Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles
Louise Prichard
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In Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles we chat about all things “français” to get your Frenchy vibes happening here at home in Australia or wherever you are around the world! We will hear tips and ideas that aren’t in the tourist brochures from various podcast guests living both in Aus and France. Join us on a journey to be immersed in a variety of French experiences to brighten and enrich the dullest of days and daydream of fun in France! À bientôt, loulabellesfrancofiles.com
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May 26, 2023
From the heart of Cannes!
Friend to the Loulabelle's podcast Ruby Boukabou chatted on the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles a few weeks ago to give me an idea of what to expect at the Cannes Film Festival but nothing could prepare me for the level of craziness I found when I finally got there! There is glitz and glamour but also just squillions of people! This chat is half way through the festival and includes Ruby's and my discussion about a couple of the films we saw:
The New Boy directed by Warwick Thornton, starring Cate Blanchett, Debra Mailman, Wayne Blair and newcomer Aswan Reid as the new boy. See the Cannes Couch clip for more here.
Jeanne du Barry directed by Maïwenn, also starring Maïwenn and Johnny Depp. For the Cannes Couch clip including our take on the press conference, click here.
The mammoth organisation of the festival is hugely impressive. Just the security alone is on a level we don't ordinarily see anywhere else.
Moving into the second week of the festival we are looking forward to more celebrities, a day trip to Nice, some more films and the Palm Dog Award which is the award for the best dog actor in film for the year! Only in France!
Come and escape to the Cannes Film Festival with us!
Follow along on YouTube on @TheCannesCouch
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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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May 18, 2023
Pack your bags! We're headed to Annecy!
Catherine Berry has appeared on the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast previously way back in episode 39 when she chatted about her own life story of taking her family to live in France in the area around Annecy. Catherine wrote the first of her books about that experience, But You Are In France Madame.
In this current chat Catherine shares her expertise about Annecy, the largest town and capital of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and gives us her top tips and ideas for a visit. Annecy lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, and my discussion with Catherine provided me with a glorious virtual escape to that beautiful part of France, which I visited only last year prior to Christmas.
There are beautiful links to the past in Annecy, but the oldest looking part of the town, which is the most famously photographed area around the canals and the old prison, is not actually the oldest original part. There is another older part called Annecy-le-Vieux. The country surrounding Annecy is rugged and before the advent of good roads and transport, the area was quite remote. The recorded history goes back over a thousand years with the great grandson of Charlemagne deciding in the year 866 that he didn't want any more to do with his wife, so he divorced her and sent her to live in Talloires near Annecy. It seems she might have made the best of being carted off to such a place as Lac d'Annecy would have been at that time. She created a tiny religious establishment which then in turn brought monks to the area who created a monastery, which then brought about the construction of an abbey. The site of this abbey has just celebrated its 1000th anniversary back in 2018.
Catherine's favourite time in Annecy is spring after the breaking of the snow. Mid-year is very busy with large crowds coming to visit for the benefit of the lake in the heat of the summer as well as the water sports. I adore it in winter although that is not so practical if moving from place to place, dragging luggage through the slush and the snow. Either side of summer both prior or post the peak season can be cheaper and less crowded for a visit that still enjoys good weather.
Tune into this sweet chat with Loulabelle and Catherine to hear about one of France's most popular destinations, its history, its highlights and some local faves.
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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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May 13, 2023
Ruby & Loulabelle chatting on the Cannes Couch!
Ruby Boukabou has been on the Loulabelle's podcast a number of times and now she and I are headed to the wonderful Cannes Film Festival! Ruby has been attending as a journalist since 2009 and will lead me through my first experience of the Festival. This year Ruby and I will be sharing daily all the fun from the festival on our YouTube channel "*The Cannes Couch*". We'll be chatting on the couch with a cuppa and pastries in the morning or apero in the afternoon with loads of different Cannes personalities.
I asked Ruby what I can expect to see. There are loads of networking events, there are sales agents, distributors, producers, people buying films, people selling films... so much going on!
This year I am excited about an Australian film with Cate Blanchett, Debra Mailman and Wayne Blair directed by Warwick Thornton called The New Boy. It's a story of an Aboriginal boy who turns up mysteriously at a convent in 1940s Australia and is in the category for Un Certain Regard.
I'm looking forward to seeing some of the areas around Cannes, with a possible day trip to Nice or a Provence village on the cards! The famous Cannes parties are also something to look forward to!
With "press pass" in hand, who knows what exciting experiences are in front of us?!?!
Follow along with us on our YouTube channel *The Cannes Couch*! Tune in to our chat to hear about all the fun of the festival!
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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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May 5, 2023
Life in an idyllic French village.
Sara Marner divides her heart between her holiday home in Normandy and her Melbourne life. After a 2008 visit to her husband's English family, Sara with her husband and kids took a three week drive through France and fell in love with the countryside and the lifestyle. They then bought an historic home in the middle of a quaint village an hour or so from Paris in the "Parc naturel régional du Perche".
Returning twice a year for long stays has connected Sara and her family to the local community. In my podcast chat with her Sara gave a number of tips she has collected over the years but I was most surprised by her suggestion in relation to car hire, renting direct from the car companies!
When looking for a home in France Sara's main criteria was to be able to go straight from the airport to the house without needing to make the trip from Australia longer, by needing to stay a night in Paris. Sara can time the arrival in Paris to be in the morning, collect the car straight away and in a couple of hours she is able to be in their own home in the middle of a French village! I love the ease that she describes this process to be in your own bed by the end of the trip, albeit your own bed on the other side of the world!
Sara's fave day made my heart sing with a day starting off with her wandering through a brocante and ending with eating alfresco with a table full of friends. My kind of perfect French day!
Tune in and escape to France with us xx
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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Apr 29, 2023
The rebirth of Notre Dame... It's all on track!
Recently the beautiful cathedral of Notre Dame celebrated an anniversary no one would have wished for or expected a number of years back. On 15 April 2023 it was 4 years from the devastating fire that tore through the roof of Notre Dame and started years of renewal and restoration.
In this podcast chat with Paris resident and historian Claudine Hemingway, she spoke with me about the processes of the restoration as well as ways to still connect with Notre Dame until the repair is intended to be finished next year in December 2024.
Pre-fire my husband Paul and I climbed to the top of Notre Dame and took in the view of Paris surrounding the spire at the top of the cathedral. When we descended we went into the church and mass was just starting. We stayed for mass blending into the familiar ritual of sitting, standing and kneeling at the same times as we have in every other mass around the world. The prayers have the same pattern and lilt even though in another language. I felt so connected to my surroundings in Notre Dame during that visit, which I'm sure hundreds of thousands of other Catholics have over time as well. It is a church not just for Paris, but a church of the world in some ways. I'm so glad I did that climb now and stayed for mass. Seeing the fire take hold there solidified for me the view that we should never take anything for granted. We never know what tomorrow may hold...
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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Apr 23, 2023
Going back in time... one Aussie discovers her French history.
A number of years ago Emily Lawrence Gazal brought her family from Bondi in Sydney Australia to live in Chatou 20ish minutes from the centre of Paris.
Emily knew her great grandmother was French but her grandmother would tell her no more. She didn't really know the story further down that branch of her family tree. Interestingly the other branches for Emily are all English speaking, which is sometimes the way. As English-speaking Australians, we often know more about the anglophone history than the non-English speaking.
Emily's grandmother's name was Lorraine so Emily took a guess that the family was from the Alsace-Lorraine area and may have named her after the region they were originally from. Emily was right and commenced a journey of uncovering the secrets of her family history her grandmother had kept hidden. I was fascinated to chat to Emily about this journey of discovery.
After checking out the situation on Ancestry.com where nothing was evident, she wrote to the Department of Births, Deaths and Marriages in New South Wales and received a surname. She also got a naturalisation certificate. Emily then went on a French ancestry website and found a similar name and putting 2 and 2 together, worked out that her great great grandfather was Jewish and when moving from France to Australia changed the family name slightly.
Emily ended up visiting the village in Alsace that her family came from, Ribeauvillé. She met with an archivist there who did more research on her family and found out some details that were immense discoveries for Emily. It turned out that she had family, the siblings of her great great grandfather Vernon, who had been highly regarded in the community and others who were taken away to Auschwitz and killed.
I love the importance Emily places on her French family history. Strengthening our ties with the past actually helps us learn more about ourselves.
Emily still has questions, such as why did her grandmother hide her Jewishness? Emily now feels connected to the area they were from as well as feeling connected to the French Jews she encounters.
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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Apr 20, 2023
A local's look at the beautiful Burgundy region ❤️
Lindy Viandier is an accomplished author who has written about her wonderful home Les Libellules in Burgundy which she has owned for around five years with her French husband. In this podcast chat with Loulabelle', she shares her view of Burgundy, not just the well known but she delves deeper under the layers of history and tradition.
Burgundy is southeast of Paris, encompassing the area around Dijon, Beaune and another beautiful town Lindy highly recommends, Autun. The seasons are definitely marked and the change from one to the next will be noticed with extremes of cold and hot, but the scenery in any weather is beautiful with gentle rolling hills, vineyards, forestry and farming. There are loads of gorgeous medieval villages, some with ramparts, abbeys and châteaux. The polychrome roof tiles which are a feature of the region are exceptional.
I love how when I travel from one region to another the menu can be completely different. In Burgundy there is the traditional dish of Boeuf Bourguignon, escargots and of course Dijon mustard. The Burgundy wines are exceptional with some varieties going back more than 600 years. There's also a traditional ginger cake which sounds amazing!
Lindy and I explore all of this and then more of the local stories, traditions as well as wonderful recommendations of places to visit.
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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Apr 16, 2023
French design chic... an expert guide!
Ann Dennis is an artist and interior designer who is passionate about interiors, art and antiques. Many of us Francophiles benefit from by following her socials with exquisite and sumptuous designs shared consistently. I so loved delving deeper into her French inspired story with this podcast chat.
Ann grew up in a family who valued French design elements. Something as simple as dining by candlelight with linen instead of paper napkins! Ann shares my passion for French crockery and collecting plates, so much so that she once carried 8 Gien plates home on her lap on the plane!
Ann chatted to me about her French trips with including châteaux stays and one of a kind experiences, as well as the flow-on impact to her design. Ann is influenced by both her travels as well as her extensive library of design books.
Personally, I feel that modern French design has evolved beautifully. It has gone from the ordered formality we see in some of the grand châteaux to sometimes even a collection of brocante-finds eclectically combined to be what is sometimes called shabby chic. I love Ann's abstract art and the manner in which it can sit in the middle of the structure and formality of French design. Ann talked about the way that these days we can mix a number of design elements together and it just "works"! When there is abstract art in a formal style French room, I find it quite freeing... it helps me decompress. It somehow encourages me to "let go" inside. I feel that contemporary abstract art doesn't hold on to the formality of design and assists me to let go of the formality of life, freeing me to be more in touch with my inner self. The combination of formal French and abstract art provides the best of both worlds to my eye and feeds my Francophile heart.
Ann says that French style has a sophistication that is instantly recognisable. I think the designs that Ann shares are just timeless. I'll be continuing to follow her socials and fill my Francophile soul daily.
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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Apr 12, 2023
Haggling, bargains & French chic... Beautiful brocante with the real Emily in Paris.
