Annette Charlton | A French Collection

Discover Stunning French Châteaux with Photos

France is called "the land of the châteaux", and with over 45,000 châteaux scattered across the breath and width of the country it literally is a land filled with stunning châteaux!

Discover Stunning French Châteaux with Photos

In this beautiful post we discover some stunning French châteaux and there's gorgeous photos, a little history and fun info on each. Use this post to plan your itinerary for your next trip to France, or to simply enjoy some armchair travelling.

Some regions are well known for their immense and stunning châteaux and are popular with visitors, but castles and châteaux are literally dotted all across France. The Loire Valley has some of the most visited châteaux, but the Dordogne and Languedoc also have their fair share of stunning castles and châteaux. Read on for more information about France's stunning castles and be inspired by our stunning French château photos.

The Best of Breton Cakes – Brittany’s Most Popular Desserts

Life in Brittany includes our fair share of delicious cakes and especially the cakes traditional to the region which are collectively called 'Breton cakes', even though this broadly includes biscuits, lollipops and caramels.

The Best of Breton Cakes - Brittany's Most Popular Desserts

Breton cakes are famous for their layers of pastry and creamy butter which is proudly produced locally. The most well known of the 'Breton Cakes' is the Gâteau Breton (Breton Cake), Far Breton and the Kouign-Amann. Surprisingly, the popularity of these desserts with inhabitants of Brittany doesn't correspond with how well known in general.

Sweets that have originated in the region include Salted Caramels, Niniches (artisanal lollipops from Quiberon), and Gavotte (a lacy golden mini crêpe). Breton butter cookies (Sablés Breton) are also a very popular dessert in Brittany. You'll find them in prettily packaged in tins in just about all supermarkets, souvenir stores, markets and in many boutique boulangeries.

Winter Festivals on the French Riviera

Place Masséna, Nice

Winter Festivals on the French Riviera

While the rest of France is cold and some regions are still covered in snow, festival fever breaks out on the French Riviera. There are three major festivals that warm up the winter days in the South of France in Nice, Menton and Mandelieu-la-Napoule.

Here's what you need to know about each of them so you can plan your next winter trip to the French Riviera to enjoy these hugely popular and artistic festivals.

French Salted Butter Cookies (Sablé Breton)

French Salted Butter Cookies (Sablé Breton)

If there's one dessert or sweet that makes me feel most at home in Brittany it's the little French salted butter cookies, the Sablé Breton. They are always included in our first grocery shop that we do when making our way to our village home in Côtes d'Armor after arriving in France from Australia.

With their delicate thin serrated shape and hint of salt, the Sablé Breton makes me think of the wild, but beautiful sea that borders the coastline of Brittany. This is because the biscuits are made with sea salt from our region, the famous Fleur de Sel salt.

Fleur de Sel

French Fleur de Sel is collected off the coast of Brittany and sold around the world for its prized subtle flavour. The largest production and collection of the salt is from the towns of Guérande (called Fleur de Sel de Guérande), Noirmoutier, and Île de Ré.

Quintin – A Charming French Town

Quintin is a charming French town southwest of Saint-Brieuc city, and is only a short drive from our village. The smallish town has lots to offer to visitors with its blend of old-world charm and modern attractions. Quintin is built in the heart of the scenic “Le Gouët” river valley and is set on a hill perpetually overlooking the serene waters of Étang de Quintin (Quintin Lake).

Quintin - A Charming French Town

Situated between Armor and Argoat, Quintin, which was a fortified town and the centre of the Marian cult, boasts thirteen classified historic monuments. That's a lot of historical monuments for one small town!

It's architecturally rich urban heritage, which is principally the legacy of two centuries of prosperity arising from the manufacture of linen, is what makes it so attractive.

Saint Honoré Day or Bread Day

Saint Honoré the Patron Saint of Bakers and Pastry Chefs

France is rather special in that it holds dear to its customs and has a rich tradition of assigning saints as special guardians and protectors of just about every aspect of our lives. There is even a patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs called Saint Honoré.

Saint Honoré is the saint or protector of all bakers and pastry chefs and with just about every village or town boasting at least one boulangerie (bakery), and cities with substantially more, Saint Honore is indeed a very busy Saint!

Place des Vosges – The Oldest Square in Paris

Place des Vosges - The Oldest Square in Paris

Place des Vosges is famously one of the most elegant residential squares in Paris. It’s an exclusive and much sought after address with its distinctive red and sand coloured stone and tile matching buildings, with large windows that overlook its beautiful enclosed park.

While living in this prestigious and glamorous Square is not possible for the majority of us; the park with its fountain, playground, large trees and manicured lawns are available for anyone to enjoy. Peaceful all year round, but particularly charming in spring and autumn, I love to visit Place des Vosges when in Paris.

Gifts for Francophiles

Recently shopping for a wedding gift for friends, I was initially surprised to see all the Christmas decor on display, but then I realised that Christmas and the holidays aren't too far away at all. So I got busy and prepared this post for you.

Christmas Gifts for Francophiles

Gift idea posts are some of the most fun posts I write, usually before Easter and Christmas each year. They are all about sharing, having fun together and gift giving ideas for your family, friends, business colleagues and everyone in between!

Discover Stunning French Châteaux with Photos

Discover Stunning French Châteaux with Photos

The Best of Breton Cakes – Brittany’s Most Popular Desserts

The Best of Breton Cakes - Brittany's Most Popular Desserts

Winter Festivals on the French Riviera

Winter Festivals on the French Riviera

French Salted Butter Cookies (Sablé Breton)

French Salted Butter Cookies (Sablé Breton)

Fleur de Sel

Quintin – A Charming French Town

Quintin - A Charming French Town

Saint Honoré Day or Bread Day

Saint Honoré the Patron Saint of Bakers and Pastry Chefs

Place des Vosges – The Oldest Square in Paris

Place des Vosges - The Oldest Square in Paris

Gifts for Francophiles

Christmas Gifts for Francophiles

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