In this petite podcast episode, we’re going to explore the traditions of May Day in France, the first of May, and specifically the tradition of giving flowers to friends and loved ones which is unique to France.

It’s a tale of history, drama and romance… 

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Today we’re going to be talking about a man who in his time was one of the most powerful men in the world. He had a huge impact on French history. He had lavish tastes, he was a control freak, he loved the arts and believed himself chosen by God to rule over millions of people. You might have guessed who I’m talking about by now. It is the only and only Louis XIV, the Sun King.

Louis, also known as the "God given one", was arguably one of the greatest Kings of France, certainly one of the most remembered. Inheriting the throne at just four years old, he was a Machiavellian puppet master whose legacy is evident in the France of today, long after its citizens disposed of his heirs. He was a fascinating character who lived an incredible life, one of history’s longest ruling and most iconic monarchs. 

Come with us as we step back in time and dive into the life and times of Louis XIV and share fascinating facts about his daily routine, the rules of living at Versailles, his fashion sense, romantic life and more!

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What exactly is French art de vivre? In this petite podcast episode, we explain all, where it comes from, what it is and how to practice art de vivre, a fundamental part of the French psyche and a way to elevate the ordinary things of everyday life to the extraordinary.

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Today we’re going to be talking about something very French, wine.

France is of course one of the best wine making countries in the world and beyond, according to one of us on this podcast! Though extra-terrestrials probably won’t be sipping the famous red wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape in Provence because the town has a law that states that UFOs cannot land there.

Discover the history, fascinating anecdotes and fun facts about French wine and Champagne.

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France is the world’s most visited country, Paris is the world’s most visited city, and several of its monuments, museums and metropolises are on the world’s top list for visits. 

But it’s not just the places or the buildings of France that tug at our heartstrings – what makes us fall for France goes beyond bricks and mortar and boundary lines. 

There are many reasons that people fall in love with the Hexagon as the French affectionately call France – because it’s sort of Hexagon shaped – so let’s delve into the reasons to love France – we’re all Francophiles here! 

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We love Paris, but today we’re going to escape the city’s hustle and bustle. Join us as we discover historic, delicious, fascinating and enchanting destinations you can reach from Paris by train on a day trip. And we’ve made sure that nowhere takes longer than 2 hours by train. We’ll share what to see and do, the must-sees, the secrets and some top tips and fun facts.

Discover Claude Monet’s house and gardens in Normandy, captivating cities like Bordeaux, Lyon and Strasbourg, magnificent castles including dazzling Chantilly and fabulous Fontainebleau, and many, many more amazing places that are easy to reach from Paris in a day and all by train. Ready to explore? Let’s go!

Plus a listener asks “What is the Frenchest of French food?” We reveal all…

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Queen Marie-Antoinette's life was a blend of luxury, controversy, and tragedy. Her story is a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of royal life and the turbulent times of late 18th century France – no wonder we remain fascinated with her tale.

We talk about some of the most important times in her life, her marriage at just 14  years old, fashion style – and big hair (really big hair, with things hung in it), her spending habits, bathing practices (which were unusually regular in a day and age when the French nobles pretty much just washed the worst bits when they had to, and her husband recorded he took 43 baths in 26 years), her astonishing shoe collection, motherhood and her family including several children she adopted.

We’ll also share where to find traces of her legacy in France, from her favourite castles including one with a room for sulking in, to the shops she frequented…

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When you’ve ticked off those must-see sites on your list – the Palace of Versailles, Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, a dazzling little island that makes you feel you have stepped back centuries, the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum and the sun-kissed French Riviera, the boulevards of Paris and the majestic castles of the Loire Valley - there are a million more thrilling sites and places to discover – prehistoric caves, troglodyte villages, the steep cobbled streets of Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux, the medieval town of Annecy in Haute-Savoie and Claude Monet’s house and garden in Giverny, Normandy.

So let’s talk about how you’ll get there… 

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In this episode we’re going to be uncovering Paris to explore some of the most amazing hidden gems, the secret places you might miss if you don’t know they are there. 

It's not just the landmarks, like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre museum, that make us fall in love with Paris. It’s also the little moments: finding a jazz band playing in a cosy café or in a cobblestone alley, the smell of fresh pastries from a boulangerie – there are more than 1700 in Paris, so you’ve got a lot of choice - or a sunset view from the bridges over the Seine. 

Paris really is a city where every street corner has a story. We go beyond the guidebooks to bring you secret Paris – where every street corner has a story to share.

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How much do you know about France?

