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Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles
Podcast

Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles

By Lou
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In Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles we chat about all things “français” to get your Frenchy vibes happening here at home in Australia or wherever you are around the world! We will hear tips and ideas that aren’t in the tourist brochures from various podcast guests living both in Aus and France. Join us on a journey to be immersed in a variety of French experiences to brighten and enrich the dullest of days and daydream of fun in France! À bientôt, loulabellesfrancofiles.com

In Loulabelle’s FrancoFiles we chat about all things “français” to get your Frenchy vibes happening here at home in Australia or wherever you are around the world! We will hear tips and ideas that aren’t in the tourist brochures from various podcast guests living both in Aus and France. Join us on a journey to be immersed in a variety of French experiences to brighten and enrich the dullest of days and daydream of fun in France! À bientôt, loulabellesfrancofiles.com

197
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A local's glimpse of France in the lead up to Noël.

Elisabeth Perotin is French, having grown up in the Champagne region and still currently living in Reims. Elisabeth is a photographer specialising in travel and food photography, with only French themed pics on her Instagram @frenchglimpses. Tapping into Elisabeth's local knowledge during this chat uncovered a number of places in Paris and France that I'd not heard of, but I am now adding to my list! If you want to find quirky but yet authentic places to add to your itinerary when planning a French visit then tune into this episode for lots of inspiration! ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 3 weeks
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40:17

The amazing life impact of a long term stay in France or Italy.

Catherine Berry is an author who has chatted on the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast previously (eps 39 & 112) about the life changing decision to move her family to the French village of Annecy for a year when her children were young.  We come back to chat again to Catherine to hear how that stay has made a positive impact of the lives of her whole family, but also about a new experience she had staying in the Italian village of Lucca for 3 months. Loulabelle and Catherine chat about the experience of being non-fluent in a foreign country, about the cultural similarities and differences of Italy and France, as well as how Catherine made arrangements to stay and live like a local in Italy for 12 weeks.  Hear about Catherine's new books (she now has four!) including one about how to play with your child (or grandchild) in French. ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 1 month
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50:35

Donna Guest - Sharing the "Illusion" of France!

. Donna Guest is the Co-Founder, CEO & Creative Director of fashion house Blue Illusion, which is a French inspired brand bringing fashion, homewares and all sorts of French connections to their customers everywhere. In this chat Loulabelle delves underneath the brand to find the woman and uncover what inspires her and keeps her connected to France. We find out about her fave experiences in France including a surprise stay in a medieval chateau, attending Le Diner en Blanc with 30,000 other diners and even getting into a sold-out Beyonce concert in Paris! Donna tells us her go-to French food whenever she's over there, plus her way to keep her Frenchy vibes fluttering here in Australia. Come and float away to France momentarily with us xx   ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 1 month
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40:58

The Louvre heist! Claudine Hemingway's expert commentary.

On 19 October 2025, thieves wearing high-vis work wear, used a stolen furniture removals truck to get into a top floor of the Louvre in Paris, stealing pieces of the French Crown Jewels from the Galerie d'Apollon ('Apollo's Gallery'). The amazingly swift robbery took place at around 9.30am on what seemed to be a regular Sunday morning.   In this podcast chat, hear Loulabelle discuss the situation with historian and Paris resident Claudine Hemingway who knows the Louvre like the back of her hand! Claudine was interviewed on USA Today the day after the heist and gives us the low down on all the details from a local perspective: what happened on the day, what is the impact on the Louvre, what's happened since and how George Clooney is involved!  **Chat recorded - Sunday 2 November. ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 2 months
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52:54

The French Effect

Canadian author Patricia Sands is so connected to France, through her novels which are most often set there in Provence. Coming out on 15 November, 2025 is her latest book The French Effect, set in Paris with the story heading down to Nice on the Cote d'Azur as well. I loved my "petit papotage" with Patricia about her experiences in France. We chatted whilst she was in Antibes in the South of France, this time road-tripping with friends, but over the past few decades she and her husband have done 17 house-exchanges to live like a local in France and Patricia has also taken tours of women to Provence to follow the paths of her wonderful characters in her stories. Listening to Patricia talk about her travels took me straight back to France, so come and join us for a tres beau momentary virtual escape! Head to the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles instagram page to comment on the post announcing this episode, to win an ebook copy of The French Effect once it's released on 15 November. ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 2 months
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49:18

The Pastry World Cup is coming up! And we're chatting to the Aussie entry...

