Explore every episode of the podcast Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A local's glimpse of France in the lead up to Noël. | 23 Dec 2025 | 00:40:17 | |
Elisabeth Perotin is French, having grown up in the Champagne region and still currently living in Reims. Elisabeth is a photographer specialising in travel and food photography, with only French themed pics on her Instagram @frenchglimpses. Tapping into Elisabeth's local knowledge during this chat uncovered a number of places in Paris and France that I'd not heard of, but I am now adding to my list! If you want to find quirky but yet authentic places to add to your itinerary when planning a French visit then tune into this episode for lots of inspiration!
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| The amazing life impact of a long term stay in France or Italy. | 14 Dec 2025 | 00:50:35 | |
Catherine Berry is an author who has chatted on the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast previously (eps 39 & 112) about the life changing decision to move her family to the French village of Annecy for a year when her children were young. We come back to chat again to Catherine to hear how that stay has made a positive impact of the lives of her whole family, but also about a new experience she had staying in the Italian village of Lucca for 3 months. Loulabelle and Catherine chat about the experience of being non-fluent in a foreign country, about the cultural similarities and differences of Italy and France, as well as how Catherine made arrangements to stay and live like a local in Italy for 12 weeks. Hear about Catherine's new books (she now has four!) including one about how to play with your child (or grandchild) in French.
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| Inside Paris info from "The Parisian Mole" Vittoria Busetti! | 13 Jul 2025 | 01:04:56 | |
Italian born Vittoria Busetti had a dream for many years of moving to Paris, so she worked a way around the obstacles in her path, packed up her Milan apartment a few years ago and took the leap to her new Parisian life! Moving all alone to a new city with a new job is not without its challenges, so after navigating through loads of situations where she struggled to find helpful info, Vittoria put together a guide for people moving to Paris as well as an Insta group which has become like a little community for people to connect about current Paris events like the recent Fete de la Musique. Vittoria has loads of tips for surviving alone in Paris either as a traveller or as a new resident as well as ways she found to make friends. Chatting to Vittoria about the various arrondissements and lots of our Paris faves made me feel like I'd had a momentary Parisian sojourn. Come and escape to France with us xx
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| Having coffee avec Emily in Paris! | 24 Feb 2023 | 00:26:55 | |
I love checking in with my lovely friend Emily Gaudichon (@therealemilyinparis) who lives in Paris's 6th arrondissement. She has her finger on the pulse of everything going on and always has some terrific tips for me to pop into my itinerary for my next visit to the French capital!
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| This beautiful French Life! | 19 Feb 2023 | 01:01:00 | |
Over ten years ago, a client flew Shannon Pratuch to Paris from the US for a project she was working on. Over the few days she was there she wandered throughout Paris, losing herself in the nooks and crannies of the city ultimately falling in love with Paris and then with all of France. Every time after that when she returned she stayed longer, eventually making the move to live there. Shannon says she finds it hard now to even consider leaving France. She could spend 20 life-times in Paris and France and it would still not be enough for her to experience all she wants to about her adopted country! Shannon now works and lives in France full-time, owning a house, a car, a business, two petite French bulldogs (Rose and Pearl) and has a multi-year residency card. Shannon believes that France is the most incredible country in the world! She is absolutely in love with this dream she's living every day. I think I'd be in love with such a life too! * I have dreamed of a life such as Shannon's. After talking to her, it now weirdly feels both further away and simultaneously more possible than ever! The amount that she knows, the work she has now found in France... that seems out of reach for most of us. But Shannon talks with such conviction about following that dream of a French life, I feel like if she can do it, maybe any of us can if we try hard enough. What I do know is that for any of us who want to try to make a French life a reality, even on a short-term basis, having Shannon as a resource will be invaluable. * Shannon shares many tips with us in this wonderfully warm chat, but my only tip for travelling in France is one she also shares: take time to be a flaneur... engage in the art of strolling and taking in your surroundings.
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| I went to a dinner party... & bought the château! | 16 Feb 2023 | 00:45:49 | |
Jane Hiscock and her husband Steve have both always loved France. They originally travelled there every couple of years before starting their family many years ago. Then in 2010 they went to Paris to start a search for a Paris apartment, but before commencing that task, they travelled to stay with friends in Normandy who invited them to a party at a place they called the "chocolate box château". It was a beautiful place renovated by a New York interior designer who threw wonderful parties. They went to a luncheon that continued through into the night and by the end of the evening it became apparent that the château was for sale and that was it! They were both sold! From that point Château Jonquay became a significant part of Jane's and her family's life. **
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| My Part-Time Paris Life ❤️ | 11 Feb 2023 | 00:58:36 | |
Lisa Anselmo is the author of My (Part-Time) Paris Life and has spent most of her professional career in magazine publishing, working on such iconic brands as Allure, Mademoiselle, InStyle, and People. She started to head over to Paris more and more and was following the fashion trends she saw there. She would write to her friends about her experiences and created an early form of a blog, pre-social media. It was picked up by Bonjour Paris and she became their fashion editor! Lisa fell in love with the European lifestyle and especially Paris. Her transition eventually from New York to Paris felt seamless. Like me Lisa's best friend was her mother who passed away some years ago. In this chat Lisa and I spoke frankly about our mothers and their impact on the way we live our lives now, especially in relation to France. Lisa spoke about lots of signs that popped up which helped her feel that her mother was with her and guiding her during her move to Paris. I know just how she feels. The little moments when I recognise my mum shining through in French are very precious. Tune in for practical tips and insights for moving to Paris or France, how to navigate challenges and some things to be aware of. Lisa actually recommends a shorter stay before taking the leap to move to France as a visa isn't required for stays shorter than 3 months. Lisa Anselmo shares so much of herself in my chat with her. I actually learned a lot about myself through listening to her. Lisa shares my passion for history, architecture, French culture and connecting to the past, the present and in some ways the future. As she spoke about the lessons she has learned about herself since moving to Paris, sparks of recognition of my own life flashed in my head. Lisa has a refreshing perspective and sees the world in a way I hadn't considered. As she stated her thoughts on happiness, that it is a state of mind and a choice and that she has now learnt to love herself flaws and all, I thought of how hard we all can be on ourselves. Perhaps embracing what we have and who we really are deep inside as Lisa does, is a lesson for us all. **
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| The Paris end of Collins Street! | 08 Feb 2023 | 00:56:18 | |
Nicole Ress is Melbourne's go-to Frenchie for language and travel! Nicole grew up in a French speaking household with her mother who had come to Australia from Paris in the 1950s, met Nicole's dad and settled here. It was a wonderful and unusual childhood not just because of the French influence. Nicole's father and grandfather were in the hotel business and owned the Ress Oriental Hotel in Collins Street Melbourne. When her mother saw the hotel she exclaimed to Nicole's father, with the plane trees and the architecture it looked like Paris, all it was missing were the tables and chairs on the terrasse on the street. So Nicole's father applied for a permit to have the outdoor tables and he then coined the phrase, "the Paris end of Collins Street" which has stuck to that part of Melbourne to this day!