I'm not exactly sure of the origins of all the differing types of brocante markets in France, but it seems that most regions have little antique markets or at least a brocante stall on weekends in the summer. Some brocante fairs are huge whereas others are mostly like a small car-boot sale, but gorgeous antique finds can be found regardless.
I chatted recently with the wonderful Emily Gaudichon about one of her topics of expertise which is brocante in Paris. Emily actually hosts tours to the two main brocante markets she recommends in Paris: Marché aux Puces de Clignancourt and also Foire de Chatou. Emily also took me through the various types of brocante market as well as her top tips for brocante searching and purchasing in France.
I know there are some places in France that have brocante as the main focus of the village all year round like L'Isle Sur La Sorgue in Provence near Avignon which has amazing antique and bric-a-brac stores. I love meandering through villages to find little nuggets of fabulousness selling brocante here and there. I mentioned to Emily one market I haven't been to but is definitely on my list to visit: the Braderie de Lille which is enormous, ranked as the largest in Europe with a history back as far as 1127.
Join us to escape to France.
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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Apr 9, 2023
Travelling in a group to France? Don't miss these tips to turn dreaming into doing!
There are many plans afoot to travel back to Europe after the last couple of COVID affected years and for some these plans have been underway for quite some time.
If you’re intending to travel from Australia and New Zealand, or even from the US, Canada, South America or anywhere out of Europe really, it is a long way to France and takes a long time! But if you're like me you will know the time and distance is worth it! Even still, most people like to make sure they are going to both get their money’s worth and cram in as much as possible on their trip. The key to achieving those things is good planning.
Now I’m sure you’ve sat around sharing a glass of French bubbly with friends before and rabbited on about travelling together to the Champagne region, or Provence or to Paris. I love this part of the travel planning process! The I’m-dreaming-but-really-I’m-a-bit-serious, kick off to a group travel experience! But there’s so much more to consider. Dreams are not always the same even when coming out of the same conversation. So tune into this episode for the 10 main tips to consider for group travel once you get past the stage of dreaming and get into the action of doing!
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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Apr 5, 2023
Growing up globally French and keeping those Frenchy vibes fluttering for a life well lived!
Kent Tisher has been a follower of the LFF podcast for some time but I only met him after he recently won the Loulabelle's giveaway and was communicating with me regarding the arrangements for the sending of a magnum of Taittinger champagne to him in Canada. I then uncovered his French story and felt I wanted to share it with FrancoFilers everywhere!
Kent is the son of international teachers and grew up in French West Africa. Whilst he and I both agree there is a bigger conversation to be had about colonialism, it was interesting to hear of the way he grew up with French influences that have left a lasting impact. Kent also went to medical school in the French Caribbean on the island of St Martin, so his experiences of French culture internationally are quite varied.
Now living in Canada, Kent works as a palliative care doctor. I can imagine this work would be extraordinarily taxing, as well as rewarding. Kent says one by-product of the work he does is to focus on living his best lif…
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Apr 2, 2023
Showing us how to live a purposefully French inspired life!
Mardi Michels is an Australian born, Canadian living, Francophile who's journey over many years was lovely to immerse in for a while as we chatted.
Mardi and I talked over zoom with her sitting in her gorgeous vacation home in south west France in Nerac. The light over her shoulder had me longing for France even with just an online connection... swoon!
So Mardi grew up in Adelaide and learned French from the start of high school. Immediately after finishing school at age 17 she then went on a Rotary exchange program to Belgium. Unfortunately France wasn't available but Brussels provided the opportunity for her to be fluent in French by the end of the year.
After her exchange experience, Mardi returned to Australia and went to university to study French further. She started to wonder why she was learning French and French literature whilst living in Australia! So she made the move to France. After some twists and turns in her journey, Mardi discovered she loved teaching and became a…
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Mar 30, 2023
French village life... Montmorillon with Andrew Prior.
I first met Andrew Prior when he was a guest on the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast way back in episode 66 and since then I have been to stay at his home in Montmorillon. It is in one of 12 departments in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, in the beautiful Vienne not far from the Loire Valley.
When I stayed there, I had one of the two best meals of my whole life. As a previous MasterChef contestant, I knew any meal prepared by Andrew would be memorable, but nothing prepared me for the sensational experience my husband Paul and I had with the alfresco meal prepared for us at his home. I said I would never try to replicate any of the dishes as I could never do them justice to Andrew's original! He did suggest in this chat though that I come back to visit and do a cooking class with him! I am definitely popping that on my to-do list in France!
Andrew chatted with me about the local food specialties, a wine variety I have never tried and also his attempt at educating the locals about our Au…
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Mar 24, 2023
My own French story...
I have always had a love of France as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl, my home was filled with old music and the old “chanson” from my dear Papa who is a wonderful muso. In this 100th episode of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast, the tables are turned and I am interviewed about my own French story by previous Loulabelle's podcast guest, now lovely friend, Ruby Boukabou.
In the March of 2020 I was to take a trip to France with my oldest girlfriends from my school days. We planned to visit Paris and the Champagne region as a celebration for our communal 50th birthdays. In the week I was to depart, COVID hit Australia and our world started to shut down. I was in disbelief that our travel plans were to be cancelled and obviously devastated not to be able to visit my favourite place, France. In Melbourne Australia where I live, we then began the first of our lockdowns which ended up being among the longest in the world. The impact on us all of not being able to leav…
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Mar 16, 2023
Not just châteaux, champagne & croissants! Living in & reporting on Paris...
Richelle Harrison Plesse is an accomplished international journalist who many Aussies would recognise from reporting and news-reading on our screens. She did not grow up as a Francophile but conversely considered herself an Anglophile! She moved to London after finishing university where she met her French husband and moved to Paris pour l'amour!
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Richelle's career moved into a new field after her French move. She had been doing a lot of travel journalism, lifestyle and culture reporting, but moved into hard news. She had the best of both worlds then by being able to report international news as well as still connecting with all the cultural things she loved.
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One of the most memorable experiences in France for Richelle was reporting on the 2015 terror attacks in Paris. Richelle was singing on stage in a bar nearby at the same time and all within her venue could tell something tragic was unfolding from messages coming through to smart phones. For the first time when Richelle talke…
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Mar 12, 2023
Château de la Carrière... the perfect escape.
Suzie Jackson has always had an affinity to France. She deliberately didn't make her first trip to Paris until her 30s as she was concerned she would be let down by the reality not living up to the dream. But there was nothing to fear, as Suzie's first French experience had her feeling like she had come home. For years then she dreamed of owning a property in France and spent hours Googling châteaux for sale. In 2014 she decided with her then husband, that it was time to get serious and booked a trip to France to view a number of different châteaux of various sizes and condition in the Loire Valley to get a better sense of what they could or should buy. The first couple of days were a huge learning curve with crumbling ruins, discovering the frightening cost of slate roof repairs, replacement electrics and regulations for historical monuments. Finding that quintessentially dream French property was not going to be easy. Then Château de la Carrière popped up and from the moment she…
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Mar 6, 2023
The magical melting pot of Paris.
Paris is a place filled with myriad cultures, religions, languages and nationalities. We tend to view France through the quintessentially French perspective of "chateaux, champagne et croissants", but there is so much more to discover with just a little scratch of the surface.
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I spoke recently to Pakistani woman Fiza about her move with her family from Pakistan to Paris. She has family already living there which prompted France to be the country of choice for their emigration, but initially even with family support she found it difficult having no French when she arrived. Fiza moved to France as a young adult a few years ago and not long after, COVID hit and the country went into lockdown. Fiza then taught herself French through YouTube and watching French movies or television whilst she had to stay at home.
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I discussed with Fiza the differences of her Parisian life from when she was in Pakistan. The way Fiza describes her French world is so different from many other people liv…
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Mar 2, 2023
Enjoying wine from The Other Bordeaux...
Tom Munro spent 20 years working for vineyards and wineries both in Australia and France. He now imports French wine straight from the château to our door! I know in my house everyone gets very excited when a delivery of a box arrives from The Other Bordeaux!
Tom's knowledge of wine is incredible. It is clearly a passion for him as he started making wine at home when he was only 9 years old!
Tom has been fortunate to live in France for quite a time and I loved hearing of his experiences during that time: the way each year's harvest had a song that connects him to it; the history he was immersed in; the way he finds the suppliers for his wines who have sometimes become life-long friends.
In this episode we chat about the evolution of French wine, the negative impact and surprise positive side-effect of climate change, suggestions for food and wine pairings and how to taste all 365 wine growing regions in France!
For now though, just pour one glass as you listen and drift off, dream…
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Feb 24, 2023
Having coffee avec Emily in Paris!
I love checking in with my lovely friend Emily Gaudichon (@therealemilyinparis) who lives in Paris's 6th arrondissement. She has her finger on the pulse of everything going on and always has some terrific tips for me to pop into my itinerary for my next visit to the French capital!
In this podcast chat Emily and I discuss the café culture in Paris, the rituals for chocolat chaud and where to find coffee that passes for us Melbourne coffee snobs! Emily told me of some Australians now bringing our coffee culture to Paris!
There's a little of the fascinating history behind both of my fave non-alcoholic bevvys, chocolat chaud and coffee, as well as loads of our recommendations for where to go and how to get the most out of a chocolat chaud ritual in Paris.
Head to the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website for a more comprehensive list of all our favourites.
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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
*…
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Feb 19, 2023
This beautiful French Life!
Over ten years ago, a client flew Shannon Pratuch to Paris from the US for a project she was working on. Over the few days she was there she wandered throughout Paris, losing herself in the nooks and crannies of the city ultimately falling in love with Paris and then with all of France. Every time after that when she returned she stayed longer, eventually making the move to live there. Shannon says she finds it hard now to even consider leaving France. She could spend 20 life-times in Paris and France and it would still not be enough for her to experience all she wants to about her adopted country! Shannon now works and lives in France full-time, owning a house, a car, a business, two petite French bulldogs (Rose and Pearl) and has a multi-year residency card. Shannon believes that France is the most incredible country in the world! She is absolutely in love with this dream she's living every day. I think I'd be in love with such a life too!
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I have dreamed of a life such as Shannon…
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Feb 16, 2023
I went to a dinner party... & bought the château!
Jane Hiscock and her husband Steve have both always loved France. They originally travelled there every couple of years before starting their family many years ago. Then in 2010 they went to Paris to start a search for a Paris apartment, but before commencing that task, they travelled to stay with friends in Normandy who invited them to a party at a place they called the "chocolate box château". It was a beautiful place renovated by a New York interior designer who threw wonderful parties. They went to a luncheon that continued through into the night and by the end of the evening it became apparent that the château was for sale and that was it! They were both sold! From that point Château Jonquay became a significant part of Jane's and her family's life.
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Built in 1635 we hear in this chat the fascinating history as well as the ways the château has evolved for a modern world. Jane tells of the château's secrets uncovered including a possible WW2 mystery.
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At one point through th…
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Feb 11, 2023
My Part-Time Paris Life ❤️
Lisa Anselmo is the author of My (Part-Time) Paris Life and has spent most of her professional career in magazine publishing, working on such iconic brands as Allure, Mademoiselle, InStyle, and People. She started to head over to Paris more and more and was following the fashion trends she saw there. She would write to her friends about her experiences and created an early form of a blog, pre-social media. It was picked up by Bonjour Paris and she became their fashion editor! Lisa fell in love with the European lifestyle and especially Paris. Her transition eventually from New York to Paris felt seamless.