Pierrick Boyer is a celebrated French pastry chef who has earned the French highest honour of the Chevalier Merite Agricole for his services to France and French culture through his pastry work and he has called Melbourne home for over 20 years. . Paula Nikita has come to call Melbourne home for the last 5 years and is now being mentored by Pierrick to succeed as the inaugural Viennoiserie World Cup winner ad the first to represent Australia! . I was fascinated to hear their stories and to chat about how scientific the process is when creating the perfect croissant! Tune into to this chat to hear what makes the perfect croissant, but even more interestingly to hear about Paula's Aussie influence with the upcoming competition, including VEGEMITE! . Anyone wishing to assist the Go-Fund-Me to cover half the costs of competing in France, click here: Support the Aussie team's Go-Fund-Me to head to France . To attend a gala event this coming weekend on 18 October 2025 at Reverie Café Prahran, click here: Tix for the Pastry Party at Reverie Cafe, Prahran - 18 October, 2025 ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 3 months
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27:35

Experiencing Life in Burgundy

Earlier this year I road tripped around France and spent a couple of weeks in Burgundy with friends of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast, Kate and Nathan Veach. Kate and Nathan had a French restaurant in Melbourne prior to making the permanent move to France just after Covid after buying a place on the internet during the Aussie lockdowns. Since that time I have stayed in the cottage they renovated originally which was a wonderful experience. Kate and Nathan exude a warmth that makes every day with them a joy. I'm thrilled to see that they now have sold up and bought a bigger project still in Burgundy, an historic house dating to the 1870s which was in a state of severe disrepair, in Paris l'Hôpital. Chatting to Kate about my recent time in their village made me just want to go back. They were still renovating during my visit but have now reached a point in the project that they can start to share it with others. The house looks incredible, decorated as only the French can, from brocante markets and eclectic pieces found in exotic places! The colours and sights of Burgundy now in autumn with the harvest are amazing. I have visited the region previously at this time of year and found there were less crowds, less heat and much more opportunity for life time memories! Tune into this chat to hear the exquisite life that guests can share with Kate and Nathan, to find out all about what the tastes, scents and sights of Burgundy have to offer. From market visits, to cooking classes in their own kitchen, to wine tasting as well as authentic Burgundian life, there is so much gorgeousness to look forward to when heading for a stay with this beautiful couple in their French home.   ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 3 months
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39:05

Meandering along the roads & through the villages of Provence...

I love road tripping in France and I aim to get there and meander the roads less travelled as often as I can! In the April/May of 2025 I took a "vacances" in France for a couple of months and embarked on 3 separate road trips with separate groups or individual friends.  . Author Katherine Watt and I became great friends after she was interviewed on the Loulabelle's podcast a number of years ago and I have spent much time with her on previous visits to France where she now lives in Saint-Malo, Bretagne. Both Katherine and I were excited to road trip through a part of Provence that neither of us had been to before. We agreed on a rough outline of the route we might take, but importantly we both were happy not to lock in too much of the detail and just go with the flow! I normally plan much more than this, so it was oddly refreshing or even freeing to make decisions about where we would stay and what we would do at the last minute! I had a car for the full 6 weeks of the road trips I took, which made the last minute decisions a bit easier as we didn't need to factor in public transport. . Our journey started in Lyon, with the first day comprising a 5 hour drive to Aix-en-Provence to commence the road trip. After this day though, we stayed off the motorways and took only the back roads. We also opted to stay in Airbnb style accommodation so we could cook in our own kitchen sometimes and we would have the capacity to store and enjoy local produce we bought along the way. We also decided that we wouldn't drive for more than an hour or so each day to allow time to immerse in the local area we found ourselves in. . Tune into this episode and escape to Provence momentarily with us. Head to the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website for more info on some of the places mentioned in this papotage de podcast aussi. . ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 4 months
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48:44

A Zig Zag wine making journey from the UK, to Aus, to France!

