and manor

houses – extensions, renovations and

conversions. And in our experience, officials in

France tend to be more trusting of experience

rather than enthusiasm!

Top tips

Make sure you apply for the right sort of

planning: Maybe you’re installing a swimming

pool, or a shepherd’s hut or shed in your

garden (which can often need permission).

Fully qualified English speaking architects and planning consultants offering full design

and planning services for any size of project, anywhere in France.

New Build . Extensions Renovations . Swimming Pools

Retrospective Permits . Barn Conversions . Châteaux

siret : 881 631 642 00025

email: enquiries@frenchplans.com

www.frenchplans.com

established in 2002


The Emily

in Paris effect…

Typical Paris style apartments

of the River Seine, and 10-12 on the Left Bank.

During the reconstruction of Paris in 1859 by

Napoléon III and Baron Haussmann, 8 more

districts were added. The city’s map was

redrawn in the form of a snail’s shell. It began

with the 1st arr. in the centre and ends with the

20th arr. at its eastern boundary.

Blockbuster Netflix rom-com series Emily in

Paris has racked up hundreds of millions of

hours of viewing around the world. But Emily

is not the only star of the blockbuster series –

Paris too takes centre stage…

The plot: Emily (actress Lily Collins) leaves

her hometown of Chicago, USA to take up

a job at Savoir, a fictional luxury marketing

company based in Paris, despite knowing

barely a word of French. She moves into an

apartment in one of Paris’s most sought-after

areas, and has adventures in the city and

further afield, discovering the French way

of life and finding romance. But more than

anything, Emily falls head over heels in love

with Paris, as have a legion of the series’ fans!

Want to follow in her footsteps? Here’s the

skinny on living like Emily in Paris:

The city has 20 arrondissements - municipal

districts: In 1795 Paris was divided into 12

arrondissements (arr.), 1-9 on the Right Bank

The 5 th arr.: Emily’s apartment is in a fabulous

stone building in Place de l’Estrapade, a

postcard-pretty square in the 5 th arr., which

encompasses the Sorbonne and Val-de-

Grâce districts. While the show focuses on

the best of Paris, this classic Paris residential

neighbourhood is absolutely the real deal.

You’ll spot Emily picking up her favourite pain

au chocolat at Boulangerie Moderne in rue

des Fossés Saint-Jacques, and in the same

street is the restaurant of Emily’s neighbour

and romantic lead Gabriel (in real life it’s an

Italian eatery – Terra Nera). This is an area of

bustling streets and trendy bistros, home to

a lovely street market in rue Mouffetard, the

Pantheon, where France’s national heroes and

legendary figures are buried, and the Jardin

des Plantes.

Pere Lachaise Cemetery, 20 th arr.: Emily

spends a birthday lunch in the grounds of

Rue Mouffetard

Paris’s most prestigious cemetery with Luc,

a colleague from her office. Père Lachaise

cemetery takes its name from King Louis XIV’s

confessor, Father François d’Aix de La Chaise.

It extends over 44 hectares and contains the

last resting places of a fascinating collection

of characters from Oscar Wilde to Edith Piaf,

whom legend has it was born in this sprawling

neighbourhood, which is one of the most

affordable areas in Paris.


Café life, 6 th & 16 th arr.: As Gabriel explains

to Emily when he takes her to Café de Flore in

the 6 th arr., this café has long been a magnet

for artists, writers and philosophers, including

Ernest Hemingway, Brigitte Bardot, Jean-

Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. It’s the

essence of everything a typical Parisian café

should be in a lively area of elegant buildings

and luxurious apartments.

Café de l’Homme inside the Palais de

Chaillot, Trocadero in the 16 th arr. is where a

launch party for a fictional perfume is held,

and those magnificent views of the Eiffel

Tower leave Emily speechless. This district has

a strong international community and is one

of the most expensive and least populated

arrondissements in Paris.

