Spring 2025

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The

Good Life France

ISSUE Nọ 41

ISSN 2754-6799

PARIS

CHARMS

Spring gardens, the

Impressionists, and

by boat

CULTURAL

city visits

Normandy, Cognac,

Beziers

HIDDEN

France

Pézenas, Brive,

celestial Pic du Midi

Notre-Dame

REBORN

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 Magazine.

If you’ve ever dreamed of meandering through sun-drenched

vineyards, uncovering hidden villages steeped in history, or

indulging in the simple pleasures of French cuisine, then here

you’ve found your perfect escape as we take you to the heart

and soul of authentic France.

In this issue, discover France’s best-kept secrets and its most

majestic treasures. Wander the enchanting streets of Pézenas,

a town brimming with art, history, and the lingering echoes of

Molière. Stand in awe beneath the newly renovated grandeur

of Notre-Dame in Paris and explore the city’s breath-taking

gardens plus follow in the footsteps of the impressionists. Sip

your way through the rolling vineyards of Cognac, where the

world’s finest eau de vie is crafted with passion and precision.

Lose yourself in the ethereal sun-kissed beauty of Les Baux de

Provence, where medieval ruins sit atop rugged limestone cliffs.

Venture to Normandy, where echoes of history and

spectacular coastal landscapes create an unforgettable

experience. Reach for the stars at the Pic du Midi, where the

celestial views are breath-taking. Discover the charm of Brive

and Béziers, two lesser-known gems encapsulating authentic

French culture and heritage. Discover small French cities with

something special from Bourges to Bayonne and beyond. Plus,

we explore the sacred architecture of France, and some of its

quirkiest museums and discover the history of French fashion.

Beyond travel, our practical guides help you navigate life in

France, while our collection of delicious recipes—crafted by

some of France’s top chefs—brings the country’s exquisite

flavours straight to your kitchen.

So, whether you’re planning your next adventure, reminiscing

about past visits, or simply indulging in a bit of armchair

escapism, we’re thrilled to have you with us.

And now – it’s time to enjoy this magazine which is totally free

to read, and subscribe to, just hop on to page 4 and sign up!

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

I wish you a very happy spring.

Bisous from my little corner in rural northern France,

Janine

Janine Marsh

Editor

Bienvenue

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Contributors

Anna Richards is a writer & guidebook

author living in Lyon. Her work has

appeared in Lonely Planet, National

Geographic and many more.

annahrichards.com

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!

Dana Facaros has lived in France

for over 30 years. She is several

guidebooks and the creator of French

Food Decoder app: everything you

want to know about French food

Gillian Thornton is an award-winning

travel writer specialising in French

destinations and lifestyle. Her favourite

place? ‘Usually where I have just been!’

8

CONTENTS

The Good Life France Magazine

No. 41 Spring 2024

ISSN 2754-6799

ON THE COVER

8 Notre-Dame de Paris reborn

Discover the great Gothic

Cathedral’s first – and second

rebirth.

14 Cognac – town and eau de vie

The pint-sized town of Cognac

is world famous for its liquor of

the Gods.

22 Secret France:

Les Baux-de-Provence

A beguiling mix of arts,

gastronomy, cobbled streets and

cotton candy-coloured sunsets

await in this hilltop village.

26 Go green in Normandy

Lush countryside is not the only

green thing about Normandy,

2025 brings a raft of events and

sustainable initiatives.

DISCOVER

Freelance journalist Karen Tait has

been Editor of French Property News

for over 20 years and contributes to

titles such as The Sunday Times.

The

Good Life France

ISSUE Nọ 41

PARIS

CHARMS

Spring gardens, the

Impressionists, by boat

CULTURAL

city visits

Normandy, Cognac,

Beziers

HIDDEN

France

Pézenas, Brive,

celestial Pic du Midi

Notre-Dame

REBORN

Delicious recipes

Bringing you an irresistible

taste of France – including

the cheesiest charmers!

152 pages

Of inspirational features

and gorgeous photos

Magazine

FREE

Marion Jones is a Paris lover podcaster

(City Breaks) and freelance writer

specialising in places where travel

meets history.

Rudolf Abraham is an award-winning

travel writer, photographer, author

of over a dozen books and has

contributed to many more, and his

articles and images are published

widely in magazines.

rudolfabraham.com

The Good Life France Magazine

Sue Aran is a writer, photographer,

and tour guide living in the Gers

department of southwest France.

She is the owner of French Country

Adventures, which provides personally

guided, small-group, slow travel

tours into Gascony, the Pays Basque,

Provence and beyond.

Front Cover: Market at Aix-en-Provence by Janine Marsh

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 41 Spring 2025

38

50

32 Town treats - Rennes,

Bourges, Bayonne

These heritage towns have

oodles of charm, heritage and

sensational gastronomy.

38 Slow travel on the River Seine

Discover Paris and Normandy

by boat!

44 Sacred Architecture

Discover France’s imposing and

varied places of worship.

50 Gardens of Paris

Springtime in Paris is just the

moment to seek out the city’s

many lovely gardens.

56 Parc de Bagatelle, Paris

The petite palace and park

were the result of a wager by

Queen Marie-Antoinette.

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

66

108

104

60 Hidden France: Pézenas

Visit the medieval pickled-in-the

past village with a rich history.

66 France a la mode

Find out how France became the

world’s fashion capital.

72 Les plus beaux villages

Discover what makes a village

officially “one of the most

beautiful in France”.

78 Pic du Midi

A stunning star-gazing break in

the Hautes-Pyrénées, Occitanie.

84 Quirky Museums

Three of France’s most unusual,

eccentric and outright quirky

museums.

88 Paris Impressionists

Immerse yourself in the rich

inventory left by the impressionists

in and around Paris.

94 Nuts about Dordogne

If you have a taste for history – the

Dordogne Valley with its ancient

towns and foodie vibes will satisfy

your soul.

100 Arc 1950 – Alpine Paradise

The great outdoors in the

French Alps.

104 Spring seasons

Visit Versailles, tour Tours and be

captivated by Camon, a hidden

gem in Ariège.

108 Béziers, Occitanie

Discover France’s oldest city and

wander through Roman remains.

114 The canal du Midi

The 240km canal linking Toulouse

to the Mediterranean has an

extraordinary history.

PHOTO SPECIALS

116 France Calendar

Spring in France – a time of

blossom, blue skies and roses.

124

145

116

REGULARS

118 What’s New

All the news and events you need

for your next trip to France.

150 Last word

Life in a rural French community –

the signs of spring in a village in the

middle of nowhere.

GUIDES

122 Second home and gite

maintenance tips

Meet Les Bons Voisins – the good

neighbours.

124 Spotlight on Limousin

Glorious unspoiled countryside and

picturesque villages galore.

128 Gironde

Warm weather, local wines, greenery

and coastlines: the Gironde has it all.

134 The Good Life in France

Rolling countryside, a peaceful

lifestyle and attractive land prices

are tempting a steady flow of

British farmers to France.

140 The French Property Show, UK

For anyone planning to buy a

property in, or move to France, this

show is an absolute must.

142 Finance tips for expats in France

Why planning your long-term

finances when moving to France

should be top of your list.

BON APPÉTIT

145 Fresh fruit tartlets

Sold in every patisserie in France,

here’s how to make them at home!

146 Chicken in a pot

A classic French dish said to have

been “invented” in the 1500’s!

148 Spiced confit of lamb

The perfect French ‘wow’ spring dish.

4 Subscribe to The Good Life

France Magazine

Everything you want to know about

France and more – subscription is

totally free.


Viollet-le-Duc’s Le Stryge", nicknamed The Vampire by Parisians, appears to be observing the city of Paris below © Wazim Photos

Notre-Dame ~ reborn…

Viollet-le-Duc, an architect for all ages

The great gothic Cathedral of Notre

Dame with its famous gargoyles

and incredible stained glass rose

windows, towers and delicate spire is

a symbol of Paris’s enduring identity

– it’s also a cultural monument that’s

treasured globally.

The world watched in awe as the great

Gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris

reopened in December 2024 after five years

of renovation following a fire which almost

destroyed the “heart and soul” of Paris. But it

Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, via

Wikimedia Commons

wasn’t the first time the Cathedral underwent

a rebirth. Sue Aran and Janine Marsh look at

the life of Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc,

the architect who restored Notre-Dame in the

19th century and the cathedral’s latest rebirth.

Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was a designer,

architectural historian, theorist and painter,

famous for his enthusiastically creative

restorations of not only iconic Parisian

monuments, but monuments all over France

and even in bordering countries. Before

him, there were no gargoyles pondering the

depth and breadth of the Seine from the roof

of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, nor was

Carcassonne, the fortified medieval hilltop

Cité in the Languedoc region of southern

France, so breathtakingly majestic. If not for

his incomparable vision, what we consider to

be some of the most interesting and beautiful

Drawing of the spire of Notre-Dame by Viollet-le-Duc, via Wikimedia Commons

places worth seeing, would have been lost to

neglect, vandalism and time.

Born in Paris in January 1814, Viollet-le-

Duc’s early years were influenced by his

home life. His parents were well-connected

art connoisseurs. His father was curator of

King Louis-Philippe’s royal residences while

his mother, Eugènie, hosted a famous Friday

night salon attended by the likes of Stendhal

and literary critic Sainte-Beuve. His uncle,

the painter and scholar Etienne Delécluze,

was entrusted with his early education. By

the time Viollet-le-Duc was in his teens, he

was rebellious, philosophically liberal, and

artistically inclined. His formative years were

influenced by people who wrote and talked

about art and architecture, and who built or

preserved important buildings in Paris.

From an early age Viollet-le-Duc exhibited

a talent for drawing, and at 16 he graduated

from the Collège de Bourbon and became

an architect. Favoring practical experience,

he traveled extensively in Italy where he was

able to see first-hand the Roman remains

and Renaissance churches and palaces in

Rome, Florence and Venice. And in France


he visited medieval Romanesque and Gothic

sites of architectural importance. It all helped

to refine his interest in architecture, passion

for restoration, and a romantic view of the

Middle Ages.

In 1838, he was appointed to a role in which

he had control over all of the construction

and renovations of buildings belonging to the

state at the Conseil des Bâtiments Civils, and

in 1840, at age 26, he won a commission to

restore La Madeleine Basilica in Vézeley. His

work so impressed Prosper Mérimée, the first

Inspector General of Historic Monuments

in France, that he invited Viollet-le-Duc to

join him on official visits to historic sites that

were damaged during the French Revolution.

The young architect’s historical imagination

dazzled, and Mérimée appointed Viollet-le-

Duc as second inspector for the restoration

of the jewel box-like royal chapel in Paris –

Sainte Chapelle.

A few weeks after his 30th birthday, Viollet-le-

Duc and a colleague, Jean-Baptiste Lassus,

won a coveted commission to restore the

Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris which

was in such a perilous state of neglect that

some authorities had called for its demolition.

The Cathedral was built from 1163 to the

mid-14th century, and is one of the largest

cathedrals in the west, a masterpiece of

Gothic art. But the French Revolution, during

which religious buildings were attacked, saw it

severely damaged. The spire was dismantled,

the statues beheaded, and the treasure looted.

Viollet-le-Duc and his team spent 20 years

restoring the Cathedral. Some aspects were

restored to the original 13th century style, but

he also made compromises, and introduced

fresh elements. A new spire for instance,

and gargoyles. They are among the most

recognisable features of Notre-Dame now,

but the spire was in fact how the architect

believed the original builders would have

made it if they had the technology and the

imagination! And the gargoyles were almost

all new sculptures. And in fact, they’re not

all gargoyles, most are chimaeras, 54 of

them, monsters, fantastical birds and animals

– designed by Viollet-le-Duc and purely

decorative, while gargoyles have a function –

a spout for draining water.

Though his ideas may seem commonplace

today, they were revolutionary in his time. “…

To restore an edifice is not just to maintain it,

repair it or rebuild it,” he wrote, “…but, to reestablish

it in a complete state that may never

have existed before at a particular moment in

history.” Contrary to the prevailing attitudes

during his lifetime, he felt the exterior

appearance of a building should reflect its

interior structure

Praise aside, Viollet-le-Duc had his

detractors. Artist Auguste Rodin said his

work was “tasteless”, while Victorian writer

and art historian John Ruskin thought he

was destroying the past by replacing it with

inauthentic window dressing. Viollet-le-Duc’s

vision and wisdom have withstood the test of

time and have anchored our images of France

into the collective unconscious.

So, when Notre-Dame was almost destroyed

by fire in 2019, it was the overwhelming

choice of the people that Viollet-le-Duc’s

The spire, called la

flèche (arrow) in French

is back: David Bordes

© Rebâtir Notre-Dame

de Parisappears to be

observing the city of Paris

below © Wazim Photos

version be restored – including the 315 feet

tall spire. When President Emmanuel Macron

announced that the Cathedral would be

restored to be ‘even more beautiful’ with an

international contest for the design of a new

spire, there was an outcry so great the idea

was dropped, and it was confirmed the spire

would be rebuilt – just as it was before the fire.

The cost would be immense, but donations

flowed in from around the world totalling

846 million euros.

Organ pipes, the largest of which are 32 feet high © Julio Piatti, Notre-Dame de Paris

The carpentry work is astounding © Julio Piatti, Notre-Dame de Paris

For five years, some 2,000 craftspeople

from every region of France toiled to bring

Notre-Dame back to life, including quarrymen

who extracted the stones in the Oise and

Aisne regions in Picardy, the “rentrayeuses”,

expert weavers who restored the choir carpet

in the workshops of the Mobilier National,


The colours are dazzling ©Julio Piatti, Notre-Dame de Paris

coppersmiths, locksmiths and patination

masters from Dordogne who restored the 16

monumental statues on the spire (12 apostles

and 4 evangelists) which miraculously survived

the fire, sculptures who copied or restored

the statues, chimeras and gargoyles, roofers,

carpenters, master glass makers, metal

workers and more.

Visit Notre-Dame now, and you’ll discover an

interior with pristine limestone walls just as it

was when it was first built, restored religious

masterworks from the 17th and 18th centuries,

and a brand-new cedar reliquary for the crown

of thorns, a relic alleged to have been used in

the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The cathedral

is filled with light, the famous rose windows

restored and dazzling, paintings refreshed, the

details now clearly visible in a way not seen

for centuries, the 8000 pipes of the organ

(which survived the fire) have been cleaned,

the 13 chandeliers in the nave, restored in

the Luberon, are gleaming, and the bells of

Notre-Dame ring out once more, restored by

Cornille-Havard, in Normandy, the last bell

makers in France.

You can’t but think that Viollet-le-Duc is

looking down and approving of the second

great rebirth of this Gothic masterpiece.

How to visit Notre-Dame

You can buy tickets on the day to visit Notre-

Dame but if possible and to avoid queueing,

plan ahead an make a booking online via the

Gleaming chandeliers ©Julio Piatti, Notre-Dame de Paris

official website – it’s free: official cathedral

website: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

- site officiel where you can download The

Notre-Dame de Paris app in several languages

and book your slot up to two days before your

intended visit.

Find out more about the restoration of Notre-

Dame de Paris: Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris

- La Fabrique de Notre Dame a magazine

which documents the project; the official

history of the restoration in a book: Rebuilding

Notre-Dame de Paris - Éditions Tallandier

https://frenchcountryadventures.com/

ANTIQUING & DESIGN

ADVENTURES IN FRANCE

S O U R C E A N T I Q U E S F R A N C E . C O M


COGNAC – the

liquor of the Gods

If you have a taste for history, the pint-sized town of Cognac, with its royal castle

and famous distilleries, will satisfy your soul, says Janine Marsh.

My dad used to say that the ancient gods

would drink a small glass of Cognac when

they finished feasting and needed to end with

something special. And my dad wasn’t alone

in his opinion. The great French writer Victor

Hugo also declared, ‘Cognac is the liquor of

the gods.’

So what is it about Cognac that makes it

not just fit for celestial beings but one of the

world’s most prestigious drinks? I headed to

Cognac, deep in the glorious countryside

of Charente, southwest France, to explore

a fascinating world in which wet dogs, wet

cellars and angels have something in common

and where a drop of the good stuff could set

you back a week’s wages!

Cobbled streets and ancient houses in the old district of Cognac

Cognac

Cognac lies around 30 miles inland from

the Atlantic coast port of La Rochelle and

roughly the same distance from Bordeaux.

It’s a classified town of ‘Art and History.’ The

old district has a village atmosphere, crisscrossed

by hilly cobbled streets lined with

shops, bars and medieval buildings, dominated

by a formidable-looking castle. It’s here that

France’s Renaissance King, Francois I, was

born in 1494, some 50 years before the drink

named after the town was invented, though his

former home is now a distillery.

Some say that the town’s most famous export

was born in the 15th century when canny

wine merchants distilled their product to save

freight charges on wine exports to England

and Holland – just add water, they reasoned

– instant wine! But the truth is that Dutch

traders turned to distillation to preserve the

wine for the long journey home. They called it

brandwijn, burnt wine, and the term eventually

became brandy.

Those early Dutch traders may have invented

the process, but local French winemakers

took the primitive distillation process further,

perfecting the double distillation method,

resulting in a divine eau de vie.

Red carpet treatment at Remy Martin’s Historical House

Fabulous Cognac tasting at Remy Martin


So, what is the difference between brandy

and Cognac? Top producer Remy Martin says

it’s all down to “organoleptic complexity and

aromatic finesse” and that “all Cognac can

be considered as brandy, but not all brandy is

Cognac.” Basically, Cognac is always made

with grapes, not other fruits like some brandies.

It has a very specific distillation, and production

is contained within a small, protected area.

The Cognac/brandy difference is pretty much

along the same lines as “not all sparkling wines

are champagne.” But unlike champagne,

where the master blender is the key to

ensuring quality, with Cognac, the Maitre de

Chai – the cellar master - is the key to the

drink’s unique aromas and taste, blending,

refining and maturing each precious drop to

produce VS, VSOP and XO Cognac.

VS BOX explanation

VS : Very Special – aged for at least

two years.

VSOP : Very Superior Old Pale – aged for

at least four years.

XO : Extra Old – aged for at least six years.

Cognac – savoir-faire in

a bottle

Several museums in Cognac are dedicated to

the amber nectar, including the newly opened

Remy Martin Historic House, which opened

in 2024 to celebrate the company’s three

centuries of production. Here, you can tour

the house and cellars, where you’ll spot secret

codes on barrels that only the cellar masters

understand. Their tours include tastings and

a cocktail masterclass, and even an initiation

into Remy Martin’s prestigious Louis XIII

Cognac - which is always served at state

banquets in France, or head to their vineyards

and estates in Grand Champagne for tours

including a Petit train ride through the vines.

Find out more and book a tour at:

remymartin.com

1838 Bar, Hotel Chais Monnet & Spa © Albane Photographe

The town has several famous name producers,

with glitzy domains and cellars filled with

liquid gold. A great time to go is outside of

the peak summer months: autumn, when the

leaves on the vines turn to gold; winter, when

nothing beats a seat by a fire in a cosy bar

as you gently swirl your glass of Cognac; and

spring when the air starts to warm up, and the

treasured vines start sprouting new leaves and

teeny-tiny grapes.

One of the best places to enjoy a snifter is at

the 5* hotel Chais Monnet & Spa in what was

Maison Monnet – the 19th-century warehouse

of one of the area’s most eminent Cognac

producers. Now transformed into an elegant,

luxurious hotel, with two restaurants, the

Michelin-starred Les Foudres, bistronomique

La Distillerie, plus Café Angelique and

a summer rooftop bar – there’s also the

legendary 1838 Bar. Housed in the former

cooperage, the décor made me think that if

Harry Potter was grown up and looking for a

bar with plenty of magic, this would be it. Dark

wood, comfy chairs, an air of history, and 300

Cognacs to choose from. Unmissable.

Details: chaismonnethotel.com

Angels, wet cellars and

wet dogs

The Cognac region has six distinct growing

areas: Grande Champagne, Petite

Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois,

and Bois Ordinaires, and although the same

grape is grown across all areas – Ugni blanc

- the terroir, the growing conditions from soil

to weather, is quite different and produces a

difference in the taste of the Cognac.

I headed to the Grand Champagne vineyards

to find out more – Champagne in this

instance, referring not to the sparkling wine

but ‘campagne’, the French word for the

countryside. The village of Ségonzac, in the

heart of this area, is home to Domain Frapin,

21 generations of winemakers and distillers.

Founded in the 12th century, the Frapin


Tasting straight from the barrel at Domaine Frapin

Cellars Master Patrice Piveteau

Mysterious markings on

sealed casks at Maison

Grosperrin – it’s all very

Da Vinci code!

family have in their family tree one Francois

Rabelais (born circa 1483), the famous

medieval author and son of Anne-Catherine

Frapin and Antoine Rabelais. The Frapin logo

reflects their illustrious ancestor – a feather

representing Rabelais’ quill.