Harriet Churchill and her husband Henry are originally from England, but spent many years living in Australia based in Melbourne originally, working in the area of sustainability, but eventually moved to regional Victoria right near me! I first heard of their story and their vineyard in the Macedon Ranges Zig Zag wines, when I was hanging out with other locals around the fire during happy hour at my local pub!  I'm thrilled that I followed her up for a chat as I found our discussion about her life thoroughly inspirational! If you're wondering about making a change in your life, whatever that change may be, have a listen to Harriet and you will just want to grab life with both hands and shake it up! Harriet described their life in Australia, which seems to me to be quite "French country" in the manner in which they operated. I also got a beautiful insight into their life now in France. It was fascinating to hear Harriet talk about the difference in the way the winemaking successes, as well as the challenges can pop up in Australia and now France. She also talked about the difference between being "good" or "fluent" with her French, as she can get by with most exchanges, until she gets to the other mums with the school gate gossip and she's got no idea what's going on!   This is such a wonderfully warm and heart-filled chat about immersing in life's experiences as they present themselves.  In this episode I was introduced to a new concept when Harriet talked about what the heart needs and what the heart wants. Her heart wanted to stay in Australia, but it needed to move back closer to her family in the UK and the Languedoc region in France was the perfect fit for them all.  Come and escape to France with us through our chat xx ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 5 months
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47:21

Getting a dose of France with a "Weekly French Bite"!

Alexandra Ganipeau runs the French Language school in Melbourne "The French Hack". She has connected people in Australia to France over many years, through organising cafe catch ups as well teaching French to people of all ages. Recently I chatted to her about how she is now connecting people to France with a weekly dose of Frenchy vibes via her Weekly French Bites. Over 52 weeks Francophiles can experience a "bite" of French culture, language and fabulousness with different themes such as French ordering at restaurants, how to enjoy apèro, the French art of wearing scarves or even tips to navigate the Paris Metro or French market etiquette. I found when I had a sneak preview of the Weekly French Bites, it stayed in my head long after I'd finished reading and brought back memories of travels there as well as sparking ideas for my next adventure! Alex and I chatted about our connections to France, how we maintain slow and deep connections when we travel as well as when home in Australia. When Alex chats in this episode about her visits back "home" to Bordeaux and the south west of France, I felt like I had escapes there with her momentarily. I also learned from her about some ways I can be a little bit French everyday, such as picking herbs straight from the garden and adding to a teapot rather than loose leaf or tea bags! This is a French way of connecting garden to the kitchen that I had never even considered! Alex has a giveaway to a lucky Loulabelle's FrancoFiles listener... 52 weeks of French Inspo with a 12 month membership to Weekly French Bites! Follow through to the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram to enter and to let the joie de vivre begin! As Alex says Paris isn't just a place, it's a feeling. Join us for a chat and escape to France xx ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 6 months
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33:40

Magical Menton on the Côte d'Azur!

Recently I travelled for a couple of months in France, road tripping from the top of the country in Normandy to the bottom at the Côte d'Azur and towards the end of my stay I enjoyed a most marvellous visit with Caroline Riddell-Clark at her Villa Florente in Menton on the Italian border. Caroline has stayed in France each year for many years, spending much of that time in Menton staying with friends who had moved there a long time ago. So during the Melbourne Covid lockdowns it was not a surprise that Caroline was surfing the internet for the French real estate on offer and as soon as she could, she headed back over there! Whilst a long time ago Caroline had lived in France  for a number of months near Toulouse, with her children even attending school there, it was Menton that had captured her heart. Caroline had decided to wait for a few years before purchasing a property but after 20 minutes in Villa Florente, she had bought the place! Menton has beautiful beaches with beautiful buildings of different colours, reflecting the colours of the Cinque Terre just across the Italian border. There is a long history including pirates as well as Russian palaces nestled in between Monte Carlo and Italy, and from Caroline's Villa Florente one can walk between 3 countries before lunch! I loved how a stroll into Italy can result in wonderful coffee followed by market shopping for fresh produce in France and then end the day with glitz and glamour in Monte Carlo! Caroline says after a walk like this, she comes home and feels like she's the luckiest person ever to look over her amazing Mediterranean view. Caroline now wants to welcome others to stay with her too, but first come and join us for a chat here on the Loulabelle's and escape to the Cote d'Azur momentarily. ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 6 months
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53:16

Spring in Cannes!

