At last, I have done well in a secret Santa. Usually, I go to great lengths to buy someone the perfect gift within the budget, only to be given utter…
If you’re a sponge for culture, a trip to the Louvre-Lens might be just the ticket. This satellite of Paris’ famous art museum has breathed life into the former mining…
About a week ago, someone must have flipped a switch here in Lille and it suddenly became Christmas. Mind you, we’re several months behind the UK – there, some TV…
I don’t want to give you the wrong impression about us, but we have been looking forward to this year’s wine fair in Lille for some time. After all, it’s…
This week I became a published author. To my delight, my biography of 1960s French icon Françoise Hardy hit the shelves on Monday. The book, Catch a Rising Star, is…
Our hopes of opening a cheese and wine business in the pretty Dordogne village of Issigeac fell through this week. Someone else signed a compromis de vente on the property…
I’m a glutton for French food porn. I’ve lost count of the number of different recipes I have for coq au vin, confit de canard and cassoulet. But that doesn’t…
Experimental Scandinavian modern jazz isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. It turns out it’s not mine. That’s something I learned at the Tourcoing jazz festival last weekend. I wanted to leave…
Truffle hunting last weekend was like a dress rehearsal for the foodie breaks we want to offer in future. Or, as some of our friends have suggested, an over-dressed rehearsal.…
Comté is France’s number 1 cheese, so when its marketing team come to town, you can’t help but notice. Especially if you’re a cheese lover, like me. Last weekend, Lille…
Life’s hard when you’re a chocoholic and you find yourself in the city where a world champion chocolate maker has a shop. Quite how it’s taken me over a year…
Our plans took a leap forward this week when we accepted an offer on our UK house. Now, we’re in a race to sign a compromis de vente on a…
As the nights draw in, there seems to be more to do here in Lille – and the arrival of autumn tomorrow has heralded a flurry of requests to visit.…
Hands up who has wine left at the end of an evening? Thought not. Nor do we – until one weekend recently, that is. So, I decided to use it…
I opened a French bank account this week – and to my surprise, it proved easy to do. I was expecting endless form-filling and the need to provide evidence in…
Lille is in full-on party mode this weekend. As well as making the most of the fun, I’m pleased to report that in our second year here, we have now…
Tarragon is France’s secret ingredient. Adding it to any dish is like wrapping your food in the tricolore, as I discovered when I made peach and tarragon ice cream this…
Amiens makes for an ideal weekend getaway if you’re after a bit of culture, some leisurely walks, a little light shopping and a generous helping of great food. All in…
Damon says that having his birthday in August can feel like a disappointment each year. I’m hoping he’ll change his mind after this weekend – we’re off to Amiens. I’m…
TV can be a great way to learn a country’s language and culture. However, M6’s Chasseurs d’appart’ may not be the place to start – it appears to suggest that…
