Join Us in France Travel Podcast

Forget what you've heard about Marseille. Annie Sargent talks with two locals who see a very different city: Emilie Bonnel from the Marseille Tourist Office and Alexis Steinman, a food writer who guides there. They make the case for a winter visit, with soft light, empty trails in the Calanques and lunch on a sunny terrace. They tell you where to eat a real bouillabaisse, what to order at apéro, and which neighborhood to pick so you actually sleep. You'll also hear how Annie missed the boat to the Château d'If, and how you can avoid doing the same. Press play, and subscribe so you don't miss next week's episode.

Annie Sargent wasn't expecting much from Baccarat. She's not a crystal person. Then she visited this small town in the Grand Est and changed her mind.

In this episode, Annie and Elyse Rivin talk about how glass becomes crystal and how to test whether yours is the real thing. Annie takes you inside the Baccarat museum. You'll hear about a red made with 24-karat gold, chandeliers for a tsar, and paperweights worth thousands. She tells you why you should step into the Saint-Rémy church. And she explains why Sélestat's humanist library deserves a stop on the road to Colmar.

Press play to hear the whole story. Then subscribe so you don't miss next week's episode on Marseille.

Could you hike the Brittany coast with just a tent and a bus app? Jennifer Gruenke did. She walked the GR34 from Saint-Brieuc to Saint-Malo this summer and never booked a single night. Annie Sargent asks her how it worked. Jennifer explains what those campground stars really mean. She paid 8 to 20 euros a night, plus one euro for a morning croissant. She watched boats on wheels haul in mussels, walked out to a tidal island chapel, and lost cell service so completely her phone welcomed her to the UK. When the hills or the heat got too much, she hopped on a 3-euro bus. Press play, then subscribe so you don't miss next Sunday's episode.

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Table of Contents for this Episode

• Today on the podcast: Brittany Coastal Camping Guide
• Podcast supporters
• Magazine segment
• Welcome Back Jennifer
• Why Hike Brittany GR34
• Timing Around Heatwaves
• Route Saint Brieuc to Malo
• What Are the GR Trails
• French Campsite Star System
• Costs Booking and Flexibility
• Day One Bay and Mussels
• Camping Village Nature dO
• Hard Hike or Take the Bus
• Breizhgo Bus App Tips
• Finding Stops and Schedules
• Bus Map and GPS
• Who Rides and Bikes
• Pleneuf Val Andre Stay
• Moules Frites Favorites
• Erquy Beach and Camping
• Ilot Saint Michel Highlight
• Galettes and Breizh Cola
• Wild Beach No Service
• Dogs Boats and Beach Rules
• Chateau de Guildo Detour
• Saint Jacut Tidal Flats
• Heatwave Skip to Saint Malo
• Regional Bus System Advice
• Farewell and Thanks
• Patreon Support Thanks
• Seine Swimming Season Recap
• Elevator Outage Map App
• Strolling Rue du Louvre
• Next week on the podcast

Annie Sargent talks with Elyse Rivin about two women honored in the Panthéon. Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz and Germaine Tillion both joined the French Resistance as young women. Both got arrested. Both survived deportation to Ravensbrück, where they met and became lifelong friends.

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Annie and Elyse trace what happened next: one fought poverty for decades, the other became a pioneering ethnologist and later negotiated during the Algerian War of Independence. It's a hard story, but a rewarding one. Annie also shares a Calder exhibition worth planning a trip around, plus a warning about pickpockets targeting tourists in Paris. Subscribe to Join Us in France so you never miss an episode.

Table of Contents for this Episode

• Today on the podcast: Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz and Germaine Tillion
• Podcast supporters
• Magazine segment
• Why These Women Matter
• Meet the Two Heroes
• Geneviève Early Life
• Facing Nazism Early
• Musée de l'Homme Network
• Betrayal and Arrest
• Ravensbrück Camp
• Friendship with Tillion
• Release and Aftermath
• Politics and Anti Poverty
• Poverty to Despair
• ATD Fourth World Fight
• Housing Rights and Families
• Against Torture and Barbie Trial
• Evictions and Winter Truce
• Legacy and Shantytowns
• Panthéon Honor and Warning
• Meet Germaine Tillion
• Ethnology and Algeria Fieldwork
• Resistance Arrest and Camps
• Notes Operetta and Survival
• Algeria Independence and Peace
• Vigilance and Farewell
• Patreon Support
• Calder Festival Overview
• Venues and Dates
• Pickpocket Trial
• How the Ring Worked
• Safety Advice
• Newsletter and Credits
• Next Episode Teaser
• Copyright