My morning tour with guide Thomas included

several cellars, where I learned the difference

between a wet and a dry cellar, it’s all about

the evaporation rate of the alcohol in the

barrels, known as the ‘angels’ share (up to 3%

of the liquid), which is represented by a black

fungus that creeps over the walls. Wet cellars

mean more evaporation of alcohol creating a

mellow, softer taste; dry cellars create more

evaporation of water leaving a spicy, intense

finish. This was followed by a tasting session

11 a.m. (apparently, this is the best time—

because you have a fresh palette).

“Sniff and say the first thing that comes into

your head,” Thomas urged. “Erm, earthy?“ I

offered, earning a smile. “Close,” said Thomas,

“wet dog. It smells like a wet dog!”

Of course, that’s not all it smells of - after all,

this is a premium cognac we’re snuffling, but

deep inside the aroma is, Thomas assures me,

a whiff of wet dog. And what’s more, this is a

good thing “ very distinctive, an indication of

age and how the Cognac has developed over

the years.”

Frapin

The ‘angels’ share blankets the walls at Domain Frapin

In a wet cellar at Domaine Frapin

Later, cellars master Patrice Piveteau explains

that Cognac is a sensory experience. “What

do you smell?” he says, passing me a glass of

Frapin VSOP. “Melon?” I suggest. “Candied

peel,” he says, “not just melon. It’s never just

orange or clementine; it’s spicy, aromatic

notes of orange.”

“Cognac is almost like a condiment. It goes

perfectly with cheese, not too strong though,

maybe stilton or mature comté. Try it with

Roquefort – mixed with a little salty butter,”

he kissed the air at the thought. “It’s classic

to serve it at room temperature – but you can

chill it too! Keep it at 20 degrees for several

days and then pour. The taste sensation

explodes in your mouth.”

My tasting tour included a cocktail in the

exquisite Chateau and a drop of their

premium Cuvée Rabelais, which, at a shade

under €10,000 per bottle, is definitely a tipple

worthy of gods and goddesses.

Find details of all their tours and more

information at cognac-frapin.com

The Cognac hunters

Cognac is, to some, what gold is to others. And

at Maison Grosperrin in Saintes, you can take

a tour to learn how a small group of Cognac

experts ‘hunt’ for treasured Cognac. barrels

left for decades in the cellars of farmhouses or

aged in the sea, rare and unique vessels that

are coveted by connoisseurs around the world.

Their fascinating tours explain the secrets of

ageing and anecdotes about the origins of the

barrels of Cognac in their cellar, and include

a tasting of some of the most remarkable and

rare Cognacs in the world.

Find out more and book a tour:

cognac-grosperrin.com


Where to stay

The Quai des Pontis Hotel in the centre of

Cognac, on the banks of the River Charente,

has oodles of charm.

In the Fins Bois growing area, Cognac No. 22

(20 minutes from Cognac) is a charming gite

with a heated pool.

Find out more: Tourist office

explore-cognac.com

Get there:

There are direct flights to Bordeaux and

La Rochelle from the UK

Trains from Paris take from 2h 41m

Wax seal indicates it's a vintage Cognac

7

fascinating facts

about Cognac

• Chestnut wood bands are fastened

around the cognac barrels to attract

spiders that would otherwise harm the

oak barrels.

• Barrels must be made from a specific

type of oak from Limousin or Allier’s

forests, creating a distinctive golden

colour.

• Remy Martin created a miniature bottle

for space travellers (though it’s not yet

been tested).

• Vintage casks of Cognac have wax

seals applied by the National Office of

Cognac.

• Napoleon Bonaparte gave Cognac to his

troops to lift their morale.

• A whopping 95% of Cognac produced

in France is exported – America is the

biggest market, boosted by marketing

deals with rappers.

• It takes 10 litres of white wine to make

one litre of Cognac.

Bruce showing the way


Secret France:

A beguiling mix of arts, gastronomy, cobbled streets and cotton candy-coloured

sunsets await in Les Baux-de-Provence, says Janine Marsh.

Les Baux-de-Provence,

Les Alpilles, Provence

View from the ruins of the chateau © Office de Tourisme des Baux-de-Provence

South of Avignon, former home to the Popes,

and a short journey from the enchanting town

of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, take the winding

roads that wriggle between the rocky Alpilles

mountain chain until you reach a secret village

– Les Baux-de-Provence. A classified Plus

Beaux Village (officially one of the prettiest

villages in France), this is one of Provence’s

most beautiful hilltop villages. Carved into an

arid white rocky plateau 245 m above sea

level, the small town is home to some twenty

historic monuments dotted around its cobbled,

car-free streets.

The village perches below the great limestone

outcrop upon which the lords of Baux built

their vast chateau, perfectly summed up in

the words of a song by Italian folk rock singersongwriter

Angelo Branduardi: ‘Dans son

château le Seigneur des Baux prend la pluie

au visage’ – In his chateau, the Lord of Baux

takes the rain in his face.

Climb to the highest point of this limestone

ridge, and you’ll see what inspired the words

– it’s like you’re at the top of the world and

sat in the clouds though to be fair, rain is rare

here in this sun-kissed part of France. The

10th-century chateau was partly dug into the

rock and is now in ruins, but the view from

the ramparts is breath-taking. I’d go so far as

to say that the view from Les Baux is one of

the best in Provence, overlooking Arles and

22 | The Good Life France

Les Baux-de-Provence © Office de Tourisme des Baux-de-Provence


the Camargue, the shimmering countryside

reminiscent of Tuscany, and on a clear day,

you can see all the way to the Mediterranean

Sea some 20 miles away. If you look hard,

you may spot wild birds of prey, including the

Bonelli’s Eagle and, at dusk, Eagle Owls.

including one that King Francis 1st of France

gave to his daughter, it remained in the family

for four centuries. Visit the lavender distilleries,

the ancient towns or head to the beaches for

a day out. We love to share the secrets of Les

Baux and its surroundings with our guests.”

Carrières de Lumières © CDL Matires Hollandais E Spiller

The village and its diverse architectural

heritage, a sprinkling of Renaissance and

a Soupçon of medieval, is a charming mix

of narrow streets, gift and craft shops, bars

and restaurants, all determined to delay you.

There’s a Romanesque church and a small

museum dedicated to painter Yves Brayer, and

another museum is dedicated to the Santons

of Provence, a regional Christmas tradition.

A short walk from the village will bring you

to one of the most incredible art venues in

Europe, the Carrières de Lumières, the Quarry

of Lights, where you are immersed in a shower

of digital images. It’s without doubt one of the

greatest sound and light shows in the world.

Set in an abandoned quarry inside a mountain,

a series of huge ‘rooms’ carved from the rock

feature different artists every year, from Van

Gogh to Monet.

A stone’s throw from the village, surrounded by

lavender fields, vineyards, and olive orchards,

is the Hôtel Benvengudo, which the Beaupied

family built and has run for more than 50

years. It’s the perfect place to soak up the

atmosphere of Les Baux and Les Alpilles,

just a few minutes from Saint-Rémy and 15

minutes from Arles.

“Les Baux is special”, says Carole Beaupied,

Hotel Benvengudo

Hotel Benvengudo

“everyone feels it when they come here. The

pretty streets, the lovely little shops, and

restaurants like the family-run Le café du

musée, with its fresh food and a beautiful

view over the rocky valley. Sipping a glass of

Champagne as you watch the sun set over the

rocks which turn to burnished gold, is a truly

soul-inspiring experience, the natural beauty

of this area is dazzling.”

Hotel Benvengudo sits in the heart of this bowl

of alpine tranquillity. “This is a place to relax,

explore and discover what makes this area

the soul of Provence,” Carole says. “There

are hidden gems like the medieval pavillon of

Queen Jeanne, known as the Temple of Love,

which Provencal poet and writer Frederic

Mistral loved so much he chose it as the

design for his own tomb. You can explore the

artisan vineyards on the Alpilles wine route,

Glorious Provencal countryside

© Office de Tourisme des Baux-de-Provence

The hotel has a range of beautifullydecorated

rooms and villas, and offers

activities including massage, yoga and tennis

lessons. Their exceptional restaurant serves

wonderful local foods including olive oils

produced on the hotel’s estate. On a warm

night, tables are set on the terrace, where the

ambience provides a moment of serendipity.

Benvengudo has the soul of Provence in its

DNA. “Guests stay here and leave a little of

their heart behind but take home with them a

memory of the beauty, harmony and culture

unique to this area” says Carole. “It really is a

little piece of heaven.

Hôtel Benvengudo: benvengudo.com

Tourism Les-Baux-de-Provence:

lesbauxdeprovence.com

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


Go Green in

Lush countryside is not the only green thing about Normandy. Check out the

region’s sustainable initiatives and events for 2025.

NORMANDY

Caen Millennium blends

past, present and future

First mentioned in documents generated by

the Dukes of Normandy, the city of Caen will

be honouring its past and shaping its future

through 2025 with a wide range of events

to mark 1000 years of colourful history. The

celebrations kick off on March 20 with a

light show projected on the walls of the ducal

castle, emblematic site of this historic city and

closed for restoration over the last two years.

Visitors to the castle can expect around

75% of the 4-hectare site to be landscaped

with redesigned walkways leading to the

museums and other sites within the castle walls.

Highlights of the medieval fortress, one of the

largest in Europe, include the battlements,

Exchequer Hall and Saint George’s Church plus

– new this year – previously hidden treasures

such as the remains of the castle keep, the

watchtowers and Porte Saint-Pierre jails.

One of many highlights of Caen Millennium

will be the Millennium Parade on 9 May

featuring a cast of 1100 people on a 5km

route past 5 emblematic sites – or stations

- and lasting for 5 hours. Monumental works

at each of the five sites will symbolise key

events in the city’s history. Each one will be

accompanied by a troupe of 100 people

representing characters in the scenography –

the narrators of the city’s story – with a further

600 participants bringing each of the five

stations vividly to life.

A local study has already proved that

encounters with works of art are good for our

mental health, so residents and visitors alike

can up their wellbeing at a series of Millennium

Places and artworks. The quiet cloisters of the

Men’s Abbey and Women’s Abbey, for instance;

an innovative iron sculpture along the castle

ramparts over the summer months; and the

leafy Cimetière des Quatre-Saisons, host to

new outdoor art and a theatre production.

Vaugueux, the old district of Caen, © Ben Collier, Normandy Tourism

Among the many

celebration

events, the

Aquanauts will

perform in the

Port of Caen ©

Valeria Seznam

Valleuse 26 | The de Good Vaucottes, Life France © Marie-Anaïs Thierry, Normandy Tourism


And as Caen looks to the future, the city’s

Millennium commemorations also aim to

develop large-scale projects at the crossroads

of culture and science, an initiative that will

further cement Caen’s creative and dynamic

reputation. Find out more about the Caen

Millennium: millenairecaen2025.fr

Discounts for low-carbon

travellers

Le Moulin d'Andé © Ben Collier, Normandy Tourism

Palais Bénédictine © Ben Collier, Normandy Tourism

Abbaye Aux Hommes, the Men’s Abbey, © S. Frères, Normandy Tourism

With 25% of the city’s overall surface area

made up of parkland, Caen is ranked 8 th on

the list of France’s greenest cities. See the

sites by following one of the two pedestrian

trails, rent a bicycle, or use the free electric

shuttle bus for trips within the city centre.

In 2024, the wider area of Caen la Mer was

awarded the Green Destinations label, Silver

level, by the World Council for Sustainable

Tourism in recognition of factors such as

nature conservation and cultural preservation.

La Bouille, the

village was loved

by artists such as

Gaugin, Sisley and

Turner © Ben Collier,

Normandy Tourism

We all want to do our bit for the planet and

thanks to Normandy’s Low Carbon Rate

initiative, visitors can now save money on their

holiday budget too. More than 70 cultural

and tourist sites are joining forces to offer a

reduced rate to those who lower their carbon

footprint through travelling travel by train,

coach or bike.

On arriving at a partner site, simply present a

dated ticket to a train station in Normandy, a

bus ticket, or a photo of you and your bicycle

to benefit from at least 10% discount on

admission. And if you are not sure how to get

to your destination by public transport, simply

visit atoumod.fr to use the regional route

itinerary calculator.

Included in the scheme are some of

Normandy’s most high-profile visitor

attractions. Museums such as Cité de la Mer

in Cherbourg with its Art Deco Transatlantic

liner terminal, Titanic exhibition, and stunning

aquariums. Remembrance sites like the Pegasus

Memorial Museum at Ranville, located beside

the strategic bridge that was the first target on

D-Day. And castles such as Falaise, birthplace

of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy

and future King William I of England.

Meet some of the elegant equine residents

of the Haras National du Pin, flagship stud in

a national network of bloodstock breeding

centres and dubbed the ‘Versailles of the Horse’

for its classic brick buildings. And discover the

secrets of local lacemakers at the Fine Arts and

Lace Museum in Alençon. Sustainable travellers

can also save money on activities such as

guided canoe trips, cycle tours and horse riding.

Details of the partner sites:

en.normandie-tourisme.fr

Follow the Tour de France

through Normandy

Many holidaymakers have discovered the

delights of cycling through the Normandy

countryside and this year, this lush landscape

Rouen, restaurant Pascaline © Marie-Anaïs Thierry, Normandy Tourism

will be on show to the world as the Tour de

France returns to the region.

On 8 July, competitors leave Amiens in the

neighbouring region of Hauts de France for a

hilly 173km leg to Rouen, described by Victor

Hugo as ‘the city of a hundred spires’ and a

stage tour for the 19 th time. If you are following

the Tour, leave time to visit the magnificent


Don’t miss the “Standing with

Giants” installation at the

British Normandy Memorial

10/04/2025– 12/9/2025

Photo © Ben Collier,

Normandy Tourism

Bayeux © Ben Collier, Normandy Tourism

cathedral, fine arts museum and church

dedicated to Joan of Arc. Next day the riders

face an individual time-trial over a 33km loop

from Caen, the first time that Le Tour has

been to William the Conqueror’s ducal city

since 2006. Take advantage of all the city has

to offer during the Caen Millennium year.

Another hilly ride awaits competitors on the

third and final day in Normandy, a 201km ride

from Bayeux to Vire. Home to the famous

tapestry of William’s invasion of England

in 1066, another stunning cathedral, and a

moving Commonwealth cemetery from World

War II, Bayeux has never previously hosted a

Tour de France peloton, but Vire hosted four

Tour finishes in the 1930s and featured on

stage two in 1997.

The Guillaume de

Normandie – new hybrid

ferry for a sustainable

future

Named after William of Normandy, holder

of England’s top job from 1066, the new

hybrid vessel from Brittany Ferries is a

cleaner, greener cruise-ferry that will join the

Portsmouth to Caen-Ouistreham route on 18

April, sailing three times a day.

Guillaume de Normandie and its sister ship

Saint-Malo are the first ferries on the English

Channel to be powered by hybrid-Liquefied

@ Brittany Ferries

Natural Gas (LNG)-electric propulsion. They will

each be equipped with the largest batteries of

any ferry in the world and this hybrid technology

will deliver reduced emissions throughout the

voyage, but especially when manoeuvring in

port where the ships will operate on battery

power alone. A sustainable start to any holiday

in Normandy.

Replacing the long-serving Normandie, the

new ship sports a bright new design with colour

highlights that are typical of the coastal area

– the light blue timbers of traditional seaside

villas and the vibrant primary colours of beach

huts. For passengers wanting a bed but not

necessarily a private cabin, new dormitory

style bunk beds with a nautical feel look set to

prove a popular option. In addition, passengers

can choose from a wider range of deluxe cabin

grades and, in a first for Brittany Ferries, the new

ship will also offer cabins especially furnished for

passengers with allergies.

And for travellers who cannot bear to be

parted from their pets whilst on holiday,

Guillaume de Normandie will feature 22 petfriendly

cabins with hygienic laminated floors

and convenient access to a dedicated pet

promenade area on the outside decks.

Caen ferry port at Ouistreham is just 15km north

of the city with direct access to the autoroute

network. Foot passengers can catch a bus into

the city centre with Twisto (twisto.fr/en) or into

Paris with Flixbus (flixbus.co.uk) or by train.

Enjoy all four seasons in Normandy!

www.normandy-tourism.org


Bourges Cathedral

BijouTOWN TREATS

Don’t overlook France’s smaller cities says Gillian Thornton. You could be missing

something very special.

France offers some of the best-known city break

destinations in Europe. Bordeaux and Lyon, Nice,

Nantes, and Strasbourg, and of course Paris,

the dazzling ‘City of Light’. Packed with cultural

attractions, buzzing restaurants, and retail

therapy opportunities, they extend an irresistible

invitation for a long weekend. Or more.

But if you love an urban vibe, check out

some other heritage towns that can all too

easily slip under the radar, especially if you

are tempted to take the rocade to bypass

an unfamiliar town as you fast-track to your

destination. Here are three town treats that

may surprise you.

Bourges, Centre

Place Gourdaine, Bourges © Gillian Thornton

South of Orléans in the eastern part of the

Centre region, Bourges boasts a spectacular

UNESCO-listed cathedral, a magnificent

palace built by someone you have almost

certainly never heard of, and an atmospheric

marshland area of market gardens divided by

navigable canals.

A masterpiece of Gothic art, Saint-Etienne

Cathedral will delight statisticians. The

widest cathedral in France, it also has the

highest tower at 65 metres and the oldest

astronomical clock, not to mention some

rare stained glass and a forest of external

buttresses that can only make you marvel at

the men who created them.

A short walk from this imposing church stands

the 15 th century Jacques Coeur Palace, a

lavish private mansion with an inner courtyard,

flamboyant carvings, and a fireplace in every

room. A blatant public statement of wealth, it

was commissioned by a local merchant who

developed a thriving trade in luxury goods with

the Far East and, with it, an increasingly lavish

lifestyle. King Charles VII made Bourges his

capital in 1422 and soon Jacques Coeur was

appointed his treasurer.

Palais Jacques Coeur © Gillian Thornton


Jacques Coeur’s emblems were oysters and hearts,

they’re carved all over the castle

Place du Champ Jacquet © Thomas Crabot, Destination Rennes

But it rarely pays to upstage the boss. The

monarch became jealous and in 1451, Coeur

was arrested on charges of fraud, escaping

to Rome before conveniently dying on a

crusade to the Holy Land. But the palace he

never lived in – adorned with carved hearts to

echo his surname – still stands as a memorial

to the man who made his fortune but with it,

a royal enemy.

amongst the floating island gardens, one of

three such areas left in France along with

Saint-Omer and Amiens.

Rennes, Brittany

From the UK, take a ferry into the western

Channel ports and if you are driving to the

beaches of Southern Brittany or the Atlantic

Coast, you soon spot signs for Rennes,

regional capital of Brittany. Or take the direct

train from Paris in as little as 90 minutes.

A Gallic tribe known as the Redones settled

here in the 2 nd century BC at the junction

of the Ille and Vilaine rivers, but it was the

Romans who turned this Gallic settlement into

a fortified town in the 3 rd century AD. When

they left, the Dukes of Brittany took over,

ruling independently until 1532 when Anne of

Brittany married Charles VIII and the region

became part of France.

A guided tour of the sumptuous interior is a

highlight of any city visit.

Look too inside Saint Pierre Cathedral,

rebuilt in the second half of the 19 th century,

where Dukes and Duchesses of Brittany were

Rennes Parliament building © Gillian Thornton

crowned across the ages. And walk in the

footsteps of Art Deco mosaic artist Isidore

Odorico, whose Italian father settled here in

1882 after working on the Palais Garnier in

Paris. Together, father and son popularised

Take a walk down Rue des Bourbonneux and

follow the Promenade des Ramparts beneath

houses built on ancient city walls. Refuel

at a café on Place Gordaine and discover

what locals mean by a casse-cou or ‘break

your neck’, steep narrow staircases that link

the working-class district with the bourgeois

upper town. And keep the camera ready for

the half-timbered houses with upper storeys

overhanging the pavement.

Between May and September, enjoy Les

Nuits Lumière, a free city centre light show

projected onto historic buildings. And don’t

leave town without visiting the Marais de

Bourges and taking a guided boat trip

Today, the city centre boasts 370 timberframed

houses, an eye-popping jumble of

coloured facades, geometric beams, and

wonky angles that span the Middle Ages to

the 18 th century. Head for Place Jacquet or

Places des Lices for a café table with a view of

the past. Then fast-forward to the 17 th century

and the construction of Brittany’s Parliament

building, designed by Salomon de Brosse,

architect of the Palais de Luxembourg in Paris.

After a major city fire in 1720, the vast square

outside was laid out in granite and tufa, and

after the Revolution, the imposing building

took on a new role as the Court of Justice and

Court of Appeal. But in 1994, fire broke out

again and the former Parliament underwent

massive restoration before reopening in 1999.


La Maison Trumeau Retreats 2025

Creative - Wine & Gastronomy - Upholstery

In a beautiful 19th century Mansion

Bayonne © Gillian Thornton

the art form across France, but nowhere more

than in Rennes. Look out for their hallmark

designs at Saint-Georges swimming pool and

a number of private houses.

Imagine the scene that went on behind the

façade of Lycée Emile Zola, location in 1899

for the retrial of Alfred Dreyfuss, wrongly

imprisoned on espionage charges in 1894.

