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2024 France Calendar

It's ready... your 2024 France Calendar.

Downloadable, printable AND absolutely Gorgeous with a capital 'G' !!

... and also free to all subscribers.

It's my way of saying 'thanks' to you for your support and company over 2023. Whether you are new to the blog or you've been around from the beginning, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. A HUGE thanks for reading our posts, commenting, sharing with your friends, and for emailing me with all your kind messages of gratitude, post requests and travel related questions.

You are the 'why' behind A French Collection. Why I stay up late at night furiously typing a post that's due to be published, why I spend hours replying to all messages and comments whether I'm at home or on the road, and why I strive to take the very best photos of all the amazing places I visit across France. I love sharing it all with you. Travel tips and recommendations, travel guides, authentic everyday experiences of living in a tiny French village, recipes to enjoy and great books to read - it's all about bringing France to You.

The French Beret

The French beret along with the Eiffel Tower, baguette, Citroën 2CV and the rooster are all true French icons - loved by the French and those of us that call ourselves Francophiles. The traditional French béret is a soft round peak-less cap that is flat on top and usually made of wool with a small tab on top.

This symbol of French culture can be worn in various positions: over either ear, pulled down over both ears, on the back of your head, flat on top or tipped forward over your eyes.

Origin of the French beret

History has recorded the beret through the ages in writings, sculptures, paintings and folklore. Here's a quick look at references to the beret in history:

What I’m Loving #1

WHAT I'M LOVING...

Here's my latest Amazon finds that I think you'll love from both small French brands and beautiful French inspired companies.

Influenced by my life in Brittany and the beautiful north-west of France, these products are carefully chosen to add joie de vivre to your life. Love your everyday with these lifestyle, home, garden and fashion finds.

Halloween in France

I've just spent another Halloween in France and thought I'd share my experiences with you. Halloween is not a tradition that I grew up with or one that I celebrated with my children as they grew up. However, the last two years I've been in France for Halloween and I've enjoyed two different experiences around the event. This year I was in Paris and last year I was at home in my village where I got involved in village Halloween activities and loved it!

Let me take a moment to set the scene. At my home in Australia our driveway is long, over 200 metres long, and after you leave the public roadway, our driveway goes down a steep hill and turns at 'the big tree' and it ends up at our house and small garage. The driveway is bordered by two metre high hedges on either side and there are no lamp-posts or solar lights and large gum trees filter any moon light.

Croque Monsieur Recipe

When you think of a French café do you also think of the classic French snack, a croque-monsieur? A croque monsieur is essentially a grilled cheese sandwich, but when eaten in Paris, it seems to take on an almost mystical quality. Read about this classic and get croque monsieur recipe.

Maybe it’s the ambience of the charming bistro chairs and table, the crisply dressed waiter, or the view along the boulevard of boutiques and Parisians getting on with their day, that transforms this simple food into a French speciality.

October is National Dessert Month

October is National Dessert Month

A whole month celebrating cakes, cookies, pies, tartes, flans and ice-cream sounds amazing doesn't it. Well, that's what we can all do for the whole month of October because October is National Dessert Month.

Of course, celebrating National Dessert Month is rather easy when you live in France because small towns and sometimes even little villages, will have their own boulangerie with tempting desserts to choose from, and when we talk about France's large cities, well the choice of pâtisseries is almost endless!

Saint-Émilion Grape Harvest Festival

Saint-Émilion Grape Harvest Festival

Saint-Émilion is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in Southwestern France. It's in a region of wine hills steeped in wine making history that is still relevant today. Saint-Émilion is one of those stunning medieval cities that France is well known for and it's conveniently located at the crossroads of Bordeaux, Saintonge and Périgord. I mean, how more perfect could the town's location be for those of us that like to explore the very best of France! Saint-Émilion is also a UNESCO World Heritage.

Today we're sharing some information about Saint-Émilion and its famous grape harvest festival, Fête des Vendanges, which is currently on right now.

Bizarre Things Packed in my Suitcase

Bizarre Things I've Packed in my Suitcase

When packing for a trip to France I usually follow my own advice and my various packing tips in my posts and guides

Paris Packing Guide – Essential Tips For The Perfect Wardrobe
10 Simple Packing Tips For International Travel; and
8 Tips on How to Look Parisian and Not a Tourist... however, this trip my suitcase looks different, very different. Some things may seem bizarre, but once you know what they're for, I think it will make more sense. It does to me, and I thought you might like to get an insider's view of how planning ahead and doing what might seem bizarre can be necessary when living between two homes in both hemispheres. Believe me, it can get a little weird and wacky at times!

« Previous Page

2024 France Calendar

2024 France Calendar

The French Beret

The French Beret

Origin of the French beret

What I’m Loving #1

Halloween in France

Halloween in France

Croque Monsieur Recipe

Croque Monsieur Recipe

October is National Dessert Month

October is National Dessert Month

Saint-Émilion Grape Harvest Festival

Saint-Émilion Grape Harvest Festival

Bizarre Things Packed in my Suitcase

Bizarre Things I've Packed in my Suitcase

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