Episodi

  • Northeast France Itinerary: Lille, Metz, Nancy and Alsace, Episode 621

    Northeast France Itinerary: Lille, Metz, Nancy and Alsace, Episode 621
    Oct 25 2026
    Annie Sargent talks northeast France with Jennifer Hanniman, a Canadian living in the Netherlands. Jennifer uses Lille as her base. She shares how to see Vimy Ridge, Beaumont-Hamel and Ypres, and why you shouldn't miss the Menin Gate ceremony. Annie reveals where she found the best restaurant moules-frites she's ever had. Then they head to Metz, an underrated city. Jennifer explains why Nancy on New Year's Eve was a letdown. They finish in Alsace, where summer beats the Christmas crowds. In the magazine segment, Annie explains what happened during the October 17 protests and how to plan your trip around them. Subscribe so you don't miss next week, when listeners describe being in the middle of those protests. Table of Contents for this Episode Welcome and Introductions Today on the podcast: Northeast France Itinerary: Lille, Metz, Nancy and Alsace Podcast support Magazine segment Trip Planning vs AI Northeast France Overview Why Base in Lille Best Time to Visit North Lille Vibe and Sights Eating and Estaminets Hotel Picks and Accor Driving and Parking Tips WWI Day Trips from Lille WWI Sites Day Plan Vimy Ridge Guide Tips Metz Underrated Gem Metz Food Shops Stays Nancy Timing Weather Strasbourg Alsace Summer Wrap Up Northeast France Thank you, Patrons Ad Free Back Catalog Plan France Protests Overview Why People Are Angry Macron Response And Curfews Travel Tips During Protests Closing Notes And Next Episode Next week on the podcast Copyright More episodes about the northeast of France
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    59 min
  • Brittany Coastal Camping Guide: GR34 from Saint-Brieuc to Saint-Malo, Episode 617

    Brittany Coastal Camping Guide: GR34 from Saint-Brieuc to Saint-Malo, Episode 617
    Sep 27 2026
    Could you hike the Brittany coast with just a tent and a bus app? Jennifer Gruenke did. She walked the GR34 from Saint-Brieuc to Saint-Malo this summer and never booked a single night. Annie Sargent asks her how it worked. Jennifer explains what those campground stars really mean. She paid 8 to 20 euros a night, plus one euro for a morning croissant. She watched boats on wheels haul in mussels, walked out to a tidal island chapel, and lost cell service so completely her phone welcomed her to the UK. When the hills or the heat got too much, she hopped on a 3-euro bus. Press play, then subscribe so you don't miss next Sunday's episode. Listen to this episode ad-free Table of Contents for this Episode Today on the podcast: Brittany Coastal Camping GuidePodcast supportersMagazine segmentWelcome Back Jennifer Why Hike Brittany GR34 Timing Around Heatwaves Route Saint Brieuc to Malo What Are the GR Trails French Campsite Star System Costs Booking and Flexibility Day One Bay and Mussels Camping Village Nature dO Hard Hike or Take the BusBreizhgo Bus App Tips Finding Stops and SchedulesBus Map and GPSWho Rides and Bikes Pleneuf Val Andre Stay Moules Frites Favorites Erquy Beach and Camping Ilot Saint Michel Highlight Galettes and Breizh ColaWild Beach No Service Dogs Boats and Beach Rules Chateau de Guildo Detour Saint Jacut Tidal Flats Heatwave Skip to Saint Malo Regional Bus System AdviceFarewell and Thanks Patreon Support Thanks Seine Swimming Season Recap Elevator Outage Map App Strolling Rue du Louvre Next week on the podcast More episodes about active vacations in France
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    53 min
  • Alexandre Dumas: Adventure, Scandal, and 100,000 Pages

    Alexandre Dumas: Adventure, Scandal, and 100,000 Pages
    Jun 28 2026
    Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin dig into the life of Alexandre Dumas Père — and it's a wild ride. His grandmother was a slave. His father was the French army's first non-white general. Napoleon destroyed that father, and Dumas never forgot it. He wrote over 100 novels, went broke twice, helped unify Italy, and ran the museums of Naples — including Pompeii. Oh, and he wrote a cookbook. Elyse brings the research, Annie brings the questions, and together they make French history genuinely fun. Hit play. And if you enjoy this, subscribe — a new episode drops every Sunday. Listen to the episode ad-free Table of Contents for this Episode Today on the podcast: Alexandre Dumas Podcast supporters Magazine segment Meet Dumas A Larger Than Life Figure His Father the General Napoleon and Injustice Racism and Early Schooling Dreaming of Stories Paris and The Stage Fame Money and Excess Translations and Travels Serialized Novels Begin Collaborators and Style Breakout Novels Travel Writing Begins Debt and Coauthor Fight Theater Gamble and Backlash Exile Trips and Hugo Visit Garibaldi Adventure in Italy Return and Late Career Shift Stroke Death and Legacy Monumental Output Why Films Love Dumas Romance Action Style History Names Not Facts Panthéon Farewell Patreon Thanks and Perks France Heatwave Update Air Quality and Ozone Alerts France Air Conditioning Debate Heat Pumps and Home Comfort Environmental Concerns and Reality Travel Tips for Staying Cool Hydration and Best Travel Timing Cutting Emissions and Going Electric Newsletter and Next Episode Tease Next week on the podcast Final Thanks and Goodbye Copyright More episodes about French history #JoinUsInFrance, #FrancePodcast, #Francophile, #FranceTravelTips, #RealFrance, #AlexandreDumas, #FrenchLiterature, #ThreeMusketeers, #CountOfMonteCristo, #FrenchHistory, #HistoricalFiction, #ClassicLiterature, #FrenchCulture, #FranceTravel, #VisitFrance, #Paris, #LivingInFrance, #MovingToFrance, #TravelPodcast, #FrenchLife
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    1 ora e 1 min
  • Five Weeks Solo in Paris: 20 Museums and Hidden Gems, Episode 605