Close your eyes as you listen and you can join us there too.
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| Taste every fromage in France? Challenge accepted! | 04 Feb 2023 | 00:51:44 | |
Jennifer Greco has tasted over 460 French cheeses! I looooooved chatting to her so much as fromage is one of my favourite foods. She says there is a cheese for every mood and she eats cheese every day. After moving to France with her husband 20 years ago, Jennifer discovered a love for fromage and took on the challenge to try every French cheese there is! The current number of French cheeses is between 1600-1800 so she has a few to go! For the last 18 years Jennifer has explored French food, culture, wine and cheese through her blog. She also wrote a ten-part series about her journey to become a French citizen. In this chat with Jennifer I tap into her amazing knowledge of fromage. Listening to her talk about different cheeses, the notes in their flavours, the complexity of the layers that reveal themselves during the eating of a cheese, I began to have a newfound respect for fromage. I've always loved cheese, but now after talking to Jennifer I want to learn more about the different cheeses, how they're made, how to serve them, how to ask in the country markets for particular important things that should be considered when buying cheeses. I learned a lot just in this chat with Jennifer, such as that the Comté cheese makers in France have got together and created a flavour wheel identifying 83 notes and flavours in that cheese. Everything from grasses, herbs, nuts, salt... but 83 of them! Incredible! Jennifer is now not just a French cheese lover but also an educator. She spends her days eating and writing about fromage for various publications, also offering gourmet food tours and French cheese workshops. **
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| Selling up and moving to France. Living the dream! | 01 Feb 2023 | 00:26:19 | |
Natalie Mueller always had a love for France which intensified during her early 20s when she worked in hospitality and had experience with a Michelin starred chef. He would only speak to her in French! So with that and the daily immersion in French food she was hooked! Since then she has built her own thriving and successful business "Olive Catering" in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. But Natalie is now ready for the next phase of her life and is embarking on a fabulous adventure. She has sold her home in Queensland and is moving to France! I absolutely loved chatting to Natalie about her plans for the future, dreaming about wonderful times in France in the past as well as imagining what is yet to come. I place a huge amount of importance on dreaming and making time to stop daily to ponder the possibilities of the future. It is often our dreams that keep our hopes alive through tough times. Hearing about how someone else just like me has achieved her dream, gives me hope that it could happen to any of us if we want it enough and are willing to try to make our dreams a reality.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 88 - So you'd like Christmas in France? Come on my Noël roadtrip extravaganza! | 05 Jan 2023 | 00:48:09 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. Other Loulabelle's links: Joyeux Noel and Bonne année! Recently I was in France for an amazing adventure! I travelled from Lyon, through the Beaujolais region, across to Annecy and then up to the Alsace region for the traditional Christmas sights in Colmar and Strasbourg as well as all the quaint villages surrounding them. Finally I reached Paris for the most magical Noël experiences of all! I'll also take you through some divine little villages including my top 3 Alsace Christmas villages with winding streets to meander through like a magic fairy tale unfolding. We'll also explore some official Plus-Beaux-Villages-de-France. I'll chat about the wines, the mouth watering traditional foods, the accommodation, as well as some terrific Chrissy shenanigans that happened along the way. With a little bit of history and some Michelin star recommendations thrown in, it's time to settle back and escape to France with me!
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 87 - Lyon: Traboules, Bouchons & the Fête des Lumières | 18 Dec 2022 | 00:28:43 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. If you're planning on going to Lyon during its Fête des Lumières in any December, or to visit Lyon at any time, this Loulabelle's chat will be most helpful and of great interest for you!
Recently I have been travelling on a wonderful French roadtrip with our LFF fave Frenchy correspondent ma belle amie Sarah Zwick from Be My Guest Immersions. We were thrilled to be in Lyon at the same time of the Fête des Lumières. Being December, it was cold, but we were so lucky with the weather. Whilst the temperature dropped to below zero most nights the days were clear and dry and not terribly cold as we were rugged up and staying active. Tops of around 3 degrees. Tune into this chat to hear a little of the history of Lyon, the magic of the festival of light (including a little bit of Australia with AC/DC making an appearance!), Christmassy moments, the food, the vin chaud, the Route des Vins just outside of Lyon, the Lyonnaise special traditions such as the Bouchons, Traboules and the amazing Les Halles de Paul Bocuse.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 86 - The extremes of Chamonix and the French Alps. | 08 Dec 2022 | 00:36:05 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. Other Loulabelle's links: Emma Morgan had such a different French story to chat about with me! It's not often we consider the sport of Ultra Marathon Running as being particularly French, but Emma fascinated me with her story of the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc she ran in the French Alps around Chamonix, this past summer of 2022. The Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, also known as the UTMB is the most sought-after trail-running event for trail-runners from all over the world crossing three countries: France, Italy and Switzerland. Each year, at the end of August, the elite of the trail-running world come to Chamonix Mont-Blanc to participate in one of the event's races. Firstly, not everyone gets to run an Ultra Marathon. Qualification is needed by earning points from particular lead-in events. Qualification is actually both demonstrating that each competitor can run 100kms and also a lottery, which Emma entered together with her friends so if one of them made it through the lottery, they all got a spot. Emma worked through the qualifying criteria and winning a lottery spot with a couple of her friends she was off! The course of the event would usually take hikers 7 to 9 days to traverse but Emma completed the whole event in 43 hours! In the whole 43 hours Emma had only 20 minutes of sleep. Continuing in the dark, in rugged terrain, in extreme conditions meant that 42% of starting competitors didn't finish. *
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| Getting a dose of France with a "Weekly French Bite"! | 01 Jul 2025 | 00:33:40 | |
Alexandra Ganipeau runs the French Language school in Melbourne "The French Hack". She has connected people in Australia to France over many years, through organising cafe catch ups as well teaching French to people of all ages. Recently I chatted to her about how she is now connecting people to France with a weekly dose of Frenchy vibes via her Weekly French Bites. Over 52 weeks Francophiles can experience a "bite" of French culture, language and fabulousness with different themes such as French ordering at restaurants, how to enjoy apèro, the French art of wearing scarves or even tips to navigate the Paris Metro or French market etiquette. I found when I had a sneak preview of the Weekly French Bites, it stayed in my head long after I'd finished reading and brought back memories of travels there as well as sparking ideas for my next adventure! Alex and I chatted about our connections to France, how we maintain slow and deep connections when we travel as well as when home in Australia. When Alex chats in this episode about her visits back "home" to Bordeaux and the south west of France, I felt like I had escapes there with her momentarily. I also learned from her about some ways I can be a little bit French everyday, such as picking herbs straight from the garden and adding to a teapot rather than loose leaf or tea bags! This is a French way of connecting garden to the kitchen that I had never even considered! Alex has a giveaway to a lucky Loulabelle's FrancoFiles listener... 52 weeks of French Inspo with a 12 month membership to Weekly French Bites! Follow through to the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram to enter and to let the joie de vivre begin! As Alex says Paris isn't just a place, it's a feeling. Join us for a chat and escape to France xx
