Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles

Christophe Gay was born in a château in Burgundy that his father bought in 1966 for less than €10,000. It was in a state of ruin and needed a huge amount of repair, which Christophe's father who was very handy with a number of trades and worked as an electrician on the railways, continued to complete throughout his lifetime with his own hands. Christophe often assisted his father and got the bug to renovate his own château, which he did when he bought his first one with wife Sylvia in 2008. Now with a team working for him year round, Christophe loves breathing life back into these exquisite historical buildings, but with a number of mod cons thrown in! Every bedroom has an ensuite and every kitchen at least one or two dishwashers!Christophe's business "Kasteliades" now has 6 châteaux which he manages as a team with his wife, son, daughter and son-in-law. It seems he has created a work environment encapsulating family togetherness as well as feeding their collective souls as they all breathe new life into these beautiful buildings dating back hundreds of years.Tune into hear my chat with Christophe, all about the beauty and specialness of Burgundy - the gastronomy, the rooftops, the history, the wine! **Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Susan Hays has called France home for a couple of decades and after living all around the world, she agrees that she is living her dream life in the Charente Maritime. She says life in a small French village has given her children a similar slow childhood to what she experienced in 1970s England and the way she painted the picture of their current life for me was just so beautiful. I was transported to a French village momentarily as I listened to her. I suggest flicking through holiday snaps from regional France whilst tuning into Susan's chat with me and if you don't have any of your own flick through mine on Instagram!In the Charente Maritime Susan loves the climate and the slow life, whilst still having a wonderful cosmopolitan feel. With her 5 children and husband they have a fully bi-lingual household and are completely immersed in French village life. Susan spoke of her family's plans for the afternoon after our interview where she pondered that they might head down to the river to the swimming hole with a picnic of baguettes, figs and other fresh pickings from her jardin, cheeses and a glass of champagne, whilst they cool off and perhaps take the paddle boards. It all sounds idyllic to me!Tune in to hear more and escape to France with us.**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

I have talked briefly on the podcast before about Mont Saint Michel, but given I had never been there it was only really in relation to how it was one of my Dad’s favourite places to visit in France. Mont Saint Michel in Normandy on the northern French coast is somewhere my Papa visited many times as well as the Channel Islands and Saint Malo, but it was Mont Saint Michel that he would rave on and on about to me! It also happens to be one of the more popular tourist attractions in France and was actually designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. When I decided to do a solo roadtrip across the northern coast of France this year, I was instructed by my dear Dad to visit this amazing mega structure! **Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Many Aussies dream of travelling through Europe. Some as young adults possibly backpacking, some with kids in tow and others are patient enough to wait until they can travel solo après children with friends in the same situation, or a spouse/partner. My recent guest did both! Trudy Walker travelled first with a girlfriend for 3 weeks and then when her friend Fiona went home her husband Dave arrived. So much fun was had by all! Trudy completed a load of organisation before the trip which would have had a significant impact on the success of the whole experience.Tune into this episode for some tips on travelling through France with various forms of accommodation and transport, even touching on some details such as to why you should carry a little cash for petrol through regional France, or what to do when the maps you're using are out of date and there is no phone reception! Trudy's travels took her on a route around much of France across 10 weeks, so during this chat there's loads of daydreaming and escaping to whichever region takes your fancy!With lots of recommendations including recipes and music, this is the place to come and momentarily escape to France with us.