The village of Arleux (59 Nord, Hauts de France) just south of Douai holds its annual Arleux Smoked Garlic Festival 31 August - 1 September 2024 (Foire à l'Ail Fumé)…
The town of Carcassonne (11 Aude, Occitanie) holds its "Marché aux Gras" (literally "fat market) on 22 December 2024 in the Salle du Dome - as with other towns in the…
The northern French city of Lille is one of my favourites for a weekend break - medieval old town (Vieux Lille) together with all the vibrancy, restaurants, shopping and other…
France and the French love their festivals and fairs. At Chateaubriant (44, Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire) , they claim have held an annual fair since the 11th Century! -…
Eastern Burgundy - the area to the east of the A6 autoroute inlcuding the Jura and Saone et Loire departements offers many diversions and many good reasons to break free from the headlong rush south to the Alps and Mediterranean!
Discover more about Provence's rich harvest of local fruit and vegetables at the new Epicuium museum
Two websites in particular help me to recpature that sense of being in France
To mark the end of Lent, the town of Vitré (35 Ile et Villaine, Bretagne)on various dates between 9 March and 6 April 2024 holds a funfair and 2 parades…
There are few things so evocative of summer than the strawberry - and of course in southern France summer comes earlier than it does in northern climes. Hence the village…
The winemakers of Banyuls (66 Pyrenees-Orientales, Occitanie) celebrate the local wines with a wine fair (Banyuls wine festival) on 7 October 2023 An unmissable wine-themed rendezvous involving encounters with winemakers,…
Our occasional series of articles using local knowledge to help you get the best out of a visit to different parts of France - the Segala le segala logo The…
Saumur (49 Maine et Loire, Pays de Loire) Where to stay English/French family-owned Gite and B&B (Chambres d'Hote) - Le Bellevue on a vineyard run by Sarah-Jane Beaumont and her…
r
A new book is published on 11 June 2009 - a Guide to The Flea Markets of France by Sandy Price ("marche de puce") : A visit to a flea…
A favourite treat for our visits to Paris has for many years been the Fontaine de Mars brasserie in the 7th Arrondisement. The main attraction has always been the informal…
Part of our series featuring places for a short stay in the in France we visit the Gers, South West France (32 Gers, Occitanie) Le Weekend in...Eauze Where to stay?…
Bric-a-brac Market Foire à la brocante 22 October - 8 December 2024 held in the Place des Quinconces Bordeaux Quinconces Antiques Fair (Foire à la Brocante et Antiquités des Quinconces de…
Alençon Le weekend in .....Alençon, Orne, Normandie Where to stay, where to eat, what to do, how to get there....... Where to Stay?? Château de Sarceaux B&B A B&B in…
Amiens (80 Somme, Hauts de France) holds an annual "Marche sur l'eau" as part of its annual Festival - on the third Sunday in June - 16 June 2024There are…
If you are a fan of the pungent Truffle then Lalbenque (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees) south of Cahors in the heart of the Quercy Blanc is the place to head for…