In this episode we’re doing a quiz that everyone can join in with! We’ll ask some questions on all sorts of topics – gastronomy, history, culture, language and more, and we’ll give you the answers and if you got the question right, you can award yourself some points! We’ll also share some fascinating and extraordinary facts that bring history alive as we go.

There are a million points up for grabs – who wants to be a millionaire! 

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A tour through the charming, amusing, and sometimes misunderstood world of French stereotypes. 

We’re going to take a light-hearted look at some of the common stereotypes about the French - from fashion to rudeness and smoking like chimneys. From the famed French culinary prowess to reputation for romance. A land where people apparently say 'Oh là là' every five minutes and eat frogs’ legs at a drop of a hat (or beret).

Let's separate the fact from the fiction and have some fun along the way… 

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Bread in France is more than just food; it's a cultural cornerstone. It’s about community, tradition, and the French way of life. 

We'll discuss the role of bread in daily French life and how it reflects the values and rhythms of French society. 

In these crusty chronicles we’ll explore the history of bread and especially the UNESCO-listed French baguette. The French are besotted with baguettes, UNESCO says that eating a baguette is “a sensory experience” (someone at UNESCO really likes baguettes!).

In France bread is art, bakers are artists – and every loaf is a masterpiece…

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The Eiffel Tower isn’t just a symbol of Paris, but a symbol of France. But this wasn’t supposed to happen. The Tower shouldn’t even be there. 

We have to go back in time to the beginning of her story, she is known as the Iron Lady, la Dame de Fer in French, to find out why this towering icon is even there in the first place! 

And then we'll share some of the incredible facts about this towering icon, how she was almost sent to Montreal in Canada all 2.5 million rivets and 18,000 pieces! How a conman 'sold' her for scrap. And how Gustave Eiffel made an absolutely fortune from her!

Plus a whole heap more! It’s an amazing story… 

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Ghosts, ghoulies and Halloween in France. In this episode we’ll talk about haunted castles – there are loads of them in France. 

Plus ghost stories - including the tale of a wooden leg that walks alone. And French Halloween habits – and yes France does celebrate Halloween but in its own unique way! 

This is a spooky, spine tingling but fun podcast with possibly the worst Halloween jokes ever!

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Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy is one of France’s most iconic, legendary, and visited landmarks. 

This little island in one of the officially most beautiful bays in the world is a record breaker, a place conceived with the help of an angel with a pointy finger, a building that seems to defy gravity, and a site so wondrous that it has inspired artists, musicians, and writers for centuries from Monet to Marilyn Monroe. 

Kings, Queens and presidents have walked its streets just as much in awe as any tourist. Its spiritual Gothic beauty has influenced many films including the Lord of the Rings.

This “pyramid of the seas” is a miraculous marvel and one of the wonders of the world.

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Sometimes the French can be very different from everyone else!

We look at some of the more unusual and unique habits such as never, ever, ever being wrong. And not only that, we explain the surprisingly and really rather strange way the French deal with it if they are wrong.

Of course, this being France food comes into the story – anyone fancy a plateful of sheep testicles flavoured with lemon and parsley (of course, must have some flavourI). Or how about something sugary? Raw beef flavoured sweets – anyone? Yes. Really. And they aren’t for dogs – they’re for humans, made by monks in Burgundy.

Backed up with anecdotes and true-life stories of life in France to prove that the French really do have some very weird and French habits, this is a laugh out loud episode brought to you by Janine Marsh a British writer who’s lived in France for 20 years and Frenchman Olivier Jauffrit. 

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Autumn in France and La Rentrée – a very French thing! It literally means ‘the return’, which sounds quite mysterious, like a thriller film but it’s not at all. We explain all about la rentrée and the best places to visit in France in the fall. 

We share some of the best seasonal festivals – especially foodie festivals - and events, from giant flea markets, arty party nights and wine harvest events in Paris – yes there is a wine producing vineyard right in the centre of Paris to a chocolate fair where they hold a fashion show in which the models wear clothes made from chocolate! 

And we share our favourite places that may be a bit more crowded in the summer months but are ideal in autumn. 

Plus we answer a reader’s question – how many times should you kiss – and what cheek do you start with?! 

Fun, entertaining and authentic – entente cordiale in a podcast! 

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Versailles – the palace, the people, history and legends. The extraordinary story of this mighty castle, built in a swamp on the outskirts of Paris stars a heavyweight cast of royals and played a key role in the destiny of France…

As breath-taking today as it was some 400 years ago when King Louis XIV of France, AKA the Sun King (and not for his sunny nature), turned a humble hunting lodge into one of the wonders of the world. Architecturally glorious, gilded and grand, with gardens to match, the palace is full of secrets and its walls have witnessed events that have determined the course of history. 