#JoinUsInFrance, #FrancePodcast, #Francophile, #FranceTravelTips, #RealFrance, #FrenchResistance, #Pantheon, #WomenInHistory, #FrenchHistory, #WWIIHistory, #GermaineTillion, #GenevieveDeGaulle, #Ravensbruck, #ResistanceFighters, #AlgerianHistory, #LoireValley, #CalderExhibition, #ParisTravel, #FranceTravel, #ExploreFrance

Annie Sargent chats with Rowena Sjovall, a repeat Bootcamper who just spent a full month living in Tours. Rowena signed up for four weeks of intensive French classes, rented her own apartment, and shopped the local markets like a local. On her days off, she explored Loire Valley chateaux most tourists skip: Loches, Azay-le-Rideau, Chinon, and Blois. She also spent time with the stunning tapestry of the Apocalypse in Angers and some excellent hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Tours. Annie and Rowena swap stories about speaking French with strangers, riding regional buses, and why a whole month of immersion might be exactly what your French (and mental health) needs. Press play and start planning your own trip. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Annie Sargent talks with Elyse Rivin about Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de Lapérouse. He was born near Albi. He became one of France's greatest naval explorers. Louis XVI sent him to finish mapping the Pacific after Captain Cook.

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They cover his forbidden love story. They talk about his humane command style, rare for a naval officer of his time. They also cover the 1788 cyclone that ended his voyage near the Solomon Islands. It remains one of France's biggest maritime mysteries, and search parties still look for answers today. Tune in for a story of ambition, love, and disappearance. Subscribe to Join Us in France so you never miss an episode.

Table of Contents for this Episode

• Today on the podcast: Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de Lapérouse
• Podcast supporters
• Magazine segment
• Adventure Setup
• Why Lapérouse Matters
• Origins in Albi
• Childhood and Education
• Naval Academy to First Battles
• North Atlantic Campaigns
• Humane Commander Reputation
• Rivalry with Britain
• Indian Ocean Expedition
• Forbidden Love Eleanor
• American War Heroics
• Explorer Mindset and Maps
• Name La Pérouse Explained
• Marriage and Royal Mission
• Epic Pacific Route
• Cyclone And Disappearance
• Searches And Legacy
• Eleanor Waits In Vain
• Astrolabe Navigation Tech
• Visiting Albi And Paris
• Final Recommendations
• Thank you Patrons
• French summer camp for adults.
• Annie's Updates
• Next week on the podcast
• Copyright

Annie Sargent chats with Nan and Marty Deniston, two Americans who spent three whole months living in Avignon. They wanted more than a vacation. They wanted real French. Nan started young, studying in Toulouse as a student. Marty didn't start learning until his fifties. Together they hired a private tutor, built their days around lessons and day trips, and leased a car through a program most travelers never hear about. They rented out their own house back home to make the whole trip work. Along the way, they found villages near Avignon that most visitors skip entirely. Press play, get inspired, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode of Join Us in France.

Table of Contents for this Episode

• Today on the podcast: Learning French Later in Life
• Podcast supporters
• Magazine segment
• Meet Nan and Marty
• Their France Backstory
• Nan Learns French Early
• Marty Starts Later
• Tools and Practice Habits
• Why Immersion Matters
• Planning Three Months Avignon
• Finding Teachers and Housing
• Zoom Tutors Anywhere
• Best Season to Stay
• Peugeot Long Term Lease
• Favorite Towns and Gems
• Avignon Area Highlights
• Bikes and French Only Tours
• Talk To Locals
• French Rhythm Gotchas
• Slow Down And Savor
• Skip Influencer Hype
• Great Food For Less
• Home Exchange Tips
• Renting Without Airbnb
• Toulouse And Day Trips
• Driving Medieval Centers
• Farewell And Thanks
• Thank you Patrons
• Journées du Patrimoine
• Annie's Summer Vacation 2026
• Bootcamp 2026
• Next Week on the Podcast
• Copyright

Annie Sargent sits down with Elyse Rivin to tell the story of Louis Braille. He lost his sight at age three. He was completely blind by five. That didn't stop him. By his teens, he had invented a whole new way to read.