**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Katherine Watt made the move from the US to Paris and Montmartre about 6 years ago. She loved her community in Paris, her block, her apartment and thought she would always stay there. But late last year she got notice that the owner wanted to move back into their home so she made the decision to move to the town she had previously only visited for vacations, Saint Malo.So Saint Malo is up on the Bretagne coast, not far from the border with upper Normandy and Mont Saint Michel. It is a town with lots of Parisian holiday homes as well as Airbnbs. It also happens to be one of my Papa's fave places in France. I did wonder what all the fuss was about, and then I went there... now I know that all the fuss is absolutely justified! Katherine spent her first three months after leaving Paris living in a vacation rental in an area of Saint Malo close to the touristy area near the ramparts. Eventually with help from local friends, she found a brilliant townhouse a couple of blocks from the beach in a part of Saint Malo called Saint Servan. I spent a week in and around Saint Malo back in June this year and absolutely adored my experience there. The seafood, the people, the history, the beaches, the cider, the galettes! I couldn't get enough of it all! Katherine helped me find an Airbnb for my stay. There were so many to choose from and by chance I chose one almost across the street from her place! The little Breton vine covered cottages are gorgeous inside and out, just like the people of the region. Tune in to hear all about our experiences in this extraordinary part of France.**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

On Bastille Day I sat down with the gorgeous Meika Woollard to munch on a table full of pastries and chat about her recent first visit to Paris. It was wonderful to hear about Paris from the perspective of someone visiting for the very first time, and also through the eyes of a Gen Z! Older Francophiles like me will no doubt have memories of our childhood dreams of Paris, so hearing the magic Meika experienced on her first visit there brought back the innocence of my younger self!Aussie Meika is now based in Europe with her career as a fashion model. She grabbed the opportunity to visit Paris with friends for a few days earlier this year. Before her visit, Meika was focused on mainly the touristy things, but once she got there she quickly realised there is so much more to the French capital. Meika and her friends turned first to TikTok and searched for "hidden things to do in Paris". They found a list of things to explore, picked one and caught an uber to the address. It turned out to be a cafe in Montmartre with love letters all over the walls, beautiful declarations of love written down and plastered everywhere!Meika said that when visiting Paris for the first time, it was just like falling in love! I completely agree. I fell in love with Paris on the first morning I woke there and looked out my window at the Marais  many years ago. I have been falling in love with all of France ever since!**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Recently I spent a couple of months in France and through some upcoming podcast episodes I’ll chat about various experiences I had. This episode details some things to consider when setting about planning and heading off on a road trip in France. For those who have listened to the podcast before or if you follow the Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles on Instagram you will be in no doubt about how much I adore a French road trip! So much so that I managed to squeeze in a few separate road trips on my recent French visit. But the focus for this episode is where I started in Dieppe in Normandy and drove all the way across the north of France to the beautiful rugged coast of Brittany. Tune in to hear tips for booking and staying in French villages, finding the magical hidden gems in northern France, as well as some amazing and surprising lifetime memories found along the way. **Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Madelyn Byrne is the founder and visionary behind the apartment rental business Paris Perfect. She grew up in a military family as an American but also a global citizen. as her father was stationed in Italy through some of her childhood. Working in London after College, Madelyn took a skiing weekend break in France with a friend and met her French husband, Philippe. Loaning out Philippe's Paris apartment to friends when  working and studying elsewhere, started the business she has today.Paris Perfect rentals are purposefully managed as rental apartments rather than staying in someone's home who has just been moved out temporarily. Everything has been considered for travelers including a concierge to greet guests and to connect with in Paris. There are apartments with exquisite views, for all occasions. There are romantic retreats, family friendly rentals or luxury stays. The concierge at Place Dauphine is in an old hotel Madelyn bought and renovated. It's a 400 year old building which now has fabulous apartments decorated sympathetically with modern convenience. Madelyn told me all about the experience of turning this stunning old building into a functional space. The restoration turned out to be a labour of love. Madelyn had to go through 6 different historical committees to have an elevator installed! The buildings in Place Dauphine were built by Henri IV after the 30 years war of religion on the King's land. There were 32 little homes built for the workers of the king in 1610 on Place Dauphine. Madelyn found when renovating the "mother-beam". It is a massive beam which would have been floated down the Seine to the building and is positioned on the second floor holding all the building together. She also found an entrance from the cellar to the sewers of Paris. (**Both Madelyn and I highly recommend the tour of the Paris sewers which is accessed on the Tour Eiffel side of the Pont d'Alma.) Renovating an historic building such as Madelyn did will obviously have difficulties but also wonderful rewards. Peeling back all the layers of history when in the middle of the restoration can be fascinating, discovering the history of that particular building and uncovering its story. Tune in to hear all about Madelyn's story. Come and escape to Paris with us!