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The statue of Reine Berthe in the Jardin du Luxembourg is one of my favorites of the twenty illustrious ladies in French history. She may not be as well known as Marie de Medicis but you will know the name of her son and her story is pretty amazing. 

Born in 720 to Count Caribert de Laon and Blanche-Fleur de Prum her beauty was known far and wide. When Pepin le Bref, future king of the Franks heard of her stunning beauty he wanted her for his wife. Different histories say he may have been married before to Leutburgie and when he heard of Berthe, he asked Leutburgie to leave court. The marriage was arranged and Berthe headed to court to meet her future husband.

What happens next is a pretty amazing story, tune into the podcast to see how it ends. 

More info and photos: https://www.claudinehemingway.com/paris-history-avec-a-hemingway-podcast-1Support Claudine on Patreon and get more of Paris and all her stories and benefits like discounts on her tours, custom history and exclusive content  https://www.patreon.com/bleublonderougefacebook https://www.facebook.com/BleuBlondeRougeInstagram https://www.instagram.com/claudinebleublonderouge/Sign up for the weekly Blue Blonde Rouge newsletter  https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5e8f6d73375c490028be6a76

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Samantha Vérant is a travel addict, a self-professed oenophile, and a determined, if occasionally unconventional, at home French chef. She is the bestselling author of Seven Letters from Paris and How to Make a French Family and today she chats with us about her new book: The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux

She lives in southwestern France, where she's married to a sexy French rocket scientist she met in 1989 (but ignored for twenty years), a stepmom to two incredible kids, and the adoptive mother to a ridiculously adorable French cat. When she’s not trekking from Provence to the Pyrénées or embracing her inner Julia Child, Sam is making her best effort to relearn those dreaded conjugations.

Links to social:

Website

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Buy links for the book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609441/the-secret-french-recipes-of-sophie-valroux-by-samantha-verant/

And a preview for the audiobook: https://soundcloud.com/penguin-audio/the-secret-french-recipes-of

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There are many designers that have shaped fashion in France. However, before there were Dior and Chanel there was Jeanne Lanvin. Lanvin was a designer that paved the way for all the others to come after her. 

Jeanne was born on January 1, 1867 in Paris at 35 Rue Mazarine. She was the oldest of eleven children to parents Bernard Lanvin and Sophie Blanche Deshayes. Jeanne got a job working at a hat shop at the age of 13, where she was a natural fit. In just three years she served as apprentice milliner and in 1889 at 22 years old she opened her own shop in Paris on the Rue Boissy d'Anglas. Her hats were very popular with the Paris elite and she had a long waiting list for her custom hats. She would go onto create perfume, sportswear, fashion for men, women and children and designs for the home. 

Jeanne Lanvin’s name is not one that is as known as so many other designers and she was fine with that. Karl Lagerfeld later criticized her for her low-key persona and Coco Chanel looked at her as one of her greatest rivals. Today everyone thinks it was Coco that pioneered perfume, sportswear, hats and the color black, but just like everything else that many people know about Chanel, it is completely wrong. It is Jeanne Lanvin that we owe so much.

Listen to the full episode about the life of this amazing woman. 

More info and photos: https://www.claudinehemingway.com/paris-history-avec-a-hemingway-podcast-1

Support Claudine on Patreon and get more of Paris and all her stories and benefits like discounts on her tours, custom history and exclusive content  https://www.patreon.com/bleublonderouge

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A native of Canada, Lily Heise fell in love with Paris on a study abroad program and never looked back. This year she'll be celebrating her 20th anniversary in the City of Light, or is it the City of Love? Lily has written two humorous books on looking for romance in Paris, Je T'Aime, Me Neither and its sequel, Je T'Aime... Maybe? Her first book inspired her blog, winning of Best Blog in Paris in the 2018 Best of Paris awards, where you can find a wide variety of articles on offbeat romantic things to do in Paris, restaurants, bars, original date ideas as well as romantic destinations around the world. She is also a travel writer whose work has featured in The Huffington Post, Condé Nast Traveler, Playboy, Frommer’s, Fodor’s, among others.
Learn more about Lily here: 
http://jetaimemeneither.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JeTAimeMeNeither
https://www.instagram.com/jetaimemeneither/
Book: amzn.to/3oqx2tH

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Ninon de Lenclos was a woman way ahead of her time. Born in 1620, she decided at a very early age that she was not going to live the life of the rest of the 17th century women. She didn’t want to be a nun or a wife and there were few other choices left. Ninon would go on to become one of the most celebrated courtesans in Paris. 