Soak up the aromas and colours of the huge

Saturday market around the 19th century

Halles Martenot in Place des Lices. And relax

in the Thabor Gardens, once the orchard of

Saint Mélaine Abbey. You will be glad you did

not take the bypass!

Bayonne, Nouvelle-

Aquitaine

With its Belle Epoque villas, chic shops, and

contemporary surf vibe, the stylish Atlantic

coast resort of Biarritz attracts holidaymakers

from all over France and beyond, but don’t

miss out on neighbouring Bayonne.

Just 10 minutes inland, this unique town is

a gem of a different kind, the beating heart

of French Basque Country. A land with

its own language but no official borders,

Basque Country is composed of three French

provinces and four Spanish ones that span the

Pyrenees, an area of lush green hills dotted

with half-timbered houses in the signature

Basque colours of ‘oxblood’ red and white.

From small beginnings as a Roman camp,

Bayonne grew up at the confluence of

the Adour and Nive rivers, a strategic port

belonging to England from 1152 to 1451 after

Eleanor of Aquitaine married English king

Henry II. Today it carries the prestigious Ville

d’Art et d’Histoire label that recognises 2000

years of history.

Must-see sites include UNESCO-listed

Sainte-Marie Cathedral with its twin spires

and breath-taking Gothic cloister, one of

the largest in France; the Basque Museum

for an immersive experience of local

culture; and, reopening this year after major

refurbishment and expansion, the Bonnat

Museum, the only French museum outside

the Louvre to have works by Raphael,

Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo.

Stroll the quaysides for panoramic river

views, dropping in to Les Halles to browse

the best of Basque produce including

Bayonne cured ham, Ossau-Iraty sheep’s

cheese, and traditional Basque cake, perhaps

accompanied by a glass of Irouleguy wine.

And treat yourself to a cup of hot chocolate,

a box of handmade chocolates, or even a

guided chocolate tour in the town that kickstarted

the nation’s passion for the sweet stuff.

Discover too the Basque passion for rugby

and for variations of pelota, a fast-paced ball

game played on both indoor and outdoor

courts. All just a bus ride from the surf and

sand of the Atlantic.

Saumur, Loire Valley

Lamaisontrumeau.com

Villa Lou Patio

The perfect base for exploring the French Riviera

Pool – garden – 4 ensuite bedrooms

Perfectly located, just minutes from St Paul de Vence

Villaloupatio.com


Slow Travel on

the Seine Paris

to Normandy

Honfleur

I’m hooked on CroisiEurope cruises in France.

You stop at a different port every day, and

this French family-run firm knows just how to

share the very best with you. They take in the

most historic places but also the hidden gems

and authentic sites that visitors from outside

of France rarely get to know about. You’re

spoiled with gourmet French cuisine and a

superb French wine list – with a side order of

joie de vivre. CroisiEurope operates on rivers

and canals all over France and even sails from

Nice to stop off at historic ports all around the

island of Corsica. The barges and boats are

bespoke, designed for the canals and rivers of

France, not huge and crowded, and all staff

speak English and French (and frequently

more languages). They’ll always offer English

speakers the chance to sit together at meals

– and it’s surprising how quickly you can make

friends, making this an excellent option for

solo travellers like me.

One of my favourite cruises takes in two giants

of France – Paris and Normandy. Choose from

a 5-day to 7-day cruise offering a variety of

visits, including Versailles or Monet’s garden,

explore the ancient, cobbled streets of Rouen

and impressionist painters favourite, lovely

Honfleur, and places such as Étretat and

historic les Andelys. It’s a great way to see a

lot in a short time, to visit the most fabulous

parts of France, to be fed like lords, and to

relax and take in the gorgeous scenery along

the Seine.

On board my cruise from Paris to Honfleur

and back, there were Brits, Americans, and

Canadians, plus Swiss, Spanish, Belgian,

Canadians, and, of course, French. They

France is so diverse in its culture, history, heritage, gastronomy, and landscape that

it would take a lifetime to experience it all. But Janine Marsh says there is a way to

see a lot of France in a slow and relaxing way in just a few days.



were a ix of young and old, and the staff went

out of their way to make sure everyone was

included (a lady in a wheelchair on our tour

joined all the excursions with a bit of help). All

excursions always included English-speaking

and French-speaking guides.

The best of Paris and

Normandy

Our ship sailed from Paris in the evening so

that we could enjoy the city's sparkling lights

at night. It was quite a different vibe from

the daytime: an enchanting tableau with

monuments lit up, the lights of apartments

glowing softly as we sailed past Notre Dame

and historic monuments galore, and an

unbeatable view of the sparkling Eiffel Tower,

the lights reflected in the river, causing every

passenger to sigh.

The following day, we docked in Poissy and

took a short coach ride to the Palace of

Versailles to stroll the gardens and see the

magical fountain display. There are ornate

waterfalls in secret groves, balletic spurts of

water set to classical music, and gently tinkling

fountains with stunning statues decorated

in gold and gilded flowers. Calm pools are

surrounded by sculptures designed by famous

palace architect Jules Hardouin Masart. This

is a water garden fit for the King, who once

loved to wander here. For 350 years, these

water gardens have thrilled visitors. Louis

XIV, the Sun King, was obsessed with them.

He even wrote a book about how to tour the

gardens called Manière de Montrer les jardins

de Versailles (How to Present the Gardens of

Versailles), which he annotated by hand. Like

the vast gilded palace, the gardens showed

France’s (the King’s) glory and might. They

are as impressive now as then, breathtakingly

beautiful and incredible feats of engineering.

Sailing on, we arrived at the charming port of

Honfleur, which was a 2-minute walk from the

centre. With a guided tour and plenty of free

time, this lovely little town has oodles of quaint

Versailles

charm. Artist Eugene Boudin was born here,

and the museum named after him has a fine

collection of paintings. There are cosy bistros,

antique shops and wiggly cobbled streets

aplenty. The heart of the town is the old port

from where Samuel de Champlain was sent

to colonise Canada, founding Quebec in

1608. The Vieux Bassin, the inner harbour first

created for Louis XIV, is lined with cafés, bars,


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There was also time

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gorgeous coastline.

On an autumn day under an azure blue sky,

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and the white rocks of the rocky coastline

at Étretat gave a glimpse of just why this

extraordinary part of Normandie lured Monet

and his peers to capture its beauty in paintings

over and over

Leaving Honfleur at dusk to sail under the

incredible Pont de Normandy, aperitifs on

deck as the sun dipped below the horizon, is

one of those moments I’ll never forget.

The following day, we docked in the port of

Rouen, just a few minutes walk from the centre

of the medieval district with its half-timbered

houses. There was ample time to see the sites

– the soaring cathedral with its flamboyant

facade, the 14th-century grand clock, the

Rouen

Statue of Liberty, Paris

Joan of Arc church, a tribute to the young girl

who became a saint and who was burned at

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Arriving back in Paris before sunrise – the

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STEP BACK IN TIME:

Sacred

Architecture

From Carnac’s prehistoric standing stones to Gustave Eiffel’s iconic Parisian

tower, the Roman arenas of Provence to the flamboyant chateaux of the Loire

Valley, France is packed with historical sites that bring the past zinging vividly into

the present. And with the reopening of Notre Dame de Paris in December 2024,

there’s no better place to start this new series on time travel than with France’s

imposing and varied places of worship. Gillian Thornton looks at the sacred

architecture of France…

Stained glass, Chartres Cathedral© Gillian Thornton

No religious beliefs of any kind are needed

to appreciate the monumental cathedrals,

intimate chapels, and fortified churches

that have been the hub of community life

across the centuries. Some carry UNESCO

World Heritage Status, but all are testament

to the skills and dedication of architects,

stonemasons, and labourers.

Who were the men who erected those massive

towers with only medieval technology; carved

intricate stonework high above the ground;

and created dazzling stained glass windows

in jewel colours? Centuries on, we can only

wonder and look on in awe at their handiwork.

Cathedrals and

stained glass

The world watched in horror on 15 April 2019

Funerary statues of King Henri II and Queen Catherine de Medici,

Basilica-Cathedral of Saint-Denis

when fire broke out in the roof space of Notre-

Dame de Paris, destroying the spire and

burning through the roof timbers. But Paris has

other important churches too. Almost every

French king from the 10 th to the 19 th century

is buried at the Basilica-Cathedral of Saint-

Denis, one of the earliest examples of Gothic

architecture. But whilst royal funerals took

place in Paris, coronations were celebrated at


Reims Cathedral in the heart of Champagne,

a jewel of Gothic art where Clovis, King of the

Franks, was baptized in 498.

Reims Cathedral is home to 2,303 statues

and some outstanding stained-glass windows,

the medieval way of bringing Biblical stories

to a population that mostly could not read.

Discover the skills of the artisans at the

Stained Glass Centre in Troyes and the

International Stained Glass Centre in Chartres

before admiring their work in the cities’

churches. And for a contemporary slant, don’t

miss the rainbow of glass panels set in the

concrete tower of the Church of Saint Joseph

in Le Havre.

Rood screen, Albi Cathedral © Rupert Parker

Expect bible stories and geometric patterns

created by Renaissance artists in brilliant

colours alongside intricate sculpted figures.

Rainbow of glass panels in the concrete tower of the Church of

Saint Joseph in Le Havre.

With their towers and spires, flying buttresses

and carved facades, Gothic cathedrals grace

many northern French cities including Amiens

and Bourges, Strasbourg and Laon. But head

south and churches take on a very different

style. The Romanesque-Byzantine Cathedral

of Saint-Front at Périgueux in the Dordogne is

topped with five 18th century cupolas, whilst

the Cathedral of Sainte-Cécile at Albi in

Occitanie has a different aspect again.

Largest brick cathedral in the world, Albi’s

unique church was begun in 1282 and took

200 years to complete. It is also the largest

painted cathedral in Europe and the wowfactor

ramps up even more as you step inside.

Ancient and modern

Albi may be the largest painted church, but

smaller churches can also pack a punch with

their rainbow interiors. Amongst my favourites

is the Basilica of Saint Julien de Brioude,

largest Romanesque building in Auvergne

with painted pillars and a mosaic floor made

of river pebbles. And in Lower Auvergne,

the abbey church of Saint-Astremoine is a

masterpiece of 12th century Romanesque art

with its forest of painted columns.

Basilica of Saint Julien de Brioude © Gillian Thornton

Effigies of the Plantagenet monarchs at Fontevraud

Most abbey churches were more sombre,

but they still have the power to impress.

Take the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud in the

Loire Valley, last resting place of English

Plantagenet monarchs Henry II and his

wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their son Richard

Coeur de Lion, and their daughter-in-law

Isabelle of Angouleme, widow of King John.

A vast complex headed by an abbess with

four priories for both men and women,

Fontevraud has been repurposed as a centre

for art and culture, complete with art gallery,

atmospheric hotel and a Michelin-starred

restaurant inside a bijou cloister.

Many French churches still boast a tranquil

cloister, but it is hard to top the Romanesque

splendour of Moissac Abbey in Tarn et

Garonne. One of the most important

Benedictine monasteries in the Middle Ages,

Moissac is listed by UNESCO for its intricately

carved capitals and tympanum. Also classified

for its sculptures is the ‘double decker’ cloister

of Saint Trophime at Arles in the Rhône Valley;

head to the upper storey for some unique

ecclesiastical views.

In Normandy, Rouen’s magnificent cathedral

- home to the heart of Richard Coeur de

Lion – could not be more different from the

Church of Saint Joan of Arc, completed in

Church of Saint Joan of Arc © Gillian Thornton

1979 in the market square where the peasant

girl from Lorraine burned at the stake in 1431.

The modern design evokes the sea with its

slate and copper scales, but inside, visitors are

treated to the brilliant stained-glass windows

from the Church of Saint Vincent, destroyed

by air raids in 1944.

For another striking example of 20th century

religious architecture, head east to Franche-

Comté to visit Notre-Dame du Haut at

Ronchamp, built by Le Corbusier in 1955 in a

hilltop woodland clearing between the Vosges

and the Jura. Asymmetrical in design, its curved

walls support a roof shaped like a crab shell.

Statues on the façade of the Cathedral of St Trophime, Arles


Out of the ordinary

The atmosphere at Ronchamp is tranquil

in the extreme but religion did not always

guarantee a quiet life. In northern France,

on the borders between Champagne and

Picardy, Hauts de France and Ardennes, the

area of Thiérache often came under attack in

the 16th and 17th centuries, so locals fortified

more than 60 churches with gates, towers

and casemates as places of refuge. Check

out churches such as Plomion, Parfondal and

Montcornet in Aisne, Aouste and Rouvroy-sur-

Audry in Ardennes.

Other French churches recall conflict on a

truly international scale. Right across Northern

France from the Channel coast to the Marne

Valley and the Vosges, many battlefield sites

from two world wars incorporate a chapel

of remembrance. Each one is moving in its

own way, but one that particularly sticks in

my memory is Notre Dame de Lorette at

the French national cemetery near Arras.

Here in the tiny chapel overlooking lines of

headstones, a tablet commemorates Francois

Faber from Luxembourg. Winner of the 1909

Tour de France, Faber died in 1915 but his

name lives on here more than a century later.

View from the churchyard in the village of Talmont-sur-Gironde

Other churches are memorable for the sheer

beauty of their location. On the Atlantic coast

of Charente-Maritime in the walled village of

Talmont-sur-Gironde, the 12th century church

of Saint Radegonde watches over the largest

estuary in Europe, nestled within the ramparts

that encircle the promontory. Built in 1284 on

the orders of Edward I of England, Talmont

is today classified amongst Les Plus Beaux

Villages de France and is a stop on a pilgrims’

route to Santiago de Compostela.

Crypt of the Basilica of Boulogne-sur-Mer

French immersion courses

Learn French - naturally

and experience the culture of France from the beaches of

Normandy to the heart of Paris

Nor is Saint Radegonde the only

ecclesiastical building with a sea view.

The small church of Saint-Valery at

Varengeville-sur-Mer in Normandy not

only boasts a commanding position, but

also an association with leading artists.

Impressionist maestro Claude Monet

painted here and George Braque, a

pioneer of Cubism, designed the church

windows. Braque died in Paris in 1963 but

rests here in the clifftop cemetery of

Saint-Valery.

So, wherever you roam in France, take

time out to investigate the local churches,

however grand or humble. Within their

sacred walls lies the history of a nation.

Hear French,

Experience French,

Speak French!

xpfrance.net



The Gardens

of Paris

Dancing at the Jardin Tino Rossi © Janine Marsh

Springtime in Paris is just the moment to

seek out the city’s many lovely gardens.

They’re perfect for pausing, picnicking

and people-watching and with more

than 421 municipal parks and gardens

covering more than 3000 hectares –

there’s plenty of choice. Marian Jones

shares some of her favourites.

Café in the garden of the Petite Palais Museum © Janine Marsh

Public gardens

In the city’s botanical garden, the Jardin des

Plantes near the Gare d’Austerlitz, you can

wander the pathways to see plants grouped

according to species. In spring, it’s especially

lovely when the cherry trees are in full blossom.

You could make a longer visit by visiting one of

the garden’s paying attractions such as the zoo

or the Natural History Museum.

Nearby, there’s the prospect of a riverside

stroll through the city’s outdoor sculpture

park, the Jardin Tino Rossi, whose entrance is

just by the left-bank end of the Pont de Sully

bridge. The mix of modern sculptures and

riverside views is enticing and in the evenings

there’s often a salsa dancing group in full

swing and you can join in if you like!

The Luxembourg Garden, a favourite with

Parisians, was commissioned by Queen

Generations of French children have come here to sail little boats, ride a

pony or see a puppet show at the Luxembourg gardens © Marian Jones

Marie de Medici in 1612, the gardens are split

into French and English styles and cover 25

hectares of land. In the middle of this beautiful

park, you’ll find a large pond with the wooden

boats. There are also 106 statues spread

throughout the park and the most beautiful

fountain in Paris, where statues depict a

tragic love story from Greek mythology -

Polyphemus about to murder his love rival and

win back the nymph Galatea.

The Tuileries gardens between the Louvre and

the Champs Elysées. It’s one of the biggest

outdoor museums in France. Run by the

Louvre it contains artworks from the 17th to

20th century.


Palais Royal gardens, perfect for people watching © Janine Marsh

Bagatelle Gardens © Marian Jones

The Palais Royal gardens are, just around the

corner from the famous Comédie Française

theatre. Louis XIV spent much of his childhood

here. A tiny canon he played with can still

be seen in one of the flowerbeds. During

the French Revolution, this site was tactfully

renamed the ‘Equality Palace’ (the palace was

burned down in 1871) and ‘Revolution Garden’.

and if you turn right at the top you’ll find a

secluded little shady garden which most people

don’t know about! In the gardens of Balzac’s

House in the 16th arrondissement, you can

pause to enjoy views of the Eiffel Tower, to read

a little Balzac or recall that the author used to

escape via the garden when debtors came to

call at his house!

And don’t miss the inner garden of the

Petite Palais museum, a haven of peace and

tranquillity, with a cute café.

the Sorbonne in the 5th arrondissement, you’ll

find a statue of the philosopher Montaigne.

His foot has been rubbed shiny by the

generations of students who touch it for luck

on their way to exams. Square René Viviani,

next to Shakespeare and Company, is home to

the oldest tree in Paris, a black locust (Robinia

pseudoacacia) planted by a royal gardener

in 1602, plus there are stunning views of the

Seine and Notre Dame.

Idyllic gardens

Maison Balzac © Marian Jones

Many of the city’s free museums have beautiful

gardens. In the Marais district, there are plenty

of benches on both sides of the lovely lawns

leading up to the National Archives Museum

Garden Squares

Baron Haussmann, who redesigned much of

Paris in the 19th century, aimed to create a

garden square in each of the city’s 80 quartiers.

If you study the map of the area you’re visiting,

you’ll almost certainly find at least one, usually

with the word Square (not place, the French

word for square) in its name. They vary in

size and atmosphere, but you’ll always find a

peaceful little spot to sit and relax.

The Squares often have something specific to

the local area. In Square Samuel Paty, near

One spot which really stands out is the

gorgeous rose garden at the Parc de Bagatelle

in the Bois de Boulogne. For a small entrance

fee, you can admire 10,000 roses and learn

which of the 1200 species Parisians voted as

their favourite this year. You can also explore

the wider grounds, where peacocks roam free,

or visit the Château de Bagatelle (Sundays

only). And you can read more about this

ravishing rose garden on page 56.

Combine nature and top-class art in the

garden of the Rodin Museum, where some

of the sculptor’s most famous works are on

Rodin’s Thinker © Marian Jones

display, including The Thinker. The garden

of the Grand Mosque of Paris, the oldest

mosque in mainland France, is another haven

of tranquillity in the 5th arrondissement. The

courtyard garden has an idyllic mix of plants,

marble pillars and fountains, all set against a

backdrop of mosaic walls and archways.


Secret vineyard in the heart of Paris © Janine Marsh

The swing in the garden of the Museum of Montmatre,

Rue Cortot © Janine Marsh

Gardens with a history

The secret garden at the Museum of

Montmartre, once home to artist August

Renoir , was the location of his famous The

Swing painting, and it’s here he painted Bal du

Moulin de la Galette. The garden overlooks a

secret, an ancient vineyard, right in the heart

of Paris!

The Chapelle Expiatoire in the 8th

arrondissement is very moving. The chapel

and garden stand in memory of Louis XVI and

Queen Marie Antoinette whose bodies were

flung into a mass grave on this site after their

execution. Inside the chapel are beautiful

statues of both, and the surrounding garden,

simply planted in greenery and white flowers,

is very peaceful.

The medieval garden at the Musée de

Cluny, highlighting plants grown in the

Middle Ages, offers another tranquil spot,

despite being just yards from the bustling

Boulevard Saint-Michel.

Louis XIV’s landscape artist, André le

Nôtre, has left us many textbook examples

of 17th century French classical garden

design, including at Versailles, Chantilly and

Fontainebleau. Less often visited, but no less

stunning, are the gardens of the château at

Saint-Germain-en-Laye, just across the road

from the station you’ll reach after a short RER

Chateau de Saint St-Germain-en-Laye © Marian Jones

trip from central Paris. The formal gardens, free

to enter, with their symmetrical pathways and

lawns, give way to a large forest you can explore.

The gardens are also a highlight of the Château

de Malmaison, about 40 minutes outside Paris.

The château was the private country retreat of

Napoleon and Josephine and she lived there

after their divorce. Her interest in gardening

was so well-known that explorers brought

her exotic plants from their travels. As you

enjoy ‘her’ garden, you can reflect that when

Napoleon hurried back to Paris on hearing

news of her death, it was here that he came to

remember her. “I still seem to see her’ he wrote,

‘walking along the paths and collecting the

flowers that she loved so much’.


was purchased by the city in the early

20th century. After years of neglect, the

estate was restored and remodelled by Jean-

Claude-Nicolas Forestier, custodian of Bois

de Boulogne, who turned it into the delightful

botanical garden that welcomes visitors

today. He also created the large rose garden,

which is famous among flower enthusiasts

throughout Europe.