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 85 - Noël avec Emily in Paris! | 03 Dec 2022 | 00:39:58 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. * I adore Christmas! I love the decorations, the carols, the advent calendars, the gift-giving, the food! Living in Australia though, Christmas has always been a summer event with loads of seafood, playing cricket and lunch outdoors. I have always been curious about Christmas in other places around the world, so it was wonderful to chat to lovely Emily Gaudichon about Christmas in Paris and France. Emily is quite an expert on Parisian Christmas having released a Christmas in Paris Guide together with Landen Kerr. This year I am heading to France in the lead up to Christmas so I was hanging on every word relating to places to see the lights, ice skating, mulled wine in the jardins. Whether you're planning a Christmas in Paris in the future or just want to immerse in the festive season French style from wherever you are in the world, tune in to hear all about the French traditions of Réveillon de Noël, the food, the decorations, the markets, the whole Frenchy Christmas experience!
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 84 - Finding a little slice of France right where you are... | 27 Nov 2022 | 00:44:41 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. Other Loulabelle's links: I wonder if chef and restaurant owner Matthew Carnell from Bistro Terroir in Daylesford, Victoria was always destined to be connected to France. After attending a French school trip as a 14 year old, Matt's next Francophile adventure was after he had started his chef's apprenticeship in Australia and he won an award that gave him a month working in a Michelin Star restaurant in Bordeaux. Clearly he is a talented chef as on that Bordeaux trip he was offered to stay on after the month when the award prize was finished, but Matthew returned to Australia to complete his apprenticeship. As soon as he was qualified, he made contact with that original Michelin Star chef from Bordeaux and was snapped up for his new restaurant in Paris. A huge learning curve in a formal/top Parisian kitchen ensued with no French language skills, except for how to order a beer! Matt also has had extensive experience working in regional France and even had a period working with sustainable food processes and farming. He even explored alternative preserving practices, making "bocaux". This is obviously very different from the bright lights of Paris, with the flavours of beautiful raw produce. Matt has now found a balance with food that is unpretentious with an element of his Michelin Star past, but without overworking the experience. Back now in Australia, I have had the pleasure of dining in Matthew's restaurant Bistro Terroir in Daylesford. Tune into to this chat to escape to various regions of France with us. Matt recommends some eclectic French music as well as some amazing French dishes not often heard of outside the particular regions.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 83 - Living the Good Life in France. | 18 Nov 2022 | 00:46:43 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. Other Loulabelle's links:
Janine Marsh is an author, the creator of The Good Life France website and editor of the associated magazine as well as an all-round fabulous fellow Francophile! I found I share a number of both afflictions and fortunate circumstances with Janine. We are both hopeless dreamers, but I always think dreams are a most important part of a healthy life. How sad it would be not to have dreams to aspire to achieve! Even if they never come to fruition, the act of dreaming itself is so much fun. Janine and I both have husbands who share our love of France, or even if they don’t have quite the same level of Frenchy amour, they’re happy to support us with ours! We both fall in love with every new place in France we visit, exclaiming that we could move and live there forevermore from that moment on! We both are crazy cat ladies and are helpless to the needs of any animal who expresses the slightest need of us and most importantly we both love to write and talk and laugh! Tune into this chat to hear about Janine's snap decision to buy a farmhouse in France on a day when her fate called out to her.18 years later she is still diligently renovating, whilst living with a flock of unruly chickens, a gaggle of geese, 6 cats, 2 dogs and most recently a hedgehog interloper! Her engaging tales of her French life , her recommendations of film, music and food, plus the picture she paints of a France for our minds, take me straight back there. Life anywhere will have its challenges of course, and I’m sure it’s just the same for Janine in the north of France. My dear late Mumma used to say that if you find something you love to do and make that your job, you’ll never feel like work is hard. I wonder if it is the same for where we live. Find a place you love and move there, then everyday can feel like a holiday! You’ll be living the dream! After my chat with Janine about her life in France, I’m more convinced than ever that dreams can come true.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 82 - La chanson est la joie de vivre! | 10 Nov 2022 | 00:35:03 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. Lorena Stipani is a soprano I saw perform at the wonderful Entrecôte restaurant in Prahran, Melbourne in her Edith Piaf show earlier this year. I was blown away by her amazing talent. Lorena conveys such intense feeling and emotion when singing about Piaf. She says she feels such a connection to Edith. She loves Edith's passion... she loves her vulnerability... and has to take care not to let that emotion overcome her when she's singing.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 81 - Love In Provence | 05 Nov 2022 | 00:43:02 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Author Patricia Sands is such a wonderfully warm and engaging woman. I loved chatting to her and could have kept talking with her over a cuppa for the rest of the day (probably swapping to wine at some stage and chatting on through the night!) Patricia talked to me about her passion for writing from the perspective of more mature women, about her fascinating life story as a teacher in her early years, being widowed then remarried... She chatted freely about the way COVID affected her, about her very personal experience looking in northern France for her uncle's grave who was killed during WW2, as well as her ongoing connection to France. Talking to Patricia about "her" Provence, I just want to jump on a plane and head there immediately! She has a way of painting a picture that evokes an emotional response. I loved most of all Patricia's response to my request for her to describe her perfect French day. Her response, "I can answer this easily as I have lived my perfect French day so many times!" How wonderful to know then, that dreams can actually come true. There is hope for all of us.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 80 - Frenchy road-tripping vibes! Survival tips & tricks when on the road with your spouse! | 29 Oct 2022 | 00:39:54 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube
I love a slow holiday where we stay in the one place for a month and just relax and immerse ourselves in a local scene, but I find Australians especially try to pack as much into a visit to anywhere in Europe including France as it is quite expensive for us to get over there and it takes a long time! We are quite a long way away in Oz so we want to make the most of it! But if I had the time to stop in one spot for longer and meander around a particular place for an extensive period, that would be my preference I think. Malheureusement we didn’t have the luxury of months to meander so we road tripped and I must say, it was still amazing despite moving on every few days. In this chat you'll hear of our visits to some Plus Beaux Villages de France, our stay in the Dordogne – Perigord Noir region, how we chilled on the coast and also how we made the most of time with friends who chanced to be in the same place at the same time on the other side of the world! All of this during a time when the mercury was nudging 40!