**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Kate Veach and her husband Nathan were already living a life very connected to France with a French restaurant in Geelong outside of Melbourne, Australia but always dreamed of living in France, so just prior to COVID they made the decision to get serious about achieving their dream. They knew they loved Burgundy so drew a circle around Beaune with a limit of an hour travel distance and found their dream property 56 minutes from the epicentre of their search!They had a brief to follow for the search of being in a village, walking distance to amenities, with a cellar and in a wine area. None of which was in the final property! They have found a property in a hamlet 3kms from a village with a number of outbuildings and some land which they found online during the Melbourne COVID lockdowns and bought sight unseen with only 7 photos! Purchasing remotely of course is a big risk so they engaged a buyers advocate to decipher the legal documents and work through the finer details. The result has been a beautiful experience of restoring the 100ish year old house and 500 year old barn, establishing themselves in a little French community.There is so much to do and see in Burgundy. Kate told me about the picturesque villages to meander through, Burgundian food is known to be focused on fresh local produce and there is a wonderful Burgundy wine route. The area is also well known for excellent brocante!Whilst there are challenges along the way, Kate recommends to anyone dreaming of a similar life as hers, just do it! Be realistic with your skill set to achieve the dream, but once that's clear, get going and do it! It's been the best thing she has ever done!**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

When Adrian Leeds first visited France on a European trip with her not-yet-husband in 1979, she knew right then that Paris was a place that fed her soul.Since that time over the last 28 years she has built a business that is devoted to assisting Anglophones from all over the world to turn their dreams of moving to France into a reality. The Adrian Leeds Group is now the go-to company for finding out all the details and pitfalls of navigating the complexities when wanting to purchase property and live in France. Adrian seems to have a special skill though which I think is essential, she sees the property in terms of its potential and what it can be rather than just what it is on first viewing. Adrian reminds her clients that they are buying what they can't change. The view, the light, the bones of the building structure is fairly set, but the rest is smoke and mirrors! No need to despair if you don't like the pink walls of a property you find! Adrian also has a team who will work to renovate for the client as well if that's what they want or need. She will work with the client to ascertain what their plans are, whether they want to purchase or rent, assist to find an appropriate property and find the way forward. Some people start with "I've been dreaming of moving to France..." whereas others have very specific ideas already set. Adrian's also great at giving a reality check for people who wear rose coloured glasses! I have often heard from guests and listeners who have bought a place in France off the internet sight unseen! Adrian assists with this sort of situation regularly. Through COVID, Adrian had dozens of clients for whom she found properties, made a plan with the client, completed all the due diligence, then completed the renovation or restoration with her amazing teams in both Paris and Nice. I'm sure having her team working on the ground in France would have been great comfort to the client that what they saw on the internet was what they would actually get!Adrian does caution against purchasing in France without a buyer's agent. Buyer beware! The seller's agent is only concerned about selling the property, not necessarily about the issues that could be associated with the property. I think if making a huge life decision such as buying property and moving to a foreign country, it only makes sense to get expert advice. There are a number of considerations for how to set up a purchase that will impact the manner in which the property can be passed on to future generations so this expert advice is in my opinion a fabulous investment.Tune in to hear all the details as well as Adrian's take on life in Paris and France. Come and escape to France with us xx**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Friend to the Loulabelle's podcast Ruby Boukabou chatted on the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles a few weeks ago to give me an idea of what to expect at the Cannes Film Festival but nothing could prepare me for the level of craziness I found when I finally got there! There is glitz and glamour but also just squillions of people! This chat is half way through the festival and includes