:© Obs70 Shutterstock - The Most Beautiful Garden of Paris, Flammarion

Parc de Bagatelle

“Bagatelle: these long hours spent in a

garden are perhaps the best thing that

we will ever have had in life”

What is now Parc de Bagatelle, was once

the site of a lodge that was used during royal

hunting parties. In the 18th century, during

the reign of Louis XV, it was purchased by

Marechal d’Estrées and became popular with

libertines: members of the nobility indulged in

frivolous leisure at extravagant parties held in

this lush setting hidden from view.

In 1775, the Count of Artois, Louis XVI’s

brother and the future King Charles X,

acquired it. Two years later, Queen Marie

Henry de Montherlant

Antoinette set him the incredible challenge of

building a new residence there in less than 100

days. In the end, he succeeded in just 64 days

with the help of architect François-Joseph

Bélanger and 900 labourers. The Château de

Bagatelle is the epitome of a folie—a type of

small building that wealthy aristocrats built on

a whim, with no regard for cost.

The estate went through several different

owners who enlarged the château, expanded

the gardens, and built an orangery. It

The Rose Garden

The rose garden in Parc de Bagatelle, is one

of the largest and most beautiful of its kind

in France, with more than 1,200 varieties

spread over 4 acres (1.6ha). Established

in1905 by Jean-Claude-Nicolas Forestier,

the garden continues to evolve, year after

year. Originally, the flowers were largely

presented in uniform beds. Today, the

gardeners experiment with other compositions

by using a range of cultivated and wild roses,

including rosebushes, climbing or groundcover

roses, and roses winding around arches

or shrubs. Depending on the variety and

the weather, the roses bloom between early

summer and November. But the best time to

admire them is in June, at the International

Competition of New Roses. Since 1907, this

event has awarded prizes to recently created

roses - three for their beauty and one for its

fragrance. During the competition, the flower

candidates are displayed in the presenters’

garden, which was specially designed for this

purpose, and the park’s gardeners give out

valuable advice to enthusiasts.

The Name “Parc de

Bagatelle”

This park is steeped in so many stories that it

can be difficult to untangle fact from fiction,

even when it comes to its name, which has

various connotations in French. It may refer

to the park’s low purchase price. Or perhaps

to its modest size, compared to nearby

© 12019 via Canva

properties. Or else to the amorous activities

enjoyed by aristocrats at parties held in the

garden during the ancien regime.

Eighteenth-Century

Manifesto

Parc de Bagatelle encapsulates 18th-century

garden fashions, which included nature in

both a luxuriant and skilfully composed state;

grottos; ruins that appear to be straight out

of antiquity; and architecture inspired by

an imagined East. When the park was built,

English gardens prevailed in Europe. The aim

was to recreate the spontaneity of nature

in opposition to the symmetry of French

gardens, which were considered too strict.

But some found this imitation of nature too

simplistic and decided to add complexity

in the form of elements borrowed from

China. Few architects in the 18th century

had actually been to Asia, though, and the

pagodas that cropped up in European parks


© Ekaterina Pokrovsky via Canva

have little in common with the originals. In

Parc de Bagatelle, the Chinese pagoda and

the Kiosque de L’Impératrice are primarily

decorative buildings, but they provide

advantageous views of the park.

A Flower-Filled Walk

While the rose is without doubt the star of

the show at Parc de Bagatelle, many other

plants flourish here throughout the year. The

collections include 160 varieties of flowering

bulbs that form colourful, ever-changing

flowerbeds. Snowdrops kick things off in

February, followed by crocus, narcissus, spring

snowflake, tulips and hyacinths into June.

The Mediterranean garden is wilder in

appearance than the rest of the park. It

was created in 2000, after more than 300

trees were uprooted by a storm in 1999. It

features species that are adapted to a dry,

sunny climate, such as fig, heather, privet

and various aromatic plants. It is a precious

source of inspiration for composing gardens

that will be more adapted to future droughts.

Chrysanthemums and clematis can be seen

winding around trees or climbing walls,

geraniums in the summer and fall, and, a little

later in the year, asters, most of them from

North America. Water lilies thrive in the lake,

where a splendid weeping willow is reflected.

The largest plane tree in Paris, towering 148

feet (45 m) high, stands a little further away.

Only the luckiest visitors are likely to spot

a kingfisher near the coots, moorhens, and

barnacle geese that frequent the lake. But

no one can miss the peacocks - about 50 of

them live in the park and enjoy the attention

of visitors.

Getting there: Pont de Neuilly (M. 1), Avenue

Henri-Martin (RER C)

Extract from THE MOST

BEAUTIFUL GARDENS

OF PARIS By Stéphane

Marie. From the most

famous gardens –

Versailles, Luxemburg,

or Tuileries – to the hidden leafy gems

– such as the Château de Saint-Jeande-Beauregard

vegetable gardens, the

Bourdelle museum’s sculpture garden, or

the Albert Kahn Japanese-style garden –

this guide takes readers on a cultural tour

of France through twenty-five spectacular

gardens in and around Paris.

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


Karen Tait visits the pickled-in-the past village of Pézenas in the Hérault

department in the Occitanie region in southern France.

SPOTLIGHT ON:

PÉZENAS

It’s hard to beat strolling through the charming

cobblestone alleys of Pézenas on a sunny

summer’s day. The narrow winding streets,

flanked by tall honey-coloured stone buildings,

with those faded green shutters that are so

evocative of the south of France, are full of

independent shops. Alongside artisan crafts

such as leatherware and pottery or the local

Berlingots sweets and petits pâtés de Pézenas

pastries, you’ll find artwork, homewares, gifts,

jewellery, clothing and more. I challenge you

to walk these streets without ducking into at

least one boutique and coming away with a

lovely souvenir!

Place Gambetta, the main square, is a lively

spot with cafés and a fountain – when I was

last there, they were setting up stage for the

weekend’s entertainment. Restaurants tucked

away in pretty corners of the town or with

large bustling terraces are the perfect place to

linger over a meal or a cup of coffee or glass

of wine while people watching. You can easily

spend a relaxing day here just wandering

around, browsing the shops and admiring the

architecture. But as those historic buildings

suggest, Pézenas has a fascinating past and its

story is written on the facades.

Diverse History

You’ll notice many of the buildings have large

burgundy doors; maybe you’ll catch a glimpse

of a vaulted stone courtyard beyond. Look

up and you’ll see flourishes of carved stone

and wrought-iron balconies. These were not

the humble homes of the poor; they hail from

Pézenas’ golden age, when trade was thriving

and so were the town’s inhabitants.

Having previously existed as a Roman outpost,

a medieval stronghold and an important trade

centre, home to prestigious annual fairs, it was

during the Renaissance that the town really

came into its own, and many of the most

beautiful buildings date from this time.

In 1456, Pézenas became the seat of the

governors of Languedoc, the political capital

of the region. A prosperous period followed,

as evidenced by the hôtels particuliers –

grand townhouses – that still remain today.

60 | The Good Life France All photos © Karen Tait


Built in the 16 th and 17 th centuries by wealthy

merchants and nobles, they include the Hôtel

de Lacoste, Hôtel de Malibran and Hôtel

d’Alfonce. Large mullioned windows, grand

stone staircases and internal courtyards were

typical, and some have beautiful gardens.

Today they make ideal spaces for cultural

events and boutiques as well as sought-after

private homes – in one, the Musée de Vulliod

St-Germain showcases Pézenas’ history, while

in the Hôtel de Lacoste I visited a wonderful

silk shop, complete with historic loom. Guided

tours of the town often include stops at hôtels

particuliers, and during September’s European

Heritage Days some are open to the public.

The town was home to the formidable

Christian knights, the Templars, although

they left less of a lasting mark. On Rue des

Chevaliers, on a building with an impressive,

corbelled turret, a sign proclaims a ‘former

17 th -century commandery built on the site of

the 11 th -century Templar house’. Opposite, the

imposing Église Collegiale Saint-Jean, largely

built in the 17 th /18th century, occupies part

of the site of a complex built by the Knights

Templar in the 12th century – head inside the

church to admire the stained-glass windows

and magnificent organ.

Although the medieval walls which once

surrounded the old town no longer exist, you

can see an original gate, the Porte Faugères,

an important remnant of the town’s defensive

past. Beyond it are the wider boulevards of the

17 th and 18th centuries. Inside, the old town is

now pedestrianised but once carts would have

trundled through the medieval streets, which

tended to be crooked or irregular – look out

for a slanted doorway on the Hôtel d’Agde de

Fondousse; the arched stone surround was

sharply angled to give access to the courtyard

through an equally slanted passageway.

I love spotting the ‘mascarons’ of Pézenas –

keystones with a sculpted, half-relief face,

dating from the 18 th -century on, representing

themes such as the four seasons, ancient

gods and unusual figures. Over 100 of these

characterful faces watch passersby from the

walls of the tall townhouses.

Hôtel de Lacoste

Knights Templar Commanderie

Molière Town

Mascaron

You can’t talk about Pézenas without

mentioning Molière, France’s celebrated

17 th -century playwright and actor – indeed,

it’s often called the ‘Molière Town’. So, it

may come as some surprise to hear that the

revered wordsmith did not hail from Pézenas,

although he did spend time here, under the

patronage of the Prince of Conti (then the

governor of Languedoc, based in Pézenas).

In the 1650s, Molière travelled through

southern France with his theatrical troupe.

Pézenas was thriving and its wealthy residents

demanded entertainment, so Molière staged

plays for the nobility and townspeople. The

inspiration for some of his famous characters

are said to be drawn from people he observed

in Pézenas.

Molière later moved to Paris where his

career flourished, but the town continues to

celebrate its connection to him, with statues

and plaques and performances throughout

the year, including the Molière Festival in

June. The Scénovision Molière museum offers

an interactive multi-media show; it’s on the

upper floors of the tourist office, the Hôtel

Peyrat, which once housed the town prison.

The tradition of theatre continues today,

and the small but beautifully preserved 18 th -

century Théâtre de Pézenas is one of the

oldest in France.

Although Pézenas’ political status declined in

the 17 th century when the governors moved to

Montpellier, the area continued to thrive due

to its vineyards and Pézenas became a hub for

the wine trade.

Old and New

Alongside Pézenas celebration of its heritage,

it has also carved something of a niche for

itself in the antiques trade. There’s something

to delight every kind of brocanteur, from

fine furniture to flea market finds, delicate

bedlinen, colourful 70s items, vintage clothing,

huge stone urns for the garden and even an

entire wooden and glass Art Deco shopfront –

I was tempted to start a business just to use it,

until I looked at the price tag!

If this piques your interest, you may want

to coincide your visit with the twice-yearly

Foire à la Brocante (May and October). This

huge antiques market attracts people from

far and wide.


selling fresh produce, local crafts, flowers,

clothing and more.

This is one town where you’ll never get

bored! As a cultural hub, Pézenas has several

museums, including one dedicated to doors,

and one full of vintage toys (Musée de

Jouet). Then there are all the festivals and

events. In summer, the Estivales de Pézenas

evening markets feature live music, local

cuisine and wine tastings, while in late winter

the Carnaval de Pézenas is a colourful

cornucopia of parades, costumes and

traditional celebrations.

Pézenas also makes an ideal base to

explore the wider region. From day trips to

the beaches of the Med to wine tasting in

the local vineyards or walking and cycling

in the countryside, there’s plenty to keep

you occupied.

You could come to Pézenas and simply enjoy

a few hours exploring the charming streets,

shops and restaurants, but I would recommend

fully immersing yourself in this most charming

of southern towns, and taking a stroll through

the past.

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If you prefer modern masterpieces, make your

way to the Maison des Métiers d’Art, where

you can choose from contemporary creations

by 150 craftsmen, housed in a beautiful 17 th -

century building.

Of course, any French town worth its salt

has a magnificent market and Pézenas is no

exception – its Saturday market is said to be

the best in the region, taking over the whole

of the town centre with a profusion of stalls

Saint Roch, Place Gambetta

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France a la mode

French fashion is world-famous. Renowned

French designers are household names – think

Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and Yves Saint

Laurent, for starters. French style inspires

around the globe - if you search the internet

for “how to dress like a French woman”, you’ll

find an enormous number of entries, more

than 700 million when I last looked. But how

did France become the centre of chic?!

Fashion by royal design

Louis XIV

Janine Marsh explores the history of fashion to discover how France

became the world’s fashion capital.

La mode de demode, le style jamais

(Fashion fades – style remains) – Coco Chanel

Vintage Dior feathered dress

Charles VII – medieval fashion for the royals

Dressing well has long been a perk of royals

and the rich - think ancient Egyptian beaded

tunics, Romans and their pleated togas, and

portraits from centuries ago showing the

lucky ones wearing velvet and silk clothes,

ermine-lined cloaks, pearl-encrusted cloth,

and lace ruffles.

But in the 17th century, not long after the

Mayflower carried pilgrims to North America,

fashion seriously took off in France during

the reign of the stylish ‘Sun King’, Louis

XIV (1638-1715). Louis’ legacy continues to

influence fashion today. Famous for being

a control freak, he required his nobles to

spend time at his gilded palace of Versailles

so he could keep an eye on them and control

them, exerting strict rules about etiquette –

including what they wore.

During his 72-year reign, men’s and women’s

fashions became more extravagant, largely,

if not entirely, about Louis wanting to be seen

as powerful, and sprinkling his magnificence

on those allowed to witness and bask in his

glory. But he also made French fashion a real

industry by banning imports of textiles. He

wanted France to show no reliance on other

countries and commanded that France must

make its own silk, velvet, lace, embroideries,

ribbons, tapestries, buttons, fans, shoes

and jewellery. His commands were obeyed

– including that all nobles at the court of


Chateau de Fontainebleau

Versailles had to wear French-made clothing.

The King revolutionised power dressing. The

use of buttons spread in France, becoming a

luxurious fashion accessory embellished with

jewels or painted miniatures. Some servants

had livery buttons chiselled with their master's

coat of arms. When the king invented a

justaucorps à brevet, a light blue silk jacket, it

was an item reserved for the king and a select

few nobles who needed written permission

to wear them. Fashion became a strategy to

constantly keep the nobles on their toes.

The fashion industry took off, and cities all

over France became

specialist producers

– for instance the silk

trade in Lyon and

lace from Alencon

(Normandy). The

Made in France,

Savoir-faire

movement had

begun.

Louis also required that textile designers

produce new designs and textiles for summer

and winter – it was the first time seasonal

fashion became intentional. During his reign,

the first fashion magazine in the world was

created when, in 1678, Mercure Galant, a

literary and artistic magazine, published

details of the best Parisian clothes shops.

Fashion in France never went out of fashion

after that.

In 1782, John Adams, the American minister

to France and future president of the United

States, wrote these words of advice to anyone

travelling to Paris: “The first thing to be done

in Paris is always send for a tailor, peruke [wig]

maker, and shoemaker. For this nation has

established such a domination over fashion

that neither clothes, wigs, nor shoes made in

any other place will do in Paris.”

Almost a hundred years later, Queen Marie

Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI, inspired a

style revolution that continues to influence

fashion today. It’s fair to say that the doomed

queen embraced fashion wholeheartedly.

She loved clothes, jewellery, hats, shoes and

big hair. She made the ‘pouf’ style popular

– pads and cushions created structure for

lofty, gravity-defying up-dos (whether real

hair or wigs) adorned with feathers, ribbons

and yet more jewels, ornaments and even a

model ship. Legend has it that she purchased

300 dresses yearly and never wore anything

twice. She caused an uproar when, in 1781,

she wore a muslin dress designed by her

favourite dressmaker, Rose Bertin – she used

material not made in France, and dressed

like a milkmaid. The wealthy of England and

Europe lapped up this new “simple” fashion.

Marie-Antoinette’s style continues to influence

– floral prints and boho fashion included.

The French fashion industry continued

to dominate throughout the 18 th and 19 th

centuries. The ballet tutu was invented at

the Paris Opera in 1832. Vogue Magazine

was founded in 1892. Haute couture was

born in 1858 when Charles Frederick Worth,

an English fashion designer based in Paris,

opened a shop for the wealthy and the

upper classes to shop for luxury clothes

and accessories. The term comes from the

French haute, meaning ‘high’ or ‘elegant,’

and couture – ‘sewing’ or ‘dressmaking,’

and refers to one-of-a-kind, very fancy

handmade pieces.


Dior in Paris caption © Barbara Pasquet James

Wild & Sparrow, Paris Fashion Show

Yves Saint-Laurent

Worth also pioneered the modern fashion

show by using live models instead of

mannequins to present his creations. The

idea caught on in Paris salons and gave

birth to the fashion shows we know today –

major events presenting new clothing and

accessories, generating umpteen columns

in newspapers and magazines, millions of

social media posts and turning designers and

models into celebrities.

Paris Fashion Week continues to hold court,

attracting the biggest names in the industry

from around the world. Some shows focus

Shoes in Paris

on bold and strange looks, models dressed

in mobile cages or wearing boots that look

like human legs, inflatable rubber trousers,

and geometric masterpieces you wouldn’t

wear in a million years! Others want to be

in Paris to show their designs where fashion

began. Montréal based company Wild Rose

& Sparrow’s ballet-inspired runway show

took place in 2024 at the historic Théâtre

du Gymnase Marie Bell in the 20 th

arrondissement in Paris, and I couldn’t help

thinking, as I watched the models strut their

ballet-inspired, fairy-tale dresses, just how

much French style continues to inspire.


for a treat. The essence of every village is so

much more than just bricks and mortar, stones

and timber. An animated community that

works together to keep local traditions and

heritage alive in the 21 st century.

Here are a few of my favourites that give a

flavour of the diversity and importance of

these beautiful villages and their thriving

communities. To find out more, visit the

website plusbeauxvillagesdefrance.org,

which includes ideas for seasonal itineraries,

romantic stays, and various themed holidays.

Then plan your next touring holiday with

the help of the Michelin touring map and

the official guidebook. The latest edition in

English, published by Flammarion, goes on

sale in February.

Village Vibes

Discover what makes a village officially “one of the most beautiful in France” –

Gillian Thornton shares some of her favourites…

In March 1982 in the heart of the Nouvelle-

Aquitaine region, the mayor of a red

sandstone village in the department of

Corrèze came up with an innovative idea that

he felt could help stem the rural exodus, not

just from the beautiful but sleepy countryside

around his home, but perhaps even across

France. Charles Ceyrac’s scheme had the

potential to inject new life into historic villages

that were packed with history and heritage,

but struggling economically as people left to

live in bigger towns.

Today, more than 40 years on, the association of

Plus Beaux Villages de France (PBVs) numbers

180 rural gems and has not only spread across

14 regions of France and 70 departments, but

also inspired similar schemes from Quebec to

Wallonia, Switzerland to Japan. The department

of Aveyron currently boasts the most designated

PBVs with 11, followed by Dordogne with 10.

Oingt, Beaujolais © Etienne Ramousse, Destination Beaujolais Val d'Oingt

To become a member, candidates must satisfy

some 30 criteria that include architectural

heritage, protected natural surroundings, and

harmonious rural development. In return for

maintaining standards, the chosen villages

have welcomed new craft businesses and

restaurants, enjoyed increased tourism, and,

equally important, seen an upturn in their

dwindling populations.

With a maximum of 2000 inhabitants, each

PBV is individual in its architecture, history,

and location, but when you visit a village with

the official classification, you know you are in

Collonges-la-Rouge © A. Gouvernel, Les Plus Beaux villages de France

Collonges-la-Rouge,

Corrèze

On the borders of Limousin and Quercy,

Collonges-la-Rouge is where the idea for the

Plus Beaux Village movement began, thanks

to Mayor Charles Ceyrac. Built around an

8 th century Benedictine prior, Collonges is

a village that is impossible to forget with its

grand properties of rich red sandstone, many

adorned with towers, turrets and watchtowers.

In the centre of the historic streets, the 16 th

century grain and wine market is testament to

the trade that brought prosperity to this once

fortified village. Today it is an enchanting spot

to browse independent boutiques selling local


produce and craft items, and soak up

he atmosphere from a café terrace.

vallee-dordogne.com

medieval houses topped with curved tiles;

and tiers of flower-bedecked terraces.

Taking its name from one of the area’s

most important families, the village is

dominated by a castle, rebuilt in the

16 th and 17 th centuries with mullioned

windows and a tower at each corner. Run

by Vivante Ardèche, it is now home to a

museum of art and local history. Take the

marked trail to Saint Cerice Chapel for

panoramic views or maybe hire a canoe

for a family-friendly excursion at water

level. en.gorges-ardeche-pontdarc.fr

Le Bec Hellouin © Gillian Thornton

Le Bec Hellouin, Eure

Lavadieu © Gillian Thornton

Half-timbered houses in a different style grace

the main street of Le Bec Hellouin, situated

between Rouen and Lisieux in Normandy. The

name comes from the abbey founded beside

the Bec stream in 1034 and its first abbot,

Hellouin. Throughout the 11 th and 12 th centuries,

the community of monks was closely linked

to the English church with abbots going on to

become Archbishops of Canterbury, Bishops

of Rochester, and abbots at many important

English abbeys. Only the tower remains

today from the medieval complex, but a new

community of Benedictines have lived here

since 1948, their home overlooking an idyllic

village centre where half-timbered houses

stand behind flowerbeds and grass banks.