We talk about the people who lived here, the history of the palace and the most fascinating facts about Versailles… 

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Ever wondered where the French go on holiday, and what their secret favourite places are? Well, no secrets here, we reveal all, as well as some of the quirky habits of the French on holiday and some frankly downright weird aspects of French life! 

France is the most popular tourist destination in the world (and beyond apparently – just listen in to find out!) and it’s easy to see why - more than 40,000 chateaux and fortresses, glorious beaches, snowy mountains, historic cities, picturesque villages, Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, a dazzling little island that makes you feel you have stepped back centuries, the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum and the sun-kissed French Riviera, the boulevards of Paris and the majestic castles of the Loire Valley - there are a million more thrilling sites and places to discover- the sheer diversity of the culture, landscapes and attractions of France is staggering. 

So where do the French go faced with all this choice? Find out more…

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Bastille Day is France’s biggest national holiday. Find out what it’s all about and why French people have no idea what you’re talking about when you call it Bastille Day – they don’t call it that at all!

We explore the history of this famous day and uncover fun facts such as the DNA of a king discovered in a dried pumpkin (yup, really), how Marie-Antoinette loved the tune to the Marseillaise, even though the words called for her demise. And how the wife of a ship’s captain from Maine, USA almost had the royal family as house guests… The history, the legends and the weird and wonderful snippets uncovered…

Plus, the French go wild on 14th July but really this special day starts the night before and involves dancing at Fireman’s balls, Bals des pompiers – yes really! The big day includes parties, parades and fireworks – discover how the spirit of revolution is celebrated in France.

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Discover some of the most amazing castles of France, the most haunted, tallest and oldest. 

The castles with amazing histories like Vaux-le-Vicomte near Paris, built by a King’s minister and so beautiful it made the King seethe with jealousy and what followed was an epic tragedy and also kickstarted the Palace of Versailles project. The castle that Napoleon loved best, the one where you can stay for the night and a Duke will bring you breakfast in bed! 

France has more than 40,000 castles and whilst we can’t cover them all in this episode, you will discover some of the most incredible chateaux and their fascinating legends, histories and the people who lived in them… 

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In this episode we share the A-Z of Paris. From arrondissements, the municipal districts of the city laid out in the shape of a snail, to the second oldest zoological garden in the world, started when the animals of the royal family were abandoned at Versailles during the French Revolution via a hidden message in the ceiling of the Opera Garnier and a centuries old flower market in the shadow of the great Gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame and a little chapel older than Notre Dame that when you visit is like standing in a jewel box.

We share our insider guide tips and know-how to reveal the best of Paris whether it’s your first visit or you’ve had the pleasure many times. 

Plus a listener asks – is it true all Parisians are rude?! 

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In this episode we share the A-Z of French food. France is the nation that invented the restaurant, haute cuisine and Cordon Bleu, the pique-nique, baguettes and crème brulée. The French certainly live to eat, not eat to live. 

The great American cook Julia Child once said, ‘In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport’. She was not exaggerating. If the French are not talking about food – what they will have for lunch or dinner, prepare for guests or a celebration – they’re shopping for meals, planning to cook or eating. Food is on everyone’s lips!

Plus a listener asks a question about castles in France – do you know how many there are? Let’s just say if you visited one a day – it would take you more than 120 years to see them all! 

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The French are rather a superstitious bunch – and some of the superstitions are very odd - got 13 for dinner and think the number 13 is unlucky? Then go French, pop an egg on the table, now you have 14 for dinner! Tread in dog poo and think it's ruined your day? Non, non, non - in France it could be lucky, depending on which foot did the deed! Want to make a wish come true? Well that's simple, just find a French sailor, dressed in uniform including the traditional beret with a red bobble on top - and give that bobble a twiddle! What? 

Yes, these and more strange and fabulous superstitions will be discussed in this very fun podcast episode!

Plus a listener asks a question about the seasons in France and we explain how the bonker French Revolutionary calendar could have made things very different with 10 day-long weeks, and 3 week-long months and a unique name for every day of the year! 

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Marvellous, magnificent and mesmerising monuments of France! The biggest and the best, the strange and the quirky, their history, legends and fascinating facts from the Eiffel Tower to the most incredible palace in France – built by a postman from pebbles collected on his delivery rounds more than 100 years ago. Notre Dame, Versailles, Mont-Saint-Michel, Pere Lachaise cemetery and more, come with us on a whistle stop tour of these amazing places. 

And we answer a listener’s question – want to know where to buy the best baguettes in Paris? – tune in and we’ll tell you!

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