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 79 - French friends, festivals & La Fleuriste... France après Covid. | 22 Oct 2022 | 00:55:24 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. Over the past couple of years travelling anywhere has been a challenge and for most people, it has been completely out of the question during what I call "the lost COVID years". My husband Paul has travelled in France a number of times with me pre-COVID (which we chatted about way back in episode 16 and 17). That trip included a visit to Paris, followed by a roadtrip to Provence. On our more recent trip to France in the French summer of 2022 we went on an epic road trip after another Paris stay. This podcast chat is part 1 of a two episode sequence, as there is just too much to fit into one episode! In this part 1 we’re exploring our arrival and stay in Paris pre our roadtrip, as well as our wonderful experiences that followed in the Loire Valley and down in the Pays Basque.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 78 - Curious about Provence? Oui. Moi aussi! | 15 Oct 2022 | 00:39:27 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Ashley Tinker is a Canadian now living in Provence. Back when she was aged 19 she was at art school in Italy and took a mini "vacances" in the south of France where she met her partner Englishman Robin as they were both staying in the same hostel. Many years and a long-distance relationship later, they finally settled back in France together. Initially they became guardians of a run-down château but eventually bought and renovated a little cottage and now they're in the process of renovating a barn on a property in a village near St Rémy-de-Provence. Ashley loves the lifestyle in Provence. The weather, the values, the history, the food and also the fresh seasonal produce. Eating by the seasons was a learning curve for Ashley but a way of life she now loves! The slow life of Provence has definitely captured her heart! I have travelled and spent time in Provence both alone and with my husband Paul. My memories of the region are so beautiful and speaking to Ashley just made me want to get back there all the more quickly.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 77 - Empowering women one champagne at a time! | 09 Oct 2022 | 00:52:47 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Cynthia Coutu is living what I think is my dream life! Although I’m sure it is nowhere as easy as she makes it seem! Canadian born Cynthia now lives in Paris whilst immersing herself in the world of champagne! After attending a French school in Canada, Cynthia came to Paris to complete a Master of Art History and decided to stay. After her OECD career ended at age 50, she found a new pathway for herself with her brilliant business Delectabulles, involving two of my passions: one is furthering opportunities for women and the other is champagne! Cynthia hosts masterclasses, tours, tastings... loads of ways to connect with champagne as well as with some amazing women. I didn’t ask Cynthia for her fave champers. Instead, I love her perspective that champagne can turn every ordinary day into an extraordinary one! Cynthia is a certified WSET Level 3 wine professional, she has been voted "Best Wine Tasting in Paris" by Expatriates Magazine in 2018, and "Best Wine Experience in Paris" by Travel and Hospitality Awards in 2020, and "Wine Expert of the Year" en 2021 by Luxury Travel Guide. Cynthia chatted to me about the technical side of champagne making, but through everything she does she instils a fabulous sense of fun. If going to France, it is well worth all champagne fans connecting with Delectabulles to turn your already memorable French vacances into an amazing lifetime memory to savour forever!
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 76 - Want a loved-up château wedding in France? Meet the Château Bee! | 30 Sep 2022 | 00:34:59 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. Other Loulabelle's links:
Ingrid Colmer-Chavez was born in Mexico and grew up in France. She moved around a lot as a child, but her family eventually settled in Brittany. After meeting her English husband James when working in Guernsey in the Channel Islands they decided to get married in France when they discovered they could get much more for their budget than in the UK. This sparked the idea of their business the Château Bee and they set about creating a directory of quality venues for residents of the Channel Islands who wanted to get married in one of the regions across the north of France. It has expanded now to include couples from around the world searching for a wedding venue in all corners of France! Ingrid personally visits hundreds of wedding venues all across France and only choose the “crème de la crème” for the selection found on the Château Bee website. It’s like The Michelin Guide of wedding venues in France! I couldn't agree more...
