Bonjour from sunny France where we’ve had a heat wave this week – much to the disgust of my geese Fred, Flo, Gloria and George who have been sitting in the pond or under the trees trying to stay cool.
Summer is well under way now and that means heaps of great events going on all over France – from a vintage car rally in Paris to the most amazing sound and light show in Avignon (more on those in the links below).
It’s common at this time of the year for visitors to fall in love with France and think about living here – if you’re in that position and you’d like some advice or guidance from our experts in home buying, currency, finance and living in France – drop me a line and I’ll do my level best to help.
Lots of people have sent me messages and emails asking about the mood in Paris and France and I would say it’s sad but everything is also normal. Last week I was in lovely Annecy which I have quite fallen in love with and I came back through Paris the day after Bastille Day. Everyone was talking about the terrible night in Nice but the city was the same, people sitting at terraced cafés, market sellers calling out to buy the last of the cherries from Provence before lunch time, taxis veering in and out of lanes to beat the traffic. A week on from the tragic events of Bastille Day in Nice, sadness remains and I think it always will.
Wishing you a bon weekend from my little northern corner of France,
Bises,
Janine
Editor
Top Features on the website this week
If you go to Provence, top of your must-see list should be the astonishing sound and light show at the ancient Palace of the Popes in Avignon. This is a truly magical event, like an artwork come to life all around you…
Paris Vintage Car Rally: If you’re in Paris on 31st July look out for a car rally of very old vehicles – I don’t think you’ll miss them, there will be 750 of them parading through the city’s streets!
Europe’s biggest flea market: If you love antiques, vintage, bagging a bargain and flea markets – this one will send you into a frenzy! 10,000 stalls over 200km of cobbled streets in lovely Lille – pop the first weekend of September in your diary…
Paris at night: If you’ve ever wondered what Paris is like at night or you’ve been and long to see the lovely city again – this two and a half minute video beautifully captures the spirit and the beauty of the city of light…
Lovely Auray in Brittany, the little port town has quite a history and is stunningly pretty…
If you’re headed to the Hauts de France (Nord-Pas de Calais-Picardy) here are ten great restaurants along the beautiful Opal Coast and close by…
Feeling the heat? Whip up a bowl of ice cold sorbet, our recipe calls for Cointreau and orange, inspired by my visit to Cointreau in Angers recently (more on that coming up soon)…