    Five Weeks Solo in Paris: 20 Museums and Hidden Gems, Episode 605
    Jul 5 2026
    Five weeks solo in Paris. Twenty museums. Four monuments. And a whole lot of surprises. Annie Sargent chats with Larry Rosenblum to talk about his trip. Larry swims in the Seine. He watches a play at the Comédie-Française through AR glasses. He tours the French Senate during Heritage Days. He even straps on VR goggles and steps straight into the Louvre's history. Larry shares his best planning tips, his favorite discovery (a fairground museum you've probably never heard of), and the one thing he wishes he hadn't skipped: Montmartre. Annie also digs into "La France Moche," the ugly side of French town entrances. Hit play, then subscribe so you don't miss next week's episode. Table of Contents for this Episode Today on the podcast: 5 weeks solo in Paris Support and Boutique Magazine segment Meet Larry Paris Stats Apart Hotel Stay Getting Around Metro Tips Solo Travel Pros Cons Swimming In The Seine Comedie Francaise AR Heritage Days Senate Postal Museum Stamps VR Louvre History Tour Segway Ride Surprise Segway Night Tour Riding Paris Bike Lanes Seine After Dark VoiceMap Tour Picks AR at Conciergerie Planning Five Weeks Packing and Safety Tips What to Skip and Return Goodbyes and Article Patreon Thanks La France Moche Explained Wrap Up and Next Week Next week on the podcasts Copyright More episodes about solo travel in France #JoinUsInFrance, #FrancePodcast, #Francophile, #FranceTravelTips, #RealFrance, #ParisTravel, #SoloTravelParis, #VisitFrance, #TravelToFrance, #ParisMuseums, #HiddenParis, #OffTheBeatenPath, #Louvre, #ComedieFrancaise, #SeineSwimming, #TravelPodcast, #FrenchCulture, #ParisVacation, #FrancophileLife, #BonjourFrance
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    57 min
  • Eugène Delacroix: The Painter Critics Loved to Hate, Episode 606

    Eugène Delacroix: The Painter Critics Loved to Hate, Episode 606
    Jul 12 2026
    Critics called his paintings smudges. He kept painting anyway. In this episode, Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin tell the story of Eugène Delacroix, the man behind Liberty Leading the People. His father left the family in debt. Géricault became his mentor. Critics attacked nearly every painting he showed. Then seven months in Morocco changed his art forever. Elyse tells the whole story, and Annie shares where to see his work in Paris, from the Louvre to Saint-Sulpice. You'll never look at Liberty Leading the People the same way. Hit play, then subscribe so you never miss an episode of Join Us in France! Table of Contents for this Episode Today on the podcast: a Brief Biography of Eugène DelacroixPodcast supportersMagazine segment Next week on the podcastMeet Delacroix Romanticism Without Boxes Critics and ControversyEarly Life and FamilySchool Music and Art Beaux Arts and Géricault Decorative Arts Hustle Copying Masters and Technique England Influence and Color Salon Debut Dante Scandal Géricault Death Turning Point Greek Tragedies and BacklashGavroche Connection England Sparks RevivalSardanapalus ScandalCritics Sting Deep July Revolution CanvasLiberty Leads PeopleCensored Then LouvreBaudelaire Backs Him Morocco Changes Everything Orientalism And AccessColor Pattern MasteryLate Fame And Murals Delacroix Paintings in Saint SulpiceJenny And Legacy Delacroix Museum TakeawayFarewell And ThanksCopyright More episodes about French Culture #JoinUsInFrance, #FrancePodcast, #Francophile, #FranceTravelTips, #RealFrance, #EugeneDelacroix, #Delacroix, #FrenchArt, #ArtHistory, #Louvre, #LibertyLeadingThePeople, #ParisMuseums, #SaintSulpice, #FrenchHistory, #ParisTravel, #VisitParis, #FranceTravel, #VisitFrance, #Romanticism, #ThingsToDoInParis
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    1 ora e 5 min
  • An Art Retreat in a Medieval Burgundy Village, Episode 607