Like me Lisa's best friend was her mother who passed away some years ago. In this chat Lisa and I spoke frankly about our mothers and their impact on the way we live our lives now, especially in relation to France. Lisa spoke about lots of signs that popped up which helped her feel that her mother was with her and guiding her during her move to Paris. I know just how she feels. The l…
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Feb 8, 2023
The Paris end of Collins Street!
Nicole Ress is Melbourne's go-to Frenchie for language and travel! Nicole grew up in a French speaking household with her mother who had come to Australia from Paris in the 1950s, met Nicole's dad and settled here. It was a wonderful and unusual childhood not just because of the French influence. Nicole's father and grandfather were in the hotel business and owned the Ress Oriental Hotel in Collins Street Melbourne. When her mother saw the hotel she exclaimed to Nicole's father, with the plane trees and the architecture it looked like Paris, all it was missing were the tables and chairs on the terrasse on the street. So Nicole's father applied for a permit to have the outdoor tables and he then coined the phrase, "the Paris end of Collins Street" which has stuck to that part of Melbourne to this day!
In this podcast chat we hear of Nicole's extraordinary life with two cultures and two countries in her heart. I was fascinated to hear of her experiences living in the city hotel in Melbo…
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Feb 4, 2023
Taste every fromage in France? Challenge accepted!
Jennifer Greco has tasted over 460 French cheeses! I looooooved chatting to her so much as fromage is one of my favourite foods. She says there is a cheese for every mood and she eats cheese every day. After moving to France with her husband 20 years ago, Jennifer discovered a love for fromage and took on the challenge to try every French cheese there is! The current number of French cheeses is between 1600-1800 so she has a few to go!
For the last 18 years Jennifer has explored French food, culture, wine and cheese through her blog. She also wrote a ten-part series about her journey to become a French citizen.
In this chat with Jennifer I tap into her amazing knowledge of fromage. Listening to her talk about different cheeses, the notes in their flavours, the complexity of the layers that reveal themselves during the eating of a cheese, I began to have a newfound respect for fromage. I've always loved cheese, but now after talking to Jennifer I want to learn more about the different…
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Feb 1, 2023
Selling up and moving to France. Living the dream!
Natalie Mueller always had a love for France which intensified during her early 20s when she worked in hospitality and had experience with a Michelin starred chef. He would only speak to her in French! So with that and the daily immersion in French food she was hooked! Since then she has built her own thriving and successful business "Olive Catering" in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. But Natalie is now ready for the next phase of her life and is embarking on a fabulous adventure. She has sold her home in Queensland and is moving to France!
I absolutely loved chatting to Natalie about her plans for the future, dreaming about wonderful times in France in the past as well as imagining what is yet to come. I place a huge amount of importance on dreaming and making time to stop daily to ponder the possibilities of the future. It is often our dreams that keep our hopes alive through tough times. Hearing about how someone else just like me has achieved her dream, gives me hope that it c…
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Jan 4, 2023
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 88 - So you'd like Christmas in France? Come on my Noël roadtrip extravaganza!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website**
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Joyeux Noel and Bonne année!
Recently I was in France for an amazing adventure! I travelled from Lyon, through the Beaujolais region, across to Annecy and then up to the Alsace region for the traditional Christmas sights in Colmar and Strasbourg as well as all the quaint villages surrounding them. Finally I reached Paris for the most magical Noël experiences of all!
Tune in for my top 5 tips for travelling in the French mountainous regions in December as it is winter! The time of mulled wine, big coats, warm open fires and rugging up with their fabulously filling comfort food! But there are a few nuggets of info everyone should take note of if planning this sort of roadtrip.
I'll also take you through some divine little villages including my top 3 Als…
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Dec 18, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 87 - Lyon: Traboules, Bouchons & the Fête des Lumières
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Website*
*If you're planning on going to Lyon during its Fête des Lumières in any December, or to visit Lyon at any time, this Loulabelle's chat will be most helpful and of great interest for you!*
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Recently I have been travelling on a wonderful French roadtrip with our LFF fave Frenchy correspondent ma belle amie Sarah Zwick from Be My Guest Immersions.
We were thrilled to be in Lyon at the same time of the Fête des Lumières. Being December, it was cold, but we were so lucky with the weather. Whilst the temperature dropped to below zero most nights the days were clear and dry and not terribly cold as we were rugged up and staying active. Tops of around 3 degrees.
Tune into this chat to hear a little of the history of Lyon, the magic of the festival of li…
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Dec 8, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 86 - The extremes of Chamonix and the French Alps.
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist** *
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website** *
Emma Morgan had such a different French story to chat about with me! It's not often we consider the sport of Ultra Marathon Running as being particularly French, but Emma fascinated me with her story of the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc she ran in the French Alps around Chamonix, this past summer of 2022.
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The Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, also known as the UTMB is the most sought-after trail-running event for trail-runners from all over the world crossing three countries: France, Italy and Switzerland. Each year, at the end of August, the elite of the trail-running world come to Chamonix Mont-Blanc to participate in one of the event's races.
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Firstly, not everyone gets to run an Ultra Marathon. Qualification is needed by earning points from particular lead-i…
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Dec 3, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 85 - Noël avec Emily in Paris!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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I adore Christmas! I love the decorations, the carols, the advent calendars, the gift-giving, the food! Living in Australia though, Christmas has always been a summer event with loads of seafood, playing cricket and lunch outdoors. I have always been curious about Christmas in other places around the world, so it was wonderful to chat to lovely Emily Gaudichon about Christmas in Paris and France. Emily is quite an expert on Parisian Christmas having released a Christmas in Paris Guide together with Landen Kerr.
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This year I am heading to France in the lead up to Christmas so I was hanging on every word relating to places to see the lights, ice skating, mulled wine in the jardins. Whether you're planning a Christmas in Paris in the future or just want to…
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Nov 27, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 84 - Finding a little slice of France right where you are...
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website**
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I wonder if chef and restaurant owner Matthew Carnell from Bistro Terroir in Daylesford, Victoria was always destined to be connected to France. After attending a French school trip as a 14 year old, Matt's next Francophile adventure was after he had started his chef's apprenticeship in Australia and he won an award that gave him a month working in a Michelin Star restaurant in Bordeaux.
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Clearly he is a talented chef as on that Bordeaux trip he was offered to stay on after the month when the award prize was finished, but Matthew returned to Australia to complete his apprenticeship. As soon as he was qualified, he made contact with that original Michelin Star chef from Bordeaux and was snapped up for his new restaurant in Paris. A huge learning curve i…
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Nov 18, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 83 - Living the Good Life in France.
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
Janine Marsh is an author, the creator of The Good Life France website and editor of the associated magazine as well as an all-round fabulous fellow Francophile!
I found I share a number of both afflictions and fortunate circumstances with Janine. We are both hopeless dreamers, but I always think dreams are a most important part of a healthy life. How sad it would be not to have dreams to aspire to achieve! Even if they never come to fruition, the act of dreaming itself is so much fun. Janine and I both have husbands who share our love of France, or even if they don’t have quite the same level of Frenchy amour, they’re happy to support us with ours! We both fall in love with every new place in France we visit, exclaiming that we could move and live there…
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Nov 10, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 82 - La chanson est la joie de vivre!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
Lorena Stipani is a soprano I saw perform at the wonderful Entrecôte restaurant in Prahran, Melbourne in her Edith Piaf show earlier this year. I was blown away by her amazing talent.
In this episode I chat to Lorena about living & studying abroad, then returning to Australia finding that during the pandemic she was able to dive head-first into her work. She has written a new show filled with the music of Edith Piaf and telling the story of her life.
Lorena conveys such intense feeling and emotion when singing about Piaf. She says she feels such a connection to Edith. She loves Edith's passion... she loves her vulnerability... and has to take care not to let that emotion overcome her when she's singing.
Lorena tells us a little of the story of Edith's lif…
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Nov 5, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 81 - Love In Provence
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
Author Patricia Sands is such a wonderfully warm and engaging woman. I loved chatting to her and could have kept talking with her over a cuppa for the rest of the day (probably swapping to wine at some stage and chatting on through the night!)
Patricia talked to me about her passion for writing from the perspective of more mature women, about her fascinating life story as a teacher in her early years, being widowed then remarried... She chatted freely about the way COVID affected her, about her very personal experience looking in northern France for her uncle's grave who was killed during WW2, as well as her ongoing connection to France.
Talking to Patricia about "her" Provence, I just want to jump on a plane and head there immediately! She has a way of pa…
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Oct 29, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 80 - Frenchy road-tripping vibes! Survival tips & tricks when on the road with your spouse!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
This episode is the second part of a chat about our epic road trip around western France in the French summer of 2022.
On this vacation, my husband Paul and I first traveled from Paris to the Loire and then down to the Pays Basque which can be explored in episode 79.
In this Loulabelle's FrancoFiles episode we travelled from Bayonne in the Basque region of south-west France up to the Dordogne, then across to Lège-Cap-Ferret which is on the coast past Bordeaux, then spent our final days in Paris before our return to Australia.
I love a slow holiday where we stay in the one place for a month and just relax and immerse ourselves in a local scene, but I find Australians especially try to pack as much into a visit to anywhere in Europe including France as it is…
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Oct 22, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 79 - French friends, festivals & La Fleuriste... France après Covid.
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website**
**FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram*
Over the past couple of years travelling anywhere has been a challenge and for most people, it has been completely out of the question during what I call "the lost COVID years".
My husband Paul has travelled in France a number of times with me pre-COVID (which we chatted about way back in episode 16 and 17). That trip included a visit to Paris, followed by a roadtrip to Provence. On our more recent trip to France in the French summer of 2022 we went on an epic road trip after another Paris stay.
This podcast chat is part 1 of a two episode sequence, as there is just too much to fit into one episode!
In this part 1 we’re exploring our arrival and stay in Paris pre our roadtrip, as well as our wonderful experiences that followed in the Loire Valley and dow…
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Oct 15, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 78 - Curious about Provence? Oui. Moi aussi!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
Ashley Tinker is a Canadian now living in Provence. Back when she was aged 19 she was at art school in Italy and took a mini "vacances" in the south of France where she met her partner Englishman Robin as they were both staying in the same hostel.
Many years and a long-distance relationship later, they finally settled back in France together. Initially they became guardians of a run-down château but eventually bought and renovated a little cottage and now they're in the process of renovating a barn on a property in a village near St Rémy-de-Provence.
Ashley loves the lifestyle in Provence. The weather, the values, the history, the food and also the fresh seasonal produce. Eating by the seasons was a learning curve for Ashley but a way of life she now lov…
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Oct 9, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 77 - Empowering women one champagne at a time!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelles FrancoFiles website*
Cynthia Coutu is living what I think is my dream life! Although I’m sure it is nowhere as easy as she makes it seem! Canadian born Cynthia now lives in Paris whilst immersing herself in the world of champagne! After attending a French school in Canada, Cynthia came to Paris to complete a Master of Art History and decided to stay.
After her OECD career ended at age 50, she found a new pathway for herself with her brilliant business Delectabulles, involving two of my passions: one is furthering opportunities for women and the other is champagne! Cynthia hosts masterclasses, tours, tastings... loads of ways to connect with champagne as well as with some amazing women. I didn’t ask Cynthia for her fave champers. Instead, I love her perspective that champagne…
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Sep 30, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 76 - Want a loved-up château wedding in France? Meet the Château Bee!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Website*
The Loulabelle's FrancoFile's podcast is the place to come to keep your Frenchy vibes going without even leaving home! In each episode we chat with guests who live in Australia, in France and right around the world, to help stay connected to the FrancoFile within you!