I am currently in France and have been road-tripping all over the place, but more on that in upcoming episodes... . At the moment I have connected with friend to the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast Ruby Boukabou and in this episode we discussed some observations from this particular Cannes Film Festival. We had tickets for the opening night red carpet event and we were in the room for the opening ceremony too, to see Robert De Niro receive his honorary Palme d'Or presented by Leonardo DiCaprio. I felt a shift in Cannes this time, with a more overt political statement being made, particularly i the opening night speeches from De Niro, DiCaprio and head of the 2025 Cannes jury Juliette Binoche. . Ruby and I also spoke about the opening night movie "Partir Un Jour", the other goings-on in Cannes as well as what to do to escape the craziness for just a short time or a day-trip! We also touch on when the best time is, to visit Cannes for your specific purposes. . Tune in and escape to France with us xx ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 8 months
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29:46

A French Mediterranean vacation with relaxation, scuba and sun!

Kent Tisher is a Palliative Care Doctor in Toronto Canada who loves to unwind and shed the stress of life by traveling in France. I first chatted to Kent back in April 2023 about his love of French vacations and it was fabulous to chat again as he arrived home in Canada on the same day that I arrived in Paris! . Kent came to France this time for only 10 days. He caught the TGV direct from CDG down to the Languedoc region to end up in Pezenas near Montpellier. This is a game changer for me as I had no idea there was a TGV to access straight from CDG! . (Tip from Kent: Check that you know the exact station you are either arriving at or departing from as many towns have more than one train station with very similar names!) . Kent has lots of other personal observations and tips from his experiences during his travel that are key for anyone considering regional regional travel in France. I also have some considerations from my current trip to add to your list which we discussed in this episode! . You may want to think about: * car hire: size of car and type of hire arrangement; *short vs long French sojourns (European/North American travellers vs Australian/NZ voyages); *currency conversions; *making specialty arrangements for things such as scuba dives; *planning for where to go on road trips solo or with a group; *packing light (which I always struggle with!); *packing arrangements on a daily basis to assist with managing luggage on a road trip. . Something else we discuss is the concept of visiting new places vs revisiting old faves. I am very aware of being fortunate enough to return to France on numerous occasions. Kent and I discussed how lucky we are, but also how we go without some things at home to enable these trips to our happy place. When visiting a new place there can be a sense of guilt if we don't make the most of every minute! But when enjoying a return trip there is a different energy about the visit. I always say to leave a reason to return and one of the reasons to return to the same region if you're fortunate to be able to do so, is to see it at a less frenetic pace! . LFF listeners can book a time with Loulabelle to discuss your itinerary ideas and arrangements. Just head to the LFF website: www.loulabellesfrancofiles.com  . ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 8 months
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41:29

Back in France and the Cannes Film Festival!

This episode is coming to you from Paris! Ouuuuiiiii! I have escaped Melbourne and headed to my happy place, but before my departure last week I chatted to my dear friend, author, performer, tap dancer and long time Cannes Film Festival journalist Ruby Boukabou. 2025 is the 78th festival in Cannes where Ruby and I will meet up, but even though this is my second time attending the festival, I needed this chat with Ruby to explain many of the details of the festival including the types of awards and some of the stuff we can look forward to both in Cannes and coming up in Paris. It was wonderful to reminisce about the fun of Cannes and the South of France in previous times too! What's not to love about memories of beach club days in Nice, hanging out in the old town of Cannes or even the time we snagged tix to strut the red carpet with French movie royalty!  Tune in to hear all the fun and fabulousness of this iconic event in such a magical French region! Come and escape to France with us xx . ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 9 months
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25:03

Love Burgundy wine? You'll love Vino Dilectio!

I am about to return to Burgundy for my third visit there and I can't wait! The region is wonderful to immerse in with wonderful food, scenery and amazing wines! On my last time in Dijon I met the wonderful Emeline Pin whose business Vino Dilectio runs tasting workshops showcasing the various wines of her region. I attended a cheese and wine pairing workshop and I loved every minute of it. Emeline and I chatted about the various things tourists could do in Dijon and Burgundy/Bourgogne, such as visit local villages, explore ancient castles, taste mustards and cheese, wander through vineyards. Dijon and Burgundy has great weather for travelling being not too hot, but be very thoughtful about what time of year to visit not just for the weather but also consider the harvest timing (it varies each year through August-September depending on the ripening of the grapes). During the harvest some activities may be postponed due to the important work that needs to take place. This chat with Emeline provided more than just some expert opinion on wine, Emeline chatted about places to visit throughout France, tips for the best types of restaurants to go to as well as ideas for visiting Burgundy as only a local can give. ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 9 months
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33:00

Dreaming of moving to France? Balancing a French life here, there and everywhere!