Incredibly smart and witty she seduced men with her mind and drew women to her wanting to know her secrets. Ninon would give lessons to men on how to treat women, to listen to them, ask them questions and treat them as an equal. For the women she taught them how to flirt and to use their mind. Her daily salons drew everyone in Paris from Moliere to Charles Perrault. Louis XIV even counted her as a trusted friend and would seek her guidance.

Ninon never gave up her lifestyle and even took lovers into her 80’s

Listen to the full episode about the life of this amazing woman.
More info and photos: https://www.claudinehemingway.com/paris-history-avec-a-hemingway-podcast-1Support Claudine on Patreon and get more of Paris and all her stories and benefits like discounts on her tours, custom history and exclusive content  https://www.patreon.com/bleublonderougefacebook https://www.facebook.com/BleuBlondeRougeInstagram https://www.instagram.com/claudinebleublonderouge/Sign up for the weekly Blue Blonde Rouge newsletter  https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5e8f6d73375c490028be6a76

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Susan Hutchinson is the founder and curator of @thefrancophiles, a community that promotes French culture around the globe. She is also the creative director for her French-inspired lifestyle blog of ten years, Fleurishing. After 18 years in the field of interior design and many years running her own firm, Susan decided to switch gears and focus her creative energy into her lifelong passion for French culture. She lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and children, twins Marie et Henry (who are already fervent Francophiles).

LINKS:

@thefrancophiles
@fleurishing

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The life of Marie Antoinette has been well documented. However the loveliest of  ways and the most enduring image of the fated queen was in the paintings of Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun. 

Vigee Le Brun began to paint as a child and by the age of 15 she already finished her first major painting. Her portraits got the attention of all of Paris and the court at Versailles. Once the Count de Provence, future Louis XVIII, saw her paintings he commissioned her to paint a portrait of him. 

Her style of paintings with their very feminine touches was not overlooked by Marie Antoinette and asked her to paint her as well. She would paint the queen more than 30 times including the controversial painting of the queen in a white muslin dress. 

Surviving the Revolution by leaving France she continued to paint in Italy and Russia before she was allowed to return to Paris. Today her paintings hang in the Musée du Louvre, Versailles and smaller museums all over France. Ahead of her time in a field dominated by men, she stood her ground and was unwavered in her vision to the end. 

Listen to the full episode about the life of this amazing woman. 

More info and photos: https://www.claudinehemingway.com/paris-history-avec-a-hemingway-podcast-1

Support Claudine on Patreon and get more of Paris and all her stories and benefits like discounts on her tours, custom history and exclusive content  https://www.patreon.com/bleublonderouge

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Molly Wilkinson is a pastry chef living in Versailles. Originally from Dallas, Texas, in 2013 she changed careers to follow her passion by moving to Paris and studying pastry at Le Cordon Bleu. After working at several bakeries in both France and the US, she now teaches pastry out of her 18th century apartment just 5 minutes walk from the Versailles Chateau. Her method is all about making French pastry easy by breaking down recipes and showing you lots of tips and tricks to help any baker achieve extraordinary results.

Links: 

To buy virtual classes: www.mollyjwilk.com/virtual-pastry-classes

Website: www.mollyjwilk.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MollyJWilk

Instagram: @ mollyjwilk

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Sarah Bernhardt the darling of the stage marched to her own beat. From an early age she heard the calling but at first she thought it was for a religious life. After a full mass funeral for her pet lizard she was told her talents were better used elsewhere.  

Performing on just about every stage in Paris, the tough and at times angry Bernhardt constantly were at odds with theater owners, but never with her beloved audience. Even in her lowest of times she was able to bounce back even larger than life before. The Cher of the 19th century could never pull herself completely out of the public eye, even in her final days. 

Listen to the full episode about the life of this amazing woman. 

More info and photos: https://www.claudinehemingway.com/paris-history-avec-a-hemingway-podcast-1

Support Claudine on Patreon and get more of Paris and all her stories and benefits like discounts on her tours, custom history and exclusive content  https://www.patreon.com/bleublonderouge

facebook https://www.facebook.com/BleuBlondeRouge

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James Pouliot di Lombardia is an American artist living in Paris, France. His photography work has been featured in international fashion publications such as a Vogue and L’Officiel. His paintings explore nature and consumer culture. His still life studies are described as “academic pop-art” and exploit traditional methods of atelier painting with contemporary and often disposable subject matter. His nature studies are based on his love of exploring the mediterrenean. Pouliot di Lombardia is a self taught artist with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

Buy his art here: https://returnonart.com/artists/james-pouliot
Photos here: www.19rivoli.com

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