Montmartre © Paul Saaggo

Jardin du Palais Royal, 1 st arr.: A stone’s

throw from the Louvre, the world’s most

popular museum and a former royal palace,

the eye-catching Jardin du Palais Royal is

where Emily meets her friend Mindy for the

first time. The area oozes style and elegance

in the three centuries old architecture and

unsurprisingly, real estate here is expensive

(though it’s not the most expensive area).

This district is also where Emily’s office is

located, in Place de Valois, as well as home to

Bistro Valois where Emily’s co-workers often

have lunch. Prada, Valentino and Louboutinloving

Emily is more likely to nip to nearby

rue Saint-Honoré on her lunch break – a

fashionista’s favourite!

Picture-perfect, 18th arr.: Instagram fan

Emily knows a stunning beauty spot when

she sees it, so it’s no surprise she chooses rue

de l’Abreuvoir in Montmartre as a campaign

location, and it’s also where she dines at the

pickled-in-the-past pink-facaded restaurant

La Maison Rose, a favourite of Picasso,

Modigliani, Édith Piaf and Charles Aznavour.

It’s a hip, cosmopolitan and charming

neighbourhood, and affordable properties

make it popular with students and families.

Canal St-Martin © GoodLifeStudio, Canva

Canal St-Martin, 10 th arr.: While on a date,

Emily is charmed by the Napoleon Bonapartecommissioned

Saint-Martin Canal. Crisscrossed

by romantic iron foot bridges and

bordered by hip bars and restaurants, it’s in a

lively up-and-coming neighbourhood attracts

young professionals, families and artists.

So, is the show a riot of clichés as some

claim? Sure it is, but it’s also real Paris, these

places really do exist – and they really are

that enchanting…

Find Paris properties for sale at

Frenchestateagents.com/Paris

Imagine Your Dream French Home...

And We’ll Find It For You

We Help You Get Rid of the Long-Distance Buying Headaches

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Moving

to France

checklist!

If you’re dreaming of moving to France,

check out this excellent checklist from

Tracy Leonetti, an expert in French

administration at LBS in France, who

has helped many people with their

move. Her top tips will help you too!

Top tips for moving

to France

It’s all in the paperwork planning!

There are so many aspects to think about

when moving to France so planning ahead

is essential. You’ll need a visa, and there are

several types you can apply for. The visa is

what gets you into France, you may then

need to apply for a residency card once you

are in France and even renew it – don’t be

late with any of this! Get a bank account. Set

up an account to file a tax return – it doesn’t

matter if you’re not working, you still need

to do this. You’ll need to apply for health

care coverage. You might need to apply for

childcare benefits. You may need to exchange

your driving licence. If you are thinking of

a business, you may need support with its

creation and getting your declarations made

in a timely manner. You may wish to register

your car. You might need to attend a meeting

with one of more local authorities, namely

the prefecture for your residency cards and

the tax office. No checklist is the same as

everyone has different things to sort out and

this is not a definitive list, but these basics will

help you to get organised and deal with the

paperwork. It may seem onerous, but it will be

worth it in the end!

• Sort out your French visa at least 3 months

in advance, it can take longer than you

hope. And make sure you pick the right

type of visa – you’ll have to start all over

again if you don’t. Also check that you

have the right health insurance. Around 1

in 5 applications fail because of the wrong

health insurance, or from ticking the wrong

visa box.

• Create a list of what needs to be done

– e.g. applying for your Carte de Sejour

if you arrived on a visa. Register with

CPAM for healthcare and request your

carte vitale (healthcare card), obtain a

tax ID number, swap your driver’s license

for a French license. If you’re running a

business you may need to include setting

up a bank account, register to declare

income, pay tax and more.

