Wednesday 30 July 2008

That Sun King feeling

If you've never been to the Château de Versailles, whose huge hall of mirrors and golden gate have recently been returned, at great cost, to their former glory – this will whet your appetite. Of course, the gardens aren't too shabby either. I'm sure the numerous bewigged Louis' would approve.

If you are planning a visit, I can strongly recommend a stroll around the town's market (one of the finest I've seen in France) and a half-day here.

Monday 28 July 2008

For lovers of France

Bonjour and bienvenue to my spanking new blog about all things French. If you are a Francophile like me, or you just love visiting this fantastic country, then please bookmark this page and pop back regularly. I will be posting updates on travel and holidays, the property scene, food, wine, cultural matters and much more!

As the Editor of French Magazine and the French Government Tourist Office's Traveller in France, not only am I lucky enough to visit France on a regular basis (in the name of research for features, bien sûr!), but I also get wind of all manner of tips and hints on visiting our cross-Channel neighbours. Thanks to my extensive contacts in the travel industry, I will be able to provide exclusive information on great holiday bargains and offers, and can tell you about them before they ever make it into the printed magazine.

Of course, the key to this blog is your invaluable input, so please do join in by adding your comments. I'd love to hear about your recent or upcoming trips to France, and hope that you will share your insights on great places to stay, to eat and to visit. For starters, can anyone tell me where I should head for a great meal in La Rochelle? I am off there in a few weeks.

Now, in a blatant bit of self-promotion, can I point you to the latest issue of French Magazine – the UK's biggest and best glossy magazine for lovers of France is on sale 7th August and sports a lovely new look.

We’ve been plotting our little spruce up for a while now, with Art Editor Nathalie working very hard on new designs and myself and the rest of the editorial team coming up with new features that reflect what you, the reader, most want from us – a clear, informative and stylish read on all things French. We hope you like it – it would mean a lot to us to hear your thoughts.

So what’s new? In addition to the usual in-depth articles (you might try the Loire, Gironde, Rouen and a brief history of French street names for starters), we’ve a few new treats for you. Our 10 reasons to visit... series begins in Brittany, while our regular history lesson starts with Louis XIV.

Each month, we will recommend an eco-friendly French getaway in our new Joie de Vivre page (p12), which also sees a reader tell us why they love France so much. Drop us a line, and it could be you in the spotlight next month! Finally, our new Taste of the Terroir series looks at regional food and wine of the Aude in Languedoc, and the importance of keeping things local.


Don’t forget to enter our Condor Ferries competition (www.holidays2france.com/competitions/) or to take advantage of our brilliant subscriptions offer – lovely free Louis Jadot wine is in the offing. This, as we know in these trying, credit-crunchy times, is a rarity indeed! To subscribe to French Magazine, visit www.merricksmagazines.co.uk and for all the latest property news, visit www.homesworldwide.co.uk

Thanks for reading and come back soon – don't forget to bookmark!

Justin