Ruby's and my discussion about a couple of the films we saw:The New Boy directed by Warwick Thornton, starring Cate Blanchett, Debra Mailman, Wayne Blair and newcomer Aswan Reid as the new boy. See the Cannes Couch clip for more here.Jeanne du Barry directed by Maïwenn, also starring Maïwenn and Johnny Depp. For the Cannes Couch clip including our take on the press conference, click here.The mammoth organisation of the festival is hugely impressive. Just the security alone is on a level we don't ordinarily see anywhere else. Moving into the second week of the festival we are looking forward to more celebrities, a day trip to Nice, some more films and the Palm Dog Award which is the award for the best dog actor in film for the year! Only in France!Come and escape to the Cannes Film Festival with us!Follow along on YouTube on @TheCannesCouch **Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Catherine Berry has appeared on the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast previously way back in episode 39 when she chatted about her own life story of taking her family to live in France in the area around Annecy. Catherine wrote the first of her books about that experience, But You Are In France Madame.In this current chat Catherine shares her expertise about Annecy, the largest town and capital of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and gives us her top tips and ideas for a visit. Annecy lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, and my discussion with Catherine provided me with a glorious virtual escape to that beautiful part of France, which I visited only last year prior to Christmas.There are beautiful links to the past in Annecy, but the oldest looking part of the town, which is the most famously photographed area around the canals and the old prison, is not actually the oldest original part. There is another older part called Annecy-le-Vieux. The country surrounding Annecy is rugged and before the advent of good roads and transport, the area was quite remote. The recorded history goes back over a thousand years with the great grandson of Charlemagne deciding in the year 866 that he didn't want any more to do with his wife, so he divorced her and sent her to live in Talloires near Annecy. It seems she might have made the best of being carted off to such a place as Lac d'Annecy would have been at that time. She created a tiny religious establishment which then in turn brought monks to the area who created a monastery, which then brought about the construction of an abbey. The site of this abbey has just celebrated its 1000th anniversary back in 2018. Catherine's favourite time in Annecy is spring after the breaking of the snow. Mid-year is very busy with large crowds coming to visit for the benefit of the lake in the heat of the summer as well as the water sports. I adore it in winter although that is not so practical if moving from place to place, dragging luggage through the slush and the snow. Either side of summer both prior or post the peak season can be cheaper and less crowded for a visit that still enjoys good weather.Tune into this sweet chat with Loulabelle and Catherine to hear about one of France's most popular destinations, its history, its highlights and some local faves.**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Ruby Boukabou has been on the Loulabelle's podcast a number of times and now she and I are headed to the wonderful Cannes Film Festival! Ruby has been attending as a journalist since 2009 and will lead me through my first experience of the Festival. This year Ruby and I will be sharing daily all the fun from the festival on our YouTube channel "The Cannes Couch". We'll be chatting on the couch with a cuppa and pastries in the morning or apero in the afternoon with loads of different Cannes personalities.I asked Ruby what I can expect to see. There are loads of networking events, there are sales agents, distributors, producers, people buying films, people selling films... so much going on!This year I am excited about an Australian film with Cate Blanchett, Debra Mailman and Wayne Blair directed by Warwick Thornton called The New Boy.  It's a story of an Aboriginal boy who turns up mysteriously at a convent in 1940s Australia and is in the category for Un Certain Regard.I'm looking forward to seeing some of the areas around Cannes, with a possible day trip to Nice or a Provence village on the cards! The famous Cannes parties are also something to look forward to! With "press pass" in hand, who knows what exciting experiences are in front of us?!?! Follow along with us on our YouTube channel The Cannes Couch! Tune in to our chat to hear about all the fun of the festival!