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| Magical Menton on the Côte d'Azur! | 18 Jun 2025 | 00:53:16 | |
Recently I travelled for a couple of months in France, road tripping from the top of the country in Normandy to the bottom at the Côte d'Azur and towards the end of my stay I enjoyed a most marvellous visit with Caroline Riddell-Clark at her Villa Florente in Menton on the Italian border. Caroline has stayed in France each year for many years, spending much of that time in Menton staying with friends who had moved there a long time ago. So during the Melbourne Covid lockdowns it was not a surprise that Caroline was surfing the internet for the French real estate on offer and as soon as she could, she headed back over there! Whilst a long time ago Caroline had lived in France for a number of months near Toulouse, with her children even attending school there, it was Menton that had captured her heart. Caroline had decided to wait for a few years before purchasing a property but after 20 minutes in Villa Florente, she had bought the place! Menton has beautiful beaches with beautiful buildings of different colours, reflecting the colours of the Cinque Terre just across the Italian border. There is a long history including pirates as well as Russian palaces nestled in between Monte Carlo and Italy, and from Caroline's Villa Florente one can walk between 3 countries before lunch! I loved how a stroll into Italy can result in wonderful coffee followed by market shopping for fresh produce in France and then end the day with glitz and glamour in Monte Carlo! Caroline says after a walk like this, she comes home and feels like she's the luckiest person ever to look over her amazing Mediterranean view. Caroline now wants to welcome others to stay with her too, but first come and join us for a chat here on the Loulabelle's and escape to the Cote d'Azur momentarily. Find Caroline on Instagram @Villa_Florente
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 75 - Metro ticket bookmarks to keep your Frenchy vibes going ❤️ | 23 Sep 2022 | 00:28:27 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Pam Plançon has had a love affair with France for a veeeeeeery long time! Her grandfather was French and her connection to all things French started at a very early age. Pam founded business Olive and Branch which is an online store selling French and French inspired products based in Connecticut. She and her husband bought a house in the south of France when her children were young meaning she could return there every year. She initially started Olive and Branch as an actual store coming from her love of Provençal pottery. Post COVID the store has turned online but Pam still returns to France, travelling the French countryside searching for pottery, soaps, linens as well as brocante. Pam talks about France with such a warmth and a lovely familiarity. She has a vast knowledge of travelling in France and in this episode we chat about some tips for first timers to Paris as well as return travellers to France.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 74 - A Frenchilicious Life! | 17 Sep 2022 | 00:59:41 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. Yolaine Corbin's links: Melbourne AFL Grand Final day set menu: click here and mention Loulabelle's for a free gift! Yolaine Corbin was born and grew up in Orleans south of Paris, but now describes herself as a "Frozzie"! That is a French born/Australian settled. Yolaine is the owner of fabulous French food company here in Melbourne “Frenchilicious Kitchen”. She’s a chef, an official Thermomix recipe creator and a maman to 3 gorgeous girls. Growing up in Orleans Yolaine dreamed of travelling and tried to learn English by listening to pop music on the radio which was mostly in English! After her school years had finished she decided to take off to Australia to travel around for a year in order to get her English speaking to a proficient level. It was a struggle at times with the Aussie accent being so different to the UK accent she learned with back home growing up in France. Yolaine now has a wonderful catering company specialising in French inspired dishes and lately she has taken a particular interest in Basque cuisine as well. But her food journey here in Australia was not always smooth. Yolaine didn't plan to work in the food industry initially but got a job at a French crêpery before taking off to travel around the country. Eventually Yolaine's year abroad in Australia was over and she had to return to France. Yolaine felt there was unfinished business for her in Australia so she returned and lucky for us that she did! Yolaine has a special offer for Loulabelle's FrancoFiles listeners:
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 73 - Marseille: Port to Port, and a peek at everything in between! | 09 Sep 2022 | 00:36:28 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
One review said Bill's writing showed he is "deeply committed to understanding the city’s layered history and contradictory energies. Every page, every photo resonates with his sense of wonder and his affection for 'a city that has seen more than its share of misery and brave struggle.' " Now… you don’t get a connection like that with a place without visiting or living there so in my podcast chat with Bill we unpacked this further! My chat with Bill was warm and fascinating. He uncovered so much I didn't know about Marseille and much more than a guide book could ever share. I am now looking forward to exploring all Marseille offers for myself! I often feel like old buildings almost talk to me about the past. I asked Bill what the buildings of Marseille say to him. His response has led me to a whole different way of considering the way history is shown through buildings. Bill talked about the buildings around the port which are newer, but can only be seen as so, on very close inspection. They were rebuilt in the 1950s after being decimated by German bombing in WW2. The new buildings now tell the story of the tragedy of what occurred during the war. Bill spoke of "walking with no where necessarily to go" which just transported me to France. Tune into this chat and float away with us. Bliss.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 72 - Escape FROM France! | 02 Sep 2022 | 00:44:05 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard. Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Christine Sheehy is a copy writer, ghost writer and a book coach now living in New Zealand. She has wanted to have a stint living in France ever since she spent some time there as an exchange student when she was 16. France remained unfinished business for her, with only a few visits between that early age and 2019. Eventually Christine got there with her young family. The area of France she had chosen, purposefully didn’t have many English speakers and required the family to completely immerse themselves in the language. They got used to a new routine over the first six months and then Christine's husband returned to NZ with her staying on in France with their three children. Christine and her family were still in France as the COVID-19 situation unfolded. Christine found the French around her area were very relaxed about the virus at first. Her husband was back in NZ but she wasn’t ready to give up her dream and wanted to stay. Slowly the world closed down and shut all borders. Christine’s little idyllic village in France was not immune. When France announced remote learning was to start for children, Christine shopped for a month worth of groceries and took her children on a hike incase they went into a total lock down for a while. At the top of the mountain during their hike, Christine and her kids reached a village. They read a plaque that was there, dedicated to the deaths in the village from the cholera outbreak in 1850. The similarities were striking and it must have seemed like a sign to start making plans to go. Tune into theis chat with Christine to hear her fascinating story as well as her fave music and French food ideas.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 71 - Ooooh la la! Feeling the Fêtes de Bayonne! | 23 Aug 2022 | 00:24:02 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles hosted by Louise Prichard.
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Recently I shrugged off the COVID vibes and took to the skies to get back to the place that holds my heart, France! In the planning for l'été français I made arrangements to stay with ma belle amie Sarah Zwick from Be My Guest Immersions near Bayonne in southwest France. Bayonne is a medieval city not far from the more glitzy Biarritz close to the Atlantic coast, with a population normally in the tens of thousands. However for one weekend of the year the whole place explodes with over a million visitors descending on the area. The Fêtes de Bayonne is an experience like no other. It was pure coincidence that I was going to be there at the time of the festival so to prepare myself, I checked it out on line before leaving Australia. The first thing I noticed was a kind of uniform that was being worn. Every attendee was decked out in white with a red sash or cinta and scarf, so I ensured I had a variety of white clothes packed to get me through the days of the festival while I was there. When I arrived I asked Sarah's family what this event was like and what to expect apart from what I could see online. Her dad Jean Paul simply shrugged his shoulders in the wonderful French way and told me there are no words to describe the festival. One must just feel it. "You need to just live it and feel it", he said. After my first Fêtes, I now completely agree. The Basque spirit is contagious! Tune into this wonderful chat with me and ma belle amie Sarah to hear all the gloriousness that is the Fêtes de Bayonne!