• It’s relatively simple to operate a small

business in France, whether you’re a one

man/woman band, running a gite or B&B,

shop, or service. Setting up does require

a bit of patience, and it’s hard to know all

the steps required as they all seem to run

© Anna Talavrinova via Canva

on different systems, managed by different

authorities. Top tip – make sure you

choose the right code (there are literally

hundreds of codes) for your planned

business right at the start. Be aware that

you may need a permit. You might need to

prove your qualifications or to pass a test.

You’ll need to organise to pay monthly

or quarterly social contributions in one

system, annual social contributions in

another system, tax in another system

– and the required filing date varies in

France according to where you’re based.

• Put together a dossier of paperwork

including, but not limited to: Birth certificate

with parental affiliation; Marriage

certificate; Driving licence; Diplomas if

you’re thinking of setting up a business;

Proof of purchase of home in France/proof

of residency; UK Bank statements for last

12 months. And keep a copy of everything

– you may need to send originals to some

administration departments.

It can all a bit sound daunting and

overwhelming but, take your time, be

organised, answer any questions you receive

from authorities as quickly as possible, have

the paperwork handy so you’re not looking

for certificates all the time. It’s so worth the

effort to enjoy your wonderful new life in

France…

LBS in France can help

you with all aspects

of moving to France

from managing

your initial visa

application to

organising health

care, setting up a

business, residency card

applications and can even attend important

prefecture meetings with you. Whether you

want just a little bit of help or full-service

support, LBS in France can help. Find out

more, or book a free 15-minute assessment

consultation at lbsinfrance.com


Your real estate agency in France

A partner who supports you from A to Z in your project

Property

+25 000 Agencies network 3% Agency fees Anywhere in France

Am I too old to move

Get to know each other

contact@iddyl-property.com www.iddyl.property.com

to France?

deVere France S.a.r.l. are regulated

by ANACOFI-CIF and ORIAS which

will only recommend French

regulated products.

If you would like to know more about how

deVere France can help you, contact

Helen Booth works as a financial adviser for deVere France S.a.r.l and has lived as

well as owned property in the Deux Sevres region. Having worked in financial

services in the UK for 15 years and at deVere France, part of one of the world’s

leading independent financial consultancies, deVere Group, for 8 years, Helen

prides herself in being fully diploma-qualified for the services that she provides.

With over $10 billion of funds under its advice and administration and with more

than 80,000 clients around the world, deVere truly offers a myriad of unique

products and notes that are not available anywhere else in the market. This, as

Helen puts it, gives clients the pick of the crop when it comes to investing.

deVere France can advise you on ways to help safeguard and increase your

wealth, as well as help with HMRC-recognised pension transfers to a selfinvested

personal pension scheme (SIPP) to give you potentially more flexibility

in your pension plans.

Helen Booth DipPFS , EFA

Mobile: +33 (0) 77 171 2879

Email: helen.booth@devere-france.fr

Dénomination sociale: deVere France S.a.r.l, RCS B 528949837, 29 Rue Taitbout, 75009, Paris, France. Gérant: Mr. Jason Trowles. Registre avec ANACOFI-CIF (Association Nationale des

Conseils Financiers). Nombre enregistré: E008176, association agréée par l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers. Courtier d’assurances ou de réassurance, Catégorie B, inscrit à l’Organisme

pour le Registre des Intermédiaires en Assurance (ORIAS) numéro enregistré 12064640. Garantie Financière et Assurance de Responsabilité Civile Professionnelle conformes aux articles

L 541-3 du Code Monétaire et Financier et L 512-6 et 512-7 du Code des Assurances. Registered name: deVere France S.a.r.l, registered company number RCS B 528949837, 29 Rue

Taitbout, 75009, Paris, France. Gérant: Mr. Jason Trowles. Registered with ANACOFI-CIF (National Association of Financial Advisers). Registered number: E008176, association approved

by the Financial Markets Authority. Insurance and re-insurance brokers, Category B, registered with the Organisation for the Registration of Assurance Intermediaries (ORIAS). Registered

number 12064640. Financial and Professional Liability Insurance Guarantee conforms to article L 541-3 of the Monetary and Fiscal Code and L 512-6 and 512-7 of the Assurance Code.