Lavaudieu, Haute-Loire

How can you not fall in love with a village

with a name that translates as ‘God’s Valley’?

The village of Lavaudieu – ‘La Vallée de

Dieu’ – grew up around an abbey founded by

Benedictine monks in 1057 on high ground

above the Senouire river. The only monastery

in the Auvergne with a Romanesque cloister,

the abbey complex also boasts a 12 th century

Vogüé © P. Bernard, Les Plus Beaux villages de France

mural running along the wall of the refectory.

Visit the adjacent church opening onto the

village square and the museum of local crafts

and country life in the 19 th century bakery.

And maybe follow one of the marked trails to

explore this tranquil valley for yourself.

Vogüé, Ardèche

Nestled in an amphitheatre beneath a cliff,

Vogüé has everything you might expect in

a medieval village. An idyllic location on a

bend in the Ardèche river; narrow streets of

La Bastide Clairance © Gillian Thornton

La Bastide Clairance,

Pyrénées-Atlantique

The architecture and building materials

of France’s Most Beautiful Villages vary

dramatically across the country. In the far

south-west, La Bastide Clairance is typical

of French Basque Country. Wooden

beams in red and green stand out against

white facades in this medieval river port on

the Joyeuse river, founded in 1312 and built

around the central Place des Arceaux in

typical bastide style. A safe refuge in the

17 th and 18 th centuries for Jewish refugees

fleeing the Spanish and Portuguese

inquisitions, today La Bastide Clairance

is home to a thriving community of artists

and craftspeople.


Oignt

Oingt, Rhône

Originally a Roman camp established on a

ridge above roads that linked Saône and Loire,

Oingt was expanded into a fortified village

in the 10 th century, growing in importance

throughout the Middle Ages. Today its golden

limestone houses are a highlight of the

Beaujolais vineyards, just 30 minutes by car

from Lyon. The historic streets are dotted

with the studios of artists and craftsmen

working in a range of materials from ceramics

to textiles, jewellery to watercolours. Take in

the panoramic views from the roof terrace

of the 12 th century tower; visit the Museum of

Mechanical Music; and admire the 12th century

polychrome sculptures in Saint-Matthieu

church. destination-beaujolais.com

Auvillar © P. Bernard, Les Plus Beaux villages de France

Auvillar, Tarn-et-Garonne

Location, location, location ... usually the

three most important reasons why any village

became prosperous in centuries gone by.

Stand on the former castle square at Auvillar

and it is easy to see why geography brought

wealth to this gem of the Garonne valley.

The river passes beneath the rocky outcrop,

giving local residents the power to demand

tolls and grow as a trading centre serving the

surrounding area. The medieval square is

triangular in-shape and surrounded by halftimbered

red-brick mansions, but at its centre

stands a circular covered marketplace with

Tuscan columns, built in 1824 and unique in

the southwest. tourisme-tarnetgaronne.fr

Saint-Cirq Lapopie © Gillian Thornton

Saint-Cirq Lapopie, Lot

Perched on a sheer cliff 100 metres above the

meanders of the Lot, Saint-Cirq is dedicated

to Saint-Cyr, the youngest Christian martyr.

Its medieval streets are lined with bourgeois

properties from the 13th to 15th centuries, 13

of them classified as Historical Monuments

and, at the top of the steep main street stand

the ruins of the castles belonging to three

families who shared the village in the Middle

Ages. A favourite haunt for artists including

Surrealist painter André Breton, the cobbled

streets are still dotted with artists’ studios. By

day, the village restaurants buzz with visitors

but few people live permanently in the centre.

Stay over and early in the morning, the village

is yours. Magic! cahorsvalleedulot.com

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A starry night on the

roof of the Pyrénées

© Luc Perrot, Pic du Midi

A galactic break in France – Dana Facaros

goes star-gazing in the Hautes-Pyrénées,

Occitanie, southwest France.

The 2,877m/9,439ft Pic du Midi isn’t the

highest mountain in the Pyrénées, but as we

drove south of Tarbes, capital of the Hautes-

Pyrénées, it certainly looked like it: a pyramid

towering high over its neighbours. Closer, we

clocked some odd-looking bits on the summit.

That was where we and 25 other lucky souls

were going to spend the night.

The Pic du Midi’s astronomical observatory

has a hallowed history. It was here that

scientists mapped the moon in preparation

for the Apollo landings. Its Bernard Lyot 2m

telescope is the biggest in France.

Yet in 1995, the Ministry for Higher Education

and Research announced it would close for

lack of funds, sending scientists, academics

and the regional government scrambling

to find a way to fund it and keep it open.

First, they built a new cable car to make the

summit accessible to the paying public for

the first time, then in 2006 they added the

chance to spend an astronomical night on

top. These Nuits au Sommet have become

so popular you have to reserve a year or so

in advance, I learned when I tried to book

one as a surprise for my astronomy-loving

husband’s birthday—so we ended up going

for his next birthday instead.

At La Mongie, the scrappy resort at the base,

the road was covered with faded graffiti from

the Tour de France’s recent ascent of the

Col du Tourmalet. We boarded the jaunty

white and blue cable car, and within minutes

were speeding up towards what looked like a

clutch of eggs under a giant needle, casting

a racing shadow over tiny white dots of sheep

far, far below.

Fifteen minutes later, the car docked with

a reassuring click and out we clambered.

Up close, the eggs and needle proved to

be a massive, fortified bunker draped over


Telescope © Florent Gay, Pic du Midi

© Florent Gay, Pic du Midi

the summit, bubbling with mysterious white

domes, towers, instruments, and an enormous

antennae, the perfect lair for a James Bond

villain, hidden away above a breathtaking sea

of primordial peaks. The air and light were

crystal clear—you could see forever, or more

precisely, for 300km, as far as Catalonia and

the foothills of the Massif Central.

A young guide led us to our room through a

labyrinth buried inside the mountain, past

©intriguing No Entry doors. ‘Don’t get lost,’

he warned (too late). ‘There are 4km of

underground corridors, so the technicians

can work year-round without going outside. In

winter, the temperature can drop to -30C and

the winds can blow at 180kmph. If they’re over

85kmph, the cable car can’t run.’

‘Then what happens?’ I asked.

‘You get to stay. We had a group stuck up

here for ten days once.’ He saw the look on

our faces. ‘But don’t worry, we have plenty

of wine! At 6pm we meet up in the bar to

hydrate ourselves.’

‘We ‘hydrate ourselves?’ Like astronauts?’

‘Mais non! Like Gascons!’

Our room in the technicians’ dormitory was

snug and minimalist but the stupendous

mountains views through the thick window

beat any hotel room hands down. Outside the

air was already nippy; we grabbed our coats

and scampered through the maze, although it

wasn’t long before we slowed down to a lightheaded

trudge. After all we were nearly two

miles high. We watched brave souls immune to

vertigo take selfies on the Pontoon of the Sky,

a narrow 12m walkway extending alarmingly

over the void.

But once the day the last day visitors

descended, the observatory seemed to come

Pontoon in the sky, Pic du Midi

into its own. We joined the other overnighters

for cocktails, then took the lift up to visit the

highest museum in Europe, complete with

astonishing photos of how the thing was built

on top of a mountain, starting nearly 150

years ago.

We returned to the terrace in time to watch

the sunset paint the peaks lipstick red,

outlining the gleaming white domes against

the darkening sky. As if on cue, roiling clouds

appeared out of nowhere, turning the valleys

into a frothy white sea and the surrounding

summits into islands, leaving the observatory

floating like a ghost ship under a 101m mast.

It was so hypnotic it was hard to go in for

dinner, but the food, Gascon garbure and

black pork of Bigorre, was delicious. We

washed it down with a robust Madiran that at

that altitude had double the usual oomph!

By the time we waddled back outside with our

Sunset at Pic du Midi © P Meyer, AE Médias, Parc National des Pyrénées



Pic du Midi © Jean Francois Graffand

© P Meyer, AE Médias, Parc National des Pyrénées

astronomer guide, the half-moon was sinking.

Starlight filled the enormous dome of the sky,

the constellations blazing with Van Gogh fire,

the swirling veil of the Milky Way shimmering

with a hundred billion stars.

IIn 2013, the Pic du Midi became the sixth

place in the world to be accredited by the

International Dark Sky Reserve (IDSR), the first

in Europe and the only one in France. Puddles

of light—including Lourdes, Tarbes and

sprawling Toulouse on the horizon—marked

the crazy, cockamamie world far below. We

tour turns peering through the telescope at

the moons of Jupiter, double stars and distant

stars in their death agony. A shooting star

fell in slow motion, leaving a vivid blue streak

across the sky, so close we could hear it go

phhhhhht!

Every so often a cloud would grip the

observatory in bone-chilling mist. Ghostly

tendrils played hide and seek with the

glittering sky, making the observatory eerie

and dreamlike and strangely romantic. Close

to midnight the mist lingered for so long that

we trundled off to bed.

We set the alarm to be up in time to watch the

satisfyingly dramatic sunrise. This was followed

by a private tour behind the scenes, where we

could watch the astronomers at work. One

job they do is study the surface of the sun. It’s

been a busy time for solar flares, hence all

the recent Northern Light shows. ‘Are we due

for another Carrington Event?’ the husband

asked—referring to the massive geomagnetic

flare that wreaked havoc in 1859, and would

likely cause a worldwide catastrophe today.

‘You never know!’ the astronomer said brightly.

picdumidi.com/fr/nuit-au-sommet

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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

ACTIVITIES

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Quirky museums

of France!

France is home to more than 1000 museums including the Louvre, the world’s

biggest and most visited museum. But there are also a lot of unusual, eccentric

and outright quirky museums. Janine Marsh takes a look at three of them: one

dedicated to dairy products, one with a frankly eclectic collection of artefacts

including a photo of Yoko Ono’s derrière, and a tiny museum dedicated to absinthe,

and which includes a tasting!

Absinthe Museum,

Auvers-sur-Oise, Picardie

In a small town, about an hour’s drive north

of Paris, the Absinthe museum celebrates the

anise-flavoured alcoholic spirit nicknamed

the ‘Green Fairy’. Known for its ‘allegedly’

hallucinogenic properties, it was a popular

choice of drink in 19th century Europe,

especially among French poets and artists.

It was banned in France in 1915 due to its

reputation for causing insanity (the ban was

only lifted in 2011). In the museum you’ll find

rooms full of fascinating absinthe-related

memorabilia, posters and paintings of drinkers

often looking a little worse for wear after

a glass or two of the potent aperitif, and a

replica of a 19th century Parisian bar. The visit

ends with a tasting so you can see for yourself

what all the fuss is about!

After your museum visit, pay your respects

at Vincent Van Gogh’s grave in the town’s

cemetery - the absinthe-loving artist killed

himself in Auvers-sur-Oise in 1890.

La Cité du Lait Dairy

Museum, Laval, Mayenne

Mayenne with its glorious countryside, is a

leading dairy production area and, if you are

a dairy fan, you may well find La Cité du Lait

– a museum dedicated to all things dairy, a


irresistible visit.

Did you know that

the average cow

produces around

9000 litres of

milk a year? Or

that the rind

of Camembert

is good for

digestion? Or

that yoghurt as

we know it, was

introduced to

France by Russian

immigrants in

the early 20th

century and that

in those days you

had to buy it at a pharmacy because it was

considered medicinal?

The museum is certainly out of the ordinary.

It’s enormous and has around 4000 artifacts

– from milk churns to cheese lids – collecting

cheese lids in France is a thing, collectors are

known as tyrosémiophiles!

The museum hosts vast displays of milk bottles

and butter pats, there are explanations galore

about French cheeses and their origins – there’s

even a bibliotheque de fromage (cheese

library). The displays are in French, but you can

book a tour with an English guide or ask for an

English language booklet.

It’s strangely captivating.

Fondation du Doute,

Blois, Loire Valley

Most people visit the Loire Valley for its

majestic chateaux, wonderful vineyards,

historic cities, gorgeous gardens and

beautiful villages. But for something different

you might like to pop to the Fondation

du Doute in Blois. This the only place in

Europe dedicated to the movement known

as Fluxus which began in the 1960’s in New

York with the ethos: “museums do not have

the authority to determine the value of art”.

Fluxus is a form of art that embraces humour

and maybe a bit of anarchy. Remember this

as you wander the galleries of this art venue

(“not a museum” the staff are adamant),

because the artwork on show here is really

very different indeed.

Among the very eclectic displays is a car

door installation which forms a bizarre

orchestra as some forty car doors are

smashed by hammers operated by small

electric motors. And there is a wall of photos

of naked derrières of artists (incognito),

including Yoko Ono and Andy Warhol. “Is it

art?” you may ask yourself. Well, the point of

Fluxus is to show we all have the ability to be

creative. It’s certainly odd and oddly fun, plus

there’s a great little café on the ground floor.

Fondation du Doute the walls covered with the art of Benjamin Vautier,

known as Ben

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In the footsteps of the

Impressionists in and

around Paris

Immerse yourself in the rich inventory

left by the impressionists says

Marian Jones.

Imagine the excitement in Paris in the

early 1870s. The wide pavements on Baron

Haussman’s new boulevards were filling up

with café terraces and Charles Garnier’s

snazzy new Opera House was taking shape.

But for the up-and-coming artists, busy trying

out new techniques, things started with more

of a whimper than a bang. Rejected by the art

establishment, they set up their own exhibition

in Boulevard des Capucines, just along from

Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass, Orsay Museum

the Opera, but the critics were not impressed

and sniffed that the work displayed was just

‘indecipherable palette scrapings’.

The critics have been proved wrong, wrong,

wrong because among the artists exhibiting

their work were Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste

Renoir, Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot, Camille

Pissarro, Alfred Sisley and Paul Cézanne. It

was the moment the Impressionist movement

was born. Monet himself suggested the

title ‘Impression, Sunrise’ for his painting

of Le Havre’s port, which prompted a

visiting reviewer to describe the group as

‘impressionists’. He may have meant it

dismissively, but the name certainly stuck.

The Impressionists were a breath of fresh

air, often preferring to paint outdoors, trying

to capture brief moments, using quick

brushstrokes to focus on light and colour.

It worked! Today, their work is found in

prestigious galleries all over the world, as well

as on the prints, tea towels and keyrings which

tourists buy as souvenirs of Paris, the world

capital of Impressionism.

Here are the 5 top places to visit in and

around Paris to find out more.

The Musée d’Orsay

Definitely the place to start! On the 5 th floor

you’ll find a mini history of Impressionism,

with many well-known paintings displayed

in chronological order, along with info

panels which help you build up a picture

of the movement. Among the star exhibits

are Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass, which

caused such a stir at the first Exhibition of

Impressionism, Renoir’s Dance at the Moulin

de la Galette, countryside scenes by Sisley,

Pissarro and Cézanne and well-known Monet

works of, for example, water lilies, poppy fields

and the Gare Saint-Lazare.

Further on are works which followed

Impressionism, showing how the artists

influenced what came later. The ‘pointillist’

Georges Seurat painted scenes using

Van Gogh’s self-portrait, Orsay Museum

Renoir Bal au Moulin de la Galette, Orsay Museum

thousands of little coloured dots and the

post-impressionist Paul Gauguin used the

movement’s vibrant colours in his depictions

of life in Tahiti. Famous Vincent Van Gogh

works here include Starry Night, Bedroom

at Arles and a haunting self-portrait which

he painted while living in an asylum at Saint-

Rémy-de-Provence. Explanatory notes help

you understand what you see, explaining for

example that Van Gogh’s ‘swirling turquoise

background reveals an inner turmoil.’

The Orsay Museum covers about 75 years, from

1850 onwards, so if you have time, you can visit

other areas exhibiting works from before and

after the main period of Impressionism which

will set everything in context.


Children Playing at a Basin, Berthe Morisot

Musée Marmottan Monet

A 10-minute walk from La Muette metro

station (Line 9), an elegant mansion houses

the world’s leading collections of both Claude

Monet and Berthe Morisot, not least the

painting which began the whole movement,

Impression, Sunrise. (A note pops up on the

website if it’s currently on loan elsewhere!)

Over 100 of Monet’s paintings were donated

to the museum by his son, Michel Monet.

Here you can wallow in a whole selection of

Monet’s lily paintings, alongside other wellknown

works such as The Train in the Snow

and Taking a Walk at Argenteuil. There are

also portraits by Renoir of both Monet and his

wife, as well as photographs and a sculpted

bust of a distinguished, elderly Monet.

The Marmottan also has more paintings by

Berthe Morisot – the best-known female

Impressionist – than anywhere else, some 25

in total, alongside prints and drawings. They

include charming domestic scenes such as

The Cherry Tree and Children Playing at a

Basin, showing her daughter Julie and a friend

playing in their kitchen. It’s a chance to learn

much more about this under-rated artist, who

lived nearby and whose portrait, painted by

her brother-in-law Édouard Manet, is also on

display here.

Monet’s Impression, Sunrise Musée Marmottan

Monet’s Lilies, Orangerie

a little gem of a gallery is home to something

very special: Monet’s lily paintings, eight

enormous panels begun during the First World

War and bequeathed to the nation on the day

after the Armistice was signed in 1918. They

are displayed in a room designed to Monet’s

own specifications, creating, as he put it, ‘a

refuge of peaceful meditation’. Also in the

collection are a number of Cézanne canvases,

both country scenes and still lifes, plus a

good range of early 20 th century works by, for

example, Modigliani, Picasso and Matisse.

The Orangerie

Handily situated at the Place de la Concorde

end of the Tuileries Gardens, the Orangerie,


Lily ponds, Monet’s garden

Monet’s house, Giverny

There’s a good argument for detouring from

Paris to Giverny. Make time to stop off at

the village church, Sainte Radégonde, where

Monet is buried, visit the pretty village

And allow a couple of hours to visit the house

where Monet spent the last 45 years of his life

and the garden he designed and painted so

often. Rounding the pond, with its clusters of

lily pads, abundance of trees and Japanese

bridge, you feel as if you are inside a Monet

canvas. Nearing the house, you find the

flower beds arranged by colour, like an artist’s

palette, and behind them, the dusky pink

house with its dark green shutters.

Inside the house, you feel Monet all around

you, not least in the bright colours he selected

for each room: pale blue for the salon, with

all the wooden details picked out in turquoise,

sunshine yellow for everything – walls,

cabinets, chairs – in the dining room. In the

drawing room, originally his first studio, are

reproductions of his own paintings, which he

said represented ‘every stage of my life’. As the

guidebook says, in this house ‘the whole story

of impressionism is told’, for all through it you

see copies of the works by other artists with

which Monet chose to surround himself. They

include Caillebotte’s Paris Street, Rainy Day’

and 30 more works by Renoir, Morisot, Degas

and Pissarro.

Maison Impressioniste,

Argenteuil

Why not take a train to Argenteuil, as many

Impressionist artists did, where you can visit

the house where Monet lived during the 1870s

and which is now a museum. It takes just 15

minutes from Gare Saint-Lazare and the

museum is two minutes’ walk from the station.

Monet painted some 250 canvases while in

Argenteuil, then a country town, many of them

of this house, the town and the surrounding

countryside. The house and garden are much

as he knew them and the displays include

digital copies of some of his paintings, a film

(with English subtitles) about Monet’s life and a

reproduction of the ‘boat studio’ which he set

up on the river at Argenteuil.

Monet, Maison Impressioniste


Terrasson © Rudolf Abraham

Nuts about the

Dordogne Valley

If you have a taste for history – the Dordogne Valley with its ancient

towns and foodie vibes will satisfy your soul says Rudolf Abraham.

© Rudolf Abraham

Brive’s busy Saturday market is the one of

the largest and most vibrant in the Dordogne

Valley, with some 200 stallholders or gueules

de marché offering a panoply of wonderful

local produce. There are sweet-smelling

strawberries, crates filled with crisp greens,

rows of plaited garlic, exquisite cèpes (porcini),

mouth-watering cheeses, and – one of the

reasons I’m here in the beautiful market town

of Brive-La-Gaillard – walnuts.

The market largely takes over the car park on

one side of Avenue du 14 Juillet, next to the

Halle Brassens which is used as a livestock

market or, if you arrive on a weekend in early

November as I did, to house the huge annual

book fair. You’ll no doubt be wondering about

the 22m-high lighthouse nearby, rising above

what is now the Tourist Office and looking as

if it somehow got lost and accidentally found

itself some 200km or more from the sea. It’s

actually a former water tower, built in the

1830s for the livestock market, apparently

with a stylistic nod to the fact that, once upon

a time, this was all the floor of a prehistoric

ocean anyway.