    An Art Retreat in a Medieval Burgundy Village, Episode 607
    Jul 19 2026
    In episode 607, Annie Sargent talks with Julie Lynch, an Australian costume designer turned painter, about her week-long art retreat in Noyers, a tiny medieval village in Burgundy. Julie traded her precise, detailed style for loose, abstract landscapes made on a gel plate. She and four childhood friends painted all morning, then explored Vézelay, Avallon, and the Château d'Ancy-le-Franc in the afternoons. Annie and Julie talk about wisteria, lilacs, why reservations matter even in small villages, and why a slow retreat beats a packed itinerary. Annie also shares news about her new YouTube channel, Join Us in France Video. Press play and join them in Burgundy. Subscribe to Join Us in France so you never miss an episode. Table of Contents for this Episode Welcome to Episode 607 Today on the podcast: An Art Retreat in a Medieval Burgundy Village Listener Support and Video PlansMagazine segmentMeet Julie Lynch From Costumes to Painting Stage Costume Museum in Moulins Why Noyers in Burgundy La Porte Peinte RetreatArt Without Pressure Burgundy in Springtime Afternoon Excursions Nearby Favorite Places in FranceLife in Tiny Noyers Allotment Gardens ExplainedSharing the HarvestWhy Choose a RetreatChablis Market Day Reserve Small Town MealsMenus Without English Self Directed Art Retreat Retreat Types in France Driving and Navigation Tales Slower Travel With Age Lilacs and Village Scents Rural France Weeklong Stays Farewell and Artist Eye Patreon Thanks and Support Brittany Research Trip Plans Launching the Video Channel French Shorts and Visual GuidesSubscribe and Comment Vacation Recording Break Newsletter and Next Episode Next week on the podcastCopyright More episodes about the Burgundy area
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    58 min
  • Catherine and Marie De Medici: Queen Mothers and Kingmakers

    Catherine and Marie De Medici: Queen Mothers and Kingmakers
    Jul 26 2026
    Two Italian banker's daughters married French kings. Both ended up ruling France. Annie Sargent sits down with Elyse Rivin to sort out Catherine de' Medici and Marie de' Medici, cousins who together span the entire 1500s and into the 1600s. Catherine arrives at 15 to marry the future Henry II. She lives in the shadow of his mistress, buries three sons as kings, and holds France together through brutal religious wars. Marie marries Henry IV by proxy, gets humiliated at court, then loses him to an assassin's blade the day after her coronation. Annie and Elyse trace the schemes, the scandals, and the gardens these women left behind in Paris. Hit play. Then subscribe so you don't miss what's next. Table of Contents for this Episode Introduction Today on the podcast: Catherine and Marie De Medici Support and Announcements Magazine segment Why the Medici Women Queens and Power in France Medici Wealth and Alliances Catherine Arrives in France Diane de Poitiers Shadow Heir Crisis and Breakthrough Henry II Reigns and Tragedy Regency and First Son Charles IX and Religious Tensions Grand Tour and Civil War Marriage Politics and St Bartholomew Henry III and Catherine Final Years Valois Dynasty Ends Marie Medici Henry IV Needs an Heir Marie de Medici Chosen Proxy Wedding Shock Life at Court Humiliation Coronation Then Assassination Regency and Catholic Alliances Concini Murder and Exile Escape and Power Struggles Day of the Dupes Fallout Exile Across Europe Death and Lasting Legacy Copyright More episodes about French history
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    1 ora e 10 min
  • How We Moved to Paris: Visa, Housing, and Healthcare

    How We Moved to Paris: Visa, Housing, and Healthcare
    Aug 2 2026
    109-word iTunes description: Sacha Cohen and her husband spent two and a half years scouting France. They tried Rouen, Dijon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, and more. Then they chose Paris and moved in December 2025. Annie Sargent talks with Sacha about the whole process. They cover the long stay visitor visa, opening a French bank account, and setting up healthcare. They also dig into apartment hunting, picking an arrondissement, and the homesickness that hits even when a move goes right. Sacha shares what surprised her most about daily life in Paris. She's honest about the hard parts too. Hit play to hear how it really went. Then subscribe so you catch every new episode. Table of Content for this episode Episode Intro ents for this EpisodeToday on the podcast: We Moved to Paris! Support the PodcastMagazine segmentMeet Sacha CohenWhy Move In WinterScouting France FirstChoosing Paris Work And Midlife ReinventionBlog And Visa Choices Paperwork Stress And Language Driver License Photo Tips Banking And Healthcare Basics Homesickness And ExpectationsOpening a French Bank Finding Housing In Paris Paperwork Survival Kit Translations And Driving ProofFrance Moves Slower Renting Realities In Paris Referrals For Daily Life Healthcare Setup BasicsPlanning Your MoveRent Or Buy Strategy Arrondissement Picks And TransitResources And Wrap UpCopyright More episodes about moving to France
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    53 min