**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Sara Marner divides her heart between her holiday home in Normandy and her Melbourne life. After a 2008 visit to her husband's English family, Sara with her husband and kids took a three week drive through France and fell in love with the countryside and the lifestyle. They then bought an historic home in the middle of a quaint village an hour or so from Paris in the "Parc naturel régional du Perche".Returning twice a year for long stays has connected Sara and her family to the local community. In my podcast chat with her Sara gave a number of tips she has collected over the years but I was most surprised by her suggestion in relation to car hire, renting direct from the car companies! When looking for a home in France Sara's main criteria was to be able to go straight from the airport to the house without needing to make the trip from Australia longer, by needing to stay a night in Paris. Sara can time the arrival in Paris to be in the morning, collect the car straight away and in a couple of hours she is able to be in their own home in the middle of a French village! I love the ease that she describes this process to be in your own bed by the end of the trip, albeit your own bed on the other side of the world!Sara's fave day made my heart sing with a day starting off with her wandering through a brocante and ending with eating alfresco with a table full of friends. My kind of perfect French day!Tune in and escape to France with us xx**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Recently the beautiful cathedral of Notre Dame celebrated an anniversary no one would have wished for or expected a number of years back. On 15 April 2023 it was 4 years from the devastating fire that tore through the roof of Notre Dame and started years of renewal and restoration.In this podcast chat with Paris resident and historian Claudine Hemingway, she spoke with me about the processes of the restoration as well as ways to still connect with Notre Dame until the repair is intended to be finished next year in December 2024. Pre-fire my husband Paul and I climbed to the top of Notre Dame and took in the view of Paris surrounding the spire at the top of the cathedral. When we descended we went into the church and mass was just starting. We stayed for mass blending into the familiar ritual of sitting, standing and kneeling at the same times as we have in every other mass around the world. The prayers have the same pattern and lilt even though in another language. I felt so connected to my surroundings in Notre Dame during that visit, which I'm sure hundreds of thousands of other Catholics have over time as well. It is a church not just for Paris, but a church of the world in some ways. I'm so glad I did that climb now and stayed for mass. Seeing the fire take hold there solidified for me the view that we should never take anything for granted. We never know what tomorrow may hold...**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

A number of years ago Emily Lawrence Gazal brought her family from Bondi in Sydney Australia to live in Chatou 20ish minutes from the centre of Paris. Emily knew her great grandmother was French but her grandmother would tell her no more. She didn't really know the story further down that branch of her family tree. Interestingly the other branches for Emily are all English speaking, which is sometimes the way. As English-speaking Australians, we often know more about the anglophone history than the non-English speaking.Emily's grandmother's name was Lorraine so Emily took a guess that the family was from the Alsace-Lorraine area and may have named her after the region they were originally from. Emily was right and commenced a journey of uncovering the secrets of her family history her grandmother had kept hidden. I was fascinated to chat to Emily about this journey of discovery. After checking out the situation on Ancestry.com where nothing was evident, she wrote to the Department of Births, Deaths and Marriages in New South Wales and received a surname. She also got a naturalisation certificate. Emily then went on a French ancestry website and found a similar name and putting 2 and 2 together, worked out that her great great grandfather was Jewish and when moving from France to Australia changed the family name slightly.Emily ended up visiting the village in Alsace that her family came from, Ribeauvillé. She met with an archivist there who did more research on her family and found out some details that were immense discoveries for Emily. It turned out that she had family, the siblings of her great great grandfather Vernon, who had been highly regarded in the community and others who were taken away to Auschwitz and killed. I love the importance Emily places on her French family history. Strengthening our ties with the past actually helps us learn more about ourselves. Emily still has questions, such as why did her grandmother hide her Jewishness? Emily now feels connected to the area they were from as well as feeling connected to the French Jews she encounters.**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Lindy Viandier is an accomplished author who has written about her wonderful home Les Libellules in Burgundy which she has owned for around five years with her French husband.  