Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles

Currently I am in France! I have escaped the Aussie winter and returned to my fave destination! This time however, my husband Paul and I decided to couple our visit to Paris and other regions of France, with a stay with some dear friends who live near Prague.

There were some unexpected issues we encountered, such as the fact that our internal European flight weighed every single carry on bag before boarding which rarely happens in Australia! After a walk of shame to the overweight baggage desk and many euros later, we were fine to board but it was an issue we hadn't planned for. It was also frustrating as we had plenty of weight allowance in our checked luggage, so we were kicking ourselves for not considering the problem prior to getting to the airport for the internal European flight... we were still in long-haul Aussie-Europe mode! We did not make the same mistake on our internal european flight returning back to Paris!
It is also worth noting that not all countries in the EU use the Euro and the exchange rate is not necessarily the best once already in Europe, so a bit of research prior to departure is a must!

We adored Prague. Every building is food for a Francophile soul, even though not in France. Our friends live in Plzen about an hour from Prague, where Pilsner Beer is made. It is an amazing town with parts going back many centuries, then other parts of the city are almost stuck in the communist period. I had my hair done in Plzen w2hich was a real eye opener for the w2ay regular life takes place. I was transfixed by the difference to how we operate in Australia, or in France for that matter. We visited an ancient castle, did a beer tour in Plzen, ate incredible Czech food, attended a candlelight concert in Prague and met some gorgeous locals with our beautiful friends. I think that was the most special thing, meeting wonderful Czechs including our friends' adopted grandma, Ivcha. 

In the middle of our Czech week, we popped down to Vienna for a couple of days to attend a Mozart concert at the Musikverein, the Golden Hall. Everywhere is so close in Europe so heading to another country to fulfil a lifelong wish is not so much of a problem.

Tune in to hear some of the problems we faced as well as some great tips when going to a new city for a brief visit.



**Coming up soon will be a number of episodes about the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles current road trip through France with a number of different guests.

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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
FrancoFile Fix on YouTube
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Alex Lalak is an Aussie born and bred travel journalist who now calls France home. Growing up in Sydney, Alex was gifted many cook books, many of them French and also studied French at school. A part of her always thought she would live there one day. After a few trips to France over the years, Alex moved overseas in her thirties, first to New York, then London and eventually Paris. She then met Pierre, her now husband and that changed everything!

When Alex first moved to Paris, she had only a couple of friends there who both left to live elsewhere not long after. Alex realised she needed connections and made a lot of friends through ex-pat groups and through friends of friends. There was a year of exploring Paris before meeting Pierre and since then they have lived elsewhere in France in Burgundy and now in Provence.

Alex’s story of discovering herself is fascinating to me. Her chat about making a vie français and experiencing some of life’s most significant events such as having a baby in France, getting married and buying a house now in Provence, is the stuff that many peoples’ dreams are made of! Now living a gorgeously French rural life, Alex described her local market days, the fresh produce, the local dishes and the different style of living compared to Paris or even Australia. She gave us wonderful tips for when visiting the Pont du Gard and painted a beautiful picture for our imaginations of the balmy Provençal days. But the best part? When asked to describe what a perfect French day would look like for her, Alex was able to chat about her day that happened only yesterday, because she is actually right now living her perfect French life!

Tune in to escape to France with us momentarily.

**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
FrancoFile Fix on YouTube
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Elaine Lewis was always interested in books. So when she made the decision to move from Australia to Paris to open a book store on the left bank of the Seine, her family gave full support. Other opinions were mixed, but regardless she moved to France and spent quite a long time preparing for the opening of her Australian book shop.

There were challenges along the way, such as deciphering info being rattled off to her over the phone! But after months putting together a dossier to provide to the French consulate Elaine attained her Visa of Longue Durée. Elaine ended up with a very individual style store with wrought iron shelves, oak panelling and mood lighting. It sounds like the sort of place that would feed a book-lovers soul. She highlighted books in both French and English, anything that promoted Australia that Elaine thought the French would appreciate, some with Aboriginal designs.

