Latest Articles
Where’s the sunshine? Here’s the beef
The sunniest part of France, they said. Three hundred days of sunshine a year, they said. No. Not this month, at least! Time for a warming beef recipe.
Bordeaux Transformed: The local perspective
Bordeaux: Despite its architectural grandeur, the city wore a veil of industrial grime, obscuring its potential beauty. Comme les choses ont changé! (How things have changed!)
Why France? Part Deux
Moving to France: A year of firsts as we find ourselves in our new Parisian apartment set in the middle of what could have been a comedic version of the film Rear Window and how we almost didn't make it out alive.
Features
How to experience France beyond the cliché.
Start here with this constantly refreshed selection of featured articles and series; all from our archives of more than 3,000 articles, and all written for Francophiles.
This is where you can immerse yourself in Guides to France, covering an enormous range from champagne, shoes, art, and literature, music, and philosophy, plus a focus on Paris and other amazing locations and so much more…
Dive in by making a selection – Amusez vous
Arts + Culture
Le Papagayo: A nightmare in St Tropez
Le Papagayo: A nightmare in St Tropez - Mike booked a gig in the South of France. No one knew why or how he got the gig, but this was before the Internet, so no one could check what the club was like, what type of music it played, or who else had played there...
Drooling over Audrey Hepburn and her Givenchy wardrobe via Funny Face
I’m ashamed to admit that I had never watched any Audrey Hepburn movies until now, when I finally decided it was my time to see Funny Face. As soon as the title sequences began, I felt myself beaming. This movie is right up my alley in so many ways!
Provence: Finding the time for Creativity
Allowing ourselves time for creativity (whatever it is) is just so important
Escapades
Bordeaux Transformed: The local perspective
Bordeaux: Despite its architectural grandeur, the city wore a veil of industrial grime, obscuring its potential beauty. Comme les choses ont changé! (How things have changed!)
Self-Seasoning Lamb: The Salt-Marsh Sheep of Mont Saint-Michel
Recently, I visited Mont Saint-Michel with my wife and a friend from New York. The journey across the Brittany peninsula is a beautiful arrival to the awe-inspiring sight of the mount. Having been there multiple times, always during the off-season - I can't imagine the place with summer tourist crowds.
Secrets and Symmetry: Discovering the Paris Historical Axis (Part 2)
Monuments, Mysteries, and Masterpieces: A Journey Across the Grand Perspective of Paris. Secrets and Symmetry: Discovering the Paris Historical Axis
Gastronomie
Where’s the sunshine? Here’s the beef
The sunniest part of France, they said. Three hundred days of sunshine a year, they said. No. Not this month, at least! Time for a warming beef recipe.
Absinthe: la fée verte and its hold on Paris society
Absinthe: Over the last 30 or so years, absinthe has seen something of a comeback. Changed laws under the European Union made it so absinthe could be produced and sold again, including in France. I don’t know anyone personally who drinks it, so I’m not sure how popular it is.
How Long is Too Long at the Table: The French Gastronomic Meal
I was discussing long lunches, with a village friend not long ago. Wait, she said. Let me show you. I saved some menus. After a rummage in an upstairs cupboard, she returned, and spread them out over the kitchen table.
Mode + Beauté
The ultimate guide to the best pharmacies in Paris: become an expert!
Read our guide to the best pharmacies in Paris, and how to become an expert French pharmacy shopper
Yves Saint Laurent: 6 extraordinary exhibitions 60 years on
Celebrating the 60th anniversary of his 1st collection, a vast exhibition named 'Yves Saint Laurent aux musée' is being held in 6 Parisian museums
Where do French women buy shoes in Paris? – Insider Guide for shoe addicts – top 13 stores
Discover my top 13 shoe stores in Paris! Stop wondering where French women buy their shoes?
Reportage + Société
Cultural Differences: Talking to Strangers in France
Talking to Strangers in France: Anna says: "Engaging with people is of huge interest to me. My late husband always said of me: "Anna collects people.”
Vive les Femmes! Celebrating the Powerful Women of France
When it comes to French history, men grab most of the headlines—people like Napoleon Bonaparte, Louis Pasteur, and King Louis XIV. But the history of France has also been marked by great women: rulers, scientists, artists, and more.
How France uncovered the mystery of forbidden photos of Nazi-occupied Paris
Mystery photographer: I recently came across this collection of WWII photos that were taken by a man and his wife who worked at the famous department store, Le Printemps during the occupation of France
Vie Française
Why France? Part Deux
Moving to France: A year of firsts as we find ourselves in our new Parisian apartment set in the middle of what could have been a comedic version of the film Rear Window and how we almost didn't make it out alive.
What Would You Take to France?
What Would You Take to France? People will bring anything from a favorite pair of jeans to a classic car when they move to France. I brought my guitar, my music, and my memories.
Why France? part un
Moving to France: Our 10-year anniversary in Paris is around the corner. I'm often asked how we ended up here. In a series of stories, I am sharing our journey to the City of Light and the lure of salted butter.
