France is full of enchanting villages, and among the approximately 30,000 communes, there are undoubtedly thousands of beautiful ones. However, officially there are exactly 159 Plus Beaux Villages de France – 159 most beautiful villages of all. But how can there be such a precise figure? Easy! This is not …

shared by our contributor Phoebe Thomas. She makes this French January treat, a delicious, buttery, frangipane pastry, called la galette des rois, which translates to the King’s Cake at home with her kids.

Contributor blog post by Phoebe Thomas: So many of my good intentions for the blog slip during summer.  Mid June to mid July is by far the busiest time of year for me work wise on top of which I find it hard to write with the kids around and …

Contributor blog post by Phoebe Thomas: Bonne année, bonne santé!  Traditional New Year’s greetings in France begin like this, wishing Happy New Year and good health, to be said each time you see someone for the first time in the year, throughout the month of January.  So I’m taking this …

Contributor blog post by Phoebe Thomas: There are times when you need to find an activity or something to do indoors, as a family or for a group of children, even on the Côte d’Azur.  Our climate is famed for its 300 days of sun a year but that still …

January is the month of la galette in France. La galette des rois, or King’s Cake, is a flaky buttery pastry filled with almond paste. It is traditionally eaten at Epiphany on the 6th of January, but it’s also eaten throughout the month at social gatherings, schools, offices, New Year …

Contributor blog post by Phoebe Thomas: Wolves used to be endemic to France but persecution and human encroachment on their habitat drastically reduced their numbers and by 1940 they were declared extinct in France.  However in 1992 a pair of grey wolves was discovered in the Mercantour National Park in …

Christmas markets in France are becoming increasingly popular every year, yet when many people think of Christmas markets in Europe, France probably doesn’t even spring to mind. A quick internet search will throw up many suggestions for Germany and Austria, maybe Belgium too, but France doesn’t often feature. Continue reading …

Contributor blog post by Phoebe Thomas: It’s been an age since I shared a post but this one caught my eye and I thought it’d be of interest to anyone holidaying or living near Nice on the French Riviera.  I’ve often thought I wish I’d lived in central Nice for …

We are experiencing the most wonderful autumn in the South of France.  For several weeks now, the mercury has been hitting the 20s, with a high of 28°c last week!  November is often lovely on the French Riviera, but these temperatures are even higher than normal.  The garden is still …