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 70 - Dreaming of a Château... | 12 Jul 2022 | 00:50:12 | |
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Episode 70 - Dreaming of a Château... Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Growing up Julia Leach had a dream of living in a huge historic building, a château, with everyone she loved in the one little community and she had the feeling this beautiful home was meant to be in France. Julia had a dreamy, idyllic childhood which she describes as old fashioned. No screens, no TV, just old movies, books and lots of playtime. It felt very different from the way her peers were growing up. After high school Julia had a gap year backpacking around Europe including France, returning to college afterwards in New York City. After graduating Julia worked her way into the film industry and fell in love with working on period pieces. This fed her need to connect with history but even though it was a wonderful career, the film industry takes a toll on lifestyle and work-life balance. Especially with both Julia and her partner Caroline working in the industry. Julia's sister was also working in NYC and living with Julia and Caroline. And then COVID happened... Like many people, COVID caused a complete re-evaluation of the way Julia and her family wanted to live their life. The three of them in NYC moved back west to live with Julia's parents in California. Living under one roof and together with all the family again led rise to a long held family dream of moving and living in France. Julia was seeking a slower more old fashioned way of life like she had dreamed of as a child.
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Website
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| Best French Forever! | 19 Jun 2022 | 00:30:25 | |
Cynthia Moos is founder and owner of Best French Forever. BFF is a subscription service (currently only available in the US) which delivers a box avec un petit peu de Provence right on your doorstep! Cynthia sources her products from the artisans or local brands in Provence, ensuring they are high quality, with a social conscience as well. BFF promotes inclusion and diversity, an end to racism, respect of women, environmental conservation and fair treatment for all. Cynthia has been really mindful that her business aligns with her own personal values. Come with us to escape to Provence, hear of Cynthia's perfect day, and find out the secret of the slower pace of life in Provence.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 68 - The sparkly side of France's creative heart in Cannes 🌟 | 22 May 2022 | 00:35:15 | |
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com Author, performer, tap dancer extraordinaire and all round amazingly talented Ruby loves that the festival is held in spring when it's lovely and warm, perfect for swimming to get away from all the pizzaz of the festival. But after having 2 affected festivals due to COVID in 2020 and 2021 I'm sure attendees this year will want to soak up every moment. Ruby tells us of her adventures this year as they're happening, but also of festivals gone by. Tune into this gorgeously warm chat with Ruby to hear all about the nitty-gritty of the festival, the parties, the networking, as well as her rendez-vous with Tom! Cruise that is!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 67 - So you're ready to return to France? Moi aussi! | 15 May 2022 | 00:22:52 | |
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com Tune into this chat for the things I always consider when planning a vacances en France including:
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 66 - A French life that's Fabulously Delicious! | 03 May 2022 | 00:38:16 | |
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com Like Lou, Andrew didn't travel until a little later in life during his 30s. On his first trip he went to Paris and just loved his 2 weeks there. He straight away felt a connection and loved French food. (Something here seems oddly familiar!!!) After this however Andrew's story takes a fabulous turn with his (now) husband spending a year studying in Paris. Andrew turned his back on his career in insurance underwriting and went with Peter to Paris. He had nothing to do but be a complete flâneur and mosey around the French capital for months on end! What an experience to immerse in French food, people watching, jardin meandering, café mooching and architecture gazing daily! Oooooh la la! After this Andrew took another leap of faith and joined the prestigious club of MasterChef contestants. His journey there took him down another life path towards food and this time more specifically, his own business doing food tours. Andrew specialised in French food tours with his own Queenies Food Tours in Melbourne. How I wish I had have gone on a tour with him back then when he was still in Australia! He has also led some brilliant foodie tours in France. Andrew has now moved back to France with his husband and 2 golden retrievers Lenny and Louis into the Nouvelle Aquitaine region. He has dived into French life and loves to pore over old French cook books, meander around gorgeous authentic country village markets and of course cook for his family and friends. Tune in to hear Andrew's fascinating story, with lots of his faves thrown in! Loulabelle's FrancoFiles links Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
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| Spring in Cannes! | 16 May 2025 | 00:29:46 | |
I am currently in France and have been road-tripping all over the place, but more on that in upcoming episodes... . At the moment I have connected with friend to the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast Ruby Boukabou and in this episode we discussed some observations from this particular Cannes Film Festival. We had tickets for the opening night red carpet event and we were in the room for the opening ceremony too, to see Robert De Niro receive his honorary Palme d'Or presented by Leonardo DiCaprio. I felt a shift in Cannes this time, with a more overt political statement being made, particularly i the opening night speeches from De Niro, DiCaprio and head of the 2025 Cannes jury Juliette Binoche. . Ruby and I also spoke about the opening night movie "Partir Un Jour", the other goings-on in Cannes as well as what to do to escape the craziness for just a short time or a day-trip! We also touch on when the best time is, to visit Cannes for your specific purposes. . Tune in and escape to France with us xx
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 65 - Escape to the Château! If you can dream it, you can do it! | 03 Apr 2022 | 00:38:30 | |
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com Karen and her husband Paul had for many years spent weekends escaping to France and always loved exploring the little villages when they drove across from the UK. One day Paul brought home a little advertisement of a château for sale, they went across to check it out and it was love at first sight! So the 17 year adventure began. They took a leap of faith, possibly with rose tinted glasses on but Karen says they have no regrets! Karen says that life is not about getting to the end of a rainbow with a pot of gold, but rather life is about living it, experiencing it and having the most amazing experiences you can recall for life! Wise words I reckon! Now Karen has a website and Insta page Dream French Properties. I love to explore the villages on Google Earth and visit the regions virtually of the grand houses in her posts. I also try to guess the region of France just from the architecture before I find out where the property actually is! Karen wishes that they had got to live there in their château as permanent residents, but one of the most rewarding things from the experience was the ability to dream and make their dreams happen. After listening to Karen, I'm reminded of the saying, if you can dream it you can do it! Life is short! Take that leap! Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram - @loulabelles_francofiles Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist - click here
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 64 - French Hack tips & memories of carefree France! | 29 Mar 2022 | 00:35:17 | |