6XKWSX • V1.1/230418

If you’re wondering how old is too old to move

to France – we think there should be no age

limit to make a dream come true. But there are

things to consider. And you have to be realistic

says Janine Marsh, editor of The Good Life

France, and author of How to be French.

Most people who ask me “Am I too old to

move to France” are in their 60’s, 70’s and

80’s and are non-EU citizens. And my first bit

of advice is always to be seriously realistic with

yourself. Do you speak the language, if not are

you prepared to learn? Do you make friends

easily? Do you have the sort of personality

that can cope with things being different from

what you’re used to? And how well do you

know the place you’re moving to?

Location, location, location: Spend time,

not just a week-long holiday in the place you’re

moving to, go for at least a month if you can,

and aim for a winter stay, or, if it's a tourist

destination with hordes of summer visitors, go

in those peak summer months to make sure

it really is what you want. Young people may

have the energy to pick up, pack up and move

on, but if you're older, this isn't the time of life

to be starting all over again, again.

Learn the language: New rules for residence

permits in France mean that from 2026,

you may need to speak a fairly good level

of French to attain your residence card.

But aside from this, learning the language is

essential if you want to make the most of your

new life in France. And if you have health

issues, it’s important that you are able to

communicate with the professionals.

Bureaucracy: If you can afford professional

help to make the move and settle in, it can

really help to ensure a smooth and stressfree

transition – from visa applications to

residence cards, health care and more. Even

if you speak reasonable French, you may not

want to deal with the paperwork and online

systems. Generally if you’re an older mover,

you’re not going to be working so there’s less

to set up and once it’s done, there’s a lot less

admin to take care of.


If you can

afford

professional

help to make

the move

and settle

in, it can

really help

to ensure a

smooth and

stress-free

transition

Moving to France

Financial Planning for Expats

Financial planning services

for US expats in France,

wherever you are on your

international journey…

Spend time,

not just a

week’-long

holiday in the

place you’re

moving to,

Finance and inheritance planning:

France is a law unto itself. Operating under

Napoleonic inheritance law can make

life difficult for expats when it comes to

inheritance planning. So, get professional

advice about your will, inheritance and gifting

– before you come to France.

Have your investments reviewed by qualified

professionals before the move because some

investment plans held outside of France

could mean you pay more tax or have

difficulty with reporting requirements etc.

There may be better alternatives.

Healthcare: French healthcare is superb,

however be aware that until you get your

residency card, which enables you to apply for

healthcare, you may need to take out private

medical insurance.

Be prepared for surprises: It doesn’t matter

how much you plan, there will be things that

go wrong, that you’re not happy with, that

surprise you however much you’ve prepared

in advance.

Enjoy! Join clubs and groups to make new

friends. Get a rail card for over 60s that gives

you a big discount on travel – hop on the train

and explore. Go to the markets and buy your

food locally, ski, dance, do yoga, learn to

cook, paint, write – whatever takes your fancy!

Age doesn’t matter if you can

deal with these issues and

want to experience

joie de vivre…

Planning a U.S. Return

sanderlingexpat.com

The European Concierge

Expert support for ALL Visas,

Carte de séjour, Driving

Licence Exchange / Vehicle

imports / ANTS registration,

CNF (French Citizenship)

We manage your visa application

from start to finish - start your

new life in France the right way.

theeuropeanconcierge.com


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INGREDIENTS

7 oz. (200 g) quince paste

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

8 g ground Espelette or Aleppo pepper

1 tbsp lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 cup (3½ oz./100 g) dried breadcrumbs

1 × 8-oz. (230-g) bûche de chèvre frais (fresh

goat cheese log)

Scant ½ cup (2 oz./50 g) all-purpose flour

1 egg

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Extracted from The Complete Book of

Cheese: History, Techniques, Recipes,

Tips by Anne-Laure Pham and Mathieu

Plantive (Flammarion, 2024).

