Bonjour mes amis and amies!
This week’s newsletter from France is a bit of a bumper one because we’ve had several new contributors join our team.
The Good Life France team are based all over France in different regions and they write about where they live and what to see and do. We also have a “French Cuisine Queen” Paola Westbeek who comes up with the most fabulous recipes on her travels round France as she prepares to publish her new cookery book. We have journalists, experts, bloggers and travel writers and they aim to provide information features to help expats in France or those dreaming of being an expat in France or tell their story about their lives in France – we also love to interview expats in France, those taking on DIY projects, buying houses, making a new life for themselves. If you’re thinking of doing the same – check out our Real Lives section and read how others have done it – inspirational stories with great advice and tips.
This week: Bobbi French book review and interview – we interviewed Canadian psychiatrist turned author Bobbi French who gave up her home and career in France to start a new life in France – that’s her village in the photo above. She wrote about it in “Finding me in France” and it’s a great read!
French roast chicken and chickpeas – our French Cuisine Queen has done it again, she’s come up with the most delicious recipe for left over roast chicken – it’s scrummy.
Shopping in Provence – our Provence expert comes up with tips for great local products to buy if you’re visiting this lovely area of southern France.
Saignon – travel writer Sarah Cartledge tells us her favourite place in France – it’s Provence again, this time Saignon, a gorgeous mediaeval hill top town in the Luberon area.
We take a look at travel to France from the UK by train and next week we’ll be putting it to the test as I take off for Paris, Reims and Charleville-Mézières in Ardennes by train!
Our foreign exchange expert Peter Lavelle gives us his forecast for September and if you need to move sterling to euros, he thinks it could be good news for you this month.
We talked to Julia Stagg, best-selling author of the Fogas Chronicles – three books (so far) about rural French life in the Languedoc Roussillon, we caught her just before she started filming for her new book and we reviewed her latest paperback release The French Postmistress.
Say I Love you in Paris – it’s what so many people dream of, romance in Paris but according to surveys 80% of women are not thrilled with the proposal they get! We spoke to a man who set up a company to help men propose or declare their love in set piece Parisian scenarios that are unforgettable.
New Style Driving Licence – France is saying au revoir to the old style pink paper driving licences and bonjour to new credit card style licences from this week.
We have some great expat stories: visiting Cognac – the town and the producers of the drink with the same name… we find out why there’s a Promenade des Anglais in Nice, southern France; we look at the tradition of the comice an agricultural show and an excuse for a party in France and join an ex-Londoner in Languedoc Roussillon on a grape harvest!
I’ve been looking into rumours that the powers that be are going to tart up the Paris Metro – Zut alors – and I wrote about idle chit chat and scandalous stories in Gossip Girl in France.
Coming up in France
La Fete de la Gastronomie all over France: 20-22 September
Wonder Vintage Market in Paris: 20-22 September, a fabulous vintage market in the heart of the Marais district
Hallowe’en Pumpkin festival – Nord (Nord-Pas de Calais): 6th October, an unusually early Hallowe’en Fete that celebrates witches and pumpkins with 900 different types of cucurbits.
Amiens Flea market – Picardy: 6th October, one of the best flea markets of the north of France with 2,200 stalls
À bientôt
