Shows
Loulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle heads off on a girls' roadtrip across the southern regions of France!Forget Thelma and Louise, this is the story of Simone and Louise heading across the southern regions of France from Bayonne to Provence!We started our adventures in Paris, then the Basque region, then across in an easterly direction to Cahors, Uzès, the Pont-du-Gard, the tiny village of Mollégès (which we used as a base to visit Eygalières, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, L’Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue, Gordes, the Abbey de senanque and Avignon) before heading to the next part of my journey in Lyon.Head to the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website for more info and details but her...
2023-11-1222 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesNot 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!*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...
2023-03-1746 min
Loulabelle’s FrancoFilesChâteau 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 n...
2023-03-1253 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesThe 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.**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...
2023-03-0628 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesEnjoying 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 exp...
2023-03-0250 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesHaving 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 o...
2023-02-2426 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesThis 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...
2023-02-191h 01Loulabelle’s FrancoFilesI 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 e...
2023-02-1645 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesMy 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 Y...
2023-02-1158 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesThe 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...
2023-02-0856 min
Loulabelle’s FrancoFilesTaste 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 als...
2023-02-0451 min
Loulabelle’s FrancoFilesSelling 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!
2023-02-0126 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 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...
2023-01-0548 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 87 - Lyon: Traboules, Bouchons & the Fête des LumièresLoulabelle'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 WebsiteIf 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! Recently I have been travelling on a won...
2022-12-1828 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 aro...
2022-12-0836 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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*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...
2022-12-0339 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 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...
2022-11-2744 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle'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...
2022-11-1846 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles websiteLorena 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 t...
2022-11-1035 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 81 - Love In ProvenceLoulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles websiteAuthor 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 t...
2022-11-0543 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 websiteThis 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.
2022-10-2939 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 websiteFrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramOver 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 w...
2022-10-2255 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles websiteAshley 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...
2022-10-1539 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelles 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 M...
2022-10-0952 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 WebsiteThe 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 C...
2022-09-3034 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 websiteThe 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.
2022-09-2328 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 InstagramLoulabelle'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! Yolaine Corbin was born and grew up in Orleans south of Pari...
2022-09-1759 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles websiteEpisode 73William 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 Fra...
2022-09-0936 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 72 - Escape FROM France!Loulabelle's FrancoFiles is hosted by Louise Prichard.Other Loulabelle's links:FrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles websiteEpisode 72Christine 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 v...
2022-09-0244 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 71 - Ooooh la la! Feeling the Fêtes de Bayonne!Loulabelle's FrancoFiles hosted by Louise Prichard.Loulabelle's FrancoFiles websiteFrancoFile Fix on YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramRecently 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 medi...
2022-08-2324 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 70 - Dreaming of a Château...Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Episode 70 - Dreaming of a Château...**Hosted by Louise Prichard**Loulabelle's FrancoFiles WebsiteLoulabelle'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 scree...
2022-07-1250 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesBest 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 a...
2022-06-1930 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 68 - The sparkly side of France's creative heart in Cannes 🌟www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com*Hosted by Louise Prichard*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...
2022-05-2235 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 67 - So you're ready to return to France? Moi aussi!www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com*Hosted by Louise Prichard*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 i...
2022-05-1522 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 66 - A French life that's Fabulously Delicious!www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com*Hosted by Louise Prichard*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...
2022-05-0338 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 65 - Escape to the Château! If you can dream it, you can do it!www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com**Hosted by Louise PrichardAs 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...
2022-04-0338 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 64 - French Hack tips & memories of carefree France!www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com **Hosted by Louise PrichardLou 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 "pa...
2022-03-2935 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 63 - Some petit Paris inspo for everyday!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comHosted by Louise PrichardKate 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...
2022-03-2031 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 62 - Montmartre local's tales: Dalida, Bresse chicken & Chamonix solowww.loulabellesfrancofiles.com Hosted by Louise PrichardProfessor 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...
2022-02-2232 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 61 - After the war. One woman's story of the raw, beautiful, real Paris.www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com *Loulabelle's FrancoFiles on Instagram - @loulabelles_francofiles *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...
2022-02-0448 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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...
2022-01-2635 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 ye...
2022-01-1547 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 wa...
2022-01-0337 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 heari...
2021-12-2126 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 t...
2021-12-2040 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 55 - A life changing leap to Paris perfection ❤️www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comKatherine 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...
2021-11-2841 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 54 - SacreBlue! Loulabelle's is officially on board, keeping our Frenchy vibes going with the Aussie French Embassy!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comSo 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 Fre...
2021-11-1543 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 53 - Belonging to France - one woman's out of the box experience!www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.comKerry 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 F...
2021-10-2338 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 52 - Baby et Lulu - sexy & sassy avec a French afternoon delight!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comAbby 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 d...
2021-10-0945 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 51 - Absolutely Champers! Loulabelle, Karen et bubbles galore!🥂🍾🥂www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comMy 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 R...