Along with the area beside Halle Brassens,

Brive’s market also occupies Halle Gaillarde,

a modern, covered hall surrounded by and

filled with yet more stalls, including some

mouth-watering food stalls, one of which – Le

comptoir de Clément – we stop at for a quick

bite of lunch. Then it’s off to learn more about

noix in the Dordogne Valley by way of one of

its favourite tipples.

Walnuts have been cultivated in the

Dordogne Valley since the 10th century,

although they arrived in France several

hundred years earlier, probably brought by

the Romans who founded Brive in the 1st

century. Today the Dordogne Valley is the

largest and most prestigious walnut-growing

region in France, and the four varieties

grown here – Franquette, Corne, Marbot and

Granjean – enjoy AOP (Appellation d’Origine

Protégée) status.

Along with the mountains of unshelled walnuts

on market stalls, you’ll find the Dordogne’s


© Rudolf Abraham

AOP noix making an auspicious appearance

in the region’s heavenly gastronomy, of

which it’s just as much an essential part as

the more celebrated Périgord truffle. At the

Abbaye d’Echourgnac west of Perigueux, the

Cistercian nuns make Trappe d’Echourgnac,

a delicious soft cheese where the affinage

(maturation) includes the addition of local

vin de noix. And whether in Brive or further

afield in the Dordogne Valley, you’re unlikely

to have to go very far before finding yourself

with another opportunity to indulge in some

Gâteau aux noix – more a tart than a cake,

unspeakably moreish and incredibly light.

The two quintessential walnut products of

the Dordogne however are its walnut oil, and

vin de noix (walnut wine), the fortified wine

already alluded to. Obviously, you should aim

to go home with a bottle of each.

With this in mind, my next port of call in Brive

is the Denoix Distillery. Founded in 1839, this

is the oldest distillery in Brive, built on the

success of its Triple Sec Curaçao and Suprême

Denoix – both of which are still produced to

the original recipes, along with a number of

other drinks, and the company’s Moutarde

Violette de Brive. Suprême Denoix, you’ll be

pleased to know, was championed in the 19th

century for its beneficial qualities which were

said to include aiding digestion, reducing

fevers, combating cholera and (best of all)

its superlative deworming properties. Which

wouldn’t sell it as well these days, I agree.

If the 40% strength Suprême isn’t your thing,

try their Quinqui Noix, a deliciously smooth

vin de noix – served chilled, this is the perfect

Dordogne aperitif. The walnuts used for

producing vin de noix are harvested in July,

when they’re still green and the shells haven’t

yet formed (the usual walnut harvest is in

October). After being crushed to extract their

juice, the latter is mixed with alcohol and aged

for six years in oak barrels, before being added

to a red or white wine base (white, in the case

of Quinqui Noix). For the Suprême Denoix,

the distilled and aged walnut juice is blended

with Armagnac, Cognac and sugar syrup. The

Denoix Distillery is now in its sixth generation,

with Paul Bastier along with his wife Marie

Denoix having taken the reigns in 2019.

Before heading out of town to visit Maison

Castagné, a walnut oil press on the outskirts

of the mind-bogglingly photogenic village of

Martel, I wander through the narrow streets

of Brive’s old town centre, taking in the

Renaissance-era Tour des Èchevins, and the

Collégiale Saint-Martin with its striking 13th

century nave – look up at the elaborately

sculpted capitals on the columns.

Tapestry at Musée Labenche, © Rudolf Abraham

The real surprise however is the Musée

Labenche, housed in the Hôtel Labenche

(one of the finest examples of 16th century

Renaissance architecture in the Dordogne).

The collections include an astonishing group

of six large-scale 17th century tapestries,

the work of England’s celebrated Mortlake

Tapestry Works near London, along with

several more from the Aubusson tapestry

workshop in France. And to top it off you’ll find

a 19th century baby grand piano which once

belonged to Claude Debussy just around the

corner in the next room.

Marqueyssac Gardens © Rudolf Abraham

Denoix Distillery © Rudolf Abraham

Chateau Beynac on the route de la Noix © Rudolf Abraham


Romain Castagné © Rudolf Abraham

Chateau de Hautefort © Rudolf Abraham

Romain Castagné © Rudolf Abraham

On the way to Martel, it would be almost

unthinkable not to visit the extraordinary

Jardins de Marqueyssac – frankly, some of the

most fabulously beautiful gardens I’ve ever

seen, with their elaborate boxwood topiary,

clifftop paths and strutting peacocks – along

with the imposing Château de Beynac and

the exceptionally well-preserved Château de

Fenelon. Any of these make for an easy day

trip from Brive, or you could follow La Route

de la Noix, a somewhat less eclectic route

than mine which ties together many of the

region’s walnut-themed highlights.

Romain Castagné rakes his fingers through

the pale, sand-coloured powder, pauses midsentence,

and brings it up to his nose. It looks

for all the world like a pile of sawdust – but the

sweet, heavy scent of walnuts gives it away,

filling the air to the extent that, if I closed

my eyes, I might be standing in a cake shop.

There’s a large millstone on one side of the

room, and a fire, just stoked, glows orange

through the open door of a stove.

Romain is a sixth-generation walnut grower at

the Maison Castagné organic farm and walnut

mill, together with his brother Adrien who

also runs the extremely good Le Petit Moulin

restaurant in nearby Martel. Before we head

back into the shop for a tasting, he talks me

through the process of making walnut oil. After

the walnuts have been shelled and sorted,

the kernels are crushed by that no-nonsense,

800kg granite millstone – which moves at an

alarming pace, pulverising them relentlessly

for half an hour and turning the kernels into a

dough-like paste. This paste is then roasted in

a large tray above a wood stove – the degree

to which it is roasted gives the oil its particular

flavour – before being placed in a hydraulic

press to extract the oil. The oil is left to settle

for three weeks in stainless steel tanks before

bottling, and the dry, oil-less ‘cake’ left in the

press is sifted and sold as walnut flour.

I stop for dinner in Terrasson-Lavilledieu –

which looks fantastic in the late evening

light, seeming to levitate above the Vézère

– and in the morning pay a visit to the

hugely impressive 17th century Château de

Hautefort, with its immaculate gardens. Then

it’s time to head back towards Brive, and my

train to Paris – the roads lined with walnut

orchards, planted in neat rows and casting

long shadows in the sun.

For heaps more info on what to see and

do in the area, visit Dordogne Valley

visit-dordogne-valley.co.uk and Brive

Tourismebrive-tourisme.com


© Andy Parent, Arc 1950

Alpine heaven at Arc 1950 © Andy Parent, Arc 1950


ARC 1950 – an

Alpine paradise

The French Alps aren’t only a winter playground – when the warm air rolls across the

mountaintops and the winter snow has melted, the entire Alpine region transforms. Swathes

of wildflowers begin to carpet the landscape, the scent of blossom fills the fresh mountain air,

and blue skies are reflected in the clear, calm lakes. In Arc 1950, one of the prettiest, and most

modern villages in the Alps, the sunny days are filled with a raft of outdoor activities – it’s the

perfect place to enjoy the outstanding natural beauty of Savoie.

Activities in Arc 1950

The uplifting sight of the majestic Mont Blanc

mountain, also known as the Sacred Mountain,

is ever present in Arc 1950, and dominates the

mountains of the Tarentaise Valley. The area

is world famous for its ski resorts, but recent

years have seen savvy, nature-loving holiday

makers fall head over heels for the dazzling

natural beauty of the area outside of the ski

season, and has led to the village creating a

spectacular programme of activities and events

from early summer through to autumn.

Rare and beautiful flowers, birds and wildlife

share the landscape with visitors. An extensive

range of hikes and bike trails make this a

walker’s paradise and there are many ancient

tracks you can follow, built to allow local

farmers and animals to pass to summer grazing

pastures. In July and August ski lifts open to

offer walkers and mountain bikers access to the

vast mountains area.

The sparkling mountain lakes are ideal for

a cooling dip. Adrenaline junkies will adore

canyoning! Plunge into the mountain streams,

abseil, cascade into pools, and ride the river

rapids for an invigorating, exciting activity that

you won’t forget in a hurry! Or take a thrilling

adrenaline-filled zip wire ride with an 130km/h

descent - that should do it! Rock climbing,

paragliding and cycling are also available.



Perfect for lovers of the great outdoors © Andy Parent, Arc 1950 Pedestriansed and family friendly © Andy Parent, Arc 1950

Water babies will love the range of sports from

kayaking, canoeing and even white-water

rafting. Or simply chill out and enjoy a round

of golf at nearby Bourg St Maurice, take a

helicopter ride, or enjoy a spot of fishing,

the nearby lakes of Saint-Jacques, Marlou

and the Vallée de l’Arc are all stuffed with

rainbow trout. And, if you’ve never sunbathed

at the top of a mountain, soaking up the rays

alongside the breath-taking, unspoiled views –

you’re in for a treat!

You can be as energetic as you like – or not…


In the lovely colourful, 100% car-free village

of Arc 1950 there are even more activities

to choose from including fitness, Zumba

and archery.

The place where kids

are never bored

Families and those seeking a baby-friendly

bolt hole will find everything they need in

Arc 1950. Pedestrianised plazas, a host of

entertainment options from ping pong tables

in the streets, bouncy castles, trampolines

and heaps more – you won’t hear “I’m bored”

from the kids here. In the summer, weekly

free family fun days include everything from

art workshops to acrobranch, plus there

are activity camps and kids’ clubs. Weekly

concerts and shows are held in the village

square – a magical setting as Mont Blanc

glows in the soft light of the sunset.

And if you want even more things to do – just

ask the locals! 90% of employees in the

village live locally and they love to share their

top tips. Want to know a great place for an

aperitif? Ask a local. Bakers Isa and David

Bosquet of Boulangerie Arc Doré will tell you

“That’s a tough one, there are so many great

places – but we love the terraces at Chez

Léontine, Perce Neige and Chez Luigi.”

Ask Florian Autier of Chez Luigi bar and

restaurant what to drink as the sun sets,

and he recommends “a cocktail, chilled

beer or génépi, the local liqueur, a taste of

the mountains.”

Meanwhile the Barbin family at Meli’s Snack

bar will share their favourite place to watch

the sun set: “the summit of Arcabulle – it’s

stunning,” while for Léa Deslands of Wood

Bear Café, “the top of Aiguille Grive is the

perfect spot to chill and watch the sun dip,”

and Van der Wees of the village souvenir gift

shop loves to sit and sip in the village square,

enjoying the lively atmosphere.

They’ll all tell you this village has a wonderfully

welcoming ambiance, that they love to share

Arc 1950 and the local area, and that the

many activities keep you entertained from

sunup to sundown.

There are plenty of bars, restaurants and

food shops – the perfect chance to try new

cheeses, local produce and delicious mountain

gastronomy. A wide choice of self-catering

accommodation is available, and you can

leave the car behind and enjoy the nature and

beauty of Arc 1950 as it’s easily reached by

train and plane and connecting bus services.

How to get to Arc 1950

TGV station Bourg-Saint-Maurice is 35

minutes away by bus or you can take

the funicular which runs daily to Arc

1600 from where you can take a free

interstation shuttle to Arc 1950 and the

other villages of Les Arcs.

Lyon Saint Expury from where you can

take a bus with altibus.com; Chambéry-

Savoie, with a Trans’neige bus transfer;

Geneva Cointrain (alpski-bus.com).

Find heaps more information at:

arc1950.com


Seasons in

France

3

fabulous

spring

break

destinations

MARCH:

Versailles, gilded

and gorgeous

The royal city is good to visit all year

round and in March there are less crowds

at the Palace and the gardens are free

to visit when the musical fountains are

closed (end March to end October, and

if you’re lucky sparkling with a dusting

of frost. Book your ticket for the palace

online beforehand or buy them at the

tourist office – it’s a good way to avoid

queues. If you want to see everything

– including the Queen’s Hamlet and

Trianon Estate, allow for a long day or

1.5 days at a relaxed pace. The gardens

are free to visit There’s much more to this

lovely city than the palace - don’t miss

the Notre-Dame market, it’s the second

largest market in France and one of the

best (daily but best days are Tuesday,

Friday, Saturday). Built during the

reign of Louis XIII (1610-1643). The city

boasts sensational architecture, several

museums and great restaurants.

APRIL:

Tours, delicious and

historic

Tours is at the heart of the Loire Valley and

a great base to visit the chateaux, vineyards

and lovely villages. As the weather warms up in

spring, there’s no better place to sit and watch

the world go by with a glass of local wine

than In the lovely place Plumereau in the old

district, which has been voted “best place for

an aperitif in France.”

The former Gallo Roman city is crossed

by medieval winding lanes, full of ancient

buildings and timber-framed houses, soaring

churches and several museums – don’t miss

the world’s only Guild Museum, which exhibits

masterpieces made by guildsmen through

the ages. Tours is a gastronomic destination

with a magnificent covered market – the

‘belly of Tours’ - plus a flower market, flea

market (Place Victoire) and a craft market

on Saturdays. Take your pick of superb

restaurants serving

local specialities

from cheeses to

fish, cakes, pies

and more – don’t

miss the log shaped

Sainte-Maure-de-

Touraine, delicious

fresh goats milk

cheese and Sellessur-Cher,

a disk

shaped, slightly

nutty-tasting goats’

cheese.

It's a good time to

visit the surrounding

chateaux (several

of which can be

reached by train

from Tours including

Chenonceau, Blois

and Amboise), with

gardens bursting

into life.


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

MAY:

Camon, village of roses

This pretty Plus Beaux Village, located

near Mirepoix and Lagarde, in the hollow

of the Ariège valley is best visited in May

and June when the roses are in bloom. The

ancient houses and narrow winding streets

are smothered in rose bushes. Nicknamed "

the little Carcassonne ", this tiny medieval

village is surrounded by ramparts on which

grow vines, and it’s a perfect relaxing weekend

destination and base for the wider area.

If you can - go on the 3rd Sunday in May

when the annual Rose Festival takes place.

There are lots of roses and plant sellers, the

whole town is filled with the scent of their

soft blooms. There’s also a gourmet market,

events in the Abbey cloister and concerts in

the church.

WOOD-FIRED HOT TUBS AND SAUNAS

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Kick back and relax in a Cotswold Eco Tub

Delivered all over France

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Hotel La Prison

SPOTLIGHT on:

Béziers

down in 1209 by Simon de Montfort during

the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars

or Albigensians after the town of Albi where

the movement began. Denounced by the

Pope, this strict Christian sect suffered

a turbulent history that still reverberates

throughout the area.

Included in the first official list of classified

Monuments Historiques in 1840, Béziers

cathedral was rebuilt as a Gothic ‘fortress’

and offers even loftier views than La Prison

for those tough enough to brave the 162 steps

to the roof gallery. Outside, the Place des

Alibgeois was pedestrianised in 2023 as part

of the city’s regeneration initiative and is now

a favourite spot for locals to relax beneath the

trees in the heat of the day or to gather for a

sunset selfie against that panoramic backdrop.

Béziers

Gillian Thornton visits the oldest

city in France

Beneath the walls of my hilltop hotel,

high above the Hérault countryside,

terracotta tiles and pastel properties

give way to an unrivalled panorama of

vineyards and distant hills. A magical

setting whether seen from the hotel’s

spacious restaurant or through a

bedroom window.

So imagine the frustration of looking out not

as a hotel guest, but as a resident of the prison

that formerly occupied this unique building in

Béziers, capital of the Languedoc vineyards.

The last prisoner left only in 2009 and, in

2023, this atmospheric property reopened as

Hôtel La Prison.

Today guests enjoy every modern comfort,

albeit it in cosy quarters. I’m travelling with

a friend and we share a cell that is compact

but en-suite and infinitely more comfortable

than the spartan school dormitory we dubbed

‘the prison’ on our first teenage study week to

France. A fitting finale to our sea-and-city rail

trip through the far south of Occitanie.

La Prison clings to the edge of a rocky

promontory above the river Orb, next door

to the Cathedral of Saint-Nazaire and Saint-

Celse. Built on the site of a Roman temple,

the original Romanesque church was burnt

Roman amphitheatre



Turn your back on the Cathedral to explore

the historic quarter of Béziers. Founded by

the Greeks in the 7th century BC, a few years

before Marseille, it is generally recognised

as France’s oldest city. Romans followed

Greeks and you can still wander through

their amphitheatre, built in 80AD to seat up

to 13,000 spectators. But most of the city’s

earliest monuments exist in name only. Place

du Forum is today home to the Tourist Office

and surrounded by facades dating from the

17th century.

Beziers owes its elegant city centre

architecture to a 17th century visionary and

a 19th century epidemic. Salt tax collector

Pierre Paul Riquet was born here in 1609

in the reign of Louis XIV, the son of a local

businessman. At the age of 58, with no

relevant experience, Riquet began one of

the most ambitious engineering projects of

the age, the Canal du Midi, to provide the

missing link in a waterway joining the Atlantic

with the Mediterranean.

Historic quarter

Flower market, Allées Paul Riquet

L’Arlésienne

The city grew wealthy from the new trade

route and today his statue stands in the

Allées Paul Riquet, a tree-lined boulevard

linking the Municipal Theatre with the

Parc des Poètes. Flanked by ornate town

houses, Riquet’s beautiful boulevard and the

adjacent square have also enjoyed a recent

makeover, a shallow water feature now

flowing symbolically to the foot of his statue.

Béziers prospered again in the mid-19 th

century as vineyards in other parts of France

were ravaged by phylloxera aphids.

Soak up the atmosphere of the historic

streets by following the Trompe l’Oeil trail of

19 painted walls that celebrate key people

and events in the city’s history. Having

studied Molière for our teenage French

exams, we were pleased to find a mural

honouring the performance of his first ever

play here in 1656. Camille Saint-Saëns

is represented too in Place Saint-Esprit,

commemorating a local performance of his

opera Déjanire.

And just off the Allées Paul Riquet we loved

the wonderful café window, L’Arlésienne,

that recalls a true story about a man jilted

by his fiancée. Told by Alphonse Daudet

in Les Lettres de mon Moulin, it was later

performed on stage with music by Georges

Bizet, but Daudet moved the action to

Arles, hence L’Arlésienne, but in real life, the

central female character was from Béziers

and therefore une biterroise.


We also find sculptor Jean-Antoine Injalbert,

whose bust of ‘Marianne’ – or ‘La République’

– was created in 1889 to celebrate the

centenary of the Revolution and now graces

town halls all over France. Born in Béziers

in 1845, Injalbert died in 1933 and rests in

the Old Cemetery in a tomb decorated by a

figure he carved himself.

With its sunny climate, Beziers is a delightful

spot to people-watch from a café terrace,

sit beneath the shade of Riquet’s stylish

boulevard, or search out a back-street bistro.

Alternatively, sit down to a picnic in Parc des

Poètes opposite the station. A symbol of the

town’s 19 th century prosperity, this 5-hectare

green space showcases plants from five

continents amongst busts of famous Occitan

poets and a grand fountain of Titan sculpted

by – guess who – Monsieur Injalbert.

Injalbert trompe l’oeuil

Allées Paul Riquet

In fact green space is never far away in

Béziers. From Hotel La Prison and the

Cathedral, it is just a 30-minute walk to the

Canal du Midi and the spectacular Fonserane

Locks, now accessible to all thanks to a series

of lifts, ramps and level path. One of the

most impressive feats of engineering on the

Canal du Midi, this extraordinary ‘staircase’

was originally made up of nine locks although

only seven are still in service, allowing boats

to cover a 13.6 metre elevation in just 300

metres. Take a towpath walk down to the Pont-

Canal, a bridge inaugurated in 1858 to carry

the canal over the Orb and avoid crossing the

river in times of high water.

For food with a view, book a table at Le

Restaurant des 9 Ecluses beside the locks for

a sweeping panorama back to the cathedral;

discover the story of Riquet’s extraordinary

feat in a 14-minute immersive theatre

experience; and maybe take a guided cruise

excursion on this world-famous waterway.

United States President Thomas Jefferson,

former US ambassador to France, spent nine

days cruising on the Canal du Midi in May

1787 to see how such a canal could meet the

transport needs of his own country. The result?

The Erie Canal in New York State, inaugurated

in 1827, one year after Jefferson’s death.

When you feel like a breath of sea air, the

beach is in easy reach too. For the ultimate in

sustainable travel, hire a bike in Béziers and

follow the 20km cycle path to the Orpellières

nature reserve at the mouth of the river Orb,

close to Valras-Plage. Relax on the sands,

explore the salt marsh trails, and refuel at the

café in the new visitor centre at Sérignan-

Plage where you can also book guided walks,

paddleboard excursions and summer jazz

evenings at the heart of this tranquil wetland.

Or jump on a train or shuttle bus in Béziers

and head to historic Agde and the buzzing

modern resort of Cap d’Agde (see feature in

TGLF Magazine issue no. 39), launched in the

1960s and home to France’s only museum of

underwater archaeology. A sea-and-city break

that can be as active or passive as you choose.

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Gillian Thornton follows the towpath.

Slicing south-west across the Occitanie

region for 240km, the Canal du Midi links

the Canal Latéral de la Garonne in Toulouse

to the Mediterranean coast at Sète, passing

through 63 locks and beneath more than

300 bridges.

