Join Us in France Travel Podcast

Join Us in France Travel Podcast My guest today is Christine Hegerty from Australia, and she joins me today to talk about visiting Southern France in winter. They started their trip in Nice and exited via the Basque Country, so they really went all the way across. What is it like in France in the winter? Are the weather conditions good enough for touring? Aren't most attractions closed? Christine answers all my questions and brings a lot of zest and astute observations about France in the winter. Places Mentioned in this Episode: Nice, Toulouse, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Nîmes, Pont du Gard, Uzès, Montpellier, Carcassonne, Mirepoix, Forges de Pyrène, Grotte de Niaux, Foix, Camon (09), Rennes-le-Château, Carla-Bayle, Grotte du Mas d'Asil, Toulouse,  Albi and the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, Cordes-sur-Ciel, Moissac, Bordeaux, San-Sebastian, New Caledonia Episode Highlights with Timestamps [7'15] Why did you choose to come to France in the winter? [8'50] What sort of weather did you encounter? [10'30] Flying into Nice instead of Paris [12'30] Finding accommodations where we could park a car + using a car elevator in Toulouse [15'] A lovely cooking class in Nice [22'] Panisse and Socca, food specialties from Nice [23'] Aix-en-Provence and Marseille by Regional Bus [24'] Cours Mirabeau, Les Deux Garçons, and the Christmas Market in Aix-en-Provence [24'45] A day in Marseille: Musée d'Histoire de Marseille, great street for restaurants, rue Sainte, lunch at Les Echevins (best steak ever says John!), [28'30] Walking tour with a volunteer greeter, meeting on Quai des Belges in Marseille, a look at the Mirror Pavilion by Foster [30'] Musée Archéologique de Marseille in Le Panier [31'45] Marseille City Greeters [33'06] Lovely Tea House called Cup of Tea, tea shop and book shop [34'] Great food in Marseille, and not just Bouillabaisse! [35'] The realities of planing a trip from home vs. taking the trip: cutting things out [36'] Worries about leaving luggage in the car and Annie's recommendation about that [37'48] Two nights in Nîmes and what they loved about it: les Arênes de Nîme, la Maison Carrée [39'] Carré d'Art by Norman Foster in Nîmes, a great place for photography, among other things [40'] Stumbling Upon a light show projected on the Maison Carrée in Nîmes. This happens a lot around Christmas, not just in Nîmes, but in other French cities too. [42'] Around Christmas is busy for people, but tourist attractions are empty. [43'] Pont du Gard and getting lost looking for it. Don't set your GPS to the village called Vers-Pont-du-Gard. Set your GPS to either the attraction called Pont du Gard OR the village of Remoulins or Collias. [46'] Lunch at Uzès on Place  Aux Herbes, great place to spend a couple of hours. [47'] Tour Magne, Le Jardin de la Fontaine, le Temple de Diane in Nîmes [48'] Montpellier, a large and charming city. Air B&B apartment that used to be a butcher's shop for one night. [50'] Musée du Vieux Montpellier, running into churches with Crêches and Santons, and [50'30] More podcast listeners eating at L'Entrecôte, they should sponsor the show! [52'] What's nearby? Sète, Camargue [53'30] Daylight hours are shorter in winter, fewer hours for touring. [53'47] Christmas in Carcassonne, lunch at the Michelin Star at the Hôtel de la Cité, La Barbacane. [57'39] Carcassonne is not busy and crowded in the winter, and certainly not on Christmas Day! [58'33] The Christmas Market in Carcassonne. [62'] Staying in Mirepoix for one week. [65'] New Year's Even in Mirepoix, le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre with a group of all-French people who didn't speak English! <--Funny [68'] Typical New Year's Eve celebrations in France [72'] Attractions near Mirepoix: Montsegur (Cathat, hike), Les Forges de Pyrène (demonstrations of old techniques), Grotte de Niaux (painted caves), Foix (hike). [78'] Most Beautiful Villages in France: Camon. Beautiful but completely empty this time of year. This is an obvious problem with visiting southern France in winter: many things are closed! [80'] The Arriège is a part of France that doesn't get a lot of tourists any time of the year, and in the middle of the winter, you have to find ways to keep busy. [81'] Market Day in Mirepoix is Monday, the town comes to life. Visiting Rennes-le-Château, must read-up on the conspiracy theories. Pack a picnic! [83'] Even in a remote part of France that is not very touristy, the food is quite good. [84'] Visiting Carla-Bayle and the Grotte du Mas d'Asil on the way to Toulouse. Don't go in the middle of the winter, it's empty! [86'] Toulouse is like a small little Paris, a lot of life, even in the middle of the winter. [88'] Going to Albi and the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, Cordes-sur-Ciel (Cordes is also dead in the winter!) [89'] Museums in Toulouse: Natural History Museum, Musée Saint-Raymond, Basilique Saint-Sernin, Musée des Augustins, Musée des Abatoirs, Les Jacobins where Saint-Thomas Aquinas is buried. [91'] Which Toulouse Cloister is nicest: Jacobins or Augustins? [93'] General observation about French Museums: they are well curated. [94'] Go to the big open-air food market in Toulouse (Marché du Cristal, 33 boulevard de Strasbourg), every morning. [97'] WizEat in Toulouse and the Toulouse accent. [100'] Stop in Moissac to visit the chruch with beautiful cloister--but the cloister was closed on a Saturday morning (again, an issue with visiting southern France in winter). [102'] Bordeaux: swapping the red stone of Toulouse for the white stone of Bordeaux. [104'] The shopping areas were busy in Bordeaux (probably due to sales coming up, people like to "stake-out" the stores where they want to go back on the day when sales start. [104'30] Attractions in Bordeaux: Saint-André Cathedral, Flea Market near the Saint-Michel Church, Marché des Capucins (covered market). [115'] Instead of walking to the Cité du Vin, they took a ferry which gave them a great perspective on the city. [118'] For a great view, go up the Tour Saint-Andrée, fantastic at sunset time. [118'40] Another great thing to do at dusk in Bordeaux is to go to Place de la Bourse to see the water mirror. [120'] Taking the bus between Bordeaux and Saint-Sebastian. They used OuiBus and had a good experience. The bus took them through several cities between Bordeaux and Saint-Sebastian and they enjoyed seeing them briefly. Christine recommends taking the bus. [126'] New Caledonia, also in France, even though it's close to Australia. To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook THANK YOU for listening to the show!