Annie and Elyse trace his path from a small village school to Paris, where teachers resisted his system at first. Then it spread like wildfire. You'll hear how blind students tested it, how one public demonstration changed everything, and why Braille still matters today, even with screen readers everywhere.

Annie also shares guide dog etiquette and an update on Igor, her retired guide dog.

Subscribe to Join Us in France so you never miss an episode.

Annie Sargent takes you to Lyon in this episode. She met with Mikayla Sibner, an American who's taught French in Lyon for years, and they walk you through the city together.

You'll hear about secret passageways called traboules, Lyon's surprising silk-weaving history, and murals so convincing you'll swear they're real streets. Annie shares her own week in Lyon: the city pass that saved her money, the Fourvière Basilica, and the food she couldn't stop eating (praline, we're looking at you). Mikayla adds the local's perspective on neighborhoods, museums, and day trips worth taking. Grab your headphones and press play. And if you like what you hear, subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Table of Contents for this Episode

• Introduction
• Today on the podcast: Lyon Travel Guide, Secret Passageways and Food Specialties
• Support the Podcast
• Magazine segment
• Meet Michaela Sibner
• Learning French Beyond AI
• First Impressions of Lyon
• Airport and Transit Tips
• Lyon Neighborhoods Explained
• Fourvière Basilica and Romans
• City Pass and Ticket Hacks
• Vieux Lyon and Traboules
• Cathedral Clocks and Bouchons
• Day Trips Oingt and Pérouges
• Miniature and Cinema Museum
• Movie Props Museum
• Lumiere Film Origins
• Justice Palace And WWII
• Lyon Murals Tour
• River Cruise And Hills
• Confluences Museum
• Food Markets Specialties
• Food Specialties of Lyon
• Farewell And Thanks
• Copyright

#JoinUsInFrance, #FrancePodcast, #Francophile, #FranceTravelTips, #RealFrance, #VisitLyon, #LyonFrance, #ExploreLyon, #Traboules, #LesCanuts, #SilkHistory, #FourviereLyon, #LyonMurals, #LyonFood, #FrenchCuisine, #LearnFrench, #TravelFrance, #VisitFrance, #FrenchHistory, #FrenchCulture

Camille Claudel trained alongside Auguste Rodin. She fell in love with him. She became a brilliant sculptor in her own right. Then her family locked her away.

Annie Sargent talks with Elyse Rivin about Camille Claudel's extraordinary life. Elyse traces her early talent, her ten years with Rodin, and the misogyny that kept her from getting the recognition she deserved. Then the story turns dark: her own family had her committed to an asylum, where she stayed for 30 years, until her death.

It's a hard story. It's also one you won't forget. Press play to hear it.

Subscribe to Join Us in France so you never miss an episode.

Table of Contents for this Episode

• Today on the podcast: Camille Claudel
• Support and Updates
• Magazine segment
• Camille Claudel
• Camille In Museums
• Early Life And Family
• Paris Training Begins
• Rodin Arrives
• Love And Collaboration
• Breakup And Independence
• Commissions And Misogyny
• Isolation And Decline
• Isolation a nd Misogyny
• Flood And Breakdown
• Committed By Family
• Asylum Years And Starvation
• Erased After Death
• Great Niece Restores Legacy
• Movie And Rodin Reassessment
• Her Sculptures And Influence
• Final Reflections And Farewell
• Copyright

#JoinUsInFrance, #FrancePodcast, #Francophile, #FranceTravelTips, #RealFrance, #FranceTravelPodcast, #ExploreFrance, #FranceCulture, #ParisFrance, #CamilleClaudel, #AugusteRodin, #RodinMuseum, #FrenchSculpture, #WomenArtists, #ArtHistory, #ParisMuseums, #FrenchArtHistory, #ForgottenWomen, #FrenchHistory, #19thCenturyArt