Ever since the Roman Empire, men had

dreamed of a coast-to-coast waterway,

but the problems of cost and geography

seemed insurmountable. The brightest brains

puzzled over how to ensure a constant flow

of water and, in particular, how to cross the

highest point, 190m above sea level. But tax

inspector Pierre-Paul Riquet was confident he

could do it and in 1666, Louis XIV authorised

him to start work on the Canal Royal du

Languedoc, providing employment for

thousands of local workers.

Explore the

Canal du Midi

in Occitanie

The canal took 14 years to build, decimating

Riquet’s fortune, and when he died in

1680, there was still 4 km to complete,

but after its completion in 1681, this liquid

thoroughfare launched an economic and

agricultural boom. No more lengthy journeys

sailing round Spain and paying hefty port

taxes. Now barges could sail down the

Garonne river from the Atlantic and along a

continuous canal to the Mediterranean.

Riquet understood that only by harnessing

the waters of the Montagne Noire in the

department of Tarn could a canal cross

the watershed. So in 1648, he settled

in Revel eventually discovering a place

where mountain streams flowed through a

narrow gorge. Between 1667 and 1672, an

army of workers created the lake of Saint-

Ferréol on the border of Tarn and Haute-

Garonne to retain water from the mountain

behind a huge dam – the first of its kind in

Canal du Midi at Les Mazazzes © Walter Pascale, Occitanie Tourism

France. From there it was channelled to the

watershed at Naurouze.

Today, the highest point on the route is marked

by an obelisk whilst the lake at Saint-Férreol

has become a popular place to swim and stroll

through the pine-scented forest. Discover how

Riquet achieved the impossible in the Reservoir

Museum at Revel in Haute-Garonne.

The canal was not perfect, especially where

it crossed rivers with fluctuating water levels,

but improvements were made by the Marquis

de Vauban, military architect and Mr Fix-It to

Louis XIV. Walk through the Voûte Vauban,

a 122-metre brick tunnel at Les Cammazes

beneath the Montagne Noire and enjoy the

combination of history and natural history.

Renamed after the Revolution, the Canal du

Midi saw 300 years of commercial traffic

come to an end in 1990, but today the

UNESCO World Heritage site has a new

lease of life as a leisure attraction. Enjoy a

river cruise holiday, take a guided boating

excursion, or walk or cycle the shady towpath.

Many of the 42,000 plane trees planted

between Toulouse and Sète have been lost to

disease, but a major replanting programme

is now using species better suited to the

Mediterranean climate.

Many towns and villages at canal level offer

exhibitions and activities beside the water.

Canal du Midi at Beziers, © Gillian Thornton

At Castelnaudary, take a short excursion

cruise with commentary, rent a small boat

for an afternoon, or hire a bike. And at Port

Lauragais, find out more about the Canal at

the Haute-Garonne Visitor Centre or maybe

rent a boat for a two-day mini cruise to

Toulouse; the city’s beautiful old town is just a

20-minute walk from Port-Saint-Sauveur.

But it’s hard to top Riquet’s home town of

Béziers for waterway wonders. The Nine Locks

of Fonseranes that form that unique staircase.

The Malpas tunnel, secretly excavated in just

three months without royal authorisation. And

the 19 th century bridge that later diverted the

route at the 7 th lock, enabling boats on the

Canal to cross over the Orb, 12 metres above

its capricious water level – Riquet, one feels,

would have been seriously impressed!


France Calendar

SPRING

MARCH

Grimaud, Gulf of

Saint-Tropez

In the south of France

in early March, flowers

start to bloom even

before spring arrives.

In the hills around

swanky Saint-Tropez

are a swathe of lovely

villages including

gorgeous Grimaud,

it’s winding, cobbled

medieval streets are

some of the prettiest in

France – perfect for a

late winter/early spring

break.

A view of France each month to

illustrate the stunning seasons –

Spring in France is a time of roses

and blossom and renewal!

APRIL

MAY

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)

Cassis,

Provence on

sea!

This picturesque

seaside village

in the heart

of Provence

is everything

an ardent

Francophile

could hope

for – azure blue

Mediterranean

sea, colourful

streets, stunning

countryside,

sea cliffs and

vineyards.

Chedigny, Loire

Valley

France has

several “rose

villages”, awash

with colour as

the exuberant

roses take

centre stage

as they climb

over the walls of

houses, garden

hedges and

every surface.

Pint-sized

Chedigny in the

Loire Valley is a

picture-postcard

perfect rose

village – ideal for

visits in May and

June.


What’s

NEW

Spring 2025

April fool éclair!

Welcome to spring in France! As gardens and parks burst into bloom, fêtes and

festivals galore take place, major anniversaries are celebrated and there’s loads

going on.

Major Anniversaries

THE Caen Millenium, Caen, Normandy

Caen will be celebrating 1,000 years of

history in 2025! A programme of artistic and

cultural events is planned including parades,

street performance, exhibitions and more

from March 2025. Some events will require

tickets. Find out more: caenlamer-tourisme

10th anniversary of UNESCO

listing for champagne

Champagne, Grand Est

In 2025, the ‘Coteaux, Maisons et Caves

de Champagne’ (Champagne’s Hillsides,

Houses and Cellars) will celebrate the

10th anniversary of their inclusion on the

UNESCO World Heritage List. There will be

sparkling celebrations throughout the year.

15th anniversary of UNESCO listing of

the ‘Repas Gastronomique des Francais’

Inscribed in 2010 on the list of Intangible

Cultural Heritage, France’s ‘gastronomic

meal’ is a customary social practice

designed to celebrate important life

moments. You can celebrate all over France

– just eat!

Cezanne’s studio, Aix

Champagne

What’s New?

Reopening of Cezanne’s former

home and studio in Aix-en-Provence,

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Aix-en-Provence is in for a major Cézanne

celebration starting in spring 2025 with

the reopening of two major artistic sites:

his studio, housing the models for his final

still-life paintings, his furniture, equipment

and objects dear to him; and his family

home at Jas de Bouffan, listed as a

historic monument. Cézanne’s favourite

views, which appeared in around 50 of his

oils and watercolours, are also on display

in the house. The Good Life France will

be in Aix visiting these fabulous sites

ahead of the opening to bring you an

update in The Good Life France Summer

Magazine 2025.

National events in

Spring 2025

18 April – Good Friday National Holiday –

Alsace only

21 April Easter Monday National Holiday

1 May Labour Day/May Day National Holiday

8 May WWII Victory in Europe Day

National Holiday

29 May Ascension Day National Holiday

9 June Whit Monday National Holiday

Spring officially begins 20 March, and the

clocks spring forward one hour on 30 March.

1st April is poisson d’avril in France, April

Fool’s Day in English. You’ll see fish-shaped

chocolates and pastries in shops across

France. It’s traditional to stick paper cut-out

fish onto someone’s back and not let them

know. The idea is for them to walk around

unaware all day, entertaining onlookers. The

origins of le poisson d’avril are not clear but it’s

believed to go back to a tradition of giving fish

as a gift to celebrate the beginning of Easter

and the end of Lent.

What’s on?

Enjoy the Blues in Paris, 14 March –

11 April 2025

Seine-Saint-Denis: Banlieues Bleue:

Jazz, blues and world music in districts all

over Paris.

Kite Festival at Berck-sur-Mer,

Pas-de-Calais

At the seaside resort of Berck-sur-Mer

(Pas de Calais), the sky will be filled with

thousands of kites – the biggest and the


Kite Festival at Berck-sur-Mer

best in the world as this international festival

takes place on the beaches:

cerf-volant-berck.com

La Rederie d’Amiens, Amiens, Picardy

13 April 2025

The huge flea market of Amiens takes place for

just 2 days each year – April and October. The

second biggest flea market event in France

(Lille Braderie in September is the biggest).

Provence, Grasse – Expo-Rose,

8-11 May 2025

The annual Rose exhibition is held in Grasse

and for three days the town welcomes lovers

of roses, horticulturalists, growers and others

to take delight in the roses.

Fête de la Fraise, Limousin, Beaulieu-sur-

Dordogne, 11 May 2025

At this fabulous strawberry festival there’s

every kind of strawberry cake for you to try.

The biggest strawberry tart in the world is

made here – everyone can have a piece!

Thinking about relocating to France but

uncertain about what you need to know?

Roses at the Expo Rose market, Grasse © Xavier Giraud, Grasse Tourism

Audreselles crab festival

Audreselles crab festival, Pas-de-Calais,

14-15 June 2025

This authentic little festival – think sea

shanties, music and the freshest of seafood

- takes place in the picturesque and

traditional fishing village of Audresselles

and is a whole lot of delicious fun.

terredes2capstourisme.fr

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


Les Bons

Voisins

Taking

septic tank, fixing leaks or at the bottom

of the pool clearing it of slime. That was

definitely not part of the dream.

And, when you lock up and leave, you

want to know that your house is going to

be alright until you can get back. Or, if

something does go wrong, you need to

know that there is someone on the ground

who can take care of it for you, quickly

and efficiently.

Of course, if you’re renting your French

house as a holiday home, that comes

with its own set of challenges and there

are a raft of services that you may need

from cleaning and change overs to

swimming pool management, gardening

and guest bookings.

But above else, what you need is someone

who is reliable, trustworthy, personable

and knowledgeable and if they speak your

language too, well then that makes life

even easier.

A dream team

Like any home, whether you rent it out or not,

your French home needs regular TLC. If it’s an

old property you may need skilled artisans to

carry out some of the maintenance work or

you may just need a really good plumber or

someone who speaks French and knows the

French system who can help you with utilities,

insurance, registering your gite business or

obtaining planning permissions. And if you don’t

manage to visit your property often, there is

peace of mind from having someone you know,

like and trust, to check the property over for

you periodically and deal with any issues.

Services provided by

Les Bons Voisins include:

• Administrative Assistance

• Caretaking & Maintenance

• Cleaning & Changeovers

• Gardening

• Guest Booking Management

• Chimney Sweeping

• Keyholding & Security Checks

• Working with Local Artisans

• Swimming Pool Management

Put your mind at rest

You probably did not buy your French property

to spend your time there working or your time

away from France worrying. One of the best

ways you can help make and keep your French

dream a reality is by letting someone else give

you a helping hand.

Get in touch or find out more at:

Property Management Services in France |

LBV France

Care of

Your

Cue your neighbours

Or rather Les Bons Voisins (which

translates as good neighbours), a property

maintenance company with teams across

France. These are the guys who’ve got

your back.

French

What do they do?

Home

Les Bons Voisins offer a whole range of

services, and better still, if they can’t provide

the service you need, they will find someone

local and reliable who can.

Your French property may be your dream

holiday home, but one of the hardest things

about owning a house in France is maintaining

it while you’re not there…and sometimes even

when you are there.

After all, you don’t want to be spending your

well-earned French time wrestling with the

They can be as hands on or as hands off

as you want, meaning you can cherry pick

the services you need when you need them

or take advantage of services like their

fully managed guest management support

(which includes everything from dealing with

guest requests and enquiries to creating

information packs and accepting bookings).


caters for international flights, plus further

afield, airports in Bordeaux, La Rochelle and

Clermont-Ferrand). For those who want to live

the good life but also to earn an income, there

are lots of opportunities to run a B&B or gÎte

and plenty of properties with barns that can

be used as workshops.

The area benefits from great weather and

has the history and leisure activities of the

Dordogne and Languedoc – but it’s a lot

cheaper, with some of the lowest property

prices in France. It’s an area that offers a

relaxed lifestyle, it’s like stepping back to a

gentler time, where no-one locks their doors,

and the most important decision of the day is

what to have for lunch!

Discover the

LIMOUSIN

The Limousin is an area of glorious and

unspoiled countryside sprinkled with

picturesque villages, historic castles,

medieval churches, and forests and

waterways says Janine Marsh.

Limousin, in the centre of France, is part of the

super region Nouvelle Aquitaine and has three

departments – Haute Vienne (87), Creuse

(23) and Corrèze (19). All of them share an

outstanding natural landscape of woodlands,

green pastures and deep valleys. And all of

them offer a laidback rural lifestyle.

The main industry is farming – potatoes,

cattle, including Charolais and Limousin, and

wood. A roll-out of high-speed internet in the

area, along with Government support for the

area to be transformed into a tech centre,

has brought an increase in buyers to what

is the least populated region (circa 742k) in

mainland France.

Limousin benefits from long hot summers and

clearly defined seasons and the region is best

known to holidaymakers for its year-round

outdoor activities including cycling, hiking and

plenty of water sports.

It's also one of the best areas of France for

affordable property with 106 towns and 747

municipalities. There are excellent transport

links, the ferry port at Ouistreham near Caen

is around 5 hours’ drive, and Limoges Airport

Ségur-le-Chateau © Lauren Bavin

Collonges-la-Rouge

Corrèze

Corrèze is home to 5 Plus Beaux Villages

including Collonges-la-Rouges, famous for its

red brick and red roof buildings, and Ségurle-Chateau

which is especially lovely with its

12th century chateau, a river running through

the medieval village and in July and August, a

weekly night-time farmers market with music

and dancing. Close by Coussac-Bonneval,

which has a lovely chateau is popular with

both second home buyers and those who want

to make a permanent move. It ticks a lot of

boxes for those wanting village life, a bakery

and bar, great views and beautiful stone-built

houses. And in nearby Arnac Pompadour,

horse racing takes place throughout the

summer months, while 14th July sees one of

the department’s festival highlights with a


firework display over the chateau once lived in

by Louis XV’s mistress Madame Pompadour.

From Corrèze you can go skiing in the

mountains, go to the beach, have a day out

in Spain – or Paris, and all of them within

a morning’s drive. The area is close to the

A20 autoroute to Limoges and offers easy

accessibility to the airport. There’s a huge

range of house styles, plus you get more for

your money than in neighbouring Dordogne.

Creuse

The Creuse department is deal for those

wanting a tranquil lifestyle. It’s also the

cheapest department in Nouvelle Aquitaine,

but don’t let that fool you into writing it off.

The beauty of the area inspired impressionist

painters including Monet, and it’s famous for

its 600-year-old tradition of tapestry weaving,

especially in the town of Aubusson. Creuse is a

land of glorious countryside, castles, medieval

churches, forests and waterways including

Lac de Vassivière, one of the biggest lakes in

France. There are many beautiful old towns

like Felletin, and Chambon-sur-Voueize which

has a popular weekly market. And there are

lots of village festivals with music, food and

drinks, brocantes and markets. Trains from La

Souterraine take just 2.5 hours to reach Paris.

Haute-Vienne

Limousin’s capital is the lovely city of Limoges,

just 3.5 hours from Paris by train. It’s world

famous for its porcelain production and has a

beautiful medieval centre filled with charming

restaurants and cafés. Limoges airport has

regular flights to several airports in the UK as

well as within France and Europe.

This department offers both city living as well as

a rural lifestyle. The Périgord-Limousin Natural

Regional Park straddles Haute-Vienne and

neighbouring Dordogne. Popular towns include

medieval Bellac, Châlus, once home to King

Richard the Lionheart, and historic Rochechouart.

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Limoges

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GIRONDE:

Warm weather, local wines, greenery

and coastlines: the Gironde has it all.

best places

to buy

With the great city of Bordeaux at its heart,

the département of the Gironde is home to

world famous vineyards and wild dunes, long

sandy beaches and lush green countryside

dotted with charming villages. Whether

you’re looking for an elegant city-centre

apartment, a stone cottage in a rural idyll, a

seaside holiday retreat or a detached family

home in a typical market town, you’ll find it in

the Gironde.

Mags Deniaud and her French husband moved

from Yorkshire to the Gironde in 2003 in

search of a slower pace of life, with more time

outdoors. Now an estate agent with Leggett

Immobilier, Mags explains why they were

drawn to this part of southwest France.

“The area around Bordeaux ticked lots of

boxes for us, being close to a vibrant city

with good transport links and an international

airport that operates all year round,” she

explains. “It’s also close to the coast, with

beautiful landscapes of pretty villages and

rolling vineyards, and there are year-round

activities. We wanted a semi-rural lifestyle

but with the option of being able to go to

restaurants, join in local events and get to a

city easily. The Gironde is still very much an

authentic French area, though it’s popular

with other nationalities too. It’s a great place

to settle and bring up children, but it’s also an

ideal location for a second home, with plenty

of activities and places to visit.”

Bordeaux

Bordeaux

Bordeaux


Bordeaux sits at the centre of the Gironde,

a photogenic city that boasts 1,000,000

residents and over 350 historical monuments,

many of which have been restored and

renovated over the past two decades.

The nearby airport and high-speed rail

connections make this city highly accessible

– you can get here from Paris in just two

hours. And despite its metropolitan grandeur,

Saint-Emilion

Bordeaux is surrounded by vineyards – the

famous Saint-Emilion area is just a few

kilometres from the city – and lakes, including

the vast lac d’Hourtin-Carcans. Just 55km

from the coast, it’s easy to balance city living

with outdoor activities. Understandably, it’s

an attractive choice for businesses and the


Moving to France

Atlantic coast at Arcachon

city is home to 80,000 university students. A

150,000€ budget buys a central 22m² studio

complete with balcony, while 500,000€

would buy a 2-bedroom house near the parks

or a spacious 3-bed duplex apartment in a

traditional stone building.

“Saint-André-de-Cubzac, north of Bordeaux

is also a great location,” says Mags. “It’s more

affordable than central Bordeaux and is easily

commutable to the city thanks to the A10

motorway and a regular, direct train service as

well as easy access to park-and-ride trams.”

The Atlantic coast

Of course, one of the main attractions of the

Gironde is its 125 km of coastline, including

the largest sand dune in Europe, the Dune du

Pilat, rising to an impressive 106 metres. To

the north, you’ll find the lagoon-like waters

of Arcachon Bay, sheltering several beautiful

seaside resorts such as Audenge and Lanton,

offering seaside studio flats in purpose-built

holiday complexes for around 150,000€.

Following the curve of the bay, you will

reach the chic resort of Cap Ferret, a slim

peninsula of beaches and oyster farms that

is very popular with wealthy Parisians, giving

it a Côte-d’Azur feel. This exclusivity and

desirability mean that even a modest 30m²

Cap Ferret

studio fetches around 500,000€ in Cap

Ferret, but the people-watching is hard to beat!

More for your budget

If you want to get the most from your househunting

budget in the Gironde, simply head

away from the coast.

“Property and land are cheaper the further

you are from Bordeaux and the coast,”

explains Mags. “One example is Blaye, a town

of about 5,000 residents that offers good

value for money while still offering plenty of

activities and great transport links including

the A10 motorway and a car ferry that

crosses the estuary to the Médoc beaches.

Located to the north of the Gironde, Blaye

is on the estuary and it’s a really pretty town

Financial Planning for Expats

Planning a U.S. Return

Financial planning services

for US expats in France,

wherever you are on your

international journey…

sanderlingexpat.com


Our latest properties for sale in Gironde

Blaye

with a defensive citadel dating from the late

1600s that’s free to visit. It’s well known for

the red wine Côte de Blaye, produced in the

surrounding vineyards that you can visit for

tasting sessions.”

In Blaye, a budget of around 100,000€

would buy a 2-bedroom house or apartment

in need of a little work, while 500,000€ puts

you in reach of a detached, fully renovated

townhouse complete with large gardens and a

swimming pool.

“Properties are also cheaper as you head

towards the Dordogne, in locations such as

the riverside town of Gensac, where you’ll find

a pretty village home in pale stone complete

with a winding wooden staircase and ceiling

beams for just 125,000€. Or try the winemaking

town of Pineuilh, also near the

Dordogne border, where you’ll find detached

family homes for between 150,000€ and

200,000€.”

Nearby, the market town of Sainte-Foy-la-

Grande is another great location, almost

midway between Saint-Émilion and Bergerac.

It’s a walled Bastide town of timbered

buildings, terracotta rooftops and pale stone,

with the Dordogne river running through the

centre and plenty of charm. If you’re prepared

for a little renovation, a 100,000€ budget

here will buy a 3-bedroom house with a

garden or a 4-bedroom historic townhouse in

the centre.

Sainte-Foy-la-Grande Photo © Leggett Immobilier

Conclusion: why wait?

“We’ve lived here for over 20 years now,” says

Mags, “and for us, it’s the perfect compromise

of having a more relaxed lifestyle while still

having everything on our doorstep - the best

of both worlds. If location really is the key,

then the Gironde is very well situated, drivable

in a day from the channel ports, an easy drive

to visit the coast for the day, and only a couple

of hours from Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz and

the Spanish border. And if you love skiing, it’s

also not far from the Pyrénées resorts. Visitors

come from all over the country to spend their

holidays here and we get to live here, we feel

very lucky!”

You can see Mags’s property portfolio in the

Gironde here: frenchestateagents.com/

mags-deniaud

EXCLUSIVE

Mios €588,000

Ref: A32975 - Beautifully renovated 4-bedroom

barn with pool, and 3000m² gardens.



EXCLUSIVE

Margaux-Cantenac €999,800

Ref: A33737 - 5-bedroom house with 1-bedroom

mill, 1-bedroom cottage, pool and garden.