Welcome France FAQ #1, a short mini-podcast that will periodically appear in between regular Join Us in France episodes.  If you’re subscribed to the Join Us in France Travel Podcast, which you should be if you don’t want to miss anything, the France FAQ will magically appear in your podcasting app, just like any episode of Join Us in France. A transcript of this short is here.  Au revoir, bonne journée !

Join Us in France Travel Podcast   Places mentioned in this episode: Toulouse, Aeroscopia, Airbus, Bonrepos-Riquet, Carcassonne, Mirepoix, Albi, Cordes-sur-Ciel, Château de Saurs, Cahors, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Puycelsi, Penne, Bruniquel, Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val Episode Highlights [53”] Thank you Patreon Supporters! New installment of Lunch-Break French. [1’56] Resources to Get Started in French: Duolingo App, Coffee Break French, Lawless French. [2’46] Extended Show Notes will be out within a few days [5’15] Related Episodes: Episode 43 on Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and Episode 62 on Cahors in the Lot [6’] Annie’s Personal Update: How Easter works in France [7’10] I invite you to connect with me and the Join Us in France community on Facebook. [7’55] Start Annie and Elyse Conversation [8’25] Tour the South West of France with Annie and Elyse! [10’14] Visit Aeroscopia and Airbus [10’44] The Tour will also take us to the Pierre-Paul Riquet Château (Bonrepos-Riquet) [11’08] Carcassonne and Mirepoix [11’39] The tour will take us to Albi [12’] Cordes-sur-Ciel [12’40] Wine Tasting at the Château de Saurs [13’] Informal French Class [14’31] Cahors and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie [14’55] Why We Can Only Have 7 People [16’40] Introduction to Puycelsi, Penne and Bruniquel [18’36] Puycelsi [22’51] La Forêt de Grésigne [26’13] The War Against the Cathars, Raymond VI and Baudouin de Toulouse [29’38] Glass-making in this area [30’56] Small Place Yet Full of History [32’27] Next Stop: the Village of Bruniquel [35’34] Bruniquel and Queen Brunehilde [43’40] Stop in Penne if Time Permits [44’53’] Last stop of the day in Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val [50’] The Hundred Foot Journey Was Shot in Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val [52’15] A Day Tour of the Medieval Riches of Gorgeous Villages Near Toulouse [52’43] All the details of the tour the south west of france with Annie and Elyse  are on Addicted to France  To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook THANK YOU for listening to the show!

