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

109-word iTunes description:

Sacha Cohen and her husband spent two and a half years scouting France. They tried Rouen, Dijon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, and more. Then they chose Paris and moved in December 2025.

Annie Sargent talks with Sacha about the whole process. They cover the long stay visitor visa, opening a French bank account, and setting up healthcare. They also dig into apartment hunting, picking an arrondissement, and the homesickness that hits even when a move goes right.

Sacha shares what surprised her most about daily life in Paris. She's honest about the hard parts too. Hit play to hear how it really went. Then subscribe so you catch every new episode.

Table of Content for this episode

• Episode Intro

ents for this EpisodeToday on the podcast: We Moved to Paris!

• Support the Podcast
• Magazine segment
• Meet Sacha Cohen
• Why Move In Winter
• Scouting France First
• Choosing Paris
• Work And Midlife Reinvention
• Blog And Visa Choices
• Paperwork Stress And Language
• Driver License Photo Tips
• Banking And Healthcare Basics
• Homesickness And Expectations
• Opening a French Bank
• Finding Housing In Paris
• Paperwork Survival Kit
• Translations And Driving Proof
• France Moves Slower
• Renting Realities In Paris
• Referrals For Daily Life
• Healthcare Setup Basics
• Planning Your Move
• Rent Or Buy Strategy
• Arrondissement Picks And Transit
• Resources And Wrap Up
• Copyright

Two Italian banker's daughters married French kings. Both ended up ruling France. Annie Sargent sits down with Elyse Rivin to sort out Catherine de' Medici and Marie de' Medici, cousins who together span the entire 1500s and into the 1600s.

Catherine arrives at 15 to marry the future Henry II. She lives in the shadow of his mistress, buries three sons as kings, and holds France together through brutal religious wars. Marie marries Henry IV by proxy, gets humiliated at court, then loses him to an assassin's blade the day after her coronation.

Annie and Elyse trace the schemes, the scandals, and the gardens these women left behind in Paris. Hit play. Then subscribe so you don't miss what's next.

Table of Contents for this Episode

• Introduction
• Today on the podcast: Catherine and Marie De Medici
• Support and Announcements
• Magazine segment
• Why the Medici Women
• Queens and Power in France
• Medici Wealth and Alliances
• Catherine Arrives in France
• Diane de Poitiers Shadow
• Heir Crisis and Breakthrough
• Henry II Reigns and Tragedy
• Regency and First Son
• Charles IX and Religious Tensions
• Grand Tour and Civil War
• Marriage Politics and St Bartholomew
• Henry III and Catherine Final Years
• Valois Dynasty Ends
• Marie Medici
• Henry IV Needs an Heir
• Marie de Medici Chosen
• Proxy Wedding Shock
• Life at Court Humiliation
• Coronation Then Assassination
• Regency and Catholic Alliances
• Concini Murder and Exile
• Escape and Power Struggles
• Day of the Dupes Fallout
• Exile Across Europe
• Death and Lasting Legacy
• Copyright

In episode 607, Annie Sargent talks with Julie Lynch, an Australian costume designer turned painter, about her week-long art retreat in Noyers, a tiny medieval village in Burgundy. Julie traded her precise, detailed style for loose, abstract landscapes made on a gel plate. She and four childhood friends painted all morning, then explored Vézelay, Avallon, and the Château d'Ancy-le-Franc in the afternoons. Annie and Julie talk about wisteria, lilacs, why reservations matter even in small villages, and why a slow retreat beats a packed itinerary. Annie also shares news about her new YouTube channel, Join Us in France Video. Press play and join them in Burgundy. Subscribe to Join Us in France so you never miss an episode.

Table of Contents for this Episode

• Welcome to Episode 607
• Today on the podcast: An Art Retreat in a Medieval Burgundy Village
• Listener Support and Video Plans
• Magazine segment
• Meet Julie Lynch
• From Costumes to Painting
• Stage Costume Museum in Moulins
• Why Noyers in Burgundy
• La Porte Peinte Retreat
• Art Without Pressure
• Burgundy in Springtime
• Afternoon Excursions Nearby
• Favorite Places in France
• Life in Tiny Noyers
• Allotment Gardens Explained
• Sharing the Harvest
• Why Choose a Retreat
• Chablis Market Day
• Reserve Small Town Meals
• Menus Without English
• Self Directed Art Retreat
• Retreat Types in France
• Driving and Navigation Tales
• Slower Travel With Age
• Lilacs and Village Scents
• Rural France Weeklong Stays
• Farewell and Artist Eye
• Patreon Thanks and Support
• Brittany Research Trip Plans
• Launching the Video Channel
• French Shorts and Visual Guides
• Subscribe and Comment
• Vacation Recording Break
• Newsletter and Next Episode
• Next week on the podcast
• Copyright

Critics called his paintings smudges. He kept painting anyway. In this episode, Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin tell the story of Eugène Delacroix, the man behind Liberty Leading the People. His father left the family in debt. Géricault became his mentor. Critics attacked nearly every painting he showed. Then seven months in Morocco changed his art forever. Elyse tells the whole story, and Annie shares where to see his work in Paris, from the Louvre to Saint-Sulpice. You'll never look at Liberty Leading the People the same way. Hit play, then subscribe so you never miss an episode of Join Us in France!

