The French are rather a superstitious bunch – and some of the superstitions are very odd - got 13 for dinner and think the number 13 is unlucky? Then go French, pop an egg on the table, now you have 14 for dinner! Tread in dog poo and think it's ruined your day? Non, non, non - in France it could be lucky, depending on which foot did the deed! Want to make a wish come true? Well that's simple, just find a French sailor, dressed in uniform including the traditional beret with a red bobble on top - and give that bobble a twiddle! What? 

Yes, these and more strange and fabulous superstitions will be discussed in this very fun podcast episode!

Plus a listener asks a question about the seasons in France and we explain how the bonker French Revolutionary calendar could have made things very different with 10 day-long weeks, and 3 week-long months and a unique name for every day of the year! 

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Marvellous, magnificent and mesmerising monuments of France! The biggest and the best, the strange and the quirky, their history, legends and fascinating facts from the Eiffel Tower to the most incredible palace in France – built by a postman from pebbles collected on his delivery rounds more than 100 years ago. Notre Dame, Versailles, Mont-Saint-Michel, Pere Lachaise cemetery and more, come with us on a whistle stop tour of these amazing places. 

And we answer a listener’s question – want to know where to buy the best baguettes in Paris? – tune in and we’ll tell you!

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The biggest and the best, the strange and the quirky, the festivals where you can eat yourself to a standstill, and the ones where you’ll have so much fun, you’ll want to go back year after year! Marathon races that serve cocktails – or Champagne.  A strawberry fete where you’ll get a slice of the biggest strawberry tart in the world. Pig squealing, baptisms of a giant where the baby is nearly 7 feet long, son et lumieres and more. 

We reveal the real France, authentic and sometimes a little weird but always fascinating…

And in the Q&A section we answer a question about the French law that requires men to wear itsy bitsy teeny weeny trunks in public swimming pools. Is it true – or not?

Find out more in this fun episode...

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For the French, cheese is a symbol of Frenchness. They’ve been eating great cheeses for a long time here, some of the most famous were being made thousands of years ago. 

In this episode we consider some of the most famous cheeses as well as some of the stinkiest, weirdest and frankly gross cheeses that France produces. One of them is officially the smelliest cheese in the world, one has creatures living inside (which apparently adds flavour), one was loved by a King so much it contributed to him losing his head – yes that’s you Louis XVI. 

It’s not just a slice of cheese, when it’s French, it’s also a slice of history and we explore some of the fantastic legends, stories and fun facts in this fun and fascinating homage to French fromage. 

And in the Q&A section we answer a question from a lady in Melbourne who says she read that France has banned UFOs! Is it true – or not? Find out more in this fun episode...

 

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Discover the most popular places to visit in France, their histories and legends, but also the secret places close by so you get to travel to ‘real’ France. 

In Paris you must of course visit the Eiffel Tower, but how about a tiny chapel that was built before the great cathedral of Notre Dame with the most beautiful stained glass windows, you’ll feel as if you’re in a jewel box standing in this place. 

And of course the Mont-Saint-Michel is a wonder of the world, but nearby you can get amazing views of it and explore the area by a little train that runs around the bay. 

Versailles, the Loire Valley, Disney Paris and the lavender fields of Provence all feature. 

Loads of fun and fabulous tips, plus learn how France is the most popular tourist destination in the world – and beyond (according to one of us at least!)…  

Plus a reader asks “I’m going to Paris in May, it’s my first time and I want to see as much of Paris as I can, but I also want to do one day trip to see something different. Where should I go?” We give the perfect answer! Have a listen to find out… 

Don’t go to France without listening to this episode! 

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In this episode we'll be talking about a topic that's on everyone's lips in France - great classic French food! And especially food that has a fascinating history, cheese that has a 6000 year old past, stew that helped save a town from a siege by their dastardly enemy hundreds of years ago, mouth-watering cakes that were made by accident but passed into legend.

Some dishes are just a bit more special because of their heritage, it makes them taste even more delicious. Plus we'll share some of the places where we've eaten these dishes so that you can enjoy them at their best too. And if you're feeling peckish at the end of the podcast, there are hundreds of great recipes on the website!

And in the Q&A section a listener asks "Do the French really take a two hour lunch break?" Find out as Janine Marsh, author and editor of The Good Life France Magazine, and Olivier Jauffrit of radio ParisChanson.fr titillate your tastebuds with talk of all things tasty and tempting in this flavoursome French food episode!

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Learn the three most important words in the French language in this fun episode - no test at the end we promise! 

Tu and vous - you and you - what's that all about? We'll explain what it means if a French person asks to "tu" with you! 

Plus - has one of us set a world record for the amount of times we said bonjour in one day?!  And we also talk about the most popular attraction in France - the Eiffel Tower and reveal some of her secrets... 

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What if you were to browse the internet and see a photo of a neglected castle in the south of France, a ruin for sure but with a faded grandeur that pulls at your heart strings… 

Would you be tempted to give up your dream of a little house in the country and throw everything you have into restoring the castle to its former glory? Live without electricity. Chop wood to keep the fire going so you don’t freeze in winter as the snow falls all around and the bitter wind blows down from the Pyrenees Mountains. Give up your comfy life and a good job in Perth, Australia. Learn how to speak French and take on the mother of all restorations? 

That’s what Karina Waters and her family did when they bought the Chateau de Gudanes – a real life sleeping beauty that’s now been brought back to life.

This is an extraordinary story, one that has captured the imagination of millions around the world

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Ever wondered what makes the French so… well French?! 

Janine Marsh, resident of northern France, author of three books about life in France for a frequently baffled expat and the editor of magazine and website The Good Life France chats to Olivier Jauffrit, a Frenchman who lives in London about how to be French. 

Is it dunking your croissants in a cup of hot chocolate, the weird and many rules of etiquette around cheese, and how you say oh la la? Touching on some of the quirk aspects of Frenchness, this is a  laugh out loud episode and a whole lot of fun.

And in the Q&A section we answer a question from a resident of Pennsylvania, USA "Do French men still wear the beret?" Find out more in this fun episode...

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It might not surprise you to know that mostly – Christmas in France is all about food… so buckle up, or maybe unbuckle your belt, for a fun, festive and foodie episode – the A to Z of Christmas in France…

Janine Marsh author of three international best-selling books about life in France and Olivier Jauffrit of radio Paris Chanson talk about aperitifs with the neighbours, desserts, jolly farmers riding around country roads in the buckets of tractors on their way home from parties, and the evil assistant to Father Christmas - if you live in Alsace! 

It’s a fun episode designed to put the merry in your Christmas podcast – so tune in to the A-Z of France at Christmas! 

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