Competition with the online book stores became increasingly difficult. Regardless of this Eliane continued along happily until she received a quite dramatic letter enacting a very old law that caused her to close. Over 100 local university professors signed a petition which was sent to the president, but although the ban was then overturned, Elaine had made the decision to close the doors.

Tune into a fascinating story about a life navigating a part of France that many of us don't ordinarily see. Elaine's connection to France stretches much further that the book store... she reminds us that dreaming is important and making plans to follow our dreams can fulfil both our own souls as well as inspire others.

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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
FrancoFile Fix on YouTube
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Danielle Overton Chambers was born in London but moved to Saint Malo as a small child to live with her great-grandparents and after a life around the world she has returned to her favourite place.

Saint Malo has fascinating history from the 1950s post war to the pirates of the 15th-18th centuries and even earlier with monks and religious living a hermits life there in the 6th century, before they decided to build a cathedral! 
From a medieval cathedral town, Saint Malo became a very rich port as the home of trade for hundreds of years, profiting especially from the opening up of the New World.

Chatting to my friend Danielle was fascinating as she is so knowledgeable about the history as well as what to do in Saint Malo right now. I will be returning in August and I'm so looking forward to the amazing seafood, the beautiful stone village, the beautiful welcoming people and the tourist stuff to do! 



To find out more about the Normandy Retreat mentioned in this episode, email [email protected] 

**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
FrancoFile Fix on YouTube
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website

What Claudine Hemingway doesn't know about the history of Paris probably isn't worth knowing! But as I plan to take off to France for the European autumn, arriving somewhere amongst the shenanigans of the Olympics and the Paralympics, I am picking her brain for what to expect in the Paris of today!

It is exactly 100 years since Paris last hosted the Olympic Games, and what an amazing amount of history has occurred since then in the French capital. Paris is quite changed since 1924 and it will be exciting to see how she glams up for the world in this modern era. I'm looking forward to a wonderful new concept literally being floated in the Olympic Summer Games Opening Ceremony. For the first time in the history of the Jeux Olympiques this will not take place in a stadium. Paris 2024 is doing away with the old and bringing in the new, with the Opening Ceremony being held on the Seine including the parade of athletes on boats for each national delegation. 

Now whilst floating athletes to kick start a Games is a first and I'm certain there will be loads more to marvel at as the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will have be the largest Opening Ceremony in Games history, I really wanted to know from Claudine, what will the city be like for the residents and visitors over the next couple of months whilst all this is going on!

Tune in to hear all the details and transport yourself away to Paris momentarily.

For details and to express interest in the Normandy Retreat mentioned in this episode, contact [email protected]

**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
FrancoFile Fix on YouTube
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website

In 2023 my dear uncle Carl Putt and his best mate Paul Steinfort embarked on a life changing experience walking Le Puy Camino, a huge pilgrimage trail through France.

I have obviously known my Uncle Carl my whole life and with a shared love of France it was wonderful to share this chat with him. I have known Paul mainly as Carl's best mate through my life (but just prior to COVID I took on the role as President of a large football club in suburban Melbourne for a number of years, with Paul having the capacity and experience to be my mentor through that time.) It was just lovely to chat with both Paul and Carl about this extraordinary experience they shared in France and I was thrilled to meet up over in Cahors, France to witness their last night.

The walk they did is what's known as "Inn to Inn" walking, that is hotel to hotel. Most days they walked about 20 kms, but then as I discovered some days they walked more when they got lost! We chatted about the preparation required including training, equipment and the impact on participants' health and wellbeing. With both men being aged 75 at the time of this walk, I ascertained that taking on a challenge of this kind is not out of anyone's reach, as long as adequate medical advice is sought prior and the required steps to ensure readiness are undertaken.

I loved how this experience has now spawned the idea of doing something similar with grandchildren. That experience will potentially provide memories for those grandchildren completing a similar trek now, to carry through their lives and possibly then do with their own grandchildren in the future whilst remembering the same experience with their grandfather. A wonderful ongoing family connection through the generations.

