A French Collection

Mont Saint-Michel is breathtaking and inspiring and welcomes over 3 million visitors a year. This year (2023) the Mont celebrates its 1000 year old birthday.
When I read in my local paper about its 1000 year milestone, I turned to my mum and said "Let's do it, how about I take you to Mont Saint-Michel and we stay over night?" She said "Yes", so we did.
Listen to how the Abbey originated, how it got built, the areas of the Abbey and island that are best to visit and how you can get to Mont Saint-Michel from Paris.

Our blog post 'Guide to Mont Saint-Michel' is a full guide on the history of Mont Saint-Michel with beautiful photos taken from my various visits, which hotels to stay at, where to park, how to get tickets and more. Everything you need to know before you go.

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Paris has lots of secrets to share if you just know how to unravel them. In the next few podcasts we'll expose the best places to go, the quirky history that makes Paris unique and how to make your time in the city truly special. From the very best creme puffs, the cheapest antiques, the most charming hidden vineyard and sweet pink buildings that you simply must see - you'll want to catch the next few podcasts. Don't miss our Secrets of Paris - What to do When Out & About in Paris series of podcasts.

Read show notes and see all photos: 
https://www.afrenchcollection.com/bouquinistes-booksellers-on-seine-river-paris/
https://www.afrenchcollection.com/odette-the-best-cream-puffs-in-paris

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Come and meet my favourite 5 French authors, bloggers, gîte owners and tour guides. Find out how they came to live in France, why they write books, publish magazines, run gîtes, conduct tours and how they share their love of France.
Get to know them and their stories via my interviews, meet ups and online chats with them all.
I know you'll love meeting them!

Read show notes and see all photos: https://www.afrenchcollection.com/5-top-french-bloggers-tell-why-they-love-france

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Called the jewel of Brittany, Saint Malo is stunning with its city walls, half timbered houses, beaches and a history of pirates, treasure and massive destruction in WWII. 
Saint Malo is also the setting for the best selling novel 'All The Light We Cannot See' which is about to be made into a movie. Find out more about this stunning city and the book that has captured the word by storm.

Read podcast show notes and see all photos https://www.afrenchcollection.com/saint-malo-and-all-the-light-we-cannot-see-book-review

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Decorating with French antiques and vintage items brings true French style into your home and my practical tips and personal experience will help you create a beautiful home with unique and stunning items by knowing how and where to source them in France.

Podcast show notes and all photos https://www.afrenchcollection.com/french-antiques-and-vintage-france/

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I particularly love Jardin du Luxembourg with its abundance of chairs and benches, stunning flower beds,  pétanque fields, children's playground, carousel, tennis courts, large duck pond and hidden statues amongst formal gardens. And what about the little wooden sailing boats on the  Grand Bassin pond - just spectacular! It is the garden for everyone.

Make sure you know how to make the most of your visit to this stunning Parisian garden.

Podcast show notes and all photos https://www.afrenchcollection.com/jardin-du-luxembourg-a-beautiful-paris-garden/

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These 4 stories of our life in France share the good and the disastrous sides of living in a foreign country. When things are good, they are very good, but when things are bad, they are disastrous!
Join me in the humorous, thoughtful and sometimes not-so-good times of living in France.

Podcast show notes and all photos https://www.afrenchcollection.com/our-story-4-aussies-in-france

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How could anyone choose what are the most beautiful villages of France? Surely it would take a lifetime, or two, to travel around France and find them all. Well, help is on the way, the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of France has done the hard work ... and these are the winners!

Podcast show notes and all photos https://www.afrenchcollection.com/the-most-beautiful-villages-of-france-official-guide/

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How does a hire car full of Australians, a church bell tower and village Mayor relate to the French Resistance in Côtes d' Armor, Brittany? All will be revealed in episode #9 as Annette shares more of her story of living in a tiny French farming village.  Sometimes the simplest things have a big impact - and one that you may never have thought of!

Podcast show notes and all photos https://www.afrenchcollection.com/the-french-resistance-in-cotes-d-armor

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The French Riviera is a heavenly place to walk, and in particular the area between Nice and the Italian border is a favourite for walkers in this region of France. The many walks take visitors along the sparkling blue Mediterranean and past some of the richest real estate in the world.

Podcast show notes and all photos https://www.afrenchcollection.com/walks-in-the-french-riviera/

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Ever wondered how to maintain a second or holiday home from afar? In this episode I share my tips and suggestions on how we look after our French home from Australia with everything from banking accounts, avoiding frozen pipes and Nespresso pods. As I bonus I also share how we use our outside roof as a refrigerator!

Podcast show notes and all photos https://www.afrenchcollection.com/maintaining-a-house-in-france

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Are you thinking of purchasing property in France and wondering if the pandemic has affected the property market? Have you been wondering what the new trends are for 2021?  We wanted to find out more also, so we chatted with Joanna Leggett, Marketing Director at Leggett Immobilier, the leading international estate agency in France. Joanna tells us how buyer demands have shifted due to the pandemic and where the new “hot spots” are in France. We also find out why a French translator can be invaluable when purchasing property in France.

Podcast show notes and all photos https://www.afrenchcollection.com/new-2021-trends-in-purchasing-property-in-france/

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The playground of the rich and famous and a holiday destination for Parisians, Deauville is stunning, upmarket and worth a visit when in Normandy. Get ideas on what to see and do and find out what makes the brandy Calvados so famous and what cheese originates from this region.

Podcast show notes and all photos https://www.afrenchcollection.com/deauville-the-21st-arrondissement-of-paris/

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Perhaps the most famous of all sculptures by Auguste Rodin is The Thinker. Featured in films and a major drawcard for visitors to the Rodin Museum we take a brief, but in depth look at this famous artwork. 

Podcast show notes and all photos https://www.afrenchcollection.com/the-thinker-by-auguste-rodin-rodin-museum

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Paris is full of museums so what makes the Rodin Museum so special? This in depth look at the museum and the artist himself showcases why it's the most beautiful museum. Peaceful, overflowing with famous artwork, stunning formal gardens, amazing architecture and a cafe - all great reasons you should see this museum for yourself.

Podcast show notes and all photos https://www.afrenchcollection.com/rodin-museum-the-most-beautiful-museum-in-paris/

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Building in a foreign country can be difficult but determination goes a long way and if you get to make friends in the process you are especially lucky! In this episode I share my experience of building in France and making new friends.

Podcast show notes and all photos https://www.afrenchcollection.com/my-story-3-living-in-rural-france

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In this first episode we are introduced to Annette, the creator of popular blog A French Collection, which is the go-to for everything on France + All Things French and her family's adventure of juggling life between the two hemispheres of France and Australia. With a promise of podcasts on travel, an insider's view of life in France, interviews with French authors, book reviews and French recipes to share, this first episode is a taste of great things to come!

Podcast show notes and all photos https://www.afrenchcollection.com/my-story-1-it-has-to-be-france

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