This episode guest: Ingrid Colmer-Chavez
Ingrid Colmer-Chavez was born in Mexico and grew up in France. She moved around a lot as a child, but her family eventually settled in Brittany. After meeting her English husband James when working in Guernsey in the Channel Islands they decided to get married in France when they discovered they could get much more for their budget than in the UK. This sparked the idea of their business the *Château Bee* and they set about creating a directory of quali…
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Sep 23, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 75 - Metro ticket bookmarks to keep your Frenchy vibes going ❤️
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
The Loulabelle's FrancoFile's podcast is the place to come to keep your Frenchy vibes going without even leaving home! In each episode we chat with guests who live in Australia, in France and right around the world, to help stay connected to the FrancoFile within you!
This episode guest: Pam Plançon.
Pam Plançon has had a love affair with France for a veeeeeeery long time! Her grandfather was French and her connection to all things French started at a very early age.
Pam founded business Olive and Branch which is an online store selling French and French inspired products based in Connecticut. She and her husband bought a house in the south of France when her children were young meaning she could return there every year. She initially started Olive and B…
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Sep 17, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 74 - A Frenchilicious Life!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website** *
*Yolaine Corbin's links:*
*Frenchilicious Kitchen *
*Melbourne AFL Grand Final day set menu: **click here** and mention Loulabelle's for a free gift!
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Yolaine Corbin was born and grew up in Orleans south of Paris, but now describes herself as a "Frozzie"! That is a French born/Australian settled. Yolaine is the owner of fabulous French food company here in Melbourne “Frenchilicious Kitchen”. She’s a chef, an official Thermomix recipe creator and a maman to 3 gorgeous girls.
Growing up in Orleans Yolaine dreamed of travelling and tried to learn English by listening to pop music on the radio which was mostly in English! After her school years had finished she decided to take off to Australia to travel around for a year in order to get her English…
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Sep 9, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 73 - Marseille: Port to Port, and a peek at everything in between!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
Episode 73
William Kornblum is the author of Marseille Port to Port.
Bill as he prefers to be called is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the Graduate Centre at the City University of New York. He is also an author of many books but the one with a particular focus for us as Francophiles is Marseille Port to Port.
One review said Bill's writing showed he is "deeply committed to understanding the city’s layered history and contradictory energies. Every page, every photo resonates with his sense of wonder and his affection for 'a city that has seen more than its share of misery and brave struggle.' " Now… you don’t get a connection like that with a place without visiting or living there so in my podcast chat with Bill we unpacked this further!
My chat w…
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Sep 2, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 72 - Escape FROM France!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
Episode 72
Christine Sheehy is a copy writer, ghost writer and a book coach now living in New Zealand. She has wanted to have a stint living in France ever since she spent some time there as an exchange student when she was 16. France remained unfinished business for her, with only a few visits between that early age and 2019.
Eventually Christine got there with her young family. The area of France she had chosen, purposefully didn’t have many English speakers and required the family to completely immerse themselves in the language. They got used to a new routine over the first six months and then Christine's husband returned to NZ with her staying on in France with their three children.
Christine and her family were still in France as the COVID-19 situa…
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Aug 23, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 71 - Ooooh la la! Feeling the Fêtes de Bayonne!
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles hosted by Louise Prichard.
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram*
Recently I shrugged off the COVID vibes and took to the skies to get back to the place that holds my heart, France!
In the planning for l'été français I made arrangements to stay with ma belle amie Sarah Zwick from Be My Guest Immersions near Bayonne in southwest France. Bayonne is a medieval city not far from the more glitzy Biarritz close to the Atlantic coast, with a population normally in the tens of thousands. However for one weekend of the year the whole place explodes with over a million visitors descending on the area. The Fêtes de Bayonne is an experience like no other. It was pure coincidence that I was going to be there at the time of the festival so to prepare myself, I checked it out on line before leaving Australia. The first thing I noticed was a kind of uniform that w…
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Jul 12, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 70 - Dreaming of a Château...
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Episode 70 - Dreaming of a Château...
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Hosted by Louise Prichard
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Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Website*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram*
Growing up Julia Leach had a dream of living in a huge historic building, a château, with everyone she loved in the one little community and she had the feeling this beautiful home was meant to be in France.
Julia had a dreamy, idyllic childhood which she describes as old fashioned. No screens, no TV, just old movies, books and lots of playtime. It felt very different from the way her peers were growing up. After high school Julia had a gap year backpacking around Europe including France, returning to college afterwards in New York City.
After graduating Julia worked her way into the film industry and fell in love with working on period pieces. This fed her need to connect with history but even though it was a wonderful career, the film industry takes a toll on lifestyl…
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Jun 19, 2022
Best French Forever!
Cynthia Moos is founder and owner of Best French Forever. BFF is a subscription service (currently only available in the US) which delivers a box avec un petit peu de Provence right on your doorstep!
Cynthia Moos was born and raised in Provence. Whilst studying in the UK she met her now American husband and moved to the US. Now living in Colorado she is reminded of the sounds of Provence with the cicadas in the summer. But after a few years Cynthia wanted more connection with her homeland, she wanted to celebrate the crafts of Provence and share that with Francophiles everywhere, so she started her business Best French Forever.
Cynthia sources her products from the artisans or local brands in Provence, ensuring they are high quality, with a social conscience as well. BFF promotes inclusion and diversity, an end to racism, respect of women, environmental conservation and fair treatment for all. Cynthia has been really mindful that her business aligns with her own personal values.
Com…
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May 22, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 68 - The sparkly side of France's creative heart in Cannes 🌟
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com
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Hosted by Louise Prichard
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Right now the wonderful French Riviera city of Cannes is awash with glitz and glamour for the 75th Cannes Film Festival and I chatted to my belle amie Ruby Boukabou who is there this year about the most dynamic 2 weeks of her year!
Author, performer, tap dancer extraordinaire and all round amazingly talented Ruby loves that the festival is held in spring when it's lovely and warm, perfect for swimming to get away from all the pizzaz of the festival. But after having 2 affected festivals due to COVID in 2020 and 2021 I'm sure attendees this year will want to soak up every moment. Ruby tells us of her adventures this year as they're happening, but also of festivals gone by.
Tune into this gorgeously warm chat with Ruby to hear all about the nitty-gritty of the festival, the parties, the networking, as well as her rendez-vous with Tom! Cruise that is!
*Loulabelle's links
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website *
*Loulabelle's Fra…
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May 15, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 67 - So you're ready to return to France? Moi aussi!
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com
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Hosted by Louise Prichard
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Lately I’ve been hearing more and more from Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles listeners that they are making plans to head to head back overseas and to France! It’s been such a long time since many of us have travelled that I thought an episode about travel tips to refresh our memories would be une idée fabuleux!
Tune into this chat for the things I always consider when planning a vacances en France including:
*choosing your accommodation style,
*time-saving and queue-skipping ideas,
*creating itineraries,
*the best place I've found to buy unlimited data sim cards in Paris,
*as well as loads of tips for regional France including train and car hacks not to be missed if planning your next French getaway!
*Loulabelle's links
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website *
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram*
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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
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Other Loula…
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May 3, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 66 - A French life that's Fabulously Delicious!
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com
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Hosted by Louise Prichard
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Join Lou to escape to France momentarily through the wonderful stories of various Francophiles! Andrew Prior is a fabulous French foodie who some Australians will know from his time as a contestant on MasterChef some years ago, but now he is living his best life in a gorgeous pocket of France in the village of Montmorillon.
Like Lou, Andrew didn't travel until a little later in life during his 30s. On his first trip he went to Paris and just loved his 2 weeks there. He straight away felt a connection and loved French food. (Something here seems oddly familiar!!!) After this however Andrew's story takes a fabulous turn with his (now) husband spending a year studying in Paris. Andrew turned his back on his career in insurance underwriting and went with Peter to Paris. He had nothing to do but be a complete flâneur and mosey around the French capital for months on end! What an experience to immerse in French food, people watch…
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Apr 3, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 65 - Escape to the Château! If you can dream it, you can do it!
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com
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Hosted by Louise Prichard
As an addict of "château porn" as we call it in my house, I feel as if I already know Karen Horne who has been on the Escape to the Château DIY series (which is now known as simply Château DIY.)
Karen and her husband Paul had for many years spent weekends escaping to France and always loved exploring the little villages when they drove across from the UK. One day Paul brought home a little advertisement of a château for sale, they went across to check it out and it was love at first sight!
So the 17 year adventure began. They took a leap of faith, possibly with rose tinted glasses on but Karen says they have no regrets! Karen says that life is not about getting to the end of a rainbow with a pot of gold, but rather life is about living it, experiencing it and having the most amazing experiences you can recall for life! Wise words I reckon!
Now Karen has a website and Insta page Dream French Properties. I love to explo…
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Mar 29, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 64 - French Hack tips & memories of carefree France!
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com
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Hosted by Louise Prichard
Lou chats to Bordeaux born and bred Alexandra Ganipeau who now lives in Melbourne Australia running an online business called The French Hack.
Growing up Alex always wanted to be bilingual so in her early 20s she headed to London, met and married an Aussie boy and the rest is history! How lucky for us Melburnians that she is here now too!
Every day on The French Hack there is a Pause Dej' (pronounced almost like postage or paws-tage) which is short for "pause dejeuner" a lunch break. The daily Pause Dej' is an hour and a half every day during the middle of the day Melbourne time, where members can drop in and have a real conversation online for the whole time or just part of it... whatever works for them!
Alex has generously offered for listeners of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast a free visit to The French Hack which can be found on the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website.
In my chat with Alex she shared the French pe…
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Mar 20, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 63 - Some petit Paris inspo for everyday!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Hosted by Louise Prichard
Kate Venter has always loved drawing. Her school books were always covered in creative doodling! So after a career in IT she made the decision to move into her own business designing party ware. But just prior to the recent COVID lockdowns she got her creative juices flowing further by moving more into the design side of things and immersed herself in her art with her Sambellina Studio.
Kate loves to draw buildings and has a fascination with architecture. Her travel and architecture inspired illustrations often take me away to Paris. She confesses to having a particular affection for illustrating cafes! She loves the shadows, the light and the different colour that buildings exude at different times of day.
In this lovely warm chat we hear all about how Kate creates an artwork, about her love of travel and of France and we get transported away with her description of her fave French day. With French recipes and music to quenc…
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Feb 22, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 62 - Montmartre local's tales: Dalida, Bresse chicken & Chamonix solo
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Hosted by Louise Prichard
Professor Emmanuel Josserand grew up in Montmartre but now resides in Sydney, Australia. He has worked around the world but it was "love" that kept him in Sydney! Very French he says!
In this warm and funny chat with Emmanuel he tells me about his life growing up in Montmartre with his grandparents who lived next door to uber famous singing sensation Dalida!
With Emmanuel it seems his connection to France is all about the food. Just like me! He loves the stinkiest cheese, chouquettes or pain au chocolat for petit-déjeuner and when in the countryside he and the family would all eat fresh bread and saucisson with fresh tomato from the garden. It just sounds so dreamy... take me away maintenant!
Come and escape to France momentarily with us and hear about going solo on the slopes of Chamonix, Michelin Star restaurants near Lyon and naked women in the streets of Montmartre in Emmanuel's childhood memories! Oooh la la!