METHOD

Place the quince paste, vinegar, Espelette

or Aleppo pepper, and lemon juice in a food

processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a

small serving bowl.

Combine the thyme and breadcrumbs in a

large bowl. Cut the cheese log into 12 equal

rounds and coat them lightly with flour.

Beat the egg in a bowl using a fork. Brush the

cheese rounds with the egg, then gently roll

them in the breadcrumb mixture to coat.

Drizzle a little olive oil into a large nonstick

skillet and warm over high heat. Cook the

breaded cheese slices for about 2 minutes on

each side, until golden and crisp. Season with

a little salt.

Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to

drain.

Serve immediately with the quince paste.

Tip from TGLF: If you can’t get quince paste,

plum or fig jelly/paste are a good substitute


MAKES 2 × 9½-IN.

(24-CM) TARTS


Rising time:

About 1 hour 10 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Maroilles Tart

Flamiche au Maroilles

INGREDIENTS

1⁄3 cup (80 ml) water

2⁄3 oz. (20 g) fresh (cake) yeast

1 tsp superfine sugar

½ tsp salt

¼ cup (50 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

2 eggs

12⁄3 cups (7 oz./190 g) all-purpose flour

2 × 7-oz. (200-g) squares Maroilles cheese

A little freshly grated nutmeg





METHOD

Heat the water until it is just lukewarm (no

hotter than 115°F/46°C; about 15 seconds

in a microwave). Pour it into a mixing bowl.

Crumble in the fresh yeast, add the sugar and

salt, and stir until dissolved.

Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in the olive

oil. Add one egg and whisk quickly, by hand,

to blend, then add the second egg and whisk

even more vigorously. Add the flour and whisk

it in until just smooth. Avoid over-whisking,

which could make the dough dry. Cover and

let rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Line two 9½-in. (24-cm) tart pans with

parchment paper. Divide the dough into two

equal pieces and place in the tart pans. Using

a flexible spatula or your hands, press the

dough evenly over the bases of the pans and

up the sides. The dough layer will be thin, but it

will rise when baked.

Remove the rinds from the sides of each

Maroilles square, but leave the top and

bottom rinds on. Cut the cheese into slices

and arrange in a crisscross pattern over

the dough, leaving a 1¼.-in. (3-cm) border.

Sprinkle the tops lightly with grated nutmeg.

Let rise for about 40 minutes at room

temperature.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/Gas Mark

6) on fan setting. Bake one tart at a time for

about 30 minutes, or until deeply golden



Corsican Cheesecake

Fiadone

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350°F

(180°C/Gas Mark 4).

Grease an 8–9-in. (20–23-cm) tart pan with

the softened butter and sprinkle with 1 heaping

tablespoon (20 g) of the sugar. Shake the pan a

little while tapping the bottom to distribute the

sugar evenly.

Whisk together the eggs (see Notes), remaining

sugar, and eau-de-vie or brandy in a large bowl.

Finely grate the lemon zest, taking care to

avoid the bitter white pith. Whisk the zest into

the egg mixture.

Gently transfer the brocciu to the bowl. Using a

fork, mash the cheese and stir it into the other

ingredients until well combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake

for 20–30 minutes, keeping a close eye on the

cheesecake. The surface should have a few

cracks and be golden brown.

Let cool slightly and serve warm or at room

temperature.

SERVES 6


Cooking time: 20–30 minutes

Notes

For a lighter, airier version, separate the eggs.

Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and eau-devie

or brandy as indicated. Whisk the egg whites

and fold them into the batter after adding the

cheese

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp butter, softened

1 scant cup (6 oz./180 g) superfine sugar,

divided

6 eggs

1 tbsp eau-de-vie or brandy

1 lemon, preferably organic

1 lb. 2 oz. (500 g) brocciu (or ricotta)







Dreaming of Moving to France?