Paul identified the deepness of the connection to France for our family and he was very happy to immerse in that with his friend, my Uncle Carl. This connection has brought a closeness of our extended family, and may possibly bring about more walks such as this for us all in the future.

**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
FrancoFile Fix on YouTube
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website

A short while ago I chatted at episode 152 with Clare Needham, Curator at the Bendigo Art Gallery all about their amazing current exhibition Paris: Impressions of Life 1880-1925. This exhibition finishes on Bastille Day next week, so I popped back yesterday to see all the fabulousness there with friends who are just as crazy about all things French as I am! I had a petit chat with mes amies afterwards which is included in this episode.

The Paris: Impressions of Life 1880-1925 exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the lively and picturesque streets of historic Paris with real footage of life as it was, as well as artworks and even advertising posters, fashion and other artefacts dotted through the gallery. There are seven themed rooms or pathways, which take us through the most iconic parts of Paris. We discovered artisan street signs alongside wonderful posters and maps of Paris as well as fascinating footage of bustling marketplaces and grand boulevards. We wandered virtually through the jardins of Paris, saw some beautiful historic couture, immersed ourselves in artworks depicting life on the banks of the Seine, the Tour Eiffel and the heady atmosphere of bohemian Montmartre with artworks by Toulouse Lautrec and footage of the Can Can. 

This exhibition has more than 170 works of art and artisan objects reflecting on a period of great social change, urban development and artistic innovation which shaped the modern Paris that we love today. 

The Paris: Impressions of Life 1880-1925 exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery and the Electric Wonderland light show both end on Bastille Day, 14 July 2024. 

If interested in the Normandy Retreat mentioned in this episode, email Jane: [email protected] 

For free tickets to the Loulabelle's champagne soirée in Prahran, Melbourne this Thursday 11 July 2024, head to the LFF website and click the link in the post for episode 158.

**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
FrancoFile Fix on YouTube
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Alex Ganipeau is a native of Bordeaux who is now a skilled French teacher residing in Australia with her business The French Hack. I check in with Alex weekly to improve my French chatting skills and I also love her tips on lots of things to do, places to go and cultural matters we might stumble across when visiting France. She is always a wealth of info for me when I'm planning my next French escape! So much so that we thought a chat about her faves from a local perspective would assist the many of us tourists heading to France this year during the Olympics or across the French summer..

Tune in to hear details most tourists wouldn't consider in both Paris and Bordeaux!


If interested in the September 2024 Normandy Retreat as mentioned in this episode, email [email protected]
 

**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
FrancoFile Fix on YouTube
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Pierrick and I chatted about the importance of dreaming. Most of us dream of all sorts of things: travel, beautiful places, achieving great things... Pierrick talked of being a "doer" and making dreams a reality. We lamented the change in the way kids grow up now, in a period of time when they never seem to have space to sit with their own thoughts... there is always a screen to fill the void. I wonder if without this time to ponder and think, will kids continue to dream big in the future, in the same way as we and previous generations had the space to do in the past.

Dreaming is something that can't be taught. But Pierrick is definitely showing how hard work and determination can make dreams come true.

If interested in the Normandy Retreat as mentioned in this episode, email [email protected] for details.

**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
FrancoFile Fix on YouTube
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website

Recently I followed with great interest all the excitement of the Cannes Film Festival, which got me reminiscing about when I was there for the 2023 Festival last May with friend to the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast Ruby Boukabou.  I also loved the chat I had with Ruby back then while we were in Cannes with loads of insights into the local customs, the sights, the weird and the wonderful happenings of the most famous film festival on the planet!

Tune into hear all the insider views on the festival as well as be updated on some exciting stuff to consider if you are heading to Paris this coming French summer!


If interested in the Normandy Retreat this September as mentioned in this episode, email [email protected] 

**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
FrancoFile Fix on YouTube
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website