Sara Marner divides her heart between her holiday home in Normandy and her Melbourne life. After a 2008 visit to her husband's English family, Sara with her husband and kids took a three week drive through France and fell in love with the countryside and the lifestyle. They then bought an historic home in the middle of a quaint village an hour or so from Paris in the "Parc naturel régional du Perche".

Returning twice a year for long stays has connected Sara and her family to the local community. In my podcast chat with her Sara gave a number of tips she has collected over the years but I was most surprised by her suggestion in relation to car hire, renting direct from the car companies! 

When looking for a home in France Sara's main criteria was to be able to go straight from the airport to the house without needing to make the trip from Australia longer, by needing to stay a night in Paris. Sara can time the arrival in Paris to be in the morning, collect the car straight away and in a couple of hours she is able to be in their own home in the middle of a French village! I love the ease that she describes this process to be in your own bed by the end of the trip, albeit your own bed on the other side of the world!

Sara's fave day made my heart sing with a day starting off with her wandering through a brocante and ending with eating alfresco with a table full of friends. My kind of perfect French day!

Tune in and escape to France with us xx

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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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