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Bazouges-la-Perouse: A Small Town of Character

Bazouges-la-Pérouse: Petite Cité de Caractère

Bazouges-la-Pérouse is a Gallo-Roman fortified town in the Ille-et-Vilaine department and this beautiful town is a member of the official Association of Petites Cités de Caractère (Small Towns of Character). As we shared in our Petites Cités de Caractère de Bretagne post, to qualify for inclusion in this Association a town must meet a strict criteria of being considered rural due to their small population, but at the same time urban because of their strong history and heritage.

Why does Bazouges-la-Pérouse qualify as a Small Town of Character?

Bazouges-la-Pérouse has a strong religious origin with evidence that Christianity dominated twice in the history of this town, once in the Gallo-Roman period and then by the Bretons.

1233 ABC Newcastle Radio Interview with Annette Charlton

So what happens when 1233 ABC Newcastle Radio station contacts you and wants to interview and feature you on one of their popular prime time segments? Well, I don’t know what you’d do, but I said “sure, love to”, so last night I headed into the studio to chat to the charming Paul Bevan about our life in France.

Our French Life: An Unwanted Guest

Living In The French Countryside

Having a holiday home in the French countryside is a wonderful thing and we experience at a grass-roots level all the best things about country life. We love experiencing the quiet drama of the changing seasons, fresh local produce and farm related activities such as harvesters and tractors regularly rolling through the narrow village streets. Traffic jams in our area are made up of herds of cows slowly crossing the street and the jovial gathering of the local farmers standing on the edge of the road enjoying their nightcap outside the nearby Tabac .

These are the benefits of living amongst the wheat fields, chicken farms and grazing cattle. However we have always understood that these surroundings can also be the perfect environment for mice, insects or other vermin to flourish.

20 Inspiring Quotes About Paris

Paris is the subject of so many novels, films, articles, quotes and photos, that it can seem like everyone has an opinion on the City of Lights. I’ve collated 20 of the best and most interesting quotes on Paris that I think you’ll also enjoy.

You can’t escape the past in Paris, and yet what’s so wonderful about it is that the past and present intermingle so intangibly that it doesn’t seem to burden – Allen Ginsberg

Paris in the Fall — Pont Alexandre III, Paris

12 Inspiring Quotes About France

Full of history and famous people, France is the subject of many well known quotes and I’ve chosen 12 inspiring quotes that are diverse, some quirky and all highlighting what France means to the author. Do you have a favourite quote about L‘Hexagone?

“I like Frenchmen very much, because even when they insult you they do it so nicely” – Josephine Baker

Quotes about France — Place Massena, Nice

“Boy, those French. They have a different word for everything” – Steve Martin

Mother’s Day In France

Mother’s Day in France (Fête des Mères) is celebrated on the last Sunday in May, unless it falls on the same day as Whit Sunday/Pentecost. On those years it is celebrated on the first Sunday in June.

Mother’s Day Gifts

On this day gifts are given to mothers, grandmothers and significant women in the family. Typical gifts include flowers, chocolates, bedtime clothing and handmade items by children. Cards are often handmade and given with presents.

Petites Cités de Caractère in Brittany

Small Towns of Character in Brittany, France

France is full of beautiful small villages and towns with lots of character and this is why many of us love to travel through France, watch TV shows like the Tour de France where we explore the towns that otherwise we might never see, and look at stunning photo books.

In Brittany there is even an official association of beautiful towns, the Association of Petites Cités de Caractère (Small Towns of Character) which takes the promotion of these towns very seriously. The idea of the Association took hold in 1975, which was actually the Year of Architecture – how fitting!

Life in France: Through A Child’s Story

Life In France: Through A Child’s Story

Traveling to France with our young children has given them the opportunity to experience a different culture, cuisine and meet people who have shaped the way they see the world.

I share this short story about John Baptist (the neighbour of our French friend Helen) and his enduring love for his departed parents written by Emily (when 13 years old) for a school English assignment on returning from France.

The respect and unswerving determination of John Baptist to remember his parents had a strong impact on us all and I think you’ll agree that Emily has captured this beautifully…

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Bazouges-la-Perouse: A Small Town of Character

Bazouges-la-Pérouse: Petite Cité de Caractère

Why does Bazouges-la-Pérouse qualify as a Small Town of Character?

1233 ABC Newcastle Radio Interview with Annette Charlton

1233 ABC Newcastle Radio Interview with Annette Charlton

Our French Life: An Unwanted Guest

Living In The French Countryside

20 Inspiring Quotes About Paris

20 Inspiring Quotes About Paris

You can’t escape the past in Paris, and yet what’s so wonderful about it is that the past and present intermingle so intangibly that it doesn’t seem to burden – Allen Ginsberg

12 Inspiring Quotes About France

12 Inspiring Quotes About France

Mother’s Day In France

Mother’s Day In France

Mother’s Day Gifts

Petites Cités de Caractère in Brittany

Small Towns of Character in Brittany, France

Life in France: Through A Child’s Story

Life In France: Through A Child’s Story

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