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com Growing up Alex always wanted to be bilingual so in her early 20s she headed to London, met and married an Aussie boy and the rest is history! How lucky for us Melburnians that she is here now too! Every day on The French Hack there is a Pause Dej' (pronounced almost like postage or paws-tage) which is short for "pause dejeuner" a lunch break. The daily Pause Dej' is an hour and a half every day during the middle of the day Melbourne time, where members can drop in and have a real conversation online for the whole time or just part of it... whatever works for them! Alex has generously offered for listeners of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast a free visit to The French Hack which can be found on the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website. In my chat with Alex she shared the French perspective she had as a child, taking castles and quaint villages for granted. Now she sees the amazing beauty we all love about France and she loves sharing it all with her sons when she can get back to spend time in France with family and friends. Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles on Instagram
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 63 - Some petit Paris inspo for everyday! | 20 Mar 2022 | 00:31:07 | |
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com Kate loves to draw buildings and has a fascination with architecture. Her travel and architecture inspired illustrations often take me away to Paris. She confesses to having a particular affection for illustrating cafes! She loves the shadows, the light and the different colour that buildings exude at different times of day. In this lovely warm chat we hear all about how Kate creates an artwork, about her love of travel and of France and we get transported away with her description of her fave French day. With French recipes and music to quench the French vibes, join us for a little escape to France.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 62 - Montmartre local's tales: Dalida, Bresse chicken & Chamonix solo | 22 Feb 2022 | 00:32:36 | |
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com In this warm and funny chat with Emmanuel he tells me about his life growing up in Montmartre with his grandparents who lived next door to uber famous singing sensation Dalida! Come and escape to France momentarily with us and hear about going solo on the slopes of Chamonix, Michelin Star restaurants near Lyon and naked women in the streets of Montmartre in Emmanuel's childhood memories! Oooh la la! Recettes from renowned chef George Blanc and musique by Dalida xx
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 61 - After the war. One woman's story of the raw, beautiful, real Paris. | 04 Feb 2022 | 00:48:43 | |
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com Tune in to hear Lise talk about her early story in post war Paris, growing up in Montparnasse in the 14th arrondissement. Whilst times were tough, she and her siblings never complained or wished for a different life. They had each other. We find it hard to imagine this reality they all lived and whilst Lise says we shouldn't dwell on the difficult times, (one of the strategies she employs which assists her to be such an amazing survivor I think) it is important to remember this period of history to avoid being repeated. Eventually Lise and her little family moved to Australia, but with her husband and her children Lise would visit and go back to France often.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 60 - Rue Dauphine Paris... One woman's dream is inspiration for many! | 26 Jan 2022 | 00:35:11 | |
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com I had a chat with Katherine to find out her French faves as well as some tips from her as an experienced and repeat traveler to Paris. I was very excited to hear that she is headed back there in May so I look forward to her photos once she's there! I asked Katherine what is so special about Rue Dauphine and Paris for her. She also gives some fabulous travel tips. For anyone going to France at the moment it is crucial to talk to a travel agent and to your airline about any COVID rules or requirements. They can change swiftly so ensure you get up-to-date info about your own individual circumstances.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 59 - Escape to the Château! Living life from the Heart ❤️ | 15 Jan 2022 | 00:47:09 | |
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com Julia was born in Australia and moved to England as a young person and the Francophile seed was sewn on holidays to France back then. Julia describes France as a magical place and I completely agree! She always knew when the time came to buy a property in France that it would be an old building. She scoured the internet for over a year and eventually came to France with 2 of her sisters to see them in person. The search started for a traditional farmhouse but rather quickly their search upgraded to château hunting! Beware though! Whilst your dollar will go a long way in purchasing a property, renovating in France is not cheap. Ensure you leave enough in your pot of money for the improvements you want or need to make, especially if restoring an historical property. In this podcast papotage, listen to Julia chat about how she found her dream property, previously owned by a famous French artist, in the Lot region of south western France. Julia felt instantly a warm, enveloping, homely connection to Mas de Pradié and that also comes across in the Escape to the Château series. The most beautiful thing I heard from Julia was how this move to France to restore a château has been so very rewarding for her. Previously she had a lovely life but she was molding her life to fit with other people. Now she feels she is living her true life, the life that is in her heart. I think this is something many more people are looking for inspiration to find, after the COVID period we've lived through... the life we truly want to lead.
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 58 - Harvest, drink, cook! Journey to the vineyards of France 🍇🍷 | 03 Jan 2022 | 00:37:15 | |
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com Today I chatted to our fave French correspondent Sarah Zwick from Be My Guest Immersions about the French perspective of wine. Not the expert perspective but how wine is seen culturally by ordinary French citizens. In this gorgeous petite "papotage" Sarah and I chat about the winemakers as artisans, a little about the history of wine in France, and we touch on the way the terroir is of profound importance. Some people look upon French wine as just an investment. I have seen a couple of documentaries that showed how French wine is becoming increasingly popular as an investment purchase, but for me I love to savour and taste it too much to let it sit in the bottle forever! Somethings are worth more than money to me, and the memories created with friends in France or even in Australia for that matter whilst sharing a bottle of wine are often in my opinion, priceless. Regardless of me getting all emotionally connected to the wine, it's a huge industry in France with wine being enjoyed and sold all over the world and employs loads of people. Sarah has family friends with a vineyard and has worked with them before. I loved hearing her chat about that time and I now plan to be in France for les vendanges, the harvest. After a couple of hours work in the morning the workers have a second breakfast with un verre du vin rouge!
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 57 - Joyeux Noël, it's Christmas in Paris! 🎄 | 21 Dec 2021 | 00:26:57 | |
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com Emily spoke about some of the traditions in France such as Christmas Eve being the biggest celebration and Santa coming that night. I loved hearing her chat about the decorations in all the stores and the famous Christmas markets. From what Emily says the photos I'm seeing on Instagram at the moment showing that every corner of Paris has been Christmas-ified is exactly what it feels like to her! Now as I said to Emily I love Christmas and I love Christmas in Australia as to me it means time spent with my family. But I am longing to one day spend Christmas in France. After chatting to Emily I want to experience the lights and festivities in both Paris and the country French villages. I want to visit the Christmas markets and have mulled wine from a little caravan in les jardins! In this gorgeous festive chat you can hear all about loads of these Chrissy French traditions and more. There is so much on my Christmas list that I'd like to see and do when I eventually spend a Christmas in Paris or France, I may need to go back multiple times! For this year though I will make a mulled wine and dream of future Christmases en français!
