Join Us in France Travel Podcast

Carl Carlson tells us about the leisurely trip through France he took with his wife in 2021. They have visited France every year for the last 30 years and have only skipped in 2020 (pandemic oblige), that's how much they enjoy France! Carl has a keen eye for great hotels and restaurant (listed below). We also talk about the joy of getting lost in Paris, the lovely river walk in Bordeaux, a great B&B in Bergerac, and his favorite place in France: Sancerre. Episode Page | Boutique | Newletter | Facebook Accommodations recommended in this episode Carl likes to stay at the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile because Porte Maillot is nearby and it's an easy place to pickup a rental car. It also makes it easy to rent a car in Paris and not drive through central Paris, which is difficult when you're not used to driving in France. The old manor house maison d'hôtes called Clos D'Argenson in Bergerac. Room with a large sitting area, large bathroom, laverie and Carrefour Market nearby, comfortable beds, and an incredible breakfast. L’Esplanade hotel in Domme. A nice hotel with a marvelous restaurant. A tad expensive, but the dining room is lovely, the view is great, the food is great, a favorite of French people as well as Anglos. Château de la Bourdaisière near Tours: gorgeous XV century chateau in an outstanding setting. This would be a lovely "pied à terre" to explore the Loire area. Discussed in this Episode [00:04:39] Travel to France during Covid [00:05:53] The Advantages of staying near Porte Maillot at the Hyatt Regency [00:07:28] Sébillon Restaurant [00:09:20] Getting the Health Pass for France [00:10:46] The Apple Store on the Champs Elysées [00:12:07] Getting lost in Paris [00:13:32] Train to Bordeaux and a walk along the Garonne [00:16:08] Driving to Bergerac and stay at a beautiful Maison d'Hôtes [00:21:51] Why choose a B&B over a hotel [00:22:54] Spending a few days in Bergerac [00:25:36] Bergerac to Domme [00:27:49] The market in Sarlat [00:29:21] Getting all "ducked-out" [00:32:24] Covid rules enforcement in France [00:33:14] Driving to Sancerre [00:35:00] Château de la Bourdaisière near Tours in the Loire Valley [00:40:00] Reading French restaurant menus [00:40:29] Why is wine so cheap at everyday French restaurants? [00:45:12] How to ask for restaurant recommendations from French people [00:48:53] Thank you patrons and donors! [00:49:57] This week in French news and pandemic news [00:54:54] French tip of the week Can you name the two new bits of music in this episode? The first 10 people to send an email to annie@joinusinfrance.com identifying them correctly will receive a podcast sticker in the mail!

Porcelain is one of those things that we all take for granted. Some of us are collectors, but most of us (Annie included!) couldn't tell the difference porcelain and  ceramic before this episode. Then you also have "faïence" (earthenware) in its many forms. Some of us have a favorite cup, some of us keep precious pieces handed down from loved ones. On today's episode Elyse Rivin shares a primer on French porcelain. She tells us how a French man broke Chinese secrets and how French manufactures finally started making fine porcelain. And there is no doubt that French Kings favored cities like Sèvres and Limoges that made gorgeous pieces for the royal table. Episode Page | Show Notes | Transcript Do you like to adorn your table with gorgeous pieces? Of all the things you might want to buy while in France, porcelain is not the easiest to transport, but it is definitely made in France (unlike many of the tourist trinkets you'll find everywhere). In the show notes you'll see a list of all the places in France where you can buy these porcelain products at the source. Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking Grab a cup of tea in your favorite fancy china and let's learn about the history of French porcelain! More episodes about French history

Have you ever thought of doing a river cruise? My guest on this episode of the podcast went on a pilgrimage cruise that took her to Paris, Rouen and Lisieux among other places and it was a great way to enjoy France. She did this with her childhood best friend, leaving husbands and children at home. They had a wonderful time and learned a lot about their French heritage. Let's talk about it! #joinusinfrance A full transcript of this episode is available here: https://joinusinfrance.com/transcript/372/ Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/episode/cruise-and-pilgrimage-on-the-seine-river/ Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking

    Full show notes for this episode are here: Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking Today Annie Sargent brings you a conversation with Keri Maher about her new book The Paris Bookseller. I wanted to talk to Keri because I really enjoyed her book about Shakespeare and Company, the iconic bookstore in Paris. It’s a fascinating story as you will see. After the interview you'll hear Annie's personal update and news about travel to France. This podcast is supported by donors and listeners who buy my tours and services, including my very popular itinerary planning service. You can browse all of that at Annie’s Boutique. You can follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter. Another great way to stay in touch with travel and podcast news and with the podcast is to sign up for the newsletter. The Paris Bookseller The Paris Bookseller starts with the story of two women in the early 1900s. They are in love and start an exciting project: open a bookstore for English books in Paris. As their project gets off the ground they rub shoulders with the legends of the Lost Generation: Ernest Hemmingway, Gertrude Stein and the most central of all: James Joyce. Walk the Latin Quarter with the legendary founder of Shakeaspeare & Company, Silvia Beach. Annie was enchanted by the world of the formidable woman who was the force behind the publication of Ulysse's and the amazing cast of characters who surrounded her.   Category: French Culture

Annie's List of Best Gallo-Roman Sites in France Today Pont du Gard Nîmes Arles Périgueux La Turbie Saint Rémy de Provence Orange (especially to see a show in the Roman theater) Cluny Museum and Arènes de Lutèce in Paris This episode features my frequent guest Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website and you can also support her on Patreon. Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/episode/best-gallo-roman-sites-in-france/ Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking  