In this podcast chat with Loulabelle', she shares her view of Burgundy, not just the well known but she delves deeper under the layers of history and tradition. Burgundy is southeast of Paris, encompassing the area around Dijon, Beaune and another beautiful town Lindy highly recommends, Autun. The seasons are definitely marked and the change from one to the next will be noticed with extremes of cold and hot, but the scenery in any weather is beautiful with gentle rolling hills, vineyards, forestry and farming. There are loads of gorgeous medieval villages, some with ramparts, abbeys and châteaux. The polychrome roof tiles which are a feature of the region are exceptional.I love how when I travel from one region to another the menu can be completely different. In Burgundy there is the traditional dish of Boeuf Bourguignon, escargots and of course Dijon mustard. The Burgundy wines are exceptional with some varieties going back more than 600 years. There's also a traditional ginger cake which sounds amazing!Lindy and I explore all of this and then more of the local stories, traditions as well as wonderful recommendations of places to visit.**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Ann Dennis is an artist and interior designer who is passionate about interiors, art and antiques. Many of us Francophiles benefit from by following her socials with exquisite and sumptuous designs shared consistently. I so loved delving deeper into her French inspired story with this podcast chat.  Ann grew up in a family who valued French design elements. Something as simple as dining by candlelight with linen instead of paper napkins! Ann shares my passion for French crockery and collecting plates, so much so that she once carried 8 Gien plates home on her lap on the plane!Ann chatted to me about her French trips with including châteaux stays and one of a kind experiences, as well as the flow-on impact to her design. Ann is influenced by both her travels as well as her extensive library of design books. Personally, I feel that modern French design has evolved beautifully. It has gone from the ordered formality we see in some of the grand châteaux to sometimes even a collection of brocante-finds eclectically combined to be what is sometimes called shabby chic. I love Ann's abstract art and the manner in which it can sit in the middle of the structure and formality of French design. Ann talked about the way that these days we can mix a number of design elements together and it just "works"!  When there is abstract art in a formal style French room, I find it quite freeing... it helps me decompress. It somehow encourages me to "let go" inside. I feel that contemporary abstract art doesn't hold on to the formality of design and assists me to let go of the formality of life, freeing me to be more in touch with my inner self. The combination of formal French and abstract art provides the best of both worlds to my eye and feeds my Francophile heart.Ann says that French style has a sophistication that is instantly recognisable. I think the designs that Ann shares are just timeless. I'll be continuing to follow her socials and fill my Francophile soul daily. **Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

I'm not exactly sure of the origins of all the differing types of brocante markets in France, but it seems that most regions have little antique markets or at least a brocante stall on weekends in the summer. Some brocante fairs are huge whereas others are mostly like a small car-boot sale, but gorgeous antique finds can be found regardless.I chatted recently with the wonderful Emily Gaudichon about one of her topics of expertise which is brocante in Paris. Emily actually hosts tours to the two main brocante markets she recommends in Paris:  Marché aux Puces de Clignancourt and also Foire de Chatou. Emily also took me through the various types of brocante market as well as her top tips for brocante searching and purchasing in France.I know there are some places in France that have brocante as the main focus of the village all year round like  L'Isle Sur La Sorgue in Provence near Avignon which has amazing antique and bric-a-brac stores. I love meandering through villages to find little nuggets of fabulousness selling brocante here and there.  I mentioned to Emily one market I haven't been to but is definitely on my list to visit: the Braderie de Lille which is enormous, ranked as the largest in Europe with a history back as far as 1127. Join us to escape to France.**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website

There are many plans afoot to travel back to Europe after the last couple of COVID affected years and for some these plans have been underway for quite some time.If you’re intending to travel from Australia and New Zealand, or even from the US, Canada, South America or anywhere out of Europe really, it is a long way to France and takes a long time! But if you're like me you will know the time and distance is worth it! Even still, most people like to make sure they are going to both get their money’s worth and cram in as much as possible on their trip. The key to achieving those things is good planning. Now I’m sure you’ve sat around sharing a glass of French bubbly with friends before and rabbited on about travelling together to the Champagne region, or Provence or to Paris. I love this part of the travel planning process! The I’m-dreaming-but-really-I’m-a-bit-serious, kick off to a group travel experience! But there’s so much more to consider. Dreams are not always the same even when coming out of the same conversation. So  tune into this episode for the 10 main tips to consider for group travel once you get past the stage of dreaming and get into the action of doing!**Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.**Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website