Recettes…
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Feb 4, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 61 - After the war. One woman's story of the raw, beautiful, real Paris.
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com
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Loulabelle's FrancoFiles on Instagram - @loulabelles_francofiles
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We often think of Paris as the beautiful tourist Mecca flooded with cutesie photo ops of flowers, promenades, cafes and gorgeous doors. But under all of that beauty is a rawness. A wonderful strength and determination to survive. I chatted to Parisian Lise Buisson Primaud whose family struggled through the war in ways most of us can’t or don’t want to imagine, but the after effects of the war lasted more than a generation. Hearing Lise talk about HER Paris really highlighted that for me. I’m so grateful to those courageous Parisians who didn’t give up. They’re one of the reasons why we still have the Paris we all adore today.
Tune in to hear Lise talk about her early story in post war Paris, growing up in Montparnasse in the 14th arrondissement. Whilst times were tough, she and her siblings never complained or wished for a different life. They had each other.
We find it hard…
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Jan 26, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 60 - Rue Dauphine Paris... One woman's dream is inspiration for many!
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com
Through this podcast I have met so many wonderful people and I have continued to be in awe of the generous spirit and beautiful connection I have had with guests. Some have become lovely friends. There's a kind of global French appreciation community of sorts, and it's chockablock with beautiful souls. If you’re on Instagram it is so worth following Katherine Burns’ account “Rue-Dauphine-Paris”. She has some wonderful suggestions of ways to stay connected to France. Meandering through her account is a lovely way to lose half an hour on a lazy afternoon!
I had a chat with Katherine to find out her French faves as well as some tips from her as an experienced and repeat traveler to Paris. I was very excited to hear that she is headed back there in May so I look forward to her photos once she's there!
I asked Katherine what is so special about Rue Dauphine and Paris for her. She also gives some fabulous travel tips.
For anyone going to France at t…
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Jan 15, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 59 - Escape to the Château! Living life from the Heart ❤️
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com
Julia Fulford-Kirby had loved France since visiting as a child and followed her dream with a little help from the popular series Escape to the Château DIY.
Julia was born in Australia and moved to England as a young person and the Francophile seed was sewn on holidays to France back then. Julia describes France as a magical place and I completely agree! She always knew when the time came to buy a property in France that it would be an old building. She scoured the internet for over a year and eventually came to France with 2 of her sisters to see them in person. The search started for a traditional farmhouse but rather quickly their search upgraded to château hunting! Beware though! Whilst your dollar will go a long way in purchasing a property, renovating in France is not cheap. Ensure you leave enough in your pot of money for the improvements you want or need to make, especially if restoring an historical property.
In this podcast papotage, listen…
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Jan 3, 2022
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 58 - Harvest, drink, cook! Journey to the vineyards of France 🍇🍷
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Episode 58
I often wonder about the way I view French culture and consider how the things France is famous for might be viewed by the French!
Today I chatted to our fave French correspondent Sarah Zwick from Be My Guest Immersions about the French perspective of wine. Not the expert perspective but how wine is seen culturally by ordinary French citizens.
In this gorgeous petite "papotage" Sarah and I chat about the winemakers as artisans, a little about the history of wine in France, and we touch on the way the terroir is of profound importance.
Some people look upon French wine as just an investment. I have seen a couple of documentaries that showed how French wine is becoming increasingly popular as an investment purchase, but for me I love to savour and taste it too much to let it sit in the bottle forever! Somethings are worth more than money to me, and the memories created with friends in France or even in Australia for that matter whilst sharing…
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Dec 21, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 57 - Joyeux Noël, it's Christmas in Paris! 🎄
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
In Christmas week I was very excited to chat to Emily Gaudichon who has joined me for a petit papotage on the Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles podcast previously right back in episode 20. Emily is on Instagram as The Real Emily in Paris. I've always wanted to go to France for Christmas so it was wonderful to chat to her and find out the low down for Christmas in Paris!
Emily spoke about some of the traditions in France such as Christmas Eve being the biggest celebration and Santa coming that night. I loved hearing her chat about the decorations in all the stores and the famous Christmas markets. From what Emily says the photos I'm seeing on Instagram at the moment showing that every corner of Paris has been Christmas-ified is exactly what it feels like to her!
Now as I said to Emily I love Christmas and I love Christmas in Australia as to me it means time spent with my family. But I am longing to one day spend Christmas in France. After chatting to Emily I w…
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Dec 19, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 56 - So you bought a house in France online? Pas de problème!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Miriam Eckerle loves flowers, her cats and France. She was troubled with how to enjoy all three at once so made the life changing decision to pull up stumps from her home in Indiana in the US and move to the Charente region in France with her husband Jon.
Miriam and Jon discussed for many years the idea of retiring in France, so they would spend hours scrolling through real estate websites. Eventually they found one, did a virtual tour with the realtor (including a virtual drive through the village!) and decided this was the one! Without even stepping foot on site! The house met lots of their criteria: not too isolated, near a Plus Beaux Villages de France, not too big, not too small, with a lovely garden and in an area with quite a lot of English speakers.
Miriam has cousins in the Charente area near to her new home. A bonus is that these cousins have a vineyard! A FrancoFiler's dream! Well this FrancoFiler anyway! Miriam talks about being with her co…
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Nov 27, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 55 - A life changing leap to Paris perfection ❤️
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Katherine Watt has lived and worked in many countries around the world but it has been Paris that has captured her heart! So four years ago she made the leap to resign from her job and move to France. Where to start with a leap like this?!?! That's what I wanted to find out!
Katherine started by drawing a line in the sand with the end date for her job. She planned three years ahead and told her boss she would be resigning. Katherine had stayed in Montmartre and even in the apartment she is in now during the period before she moved permanently.
During lockdown, Katherine loved being in the Montmartre area where she found a little community in her 1km zone. Being surrounded by the beauty of Montmartre was food for her soul during that tough time when travel and connecting face-to-face with family was not possible.
Moving to a new country across the world is not without its challenges. In this chat I heard about how Katherine has formed beautiful friends…
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Nov 15, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 54 - SacreBlue! Loulabelle's is officially on board, keeping our Frenchy vibes going with the Aussie French Embassy!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
So this week saw exiting news in the Aussie Francophile world... the Embassy of France in Australia launched a new website *Sacreblue!*
I was super excited that the Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles podcast was asked to come on board for the new platform, which is dedicated to bringing together all institutions, organisations and individuals who create cultural and intellectual bridges between France and Australia.
The website will feature regular contributions and highlights of my LFF articles and podcast eps! There will be news, in-depth articles, podcasts and events on French cinema, performance, arts, gastronomy, ideas, science, language, fashion, sport and much more.
After the excitement of the launch I was thrilled to meet and chat to Boris Toucas. He is the Head of Culture, Science and Education at the Embassy of France in Australia and a career diplomat. He previously served as a political counsellor at the embassy of France in the United States and…
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Oct 22, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 53 - Belonging to France - one woman's out of the box experience!
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com
Kerry Milligan appears on our Australian televisions each week on Gogglebox. I loved chatting to Kerry about another aspect of her life which is her connection to France.
Kerry has always felt very connected to Ireland due to her Irish heritage but a punk party in a Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in 1981 changed her world. She met her French husband and started a journey uncovering all the wonderfulness of France from an "insiders" perspective rather than as a tourist.
When Kerry's daughter was 14 the little family went to live in France for a year and Kerry has had further stints over there since.
Kerry has such a wonderful warmth and genuine transparency. Talking with her made me feel a beautiful connection to "her" France. It opened my eyes and my imagination further to the way daily French life would be for us as Australians if we're ever lucky enough to be living over there.
Kerry worried when her marriage to a Frenchman ended that her connection t…
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Oct 9, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 52 - Baby et Lulu - sexy & sassy avec a French afternoon delight!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Abby Dobson and Lara Goodridge are the sassy, talented, wonderful women behind the ARIA nominated French singing duo Baby et Lulu. The band name came about from their nicknames as Abby is often called "Baby" and Lara "Lulu", so the name just seemed to fit!
J'adore their music, singing exclusively en français so I decided to seek them out for a chat. I thought why not share their loveliness that shines through beautifully in our petite podcast papotage with all our Loulabelle's FrancoFiles community!
They have been described as a sublime faux-French sensation, sexy, romantic and classic. Whenever I’m listening to their latest album, the music transports me away to France in such a gorgeous way. In my mind I can imagine I'm in the Caveau de la Huchette in Paris in the jazz basement or somewhere just as fabulous! I just float away!
It was on a visit to Paris that they both discovered their love of the French language. Lara had a just bought a book of…
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Sep 27, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 51 - Absolutely Champers! Loulabelle, Karen et bubbles galore!🥂🍾🥂
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
My belle amie Karen has travelled numerous times to France (quite a lot avec moi!) and has twice stayed in the Champagne region. I'm so jealous as unfortunately a trip planned for my old school friends and I was called off in 2020 in the week we were supposed to depart. We're all getting used to that in the time of COVID but hopefully we'll get there eventually!
Karen is the best researcher I know when it comes to travel! When I was planning the ill-fated 2020 shenanigans and was going to the Champagne Region, Karen was my first contact to find out all her brilliant tips for a stay in that spot.
I love the Madame Bollinger quote about champagne…
She was asked when do you drink champagne?
"I drink it when I am sad. Sometimes I drink it when I am alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it when I’m not hungry. I drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it, unless I am thirsty…"
I also love what Madame de Pompadour is…
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Sep 21, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 50 - A Stolen Lady, handmade parapluies, art history & jam! A très beau chat with novelist Laura Morelli!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
I loved chatting to Laura Morelli as she had numerous fabulous stories to tell, both French and otherwise! Laura is an Art Historian with a PhD from Yale. She is a best selling and award winning historical novelist, in addition to authoring numerous guidebooks for travellers having lived in 5 countries! She often highlights Venice in her work and even though this is a blog for devotees to France, I don’t know any FrancoFilers who don’t love Venice! Laura and I shared our experience and love of Murano glass! She also has some wonderfully inspiring French connections.
Laura shared her story of her first visit toFrance as a pre-teen and how she then returned eventually to study and live there as an adult for 4 years. I was carried away by the story of an old couple Laura stayed with during one period in France. They were in the French Resistance during the war and their story has stayed with her and assisted with her connections to characters in her bo…
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Sep 12, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 49 - My next vacances en France. First stop... Loulabelle in Lyon!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Recently I have started thinking about what my next vacances in France will look like and about my list of places to visit that I haven’t yet been to. The top of that list is Lyon!
So why Lyon? Well for regular listeners to the podcast you will know I have inherited much of my love of France from my dear Papa. I even chatted to my dad in LFF episode 29 about some of his fave places to visit in France. One that he often mentions to me that he would love to return to is Lyon and I know I have always loved every place he has recommended to me!
Hear about the history of Lyon, the secret passageways or traboules, the gastronomic and famous wine regions, and loads of other wonderful reasons why Lyon should be your next French destination!
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loula…
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Sep 2, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 48 - Les Jeux Olympiques! Inspiration now, then and in 2024!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
In Australia watching the Olympic Games recently in 2021 was a relief for many of us in lockdown. The Paralympics is on as I write this blog and I find myself often overcome with emotion at the perseverance and inspirational stories of so many of the competitors.
I was fascinated to hear in this podcast chat from ma belle amie Sarah Zwick about the main sports that France excels at. This year in the recent Olympic Games France medalled in a variety of events including handball, judo and fencing. Sarah thinks the fencing prowess could be a left over from the Three Musketeers or Les Trois Mousquetaires! It may be the importance placed on fencing through history in France however. It was once a way to become a noble and was also compulsory for soldiers at one point in history too. Good fencers were almost like celebrities in their day!
I discovered through talking about this topic with Sarah that the Olympic Games whilst sometimes just referred to as "the…
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Aug 25, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 47 - Living in Versailles avec vintage Marie Antoinette! With pastries to make a queen swoon!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Molly Wilkinson has loved pastry all her life. After a brief visit to France during her College years, & also after working 9-5 in the US for a number of years (which she loved by the way!) Molly decided to follow her passion for baking and explored options to go to the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris!
Initially the idea was quite scary and Molly thought there would be lots of obstacles but in reality, furthering her training in cooking was more economical in Paris than in the US! She could rent an apartment in Paris, go to the famous Cordon Bleu school in the steps of Julia Child and eat French pastries in Paris every day whilst she was learning to make French pastries herself!
Molly now lives in Versailles (no not the Château!) teaching cooking classes online and has just penned her brand new cookbook.
For FrancoFilers who are into French pastry, following Molly's adventures will not leave you disappointed! In fact Molly's enthusiasm for everyt…
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Aug 16, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 46 - Floating on the Canal du Midi! A barge holiday extraordinaire 😍
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
I love how loads of my and Paul's friends are mad about France just like us!
Kate Bryant has been a friend of my partner Paul for over 30 years and had her first experience in France with a family for whom she nannied back in her 20s. The love of the fresh food, the slower pace of life and all things French has never left her.
Kate chats to me about some memories of staying in the Luberon in the south of France. With a special focus on a barge holiday where she traveled from Béziers to Trèbes along the Canal du Midi with 9 friends. I have always wanted to enjoy a barge holiday! I've wanted to do this way before I saw Rick Stein's French Odyssey, but that series definitely whetted my appetite! Kate told us about the intricacies of barge life, with some terrific tips. It is clear that it is loads of fun and relaxing too as Kate painted an idyllic picture, floating along between villages on the Canal du Midi...
Join Loulabelle for a gorgeously warm cha…
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Aug 6, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 45 - French Views, Dreaming & Planning for our Vacances en France!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
My conversation with gorgeous Carole Handel, writer of blog French Views and her wonderfully enthusiastic cycling husband Chris definitely got our Frenchy vibes going! As Carole said to me afterwards, we were ready to pack our bags and jump on a plane after our chat… if only we could. We will get there eventually though.
We chatted about Chris and Carole's cycling adventures in various regions like the Loire, Provence and in places suitable for beginners as well as more advanced riders. We also spoke about visits both of us have made to Villers-Bretonneux and other shared experiences such as visits to historic markets, fabulous French food and music.
A beautiful warm chat between 3 French obsessed Francophiles!
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles we…
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Jul 27, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFIles Ep 44 - When Bastille Day is not Bastille Day - c'est quatorze juillet! The history, the celebrations, the music!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
J'adore catching up with my belle amie Sarah Zwick from Bayonne in south-west France! I was fascinated to hear her French perspective of Bastille Day celebrations. In France, Bastille Day is not Bastille Day! Not even le jour de la Bastille! It is always referred to as "quatorze juillet in France. Sarah had never heard it called Bastille Day until she came to live in Australia for a while!
Celebrating Bastille Day/14 juillet is important right across the nation in France, to remember the history but also to celebrate France as it is today with family and friends. Each year there is a theme for 14 juillet and this year it was "La Liberté".
Hear about the history as the kids in France learn it, the celebrations, the food (it's summer in France and Sarah is cooking from her jardin!) and the music with a special performance from this year's Paris concert by brilliant trumpet player Ibrahim Maalouf.
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's Franc…
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Jul 17, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 43 - Finding dragonflies & dreams, renovating a 300 year old maison in Burgundy!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Lindy Viandier chatted to me about her journey from being a nurse in Wales to renovating a 300 year old maison with her French husband in Burgundy.
Lindy recalls her mother wearing ‘Evening in Paris’ perfume when she was a child. It came in a tiny midnight blue flacon. The label had the French translation, ‘soir de Paris’ and the name ‘Bourjois’. Lindy said, "To me this was the height of glamour and fuelled my desire to visit Paris, so when I had the opportunity to visit aged 17, I was thrilled and immediately fell under her spell."
Skip over a lifetime in between and Lindy's daughter requested to have a French exchange student come stay. It turned out to be a cultural exchange with both the teenager and her father who Lindy ended up marrying!
They now live between Paris and Burgundy, although Lindy is spending much more time in the country house these days. Lindy has called the house ‘Les Libellules’ meaning dragonflies as the house h…
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Jul 5, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 42 - Le Tour de France through French eyes!
www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com.au
J'adore chatting to my favourite French chick Sarah Zwick (from Be My Guest Immersions in the Basque region of south-west France).
Having Sarah's unique perspective of Le Tour as she recalls details from her childhood as well as well-known particular culturally significant rituals that accompany Le Tour from the French perspective, is a wonderful insight.
Hear our lovely chat about the "caravan de Le Tour", the lengths the French will go to view the race first hand, as well as music devoted to the whole event and a special original recipe from Loulabelle that is sure to become a firm favourite.
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Jun 27, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 41 - Paris time travel - the gorgeous chateaux tell their story ❤️
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
This was such a beautifully honest chat, quite raw in places. I felt an instant warm connection to Christine Betts.
I have loved following Christine on social media for some time. Her posts connect me to Paris in a variety of ways. She is an author who has written a number of books set in Paris and has a particular style of writing that I find fascinating, with the meshing of historical fact and fiction with a bit of time travel mixed in.
Christine mentioned that her stories always have an old building/chateau/maison in the centre of the narrative. I have always felt that historical buildings have "talked" to me. I thought I was alone with this! Every time I'm in France I imagine who has been there before me and feel a lovely connection to the past.
I was amazed that Christine started to write when she was only 10, penning her first book at that time. She mentioned in one post I read that she wrote about a friend who had passed to ease the grief, so t…
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Jun 20, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 40 - The secret treats found when Spring cleaning and then Summer en France!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Spring cleaning is a time of uncovering many new things and fabulous old memories!
Recently our regular French correspondent from south-west France, Sarah and I talked about her finds when she was renovating her home in the Basque region.
The story of how she came across the book of a particular child from over a century ago in her attic and learned of his involvement in the Great War is fascinating. The connection is amazing, especially in her own home! Knowing the periods of history that have occurred over the last few hundred years, and finding info about the people who lived in your home during such times as the Nazi occupation of France or the Revolution is crazy!
In this episode we heard of the story of a little boy who lived in Sarah's house a generation or two before her family, as well as how plantings in the garden from that time or earlier are still benefitting her family now!
Now that le printemps has turned into l'été the time has chan…
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Jun 9, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 39 - "But You Are In France Madame!"
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Author Catherine Berry fascinated me with her story of her journey to live a French life with her family.
Catherine made the decision to only speak French to her infant son which prompted her and her husband to pull up stumps and head to France to live.
When her children were aged 6, 9 and 12 they moved to France with no work planned and no support network. They had a house arranged and found a l'école for les enfants but the rest was a fabulous adventure! They chose to live in or around Annecy near the Swiss border, rather than Paris or a main city. They wanted to feel a part of a community and immerse themselves in a town not too big, but not too small.
I loved hearing the story of how the children settled into school, how they found houses to rent and the challenges of buying property. Catherine's tips for making such a purchase will prove invaluable to FrancoFilers who are planning to make that leap at some stage! There were some difficulties suc…
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May 30, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 38 - Thomas Pesquet - French astronaut legend, space DJ & all round nice guy!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Thomas Pesquet would never have dreamed as a small child in Dieppe Normandy, that he would become a household name in France as their most well known astronaut and probably the most famous astronaut in Europe.
I loved chatting to my wonderful friend Sarah Zwick from Be My Guest Immersion about Pesquet, hearing about him from the perspective he's known in France.
Pesquet graduated as an Air France pilot first and then studied to become an astronaut. He was selected to train with the European Space Agency in 2008. He spent 196 days in space in 2017 and has returned to the International Space Station earlier this year.
We listen to one of Pesquet's favourite tunes from his own Spotify list. He recently released the new Cold Play song Higher Power from up in space, so music is clearly an interest for him as well as photography. Sarah told me how he took over 25,000 photographs of Earth from space!
With a recipe from Pesquet's home town of Dieppe, this is…
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May 23, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 37 - Everyday en Paris, un petit peu de France avec "Mon Petit Four"!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
I am always looking for ways to keep my connection with France alive whilst I'm not on French soil.
Beeta Hashempour is the creator of Mon Petit Four, which has been voted as one of the #1 French food blogs in the world and one of the top Parisian lifestyle blogs of 2019!
Everyday receiving the très fabuleux emails with recipes and tips from Mon Petit Four brings a sparkle to my day!
In my wonderfully warm chat with Beeta it was lovely to hear about her first trip to Paris a decade or so ago. It was also terrific to hear that I'm not alone with my perspective of love at first sight for the city of Paris! Beeta had the same reaction when she emerged from a Paris Metro station for the first time!
On that trip Beeta discovered a love of French food and after her return home she started deconstructing and demystifying French food for friends which soon grew to service Francophiles everywhere! Now Mon Petit Four has a vast following and also offers a bri…
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May 14, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 36 - One family's journey from Bondi to Paris!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
I love looking through Instagram, dreaming of long days and beautiful holidays in France! Sometimes I end up following particular accounts more than others and the way they portray their version of France just "clicks" with me. This was the case with Emily Lawrence Gazal.
I messaged her and asked if I could chat to her about her French life and got much more than I bargained for! Emily is a warm and generous Aussie originally from Bondi who has moved her family with her three children to Paris. I was fascinated by her story and loved our beautiful chat.
With important notes for any FrancoFilers considering moving with children to France, chats about French street food, music from brilliant young French artist Angèle and gorgeous mental images of a French life, this episode will satisfy any francophile who is pining for a French getaway!
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fi…
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May 6, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 35 - Très beaux rewarding memories, Paris avec my bubbas!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
France through the eyes of a teenager is a multi-layered and amazing experience! The food, the sights, the shopping... all with a different perspective.
I have travelled with my children in France a number of times. Each visit has been so wonderfully rewarding and the ability to look back together on our experiences has bonded us closer together as they grow older.
I chatted to my youngest son Fraser in this podcast episode about his recollections of our travels. He is such a keen traveler. He and I are always planning our next trip somewhere!
We first travelled to France as part of a big European tour for our family back when he was still in primary school! We met up with 20 of our family in Paris and spent a week together there. We saw all the big touristy things but even though he was only in Grade 5, Fras remembers many more intricate details of our time there. Interestingly other children from our family who attended with us on this trip who were…
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Apr 25, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 34 - Take a trip to the Dordogne avec Loulabelle!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
In 2017 I was fortunate enough to take part in a most amazing and life changing trip on an immersion to France.
In this episode of the podcast, you will be guided through the winding roads and petit villages, bringing alive the local rustic-ness I discovered in the Dordogne.
This episode will have the most impact listening on one device and accessing Google Earth on another. Or if you’re wonderfully tech-savvy you may be able to access them both at the same time on the same device! Once in each village, pause the podcast chat to get down on the Google Earth ground and have a virtual walking tour around the town, then re-start the podcast to move on!