Is Périgueux on your list of places you might like to visit in France? It's indeed a great city with roots into the times of the Roman "occupation" of France and a beautiful Renaissance neighborhood. The area is famous for its gastronomy and pleasant way of life. Let's get the names straight first. Périgueux is in the Périgord, and isn't that a tongue twister for English speakers? But today it's in the department of the Dordogne and the New Aquitaine region, which means it falls under the jurisdiction of Bordeaux for administrative purposes. Long ago the name Périgord covered all the lands that belonged to the counts of Périgord and so you'll find both names to this day: Dordogne and Périgord. The city today is about 65,000 people within city limits and 150,000 if you count all the towns that surround it, so it's a medium size French city. This episode features my frequent guest Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website and you can also support her on Patreon. Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/episode/the-best-of-perigueux-france/ Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking

Where should you go to enjoy the best of Christmas in Paris? In this episode of the podcast Annie and Elyse roll out all the best ideas: Streets for Christmas shopping in Paris Christmas markets Christmas concerts Where to attend Christmas Mass How restaurants work on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve What's open on Christmas in Paris and more! More episodes about Christmas in France #joinusinfrance This episode features my frequent guest Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website and you can also support her on Patreon. Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/episode/how-to-enjoy-the-best-of-christmas-in-paris Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking  

The Terror (1793-1794) is a confusing part of the French Revolution. What happened? What started it? Why? Historian Suzanne Levin explains and gives us the context we need to understand these events. There is a tendency to talk about the Terror as if it was happening in a vacuum, but it was far from that. It's a little bit complicated, but it makes sense once you learn about it. To see the transcript of this episode, go to the show notes. Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking Discussed in this Episode The Terror is a construct [03:27] Repression linked to crisis [03:59] High-profile people were the victims of the repression in this case [07:14] Recalling Deputies who went against their mandates [09:00] Trouble with provincial bourgeoisie [10:19] This was the age of Revolutions and not just in France [11:55] Reforms made in 1793 and 1794 that were ahead of their time [12:59] The Terror was both the height of repression and of the democratic movement [14:02] Who's a Revolutionary and who's a Counter-Revolutionary? [14:47] Mirabeau and the Pantheon [15:33] The inability to be openly against the Revolution [17:10] The legislative branch over the executive branch [22:23] Revolutionary Tribunal [23:47] Representatives on mission [24:34] Arrests begin [26:17] Law of Prairial [27:15] The law of suspects [29:03] Fourty thousand fell during the Terror [30:33] The role and donwfall of Robespierre [33:44] Why was Robbespierre arrested [37:17] Was Robespierre a dictator? [43:42] Why did the legend of the Terror persist? [44:51]

My guest on this episode of the podcast is historian Suzanne Levin and we discuss common misconceptions about the French Revolution. Questions we tackle about the French Revolution The French Revolution didn't happen in a vacuum. In this episode, let's set the stage for what happened and why. In the "pop history" version of the French Revolution there is a tendency to compress events into ridiculous simplifications such as "one day peasants got angry and started chopping the heads of Royalty, the end." Another version goes a little more in-depth. The way the French Revolution is often taught is that there are 3 moments: 1789 where all the big events happened (Estates General, Tennis Court Oath, Bastille, Women's March on Versailles) Jump four years to 1793 -1794 with Robespierre who made himself a dictator and chopped off the heads of anyone who disagreed with him. Overthrown and a weak government with a military dictatorship. What we're trying to do with this episode is fill in many important details while still keeping an eye on the big picture. A Brief Explainer of the French Revolution In this episode Suzanne Levin sets the stage for the French Revolution, and touches upon all of the following questions. What are the 3 estates and what's at stake for all 3 groups? What did French peasants want? What mattered most to them and how do we know that? Did they king pay any attention to the demands of his people? Is it true that there were vastly different rules depending on where you lived in France? Did each area have its own money and measurement system? What were the different "parlements"? Why were people supposed to represent themselves in criminal court? Did Marie-Antoinette ever say "let them eat cake"? When they wrote the first Constitution a major question was the role of the king. Was he supposed to get a large stipend? A cabinet? Veto power? Would Louis XVI accept a role as a constitutional monarch? Why did the king and most aristocrats not accept even moderate reforms? Was this a peasant Revolution or a Parisian Revolution? What was the worst decision Louis XVI made? What made people wonder if we needed a king at all? What was the role of the émigrés? Why did the revolutionaries declare war on Austria? What was Lafayette's role in all of this? What about the clergy? Why didn't the king just default on the debt? Why was the church so rich in France? We end this first part of our conversation on how France now has foreign wars, civil war and an Assembly who wants a way to retaliate. They want to punish  generals who help the enemy rather than obey orders, put an end to all the corruption scandals, etc. More episodes about French history   Full show notes for this episode are here: Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking

Josephine Baker, performer, entrepreneur, mother and war heroine was a force to reckon with. She rose from poverty in America into fame and success by the time she was in her mid-20s in France. On this episode of the podcast, Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin talk about her amazing life and why you should visit the Château des Milandes in the Dordogne where she lived for 20 years. We also discuss the reason why it's so significant that she's entering the Pantheon today. This episode features my frequent guest Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website and you can also support her on Patreon. Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/365 Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking