Ghosts, ghoulies and Halloween in France. In this episode we’ll talk about haunted castles – there are loads of them in France. 

Plus ghost stories - including the tale of a wooden leg that walks alone. And French Halloween habits – and yes France does celebrate Halloween but in its own unique way! 

This is a spooky, spine tingling but fun podcast with possibly the worst Halloween jokes ever!

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Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy is one of France’s most iconic, legendary, and visited landmarks. 

This little island in one of the officially most beautiful bays in the world is a record breaker, a place conceived with the help of an angel with a pointy finger, a building that seems to defy gravity, and a site so wondrous that it has inspired artists, musicians, and writers for centuries from Monet to Marilyn Monroe. 

Kings, Queens and presidents have walked its streets just as much in awe as any tourist. Its spiritual Gothic beauty has influenced many films including the Lord of the Rings.

This “pyramid of the seas” is a miraculous marvel and one of the wonders of the world.

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Sometimes the French can be very different from everyone else!

We look at some of the more unusual and unique habits such as never, ever, ever being wrong. And not only that, we explain the surprisingly and really rather strange way the French deal with it if they are wrong.

Of course, this being France food comes into the story – anyone fancy a plateful of sheep testicles flavoured with lemon and parsley (of course, must have some flavourI). Or how about something sugary? Raw beef flavoured sweets – anyone? Yes. Really. And they aren’t for dogs – they’re for humans, made by monks in Burgundy.

Backed up with anecdotes and true-life stories of life in France to prove that the French really do have some very weird and French habits, this is a laugh out loud episode brought to you by Janine Marsh a British writer who’s lived in France for 20 years and Frenchman Olivier Jauffrit. 

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Autumn in France and La Rentrée – a very French thing! It literally means ‘the return’, which sounds quite mysterious, like a thriller film but it’s not at all. We explain all about la rentrée and the best places to visit in France in the fall. 

We share some of the best seasonal festivals – especially foodie festivals - and events, from giant flea markets, arty party nights and wine harvest events in Paris – yes there is a wine producing vineyard right in the centre of Paris to a chocolate fair where they hold a fashion show in which the models wear clothes made from chocolate! 

And we share our favourite places that may be a bit more crowded in the summer months but are ideal in autumn. 

Plus we answer a reader’s question – how many times should you kiss – and what cheek do you start with?! 

Fun, entertaining and authentic – entente cordiale in a podcast! 

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Versailles – the palace, the people, history and legends. The extraordinary story of this mighty castle, built in a swamp on the outskirts of Paris stars a heavyweight cast of royals and played a key role in the destiny of France…

As breath-taking today as it was some 400 years ago when King Louis XIV of France, AKA the Sun King (and not for his sunny nature), turned a humble hunting lodge into one of the wonders of the world. Architecturally glorious, gilded and grand, with gardens to match, the palace is full of secrets and its walls have witnessed events that have determined the course of history. 

We talk about the people who lived here, the history of the palace and the most fascinating facts about Versailles… 

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Ever wondered where the French go on holiday, and what their secret favourite places are? Well, no secrets here, we reveal all, as well as some of the quirky habits of the French on holiday and some frankly downright weird aspects of French life! 

France is the most popular tourist destination in the world (and beyond apparently – just listen in to find out!) and it’s easy to see why - more than 40,000 chateaux and fortresses, glorious beaches, snowy mountains, historic cities, picturesque villages, Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, a dazzling little island that makes you feel you have stepped back centuries, the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum and the sun-kissed French Riviera, the boulevards of Paris and the majestic castles of the Loire Valley - there are a million more thrilling sites and places to discover- the sheer diversity of the culture, landscapes and attractions of France is staggering. 

So where do the French go faced with all this choice? Find out more…

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Bastille Day is France’s biggest national holiday. Find out what it’s all about and why French people have no idea what you’re talking about when you call it Bastille Day – they don’t call it that at all!

We explore the history of this famous day and uncover fun facts such as the DNA of a king discovered in a dried pumpkin (yup, really), how Marie-Antoinette loved the tune to the Marseillaise, even though the words called for her demise. And how the wife of a ship’s captain from Maine, USA almost had the royal family as house guests… The history, the legends and the weird and wonderful snippets uncovered…

Plus, the French go wild on 14th July but really this special day starts the night before and involves dancing at Fireman’s balls, Bals des pompiers – yes really! The big day includes parties, parades and fireworks – discover how the spirit of revolution is celebrated in France.

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Discover some of the most amazing castles of France, the most haunted, tallest and oldest. 

The castles with amazing histories like Vaux-le-Vicomte near Paris, built by a King’s minister and so beautiful it made the King seethe with jealousy and what followed was an epic tragedy and also kickstarted the Palace of Versailles project. The castle that Napoleon loved best, the one where you can stay for the night and a Duke will bring you breakfast in bed! 

France has more than 40,000 castles and whilst we can’t cover them all in this episode, you will discover some of the most incredible chateaux and their fascinating legends, histories and the people who lived in them… 

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In this episode we share the A-Z of Paris. From arrondissements, the municipal districts of the city laid out in the shape of a snail, to the second oldest zoological garden in the world, started when the animals of the royal family were abandoned at Versailles during the French Revolution via a hidden message in the ceiling of the Opera Garnier and a centuries old flower market in the shadow of the great Gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame and a little chapel older than Notre Dame that when you visit is like standing in a jewel box.

We share our insider guide tips and know-how to reveal the best of Paris whether it’s your first visit or you’ve had the pleasure many times. 

Plus a listener asks – is it true all Parisians are rude?! 

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In this episode we share the A-Z of French food. France is the nation that invented the restaurant, haute cuisine and Cordon Bleu, the pique-nique, baguettes and crème brulée. The French certainly live to eat, not eat to live. 

The great American cook Julia Child once said, ‘In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport’. She was not exaggerating. If the French are not talking about food – what they will have for lunch or dinner, prepare for guests or a celebration – they’re shopping for meals, planning to cook or eating. Food is on everyone’s lips!

Plus a listener asks a question about castles in France – do you know how many there are? Let’s just say if you visited one a day – it would take you more than 120 years to see them all! 

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