Bonjour!
As you read this newsletter, I’m on the road yet again – this time on my way south to Sarthe. I’m going to explore the area and I’ll be starting off at an historic town called La Fleche (which means arrow in French). I know very little about this part of France, in fact Le Loir, where I’m going (not La Loire) is a bit of a secret destination so I’m really excited to be going off the beaten track and to be able to tell you all about it soon.
Next week I’m off to London for the World Travel Market where I’ll be meeting with lots of tourist office professionals and holiday companies from France to find out what’s new and exciting for next year – more things to tell you.
In fact I’ve got so much lined up that I’ll have to stay home for a while so I can catch up!
Wishing you all a very bon weekend where ever you are and a very warm welcome to all our new subscribers. I’d like to offer an enormous thank you to everyone who likes our Facebook page. We have 60,000 friends on Facebook now and I’m truly astonished, humbled, honoured and over the moon at this – THANK YOU so much.
Best wishes and bisous from France,
Janine
Editor
This Week’s top features
In the footsteps of Renoir: When I visited Champagne recently it was a complete privilege and thrill to be invited to visit the house where Renoir once lived. It has remained in the Renoir family since his death but has just been sold and I was allowed in to take photos before the house is repaired and opened to the public in 2017. It was an awesome experience and I hope you enjoy the photos in our photo gallery…
Sam the Driver: In France if you go out with a group of friends who drink and you’re the driver who doesn’t – everyone calls you Sam! It’s a nationwide nickname…
French gin distillerie: Years ago there were more than 70 distilleries making genievre, a gin-like alcohol, in France. Now there are only three, I visited one of the last of them in northern France where they’ve been making it for more than 2 centuries… delicious!
Next Friday is Halloween though in France it’s not as widely recognised as in some places like the US or UK but it is an event which is growing in popularity. The French are quite superstitious though and I discovered some decidedly odd beliefs, like treading in dog poo with your left foot is lucky! Check out our handy vocabulary lessons for French Halloween words and expressions.
PHOTO CONTEST: Send us your photos of Christmas and winter in France to share with our Facebook friends. The top 5 photos will appear in our Christmas in France magazine due out in October and the photographers will win a prize. Post your photos to me on our Facebook page in the message or timeline section or via our contact form by email marked TGLF Winter photo contest…