We will visit:
*Monpazier*
*La Roque-Gageac*
*Domme*
*Rouffignac*
*Cadouin*
*Vézac - Les Jardins de Marqueyssac*
Come and enjoy a lazy afternoon meandering the Dordogne with Loulabelle - a most picturesque, historic and welcoming part of our favourite destination, France! With French music and ch…
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Apr 20, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 33 - Films de français to keep FrancoFilers' Frenchy vibes fluttering!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
I have travelled to France numerous times with ma belle amie Karen Grooby.
At home in Australia we try to keep our FrancoFile hearts satisfied with activities like French yoga, French themed festivals and restaurants, as well as cooking French food for our friends. Annually we also attend the Melbourne Alliance Français French Film Festival!
We have been to opening night a few times before at the Astor, which always has a wonderful party atmosphere and a chance to see one of the best French Films showing during the festival. I love to eaves drop on all the conversations at the after party as there are so many native French speakers there. I can get my fix and pretend I’m at a party in Paris for the evening! The Astor is such a beautiful grand old theatre it makes it even easier to daydream about France when we’re there!
This year although we didn’t attend the opening Karen went to see three French movies that she recommends ands we chat about in…
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Apr 12, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 32 - Ice cream profiteroles and other treasured souvenirs de France!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Nathalie Foos has encouraged my love of France for the last decade or so at her French immersion school "A French Journey" in Melbourne, Australia.
Nathalie was born in Marseille in the south of France, and spent some of her childhood in Saumur in the Loire Valley as well.
I loved chatting with Nathalie about her memories of France, about taking her own children back there to live for a time and also reminiscing about our own travels together there.
Nathalie spoke about the villages she adores, what a perfect day would look like for her in France and her favourite memories. Her description of the stages of a French lunch is lovely, enabling me to picture it so clearly I felt I was back there momentarily! Just what I needed right now when I can't be there myself!
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's Fr…
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Mar 23, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 31 - Pâques, printemps & celebrating a 600 year old festival!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
France has many wonderful traditions. I am joined in this episode by our favourite French correspondent Sarah Zwick from Be My Guest Immersions in the Pays-Basque region of South West France. Sarah spends her time talking about France and connecting with francophiles every day through her online French classes. I can personally recommend her as a current French speaking teacher who is amazingly dedicated to her students! Including me!
Back to the traditions...
Easter in France is called Pâques. The French word Pâques comes from the Latin word “pascha”, meaning “Passover”, which comes from the Hebrew “Pesah” which is the Jewish name for the Passover celebration, that is celebrated on Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter Sunday. So Easter en français is Pâques!
France has a strong Catholic history and Easter is celebrated avec grand enthusiasm! Hear about the traditions that are particular to France and even to var…
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Mar 18, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 30 - Honeymoon en France! Paris for love & Provence for romance!❤️
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
In the pre-COVID world when we took the freedom of travel for granted, my partner Paul and I meandered around Provence and met some amazing like minded people who have remained firm friends. Tammy and Mike Melo were among nos nouveaux amis we are now so thankful to have had the opportunity to meet.
Tammy and Mike from Vancouver Canada were on their Honeymoon which turned into a French odyssey!
I met Tammy at the Provence cooking day, a life altering experience and a beacon amongst my memories during this period of history when travel is so problematic if trying to get to Europe from Australia.
Tammy chatted with me about her love of French food, she reminded me of the highlights of our cooking day and she shared more tidbits of her holiday with Mike such as their dinner at amazing restaurant Chevre D'Or on the French Riviera. From that gorgeous opulence to the rustic loveliness of L'Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue where we shared aperitifs overlooking the canals o…
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Mar 7, 2021
Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles ep 29 - Paris memories, Mont St Michel & more of my Papa's French faves xx
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
My fascination with France has been inherited from my darling Dad. I have been so very fortunate to travel to Paris and regional France with Papa, and still learn French with him now, home in Australia. An afternoon in the garden together at his house, with French music in the background and lovely chats en français is my idea of a weekend well spent. Our shared love of France has been a wonderful way for us to remain close as we grow through life.
On one holiday in Paris, I was thrilled to share an evening with Papa at a jazz club in which my beautiful childhood friend Wendy Lee Taylor was performing. Wendy invited Papa up on stage as he is quite a gifted musician. Being in a jazz club in Paris and seeing my dad and my lovely friend on stage together is a lifetime memory I will always cherish!
Papa has travelled to France many times and in this podcast episode he chats to me about a couple of places that are still on my wish list for future visits, t…
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Feb 28, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 28 - Finding harmony in Paris - the simple joie de vivre ♥️
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
I loved connecting with Ruby Boukabou again in this podcast episode! She has such an amazing energy! I always leave a chat with Ruby feeling like I can take on the world and simultaneously that I've had a beautiful Parisian experience. In this chat Ruby talked about how she has stayed busy during COVID, from writing her book The Architecture Lover's Guide to Paris to her tap shack in Sydney and memories of tap dancing on the Pont de Bir-Hakeim!
Something I hadn't thought of before, Ruby mentioned to me that Paris is a future focused city and Parisians are very conscious of their environmental situation in the world. I have often noticed in Paris how they implement a staggered planting program where young trees are planted in between older trees, so there is a plan of succession.
I was enthralled with Ruby's new book, The Architecture Lover's Guide to Paris. With chapters on Paris history, train stations, museums, walking tours, itineraries, a variety o…
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Feb 24, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 27 - Paris, true love & secret tips for every FrancoFiler to live our dream!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
I found Krystal Kenney to be beautifully warm . Krystal is an author, a photographer and artist. She has her own podcast and also to provides us all with some wonderful online live Paris tours. Now Krystal is based in Paris full-time, living in the 18th arr of Montmartre and loving it!
Krystal's memoir, Paris, A Life Less Ordinary describes her journey to the life she now leads in Paris. I've often imagined what that would be really like... to take off and live in Paris with no idea of when I would return, if at all. I wonder if it might be freeing, or terrifying, or a little bit of both! For Krystal it wasn't all smooth sailing. The memoir mentions dating blunders and some crazy things that occurred. She started out nannying for four children, and at one point ended up homeless and alone. It takes some bravery to continue on, but I got the feeling that she is glad she did.
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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Othe…
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Feb 20, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 26 - Some musical healing après un COVID Paris.
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Way way back in LFF episode 2 we were all introduced to some terrific music by an unknown musician Romain Dupré who is also an old school friend of our favourite French correspondent Sarah Zwick.
Romain Dupré chatted to me in this episode about his life in France, about how Paris is changing through this COVID period, and about his hopes for helping his community to heal after this strange stage of history is over.
Romain was concerned about his English, but I found listening to his strong French accent strangely comforting. To me it was as though there is something that this virus can't take away, and that is the strength and spirit of the French people, their stoicness, their Frenchness.
There is a rawness in this chat that I don't normally find. Romain was clearly wanting me to hear about the REAL Paris. About how the world actually is for them all right now. I loved hearing about his first experience with rock and roll when his mother put on an…
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Feb 10, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 25 - Paris secrets & stories avec a Hemingway!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Claudine Hemingway knows Paris. Like she REALLY knows Paris! Part of the Hemingway family, Claudine chats with Lou about her Parisian stories and shares some fascinating history of the French capital as well as painting a picture so real that we feel like we've been on vacation to our fave destination!
In this episode amongst other treats, we hear the real life and the long forgotten secrets of some notable French women. We also hear music from former First Lady of France Carla Bruni.
As Gertrude Stein said "America is my country but Paris is my home".
Come and take a visit home to Paris with Loulabelle and Claudine.
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Jan 29, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 24 - Paris dreaming - rooftops, petit déjeuner & true lifetime friends!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Explore the fascinating world of Paris rooftop photography and dream of future ramblings in France.
Jeremy Pritchard is a Parisian photographer, taking shots of the real Paris world from a rooftop perspective. This lovely authentic chat with Jeremy uncovers a side of Paris most of us never see. He also talks of his go-to petit déjeuner and shares one of his favourite musical artists Alain Bashung.
Loulabelle also chats with her oldest and dearest friends from school days about their dreams of travelling to Paris and France together in the future after COVID.
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Jan 22, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 23 - Escape to the mysterious & fairytale-like Loire Valley avec toute ma famille!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Hear a warm , sweet chat with Loulabelle's darling cousin and dear friend Anne Lock about a "grandes vacances" our family took in 2015 to France. Twenty of us met for a week in Paris and then most of us travelled for an extra week to the quaint village of Chinon in the Loire Valley.
Chinon is a place steeped in history and for the most part seems fairly unchanged over the past few hundred years. It has petit ruelles (little laneways) and divine little boutiques which look like magical fairytale shops!
There is an amazing farmers market and loads of touristy things to occupy all the generations we travelled with. But the best thing for all of us was the way it slowed down our daily life. The village has a way of enveloping you, and it cushioned all of us in that embrace with a warmth that has permeated the wonderful memories of our "vacances en France". ❣️
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's…
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Jan 18, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 22 - The delicious hidden nooks & crannies of Paris avec ma belle amie xx
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
My gorgeous friend Karen Grooby has travelled with me in France a number of times.
In LFF episode 4 we chatted about one weekend we shared where we worked through a list Karen made of all the places to drink champagne in Paris! Karen is quite brilliant with her research and I have benefitted from it a bunch of times. She also has some general tips for travelers to Paris, about how to find some more tucked away nooks and crannies to excite us FrancoFilers.
In this ep hear our different perspectives on hotels vs Airbnb and the low down on good Parisian brekkies! Hear our other tips for quirky museums, the best time of day for visiting touristy sites, accommodation considerations & also our favourite café spots!
Come and dream about your next Paris sojourn with us.
Loulabelle xx
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*…
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Jan 14, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 21 - Keeping our French vibes going! Debi Lilly is bringing the best of France to enjoy at home.
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Loulabelle chats to the remarkable Debi Lilly who is an amazing award winning event planner, florist and major francophile living in Chicago about how she keeps France beating in her heart when she's not there! Debi has French inspired businesses in Chicago and Nantucket in the US, but also paints a beautiful dream like escape for us to a vacation of France we can dream about to stay connected to our fave destination!. With her recommendation for a little French chill music towards the end and recipe recommendations from her fave corner Paris bistros, join in the daydream for a half hour of Parisian serenity.
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Jan 10, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 20 - The low down on the real French life for Emily in Paris!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Want the low down on the real French life for Emily in Paris? Then join us for this wonderful warm chat with Emily and the world of the 6th arrondissement!
When the TV series Emily in Paris started, Lou's guest in this podcast started getting texts first in a trickle and then in a tidal wave! The show was about her life! Or is it? This insightful conversation with "The Real Emily in Paris" is authentic and lovely. Hear all about life next to the Jardin du Luxembourg and aperitifs in Paris! Emily shares her perfect Parisian day for us all to dream away of un jour de Paris!
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Jan 6, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 19 - A wish come true! A teenage Christmas in France!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Embarking on an exchange to France had always been a dream for Australian teenager Grace McMahon. She travelled to France for the Aussie Christmas/summer break and stayed in a small town, Melun a half hour drive south of Paris. French was spoken the whole time with only a tiny bit of English which gave her French language skills a huge workout!
Grace loved school in France, although it was very different to what she was used to in Australia. We hear about her experiences with French food, teenage life in a French town and some surprises such as how many teenagers smoke!