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 56 - So you bought a house in France online? Pas de problème! | 20 Dec 2021 | 00:40:31 | |
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com Miriam and Jon discussed for many years the idea of retiring in France, so they would spend hours scrolling through real estate websites. Eventually they found one, did a virtual tour with the realtor (including a virtual drive through the village!) and decided this was the one! Without even stepping foot on site! The house met lots of their criteria: not too isolated, near a Plus Beaux Villages de France, not too big, not too small, with a lovely garden and in an area with quite a lot of English speakers. Miriam has cousins in the Charente area near to her new home. A bonus is that these cousins have a vineyard! A FrancoFiler's dream! Well this FrancoFiler anyway! Miriam talks about being with her cousins as children, playing in a deserted château. I can imagine with strong family ties and beautiful childhood memories, the pull to move to France would be strong. Miriam is craving the simple quiet life. She talked about being able to walk out the front door to go on a long walk or bike ride. Opening the shutters in the morning and hearing the village come to life. She would like to spend the day wandering the streets of Bordeaux, sit and have coffee and watch the world go by. It sounds beautiful to me. Simple pleasures to fill a FrancoFiler's soul.
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| A French Mediterranean vacation with relaxation, scuba and sun! | 28 Apr 2025 | 00:41:29 | |
Kent Tisher is a Palliative Care Doctor in Toronto Canada who loves to unwind and shed the stress of life by traveling in France. I first chatted to Kent back in April 2023 about his love of French vacations and it was fabulous to chat again as he arrived home in Canada on the same day that I arrived in Paris! . Kent came to France this time for only 10 days. He caught the TGV direct from CDG down to the Languedoc region to end up in Pezenas near Montpellier. This is a game changer for me as I had no idea there was a TGV to access straight from CDG! . (Tip from Kent: Check that you know the exact station you are either arriving at or departing from as many towns have more than one train station with very similar names!) . Kent has lots of other personal observations and tips from his experiences during his travel that are key for anyone considering regional regional travel in France. I also have some considerations from my current trip to add to your list which we discussed in this episode! . You may want to think about: * car hire: size of car and type of hire arrangement; *short vs long French sojourns (European/North American travellers vs Australian/NZ voyages); *currency conversions; *making specialty arrangements for things such as scuba dives; *planning for where to go on road trips solo or with a group; *packing light (which I always struggle with!); *packing arrangements on a daily basis to assist with managing luggage on a road trip. . Something else we discuss is the concept of visiting new places vs revisiting old faves. I am very aware of being fortunate enough to return to France on numerous occasions. Kent and I discussed how lucky we are, but also how we go without some things at home to enable these trips to our happy place. When visiting a new place there can be a sense of guilt if we don't make the most of every minute! But when enjoying a return trip there is a different energy about the visit. I always say to leave a reason to return and one of the reasons to return to the same region if you're fortunate to be able to do so, is to see it at a less frenetic pace! . LFF listeners can book a time with Loulabelle to discuss your itinerary ideas and arrangements. Just head to the LFF website: www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com .
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 55 - A life changing leap to Paris perfection ❤️ | 28 Nov 2021 | 00:41:14 | |
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com Katherine Watt has lived and worked in many countries around the world but it has been Paris that has captured her heart! So four years ago she made the leap to resign from her job and move to France. Where to start with a leap like this?!?! That's what I wanted to find out! Katherine started by drawing a line in the sand with the end date for her job. She planned three years ahead and told her boss she would be resigning. Katherine had stayed in Montmartre and even in the apartment she is in now during the period before she moved permanently. During lockdown, Katherine loved being in the Montmartre area where she found a little community in her 1km zone. Being surrounded by the beauty of Montmartre was food for her soul during that tough time when travel and connecting face-to-face with family was not possible. Moving to a new country across the world is not without its challenges. In this chat I heard about how Katherine has formed beautiful friendships with neighbours and regulars to her fave jazz clubs and local cafés. We hear all about her Paris faves as well as a bit about her book "Ninon and Me at the Grand Comptoir", her cooking and now painting experiences too. I found talking to Katherine quite inspirational. It helped remind me that there is no time limit on finding yourself. No limits on who you can "be" through life and no limit to finding who you truly are. Katherine's more Parisian way of thinking has made her realise there can be a different way to view the world.
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 54 - SacreBlue! Loulabelle's is officially on board, keeping our Frenchy vibes going with the Aussie French Embassy! | 15 Nov 2021 | 00:43:41 | |
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com I was super excited that the Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles podcast was asked to come on board for the new platform, which is dedicated to bringing together all institutions, organisations and individuals who create cultural and intellectual bridges between France and Australia. The website will feature regular contributions and highlights of my LFF articles and podcast eps! There will be news, in-depth articles, podcasts and events on French cinema, performance, arts, gastronomy, ideas, science, language, fashion, sport and much more.
Boris works with everything not political and not economic at the Embassy, so all the fun stuff! He focuses on creating opportunities for Australians to know more about France and also for French nationals in Australia to stay connected to their culture. Cultural bonds are important and after talking to Boris I can see that the links being created between the people of France and Australia will be positive and strong. Sacreblue! has the opportunity now to connect Australians with France who have never known much about French culture. In this LFF ep we will hear all about how Boris came from being a boy in his home town of La Rochelle to travelling the world and being a leader in the Embassy. He spent a few years in the US before coming to Australia. He is so widely travelled having been to almost 70 countries!
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| Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 53 - Belonging to France - one woman's out of the box experience! | 23 Oct 2021 | 00:38:25 | |
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com Kerry has always felt very connected to Ireland due to her Irish heritage but a punk party in a Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in 1981 changed her world. She met her French husband and started a journey uncovering all the wonderfulness of France from an "insiders" perspective rather than as a tourist. When Kerry's daughter was 14 the little family went to live in France for a year and Kerry has had further stints over there since. Kerry has such a wonderful warmth and genuine transparency. Talking with her made me feel a beautiful connection to "her" France. It opened my eyes and my imagination further to the way daily French life would be for us as Australians if we're ever lucky enough to be living over there. Kerry worried when her marriage to a Frenchman ended that her connection to France would wain. But what she found eventually was that her link to France was a connection of her very own and not just through her husband. She found that she herself belonged to France.
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