Table of Contents for this Episode

• Today on the podcast: a Brief Biography of Eugène Delacroix
• Podcast supporters
• Magazine segment
• Next week on the podcast
• Meet Delacroix
• Romanticism Without Boxes
• Critics and Controversy
• Early Life and Family
• School Music and Art
• Beaux Arts and Géricault
• Decorative Arts Hustle
• Copying Masters and Technique
• England Influence and Color
• Salon Debut Dante Scandal
• Géricault Death Turning Point
• Greek Tragedies and Backlash
• Gavroche Connection
• England Sparks Revival
• Sardanapalus Scandal
• Critics Sting Deep
• July Revolution Canvas
• Liberty Leads People
• Censored Then Louvre
• Baudelaire Backs Him
• Morocco Changes Everything
• Orientalism And Access
• Color Pattern Mastery
• Late Fame And Murals
• Delacroix Paintings in Saint Sulpice
• Jenny And Legacy
• Delacroix Museum Takeaway
• Farewell And Thanks
• Copyright

#JoinUsInFrance, #FrancePodcast, #Francophile, #FranceTravelTips, #RealFrance, #EugeneDelacroix, #Delacroix, #FrenchArt, #ArtHistory, #Louvre, #LibertyLeadingThePeople, #ParisMuseums, #SaintSulpice, #FrenchHistory, #ParisTravel, #VisitParis, #FranceTravel, #VisitFrance, #Romanticism, #ThingsToDoInParis

Five weeks solo in Paris. Twenty museums. Four monuments. And a whole lot of surprises. Annie Sargent chats with Larry Rosenblum to talk about his trip. Larry swims in the Seine. He watches a play at the Comédie-Française through AR glasses. He tours the French Senate during Heritage Days. He even straps on VR goggles and steps straight into the Louvre's history. Larry shares his best planning tips, his favorite discovery (a fairground museum you've probably never heard of), and the one thing he wishes he hadn't skipped: Montmartre. Annie also digs into "La France Moche," the ugly side of French town entrances. Hit play, then subscribe so you don't miss next week's episode.

Table of Contents for this Episode

• Today on the podcast: 5 weeks solo in Paris
• Support and Boutique
• Magazine segment
• Meet Larry Paris Stats
• Apart Hotel Stay
• Getting Around Metro Tips
• Solo Travel Pros Cons
• Swimming In The Seine
• Comedie Francaise AR
• Heritage Days Senate
• Postal Museum Stamps
• VR Louvre History Tour
• Segway Ride Surprise
• Segway Night Tour
• Riding Paris Bike Lanes
• Seine After Dark
• VoiceMap Tour Picks
• AR at Conciergerie
• Planning Five Weeks
• Packing and Safety Tips
• What to Skip and Return
• Goodbyes and Article
• Patreon Thanks
• La France Moche Explained
• Wrap Up and Next Week
• Next week on the podcasts
• Copyright

#JoinUsInFrance, #FrancePodcast, #Francophile, #FranceTravelTips, #RealFrance, #ParisTravel, #SoloTravelParis, #VisitFrance, #TravelToFrance, #ParisMuseums, #HiddenParis, #OffTheBeatenPath, #Louvre, #ComedieFrancaise, #SeineSwimming, #TravelPodcast, #FrenchCulture, #ParisVacation, #FrancophileLife, #BonjourFrance

Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin dig into the life of Alexandre Dumas Père — and it's a wild ride. His grandmother was a slave. His father was the French army's first non-white general. Napoleon destroyed that father, and Dumas never forgot it. He wrote over 100 novels, went broke twice, helped unify Italy, and ran the museums of Naples — including Pompeii. Oh, and he wrote a cookbook. Elyse brings the research, Annie brings the questions, and together they make French history genuinely fun. Hit play. And if you enjoy this, subscribe — a new episode drops every Sunday.

Table of Contents for this Episode

• Today on the podcast: Alexandre Dumas
• Podcast supporters
• Magazine segment
• Meet Dumas
• A Larger Than Life Figure
• His Father the General
• Napoleon and Injustice
• Racism and Early Schooling
• Dreaming of Stories
• Paris and The Stage
• Fame Money and Excess
• Translations and Travels
• Serialized Novels Begin
• Collaborators and Style
• Breakout Novels
• Travel Writing Begins
• Debt and Coauthor Fight
• Theater Gamble and Backlash
• Exile Trips and Hugo Visit
• Garibaldi Adventure in Italy
• Return and Late Career Shift
• Stroke Death and Legacy
• Monumental Output
• Why Films Love Dumas
• Romance Action Style
• History Names Not Facts
• Panthéon Farewell
• Patreon Thanks and Perks
• France Heatwave Update
• Air Quality and Ozone Alerts
• France Air Conditioning Debate
• Heat Pumps and Home Comfort
• Environmental Concerns and Reality
• Travel Tips for Staying Cool
• Hydration and Best Travel Timing
• Cutting Emissions and Going Electric
• Newsletter and Next Episode Tease
• Next week on the podcast
• Final Thanks and Goodbye
• Copyright

#JoinUsInFrance, #FrancePodcast, #Francophile, #FranceTravelTips, #RealFrance, #AlexandreDumas, #FrenchLiterature, #ThreeMusketeers, #CountOfMonteCristo, #FrenchHistory, #HistoricalFiction, #ClassicLiterature, #FrenchCulture, #FranceTravel, #VisitFrance, #Paris, #LivingInFrance, #MovingToFrance, #TravelPodcast, #FrenchLife