Join Us in France Travel Podcast In this episode Annie and Elyse discuss one of the lesser known parts of France, but at the same time an area that is full of wonderful surprises and genuine culture. You will love the gastronomy, you'll get to see how they make Roquefort Cheese up-close, it is a great choice if you're traveling with children, and if you've always wanted to learn more about the Knight Templars, you're in for a treat! And, of course, the biggest, tallest bridge ever built, the Millau Viaduct. When discussing the Millau Viaduct, it is almost impossible to not over-use superlatives; but it is truly the tallest, biggest, most impressive bridge you may ever get to see in your life!  People flock to see it and it never fails to surprise and delight. In today's show Annie tells you the story of the Millau Viaduct and its construction while Elyse concentrates on the geography and history of the area, as well as the many points of interest that you should consider visiting while in the area. Places Mentioned in this episode: Millau, Gorges du Tarn, La Couvertoirade a Knight Templars village,The Abbey de Sylvanès, Parc Naturel des Grands Causses, Millau Viaduct To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook THANK YOU for listening to the show!

Join Us in France Travel Podcast This episode is full of great honeymoon ideas for people who want to have the best of both worlds: a vacation where you explore a new country and city, plus spend plenty of time relaxing at the beach and enjoying one another's company. In the episode Romantic Paris, Gary told us about their time in Paris, but as fun as that was, Gary and Leslie also wanted to spend time on the Mediterranean Sea. Why? Because that's where all the celebrities love to go because it is so scenic and pleasant. So, settle in with the drink of you choice and find some of the best honeymoon ideas for 2017! If you like this episode and want to visit the French Riviera, you should also listen to Episode 118 and Episode 37 about Marseilles; Episode 33 on Aix-en-Provence; Episode 83 about the Baux-de-Provence, the Lubéron and the Abbey de Sénanque. Hotel recommended in this episode: Hôtel La Pérouse in Nice. To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook THANK YOU for listening to the show!

Join Us in France Travel Podcast Who hasn't day-dreamed about hiking or biking through the French countryside? Stephanie, Dawn, Krista and Barb made it come true and in late September 2016 flew to France to do some hiking around Bordeaux. They used a tour company that sold them maps and arranged for accommodations, breakfast and dinner, as well a arranged for their luggage to be transported to their next stop every day. They would rather not name the company, so we'll keep that vague on purpose. All they had to do is walk. And get lost. But they had a fun time all the same and they explain all about their adventure in today's episode. This episode is for anyone who wants to have an active vacation in France, and if you like this episode, you should also listen to Episode 52, Cycling in France with Marion Clignet and Episode 40 on Saint-Émilion, Episode 44 on Bordeaux. For more information on the specifics of what Stephanie and Dawn did, please take a look at their travel blog. To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook THANK YOU for listening to the show!

Join Us in France Travel Podcast Today, Elyse and Annie want you to meet someone amazing. Let's see if you can guess who it is: He changed linguistics forever. He was an Egyptologist. He was born in Figeac, France, a small town in the Southwest. Did you guess Jean-François Champollion? That's correct! Champollion is the reason most people visit Figeac today. Either that or they have a job in aeronautics. Figeac is a small town in the middle of nowhere, completely off the beaten track, but we wanted to tell you about the top attractions in Figeac today because we happen to love it and we want to share. The Champollion Museum is also outstanding and we tell you why in the episode. Enjoy! To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook THANK YOU for listening to the show!

Join Us in France Travel Podcast This episode spells out all the differences between the Paris Metro and the Paris Bus, down to the small details that happen to matter a lot! This is all based on my recent personal experience. To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes for this episode where you can all all those strange French words spelled out. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook THANK YOU for listening to the show!

Join Us in France Travel Podcast Maybe you're financially challenged at the moment, maybe you're bringing your kids and don't need or want anything fancy. Maybe you're just the kind of person, like me, who likes to feel like you got great value for your dollar, maybe this is a business trip and your boss is cheap.  No matter what your situation is, if you want to come to Paris without burning an irreparable hole into your bank account, this episode is for you! To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook THANK YOU for listening to the show!

Join Us in France Travel Podcast Warning, the episode spills the beans about what happens in the book. If you don't want to hear the spoilers, skip between 4'50" and 17' If you loved the book All the Light We Cannot See by Anthoy Doerr and you are thinking of visiting the lovely city of Saint-Malo where a lot of the book takes place, this episode is exactly p your alley. In this episode, Sophie Moran, an Australian native who recently moved to France for work, shares how she spent a week-end exploring the Saint-Malo area, especially as it relates to the book All the Light We Cannot See. Hotels recommended by Sophie in this episode: Château Hôtel du Colombier (her favorite), Grand Hotel des Thermes (also a Spa).   To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook THANK YOU for listening to the show!