2021-09-2729 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 50 - A Stolen Lady, handmade parapluies, art history & jam! A très beau chat with novelist Laura Morelli!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comI 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 wonde...
2021-09-2138 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 lov...
2021-09-1220 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 48 - Les Jeux Olympiques! Inspiration now, then and in 2024!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comIn 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 p...
2021-09-0233 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 47 - Living in Versailles avec vintage Marie Antoinette! With pastries to make a queen swoon!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comMolly 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...
2021-08-2534 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 46 - Floating on the Canal du Midi! A barge holiday extraordinaire 😍www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comI 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...
2021-08-1627 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 V...
2021-08-0652 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFIles Ep 44 - When Bastille Day is not Bastille Day - c'est quatorze juillet! The history, the celebrations, the music!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comJ'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 i...
2021-07-2722 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 43 - Finding dragonflies & dreams, renovating a 300 year old maison in Burgundy!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comLindy 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 he...
2021-07-1741 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 42 - Le Tour de France through French eyes!www.LoulabellesFrancoFiles.com.auJ'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...
2021-07-0527 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 41 - Paris time travel - the gorgeous chateaux tell their story ❤️www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comThis 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...
2021-06-2735 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 40 - The secret treats found when Spring cleaning and then Summer en France!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comSpring 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...
2021-06-2026 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 39 - "But You Are In France Madame!"www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comAuthor 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...
2021-06-0944 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 38 - Thomas Pesquet - French astronaut legend, space DJ & all round nice guy!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comThomas 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 da...
2021-05-3022 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 P...
2021-05-2329 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 36 - One family's journey from Bondi to Paris!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comI 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 b...
2021-05-1522 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 35 - Très beaux rewarding memories, Paris avec my bubbas!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comFrance 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...
2021-05-0621 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 34 - Take a trip to the Dordogne avec Loulabelle!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comIn 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 vil...
2021-04-2522 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 33 - Films de français to keep FrancoFilers' Frenchy vibes fluttering!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comI 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 l...
2021-04-2015 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 32 - Ice cream profiteroles and other treasured souvenirs de France!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comNathalie 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...
2021-04-1226 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 31 - Pâques, printemps & celebrating a 600 year old festival!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comFrance 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”, meanin...
2021-03-2321 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 30 - Honeymoon en France! Paris for love & Provence for romance!❤️www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comIn 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...
2021-03-1830 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle’s FrancoFiles ep 29 - Paris memories, Mont St Michel & more of my Papa's French faves xxwww.loulabellesfrancofiles.comMy 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 t...
2021-03-0728 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 28 - Finding harmony in Paris - the simple joie de vivre ♥️www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comI 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 i...
2021-02-2832 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 re...
2021-02-2433 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 26 - Some musical healing après un COVID Paris.www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comWay 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 com...
2021-02-2023 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 25 - Paris secrets & stories avec a Hemingway!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comClaudine 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 m...
2021-02-1035 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 24 - Paris dreaming - rooftops, petit déjeuner & true lifetime friends!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comExplore 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 t...
2021-01-3023 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 23 - Escape to the mysterious & fairytale-like Loire Valley avec toute ma famille!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comHear 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! T...
2021-01-2328 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 22 - The delicious hidden nooks & crannies of Paris avec ma belle amie xxwww.loulabellesfrancofiles.comMy 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 p...
2021-01-1827 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 21 - Keeping our French vibes going! Debi Lilly is bringing the best of France to enjoy at home.www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comLoulabelle 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...
2021-01-1430 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 20 - The low down on the real French life for Emily in Paris!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comWant 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...
2021-01-1028 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 19 - A wish come true! A teenage Christmas in France!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comEmbarking 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 F...
2021-01-0721 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 18 - The ultimate dreamlike escape... Versailles.www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comThis 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 y...
2021-01-0425 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 17 - Want some magic de français? Come find it in Provence!www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comThis 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 hos...
2020-12-3028 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 Charlen...
2020-12-2722 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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.comJoin 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 N...
2020-12-2231 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 14 - Getting Zen in FranceLoulabelle's FrancoFiles www.loulabellesfrancofiles.comOn 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...
2020-12-1321 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Ep 13 - Paris meanderings, family connections to Hemingway & les après-midi avec Julia Childwww.loulabellesfrancofiles.comFeed 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...
2020-12-0924 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 c...
2020-12-0629 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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) an...
2020-12-0217 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 s...
2020-11-2822 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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...
2020-11-2521 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 i...
2020-11-2217 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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...
2020-11-1825 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles web...
2020-11-1125 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website
2020-11-0722 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles website
2020-10-2818 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram
2020-10-2522 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesLoulabelle'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 YouTubeLoulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles InstagramLoulabelle's FrancoFiles web...
2020-10-1824 minLoulabelle’s FrancoFilesA Perfect Paris Day avec 2 StrangersIn 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...
2020-10-0821 min