The French Property Show 2025

5French aperitifs

for festive

occasionI

In France, the traditional Apéritif, apéro for

short, is a ritual! Served with light snacks such

as olives, little cheese snacks or crackers, nuts

or crisps – it’s an opportunity to build up the

momentum to a great meal!

Enjoy these fabulously festive French mixes:

Vesper Martini: Lillet is a wine-based

drink which can be red, rosé or white. First

marketed in 1887 it was immortalised in Ian

Fleming’s Casino Royale when James Bond

007 ‘created’ a Vesper Martini, named after

another character - Vesper Lynd: 3 measures

of gin, 1 of vodka, half a measure of Lillet.

Add ice and a twist of orange.

Kir and Kir Royale – White wine with a splash

of crème de Cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) is

called Kir. Mix the crème with sparkling wine

or Champagne and you have a Kir Royale!

You can also have different crème mixers like

peach and cherry.

Cherry Byrrh: Byrrh (pronounced beer—

which isn’t very helpful if someone else

wants beer!) is a red-wine-based quinine

drink. Created in 1866 it’s refreshing and

slightly nutty. Mix 2 parts Byrrh to 1 part

cherry brandy, add ice for a typical aperitif

from Provence.

Suze & Tonic: Classic French Suze was

created in 1885. Distilled from of the roots

of the gentian plant, the bitter and sweet

taste is perfect with tonic water – like a

French G&T!

Dubonnet & Gin: Joseph Dubonnet

created his namesake drink in Paris in

1846. White Dubonnet is a dry white wine

infused with herbs, while the red is sweet,

flavoured with spices and quinine. It’s said

the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite

cocktail was 2 parts red Dubonnet to 1

part gin plus ice.

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Cheltenham Racecourse

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Last

Word

At the end of every year in my little village, neighbours take turns to hold a

soiree to celebrate the 12 months that have been and gone, and to honour the

year ahead. As excuses for a party go, it’s pretty good I think.

My village is tiny: ‘152 people and 1000 cows’ say people when you mention

its name. It’s in the middle of nowhere, in the 7 Valleys, Pas-de-Calais. If you

blink as you drive down our main road, a wiggly country lane optimistically

named rue principal, you might not even realise you’ve been here! No shops,

no bar, and often enough - no signs of life. But behind the shutters of the

houses is a thriving and close-knit community, and almost all of them are keen

cooks. So when you’re invited to a party, you can be pretty sure you’ll be well

fed and watered.

I am always reading in some newspaper or other that French people are

somehow able to exert superhuman strength over their appetites and remain

skinny. That might be true in Paris where I once saw a pencil thin woman order

a bowl of lettuce for lunch – though she did flavour it with tomato ketchup! But

I promise you, your average Frenchie, certainly where I live, is quite normal and

able to resist anything but temptation – just like the rest of us. And at the end of

the year events – we’re all perfectly capable of eating ourselves to a standstill.

For the party night, everyone gets involved by cooking something to take along

to share. Big bowls of rich stew, baskets of baguettes, puffed up gougères (little

pastry balloons of cheesy deliciousness), tartines, terrines and tangy tapenade,

mouth-watering cakes and dainty tarts. My elderly neighbour Claudette says

that when you cook good food to share at a party – it’s love made edible.

I freely admit that life in the sticks is not sophisticated, it’s simple and generally

tranquil (unless a cow gets into your garden as happens once in a while). But

I thank my lucky stars for the day I stumbled upon this tiny village hidden in a

valley and discovered the meaning of joie de vivre.

Janine Marsh is Author of My Good Life in France; My Four Seasons in

France; Toujours La France, and How to be French: Eat, dress, travel

and love la vie Française – available on Amazon, all online bookshops

and in bookstores in high streets everywhere.

Buying

in France?

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