EXCLUSIVE

We are recruiting independent sales agents across France

Turn your skills into a

successful business with

Leggett Immobilier

Change starts here :

Barn Conversion

The Full Package!

Business Potential

Langon €670,000

Ref: A30193 - Large house with gîte, comprising

10 bedrooms, wooded garden and pool.



+33 (0)5 53 60 82 77 recruitment@leggett.fr

Character Property

Bourg €530,000

Ref: A29595 - Large 4-bedroom house with outbuildings,

3000m2 garden and beautiful views.



River Access

Saint-Avit-Saint-Nazaire €455,800

Ref: A34958 - 5-bedroom country house with

heated pool, barn, 1 ha park and river views.



Coastal Beauty

La Teste-de-Buch €1,775,000

Ref: A31971- Stunning 5-bedroom 172m²

luxury villa with pool, close to the Dune du Pilat.


Energy class: A Climate class: A

EXCLUSIVE

Near Blaye

Cartelègue €267,500

Ref: A34578 - Pretty 3-bedroom character

house with 52m2 loft, garden and garage.



EXCLUSIVE

Dream Home

Pompignac €576,000

Ref: A34533 - 3-bedroom south-facing home

with terraces, heated pool, garden and garage.


Energy class: A Climate class: A

EXCLUSIVE

Picturesque Property

Saint-Christophe-de-Double €799,000

Ref: A29793 - Magnificent 5-bedroom house

with outbuildings, garage, pool and 1.3 ha.


Energy class: E Climate class: B

www.leggettfrance.com info@leggett.fr +33 (0)5 53 60 84 88

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


A new life in France –

working the land

Rolling countryside, a peaceful lifestyle and attractive land prices are tempting a

steady flow of British farmers to France says Janine Marsh.

It may surprise you to know that up to 10% of

farmers in parts of south-Central France are

of British or Irish origin. A few years ago, the

farming sector in France suffered a manpower

deficit and the French government offered

support to British farmers who were interested

in moving to the Limousin to help revive its

flagging farming industry. The cost of farmland

being so much cheaper compared to the UK

continues to be an incentive. And the fact that

countryside is glorious, a lush green landscape

of rolling hills, rivers and woodlands dotted

with ancient castles and churches is the cherry

on the cake.

It's the beauty of this region, the least densely

populated of France, that clinched the deal

for farmers and artisan butchers Hannah and

Duncan Nobbs. They sold their small farm in

Devon and moved with their twin sons George

and Freddie, pedigree bull Woodington

Topgun, and 8 of their top breeding pedigree

Angus cows to La Brenne National Park in

the Indre departments, on the border of

Limousin, to take over a 203-acre farm

called La Perriere.

“Our lives have change beyond recognition

since moving here in 2016” says Hannah, “it’s

certainly not been easy, but it’s been a real

adventure and we truly love it here, the way

of life, the area, the food and wine and more

than anything the chance to farm the way

we believe it should be done – traditionally,

with well cared for animals, not intensively

reared, and producing food in a sustainable,

responsible way.”

Duncan comes from a long line of farmers

and Hannah comes from a family of butchers,

but they almost didn’t become farmers at all.

Anyone who has seen (Jeremy) Clarkson’s

Farm TV series on Amazon Prime will know

that it’s not an easy life, and Duncan’s father

encouraged him to be something other than a

farmer, so he trained as a teacher and moved

to London where he met Hannah. When his

father died, Duncan decided to go back to

farming, it was a revelation, and he knew that

it was what he was born to do.

The couple’s farm in Devon did well, they

raised heritage stock, butchered and cured

their own meats and farmed as naturally as

possible. But, try as they might, they couldn’t

expand, land was too rare and too expensive.

On a holiday with friends in the Limousin, the

couple fell head over heels with the peaceful

way of life and the unspoiled nature of the

area and decided that a farm in France was

their dream.


It took them three years to find the right farm.

“It was” laughs Hannah “an obsession.” When

they first saw the farm which the sales pitch

called ‘rustic’, the house was crumbling and

the road was in a bad state, but the fields were

thick with butterflies, it was wild but alive with

nature, there were kestrels and owls living in

the house. “The seller only used two rooms, he

boarded off the rest and slept in a camp bed

by the fire in the kitchen. We could see it was a

massive job” she says. They carried on looking

but couldn’t get La Perriere out of their system.

“It used to have a chateau which was burned

down in WWII (10 July 1944), but the estate is

still intact, it’s like a park, there’s a river, a lake,

stunning mature trees, it’s rare land, very green,

the natural beauty is outstanding, and it has a

special feeling, steeped in history. It’s our home,

but we feel like we’re caretakers it’s such an

extraordinary place.”

Duncan and Hannah carried out a huge

amount of renovation to the house and put

their hearts and souls into healing the land,

nurturing it to leave it better than when they

arrived, to make the soil rich and pass it on

to the next generation and they’ve created

a thriving and growing business. As artisan

butchers they produce all of their own dryaged

Angus beef and sell it via their website.

“We now have 132 Angus cattle. We really

care about giving them a good life, we look

after them, so they look after us. Duncan

oversees every aspect of producing top

quality beef” says Hannah, “our order list

keeps growing because clients always come

back for more!”

“It’s a very different experience of farming in

the UK. The local chambre d’Agriculture have

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


Alexander

Bates

Campbell

Europe Limited

been incredibly supportive, they offer free

courses, financial support and advice.”

Now the couple are branching out. Hannah’s

passion for sewing and collecting vintage

textiles has inspired her to create unique

items like cushions, bags and lavender

bags (Instagram: shopjustlovelythings). And

this year Hannah and Duncan are offering

glamping pods to holidaymakers who relish

the opportunity to return to nature and being

at one with the land, sipping a glass of local

wine while enjoying a spectacular sunset, and

discovering a part of France that’s unspoiled

and tranquil. “We’re not far from Futuroscope

theme park, close to the chateaux of the Loire

Valley and to Limoges the historic capital of

Limousin. But what really makes this place

so incredible is the wonderful countryside,

peppered with enchanting villages with rustic

little bistros. There are vineyards, fields of

sunflowers, and close by there’s a lake for wild

swimming with a bar and restaurant. It’s really

a little corner of paradise.”

Find out more about their fabulous produce

via their website: laperriereangusboeuf.com

and Instagram: laperriereangusboeuf and

about glamping at La Perriere:

Hannah’s online shop is

full of lovely things

We help you to build long term strategies

to take care of wealth preservation & wealth management,

financial & succession planning, and minimise tax

French planning

& architectural services

Enquiries: jennie@abc-eu.com

abc-eu.com

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 French

Property

Dreaming of Moving to France?

The French Property Show 2025

Show 2025

For anyone planning to buy a property in

France or move to France, the French Property

Show 2025 is an absolute must. Taking place

over the weekend of 12th and 13th April 2025

at Cheltenham racecourse in their historic Hall

of Fame (there’s lots of free parking on site and

no ULEZ type charges to worry about), this is

the event to help you make your dreams of a

new life in France come true.

The Good Life France is delighted to be a

partner of the French Property Show 2025,

alongside Currencies Direct and SJB Global

and featuring some of the most trusted names

in French property, lifestyle services and

Currency services that will definitely help you

save money, several estate agents, architects

to help with planning permission, pool building

and design; visa specialists and experts at

helping you make the move including how to

get your health care sorted, driving licence

swap, and insurers who can assist with health

care and other insurances, plus and more

exhibitors being added all the time.

We also have a hand-picked panel of specialists

to assist you with your transition who will

present free seminars on all aspects of moving

to France. It’s the perfect place to meet the

experts face to face - all in one place.

You’ll find all the experts you need at the

French Property Show to help you negotiate

the buying process, paperwork, and visas. And

yes, you do need a visa to go to France for

longer than three months out of six, but once

you know how it all works, you’ll find it’s just

an administrative process – and there’s plenty

of support and help on hand so that you can

relax and enjoy the adventure.

Enjoy a one-to-one session with immigration,

tax, and finance experts. And for those looking

to work in France, experts will be available to

talk about employment opportunities.

We’re not into venues where you feel like

a number to be processed, stuck in a long

queue. Our experts will give you the time

you need and want. Tickets are weekend

passes, so you can drop out and come back

or even return the next day if you have

unanswered questions.

If you’re dreaming of buying a property in

or moving to France – don’t miss this show:

frenchpropertyshow.com

Get your free ticket here: eventbrite.co.uk/

frenchpropertyshow first choose number

of tickets you want, and then pop in the code

TGLF for free tickets.

©Lexi Claus via Canva

Meet With The Experts

Everything you need to know about moving to France. From

leading experts in property, finance, visas, law and more.

Get tailored advice in a smaller, more personal setting.

Free: On-Site Parking, Seminars and France Buyers Guide.

12-13 April 2025

Cheltenham Racecourse

Book Your Tickets


Why planning your

long-term finances

when moving

to France

should be top

of your list

When thinking about moving to France, you

likely have a list of must-dos: Find your dream

property (if you haven’t already), set up a bank

account, get the internet sorted, register for

healthcare and a whole raft of other things. But

there’s one thing that often gets overlooked –

and yet it’s one of the most important aspects

of your move – planning your finances. We

asked Jake Barber, principal advisor at SJB

Global (they’re an award-winning team: “Best

Advisor Firm in Europe), who specialise in

helping expats in France with their financial

planning to clarify some of the key points of

finance planning for expats in France.

If you move to France from a non-EU country,

like the US, UK or Australia – you’ll need a visa

to enable you to stay long enough to apply

for your residency card, and that requires

an element of financial information, it’s

one of the key prerequisites for a successful

application. And getting your visa sorted is an

essential, happy step in your new adventure.

But what many people don’t know is that

moving to France (whether permanently or

temporarily) brings a raft of new requirements

– particularly when it comes to finance

and investments. You will probably have

to navigate two tax systems (especially for

Americans), the rules are ever changing, and

there are some aspects about investments

that you just don’t know enough about – and

the internet is full of useless, out of date and

sometimes plain wrong information. It can be

expensive if you get your tax and investment

planning wrong – whether you’re transferring a

pension, estate planning, retirement planning

or investments.

SJB has a two-pronged approach. First, we

look at your personal and financial goals,

your attitude to risk and the time available.

Everyone has different requirements, for some

it’s essential to plan for retirement, others

want to make sure there’s provision for loved

ones left behind, others still just don’t know

what’s best when it comes to maximising

pensions or investments, it can all feel a bit

overwhelming. We take everything you need/

want into consideration to work out what’s best

for you, for instance it might mean closing one

investment and swapping it for another, some

investments simply can’t be held in France,

others create a huge tax liability.

Everyone’s situation is unique, so we consider

every aspect and put together a proposal

that works best for you. We’ll help you make

the most of every centime for your new life in

France – it’s what we’d want for ourselves and

our families.

We’ll help you manage every aspect of your

finances, review and update you regularly,

and keep on top of regulatory changes to

make sure your finances don’t fall foul of any

regulatory updates outside of your control, so

that you’re always in the best financial shape

you can be.

We take away the stress and hard work of

managing your finances to give you the peace

of mind that your finances stay on track - so

you enjoy the good life in France.

You can get in touch with Jake Barber and the

SJB Global team, to schedule an obligationfree

chat to see how they can help you:

sjb-global.com


Your one stop shop for the finest quality

food from Britain and Ireland.

Tartlets

with fresh fruit

bit245 via Canva

You’ll find delicious fruit tarts in every patisserie in France. A sweet pastry case, a bed of

frangipane and mixed berries and fruit of the season, glistening under a coating of jam. They

look like edible works of art but they’re actually quite easy to make, especially if you buy the

ready-made pastry.

WE OFFER THE LARGEST REFRIGERATED HOME DELIVERY

NETWORK ACROSS MAINLAND EUROPE.

Quality Fresh Beef, Pork and Lamb, Cheeses, Clotted Cream,

Fresh Cream, Pies, Sausages, Bacon, Pudding, Tea & Coffee, Sauces,

Crisps & Chocolate, plus Vegetarian and Vegan products

Free home delivery France, Belgium & Luxembourg

baconbythebox.com

INGREDIENTS for 5 tarts

Packet sweet pastry

200g (70z) mixed fruit and berries

2 level tablespoons apricot jam (jelly)

Frangipane

125g (1 cup) icing sugar (confectioners)

125g (4 ½ oz) softened butter

20g (¼) cup plain flour (all purpose)

115g (1 cup) ground almonds

3 medium eggs

Equipment 3-inch-wide tart tins

METHOD

For the best results, make the frangipane the

day before. Beat the butter until its very soft.

Beat in the ground almonds, icing sugar and

flour, then add the eggs one at a time and

thoroughly mix in. Put in a clean bowl, cover

with cling film (plastic wrap) and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4/ 350° F).

Roll out the pastry to about ¼ inch (5mm)

thickness and line the tart tins.

Pipe (or spoon) the frangipane over the

pastry, place the tins on a baking tray and

bake for about 12 minutes until the pastry and

frangipane is golden and cooked through.

Cool the tart on a wire rack, arrange the fruit

and berries on top.

Melt the jam with a teaspoon of water,

remove lumps then brush over the berries to

make them glisten.


Serves 4

Active time: 2 hours

Cooking time: About 2 hours

This classic French dish is said to have its origins in the 16th century when King Henry IV,

considered a good king to his people, is alleged to have anounced: "If God gives me more life,

I will ensure that there is no ploughman in my Kingdom who does not have the means to have a

hen in his pot, and it’s said that this started a tradition of “Sunday chicken.”

Storage: 3 days

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Chicken

4–5-lb. (1.8–2.2-kg) chicken

8 orange carrots

8 small yellow carrots, with tops

4 turnips

2 rutabagas

2 leeks

1 stalk celery

1 onion, peeled and studded with 2 whole

cloves

1 tbsp (10 g) kosher salt

8 green cabbage leaves

Rice

Preparing the chicken

Place the chicken in a Dutch oven and add

enough cold water to just cover it. Bring to

a boil, carefully skimming all the foam from

the surface. Peel the carrots, turnips, and

rutabagas, and cut them into large pieces,

quarters, or halves, depending on their size.

Wash and trim the leeks and celery and cut

them into large pieces. Once the chicken

cooking liquid is clear, add the chopped

vegetables, clove-studded onion, and salt.

Cover and cook for 1 ½ hours, or until the

chicken and vegetables are completely tender.

Cook the cabbage leaves in a separate

saucepan of boiling water until tender, then set

them aside until serving.

1 2⁄3 cups (400 ml) chicken broth (see above)

1 cup (7 oz./200 g) long grain rice

Suprême sauce

2 tbsp (1 oz./30 g) butter

3 tbsp (1 oz./30 g) all-purpose flour

Preparing the rice

Measure out 1 2⁄3 cups (400 ml) of the broth

from cooking the chicken. Cover the Dutch

oven with a lid so the chicken and vegetables

stay hot. Bring the measured broth to a boil in

a medium saucepan, stir in the rice, and cook

for 20 minutes.

Chicken in a pot

Poule au pot

© Rina Nurra from Meat, Poultry & Game, Flammarion

2 cups (500 ml) chicken broth (see above)

2⁄3 cup (150 ml) crème fraîche

Salt and freshly ground pepper

To serve

10 celery leaves,

preferably yellow

A few sprigs micro

purple shiso

Extracted from Meat, Poultry & Game :

Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi

School of Culinary Arts by FERRANDI

Paris (Flammarion, 2025).

Preparing the suprême sauce

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low

heat, then whisk in the flour to make a roux.

Cook for 2 minutes, whisking continuously,

then gradually whisk in the 2 cups (500 ml)

broth reserved from cooking the chicken, until

the sauce is well blended and smooth. Bring to

a boil, stir in the crème fraîche, and adjust the

seasonings if necessary.

To serve

Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven and

cut it into pieces. Chop the cabbage leaves.

Spoon the chicken and vegetables over the

rice with the remaining broth in the Dutch

oven and scatter celery leaves and purple

shiso sprigs over the top. Serve the suprême

sauce on the side.



EQUIPMENT

METHOD

Fine-mesh sieve

Steam oven (or steamer)

INGREDIENTS

Lamb

1 leg of lamb

1 tbsp (8 g) ground cumin

1 tbsp (6 g) ras el hanout

1 tbsp (8 g) pimentón de la Vera

Scant ½ cup (100 ml) olive oil

2 white onions

1 head garlic

About 3 qt. (3 litres) lamb stock (fond d’agneau)

Mogette bean ragou

1 carrot

½ head garlic

Preparing the lamb

Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C/Gas Mark

3). Rub the leg of lamb with the cumin, ras

el hanout, and pimentón. Heat the olive oil

in a large Dutch oven and slowly caramelize

the meat on all sides. Peel and thinly slice the

onions and add them to the pan, along with the

garlic separated into cloves. Cover, place in the

oven, and cook for 30 minutes. Pour in the lamb

stock and continue to cook, covered, for at

least 2 hours, or until the meat is tender, basting

it regularly with the pan juices. When the lamb

is cool enough to touch but still warm, carefully

remove the bone using a chef’s knife. Roll the

meat tightly in plastic wrap, shaping it into a

cylinder with a diameter of 2 ½–3 in. (6–8 cm).

When cool, chill for at least 3 hours (preferably

overnight). Strain the pan juices through the

fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan and reduce

to a glaze, skimming any excess fat from the

surface. Adjust the seasonings if necessary.

Serves 8

Active time: 2 ½ hours

Cooking time: 2 ¾ hours

Chilling time: At least 3 hours

(preferably overnight)

Storage: 3 days

Spiced confit leg of lamb

with mogette bean ragout

Gigot d’agneau confit

aux épices, mogettes

© Rina Nurra from Meat, Poultry & Game, Flammarion

1 onion

3 whole cloves

4 ½ lb. (2 kg) dried Mogette white beans,

soaked overnight

About 4 qt. (4 litres) water

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

To serve

20 slices lardo di

Colonnata (Italian cured

pork fat)

8 whole piquillo

peppers

A few Thai basil sprigs

A few leek sprouts

Extracted from Meat, Poultry & Game :

Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi

School of Culinary Arts by FERRANDI

Paris (Flammarion, 2025).

Preparing the Mogette bean ragout

Peel and finely chop the carrot and garlic. Peel

the onion and cut it in half. Finely chop one half

and stick the cloves in the other half. Place the

carrot, garlic, and onion in a large Dutch oven.

Drain the beans and add to the pan, then pour

in the 4 qt. (4 litres) water. Cook over low heat

until the beans are tender (about 40 minutes–1

hour; follow the package instructions). Drain the

beans and stir them together with the parsley

and half the lamb juices.

To serve

If using a steam oven, preheat it to 185°F

(85°C/Gas on lowest setting). Cut the

lamb cylinder into approximately 1¼ in. (3-

cm) slices and reheat in the steam oven, or

steamer, for 10 minutes. Submerge the lamb

slices in the remaining pan juices to glaze

them. Serve family-style in an attractive pan,

such as a copper casserole. Place the bean

ragout in the pan, then top with the lardo di

Colonnata, piquillo peppers, and glazed lamb

slices. Garnish with a few Thai basil sprigs and

leek sprouts.


Last

Word

According to my neighbour Jean-Claude, you know it’s the beginning of spring

when it’s warm enough to play pétanque on the village pitch without wearing

thermal underwear.

For me it’s when the daffodils show their faces and their trumpet-like yellow

flowers dot the landscape, hot on the heels of pure white snowdrops, shortly to be

followed by wild primroses. The woods in the Seven Valleys where I live are chocka-block

with wildflowers, blanketed with delicate bluebells in early spring and

followed by a carpet of wild garlic, allegedly planted by Roman soldiers wanting

to spice up their daily rations when they were based in nearby Boulogne-sur-Mer,

preparing to invade Britain.

Spring is also when Bread Man (he’s not made of bread, he delivers bread,

croissants and cakes in his little van to the hamlets and villages in my part of

France), makes delicious strawberry tarts with the first fruit of the season, grown at

a farm nearby.

At this time of the year in the countryside you can’t help but feel the miracle of

spring as the snow melts, the icy mornings fade into distant memory, the hillsides

emerge from a blanket of freezing fog, and the bare branches of trees become

covered with leaves and warbling birds.

My neighbours throw open shutters that are no longer needed to keep out the bitter

north wind that blows through the valleys, howling as it carries off whisps of smoke

from chimneys and casting fallen leaves into a ballet of foliage, its glacial gales

replaced by a gentler breeze that dances along the tops of the hedges.

We swap seeds and tips for growing vegetables. Roses turn from bud to bloom,

cherry trees blossom, chickens start laying eggs more regularly as the sun makes

itself more amenable. And the local flea markets begin, bringing a chance to

catch up with friends and neighbours as well as to treasure hunt.

And the pétanque pitch becomes a place to meet, where competition and

camaraderie combine, and contestants and spectators arrive with bottles of wine

and picnics for sharing.

A poet once said that springtime is the bringer of light, but it’s also the bringer of

fellowship in my little village.

Janine Marsh is the 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..

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