I have always dreamed of being in France at Christmas and was thrilled to hear of Grace travelling with her host family to Reims for the Christmas markets and all the festivities there.
Being 17 and away from family for Christmas is tough, but experiencing Paris and France at a time when everything was decorated for Christmas added an extra layer of excitement for Grace.
With French m…
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Jan 4, 2021
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 18 - The ultimate dreamlike escape... Versailles.
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
This is a wonderfully engaging podcast episode that will transport FrancoFilers through space and time to feel you have had a sneak peek at Versailles without the crowds!
For as long as I can remember, I have been in awe of the legend and the stories surrounding Versailles. It was wonderful to hear about this magical place from a French local perspective with ma belle amie Sarah Swick who is just as big a fan as I am.
Versailles has been listed as a World Heritage Site for the past 30 years, and is arguably one of the greatest achievements in French 17th century art and architecture. What started out as a hunting pavilion for King Louis XIII, was extended and transformed by his son King Louis XIV when he installed the Royal Court and French Government there in 1682.
We chat about how Versailles is viewed from a French perspective including the Italian influenced renovations during the Renaissance, the French revolution, and the Treaty of Versailles.…
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Dec 30, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 17 - Want some magic de français? Come find it in Provence!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
This is the second episode in a double with Loulabelle's guest being her partner Paul. (The first is episode 16 re: Paris).
Travelling to France in 2018 in pre-COVID times hear about Lou & Paul's vacances in Provence with a week of road-tripping around Avignon.
FrancoFilers may choose to follow the conversation whilst viewing on Google Earth. This episode will take in chats about Avignon, Maubec, Gordes, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Chateauneuf-du-Pape. A week full of life changing memories of an exceptional part of the world.
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Dec 27, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 16 - Paris avec mon chéri, with all the trappings of the "city of love"!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Want ideas for a week in Paris with your chéri? Loulabelle and her partner Paul chat about their first trip to the "city of love".
A visit to Notre Dame and a climb to the spire pre-fire, plus making the most of touristy clichés are both covered in this sweet chat that also includes a visit to artists in Montmartre, lunch at Les Deux Magots, shopping and champagne atop Galeries Lafayette and living like the locals in the Marais.
Lou's fave macarons boutique "Odette" & a spell for Paul at coiffure Charlene Ramon also feature.
Take a moment to immerse and escape in the loveliness of Paris, with a recipe and French music to keep your Frenchy vibes a flutter!
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Dec 22, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 15 - Knowledge is your Superpower! Travel safety tips for all trips to France, including for a very merry 2020 French Noël!
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Join Lou and her friends for a very timely chat for the Christmas period.
Meet Rachel Kealy, founder of the Women's Self Defence Network, and host of podcast Knowledge is Your Superpower for some brilliant travel safety tips for trips to France at any time of year, but also for this 2020 Christmas.
We also check in with our French correspondent Sarah Zwick, owner of Be My Guest Immersions in the Basque region of south west France, about what's happening currently for Christmas 2020 and we learn about some beautiful traditions de Noël en France!
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Dec 13, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 14 - Getting Zen in France
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
On a French immersion trip to the south west of France, in the divinely gorgeous Saint-Jean-de-Luz, an unexpected highlight of the week was the daily early morning yoga class with Louise Godfrey. Louise has been a student and exceptional teacher of yoga for a couple of decades. We chat with Louise about teaching yoga in French, as well as two of her most wonderful French experiences. One was a visit she had to Chateau Bosgouet in Normandy, the home of author Jane Webster. The other was a stay at Plum Village, an old monastery that now focusses on mindfulness practice with teachings based on Buddhism and the art of mindful living, founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Louise shared her go-to French food she grabs as soon as she arrives in France: an almond croissant and we hear a cover of a Georges Brassens classic Je Me Suis Fait Tu Petit.
This episode also includes a check in with our regular French chatter Sarah Zwick. It wa…
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Dec 9, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 13 - Paris meanderings, family connections to Hemingway & les après-midi avec Julia Child
www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com
Feed your French soul listening to this Loulabelle's chat with Lou and her belle amie Barbara Keenan.
Barbara and Lou met when Barb came to Melbourne Australia as an exchange student from Stockton California in 1986. Both were "foodies" as well as Francophiles. In 2018 by chance they were in Paris at the same time and had an early morning coffee rendezvous to share the excitement at being in their favourite place together.
Lou & Barbara take you on a little journey with this chat, back to Paris to the place we know and love but also to the Paris of Hemingway's time. Barb is a relative of Zelda who was married to F. Scott Fitzgerald of Great Gatsby fame. The Fitzgeralds hung out with Hemingway in Paris so it was somewhat personal for Barb to want to go there.
Hear a genuine and warm chat about meandering through Paris and finding little gems off the beaten track, and out of the touristy glare, as well as a recipe for Poulet Paillard and French Chill Mus…
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Dec 6, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 12 - Gabriel Gaté - a wonderfully warm chat & a très belle French life.
When I asked Gabriel Gaté if he would chat with me for my podcast, I had no idea of the reception I would get. We have mutual friends, as the French community in Melbourne is small and tight, but I was not prepared for the wonderfully warm and generous person, who could not have been more happy to talk about his life in France, his work, his care for others and la vie quotidienne in general. In this episode FrancoFilers hear a down to earth and honest chat with Gabriel who is an internationally renowned chef, author of 23 cook books and countless recipes, a tv presenter with so many appearances including15 years of Taste of Le Tour, the segment that aired during the SBS Tour de France coverage & our Australian go-to person for French culture.
Listening to Gabriel talk about his life growing up in the Loire Valley with his grandmother who fueled his passion for food and cooking, transported me back to that region with its beautiful landscapes, markets, produce and chateaux.
He fascin…
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Dec 2, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 11 - Coco Chanel - the life, the woman, the icon.
Lou and her belle amie Sarah Zwick discuss French iconic designer Coco Chanel. She was a personal favourite for Sarah growing up in France with some of her earliest memories of her grandmother and mother always wearing Chanel No 5.
We chat about Coco's millenary, her rise to greatness with fans such as Marilyn Monroe, her impact and lasting legacy on women's fashion and her fascinating social circles including Russian Tsars.
With tips on Chanel shopping in Paris, music from the 2009 film Coco Avant Chanel (with a song famously sung by Coco herself in her youth) and a recipe to fit Coco's diet of champagne and caviar, this episode will transport to a time gone by in Paris and France.
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Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Nov 28, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 10 - Provence & Wine! A winning combination!
Romain Gouvernet is a certified sommelier and a local to the Provence wine region near Avignon, and runs the fabulous wine tour company, Provence & Wine.
In this episode of the LFF podcast Lou chats to Romain about his life growing up amongst the grapes, his passion for wine and sharing his knowledge with travelers from all over the world who come to visit this amazing region of France and do a wine tour with him in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
With music by Georges Brassens and a recipe to make at home, sit back and daydream of long summers in Provence amongst the vines!
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Nov 25, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 9 - Rural & rustic or formal & fancy? Come to the Dordogne for both!
In 2017 Lou stayed at Rosemary Vine's très chouette country house right outside the plus-beaux village of Monpazier which is a beautiful petit bastide village.
In this episode, Lou talks to Rosemary about what led to her decision to purchase a house in the Dordogne rather than any other region given that all over France is stunning and unique.
The conversation includes chats about day trips to prehistoric caves with preserved art, tiny villages, markets, a 5 or 6 course Michelin star restaurant lunch followed by a very swish boat trip and chateau visits. We also hear about a most exceptional travel experience in a farm house near Monpazier. It was a week that cemented a connection to France in the heart of Loulabelle.
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Nov 22, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 8 - Michelin Stars, French icons & cooking with lavender in Provence!
A few years back I visited Provence with my partner Paul and did a little road trip all around the area close to Avignon.
One particular day was spent cooking at Jean-Marc Villard's cooking school. Jean-Marc has decades of experience as a head chef in some of the best and Michelin star restaurants across France, as well as a long stint in the US where he brought the French cuisine to America in the early 1980s.
Prior to opening his cooking school for non-professional chefs in 2001 (first in Lyon and more recently in his home in Maubec, Provence) Jean-Marc instructed chefs at the prestigious Paul Bocuse cooking school.
For "foodie" FrancoFilers, when travelling to Provence this is an experience not to be missed!
We also hear from French Icon Pierre Perret. A wonderful tribute to the amazing singer, songwriter and performer. A tribute to his 1979 Au Cafe de Canal xx
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix o…
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Nov 18, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 7 - Jane Webster, her très belle & unique French life.
Lou chats to Jane Webster, in a wonderfully warm and honest conversation about her story, taking her young family across the world from Australia to live in France, to build a life and renovate a dilapidated château.
Jane talks of the events leading to their decision to shift to a dual continent life in a very personal way. We also hear how the family made friends with the locals when they first arrived, and adjusted to their new world. Jane has a wonderful way of painting a picture for us FrancoFilers to hold in our minds of the way her life unfolds in France, from the early morning sunrises, the pottering in her potager, the splendid daily farmers' markets and the beautiful French people who enrich her life.
Jane currently runs the château food and wine experience The French Table as well as a Château Life Residency.
I thoroughly enjoyed chatting to lovely Jane and dreaming of France for a while. Hear about the ways we can all become immersed with her at Château Bosgouet in th…
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Nov 11, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 6 - Solo in Paris? Tout à fait!
Lou shares tips for travelling solo in Paris. Where to eat? Where to stay? How to connect with locals? Lou also chats to our LFF fave Frenchy Sarah for updates on her solo travels to Pau in southwest France. Hear music by Ben Mazue and learn the history of soupe de l'onion!
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Nov 6, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 5 - Is that Paris architecture or art?
Is that Paris architecture or art? Lou chats with performer, writer and global citizen Ruby Boukabou about her French-Australian life, tapping on top of bars and writing books for us all to walk with in Paris!
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Oct 28, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 4 - Champagne in Paris? Oui!
Want to find the special and sometimes out of the way places to drink champagne in Paris? Then come on a journey with Lou and her friend Karen as they reveal their fave secret spots for a glass of bubbles in the beautiful French capital!
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Oct 25, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 3 - Explore the real and raw Paris jazz clubs!
Lou chats with her childhood friend Wendy Lee Taylor about her life in France since she moved there in her early 20s to perform at the Lido Paris. Wendy now performs with her husband Philippe in the swinging Paris jazz clubs that have been going since mid-last century. Hear her story and her performance of Deshabille Moi.
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Oct 18, 2020
Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 2 - Discovering the très belle Basque in south west France (& popping into Spain for lunch!)
Lou chats to her lovely friend, ex-French teacher and travel guide Sarah Swick about her home in the beautiful Basque region in south western France. Sarah shares a family recipe as well as the many highlights to discover when visiting the Basque! Music by Sarah's old school friend, now muso Romain Dupré.
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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Oct 8, 2020
A Perfect Paris Day avec 2 Strangers
In this very first episode of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast hear Lou chat to her friend Christina about her first trip to Paris where her love affair with France formally began! Christina gives tips for finding places to exercise and run in Paris and Lou describes a perfect day where 2 strangers left a life long impression. Listen to new French music and learn the secret to a brilliant bouillabaisse!
**
Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast.
**
Other Loulabelle's links:
*FrancoFile Fix on YouTube**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist*
*Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram**
**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website*
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