Tune in to hear Loulabelle chat to Shannon Pratuch: Shannon Pratuch has moved to France from the US many years ago. She now shares her world which is most often in Paris or Brittany and shared with her gorgeous French bulldogs, through her website as well as her ThisFrench.Life YouTube and Instagram accounts.  Last year Shannon compiled a series to take us virtually through many châteaux in the Loire and close to Paris, as well as a separate series highlighting the noël celebrations in châteaux around various regions of France.  Shannon is a wealth of knowledge about many experiences that we crave as tourists to France, as well as giving us an insight into what we can do when we're visiting to help us feel as though we're living like a local. She has so many "under-the-radar" suggestions that don't pop out of the guidebooks often so she's well worth listening to! As I'm heading to France soon I've used Shannon's suggestions as my travel plan! Come and escape to France with us. xx ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 10 months
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49:03

Celebrating the best of French cinema with the Alliance Française!

Each year one of the highlights of the French calendar in Australia is the Alliance Française French Film Festival which commences with the gala opening night of the 36th festival at Melbourne's Astor Theatre on March 5th. But it is not only here in Oz that French film is popular. 2024 was a record breaking year for attendance at the cinema in France, with a higher percentage of the population going to see a film there than in the US.  I loved chatting to the fabulous people at the Alliance Française who are responsible for putting together the festival this year: Frédéric Alliod - AFFFF25 CEO & Artistic Director Marie-Hélène Predhom - Alliance Française Melbourne General Manager Sara Harrington - Alliance Française Event Manager French cinema is so much more than a cliché... it's quirky, fun & intelligent. Generally French films have a wonderful depth and the 42 films in this year's AFFFF25 are no exception! There are more than 5,500 screenings across the country in the 2025 festival with regional towns now benefitting from some AFFFF25 action! Go to the LFF website for the links to the movies mentioned in this podcast chat, or just tune into to our great discussion about French film culture. ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 11 months
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36:02

A wonderfully slow escapade through Provence!

Maria Tawk made the decision to study in France a few years ago and moved from Lebanon to university in Aix-en-Provence. From dreaming as a child with her best friend about one day being in Paris together, to now living a beautiful life in Provence, Maria feels like every day she is living out the life she had only seen before in movies. It was lovely to chat to a fellow Francophile, who seems to now be where she has felt she always belonged, a place that feeds her soul. We chatted about the type of travel that many people crave now... the ability to reset and travel slowly, rather than ticking the travel boxes of the main tourist sites. Everyone wants to visit the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre or if travelling regionally, to see the lavender in the south of France for example. But to immerse in slow travel and connect with a place is very special. As I often say: allow the time and space for the magic to happen during your travel adventure.  Maria and I chatted about our perspectives of slow travel... go to a place once and you will see it. Go to a place twice and you will feel it. If you get to go three or more times you will start to know the place from within, drink its wine, eat its food, talk to its people, spend the night under its sky... then that is the luckiest of all. Come and escape to France momentarily with us. ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 11 months
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41:44

It's a new year, so time to plan a new trip to France!

This episode is the first in Season Six of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast with me (Lou) chatting to Alex Ganipeau from The French Hack.  After having many Francophiles get in touch with me about their upcoming intended travel to France, we thought it a good opportunity to chat about our experiences of planning trips to France in recent years but also plans for each of us with our intended trips coming up in 2025. With Alex being French, there is a different experience to me, as I travel as a tourist albeit a tourist with extensive experience traveling in France. For Alex I imagine all her friends and family want to see her! But apparently even for French ex-pats living elsewhere, they want to return to France and explore just as us foreign tourists.  So the tips we touched on in this episode: * who is coming on your trip? (just me/ me & girlfriends/ me & my husband/ me & family including kids) * consider the ages and capacity of your attendees. This will impact your choices for the type of accommodation (eg: toddlers who many need a nap) or your mode of travel. *what region is on the wish list? Are there particular things some attendees have on their not-to-be-missed list? *what is the weather preference of the participants? I personally happen to dislike excessively hot weather, so I'll head to the south of France further away from the summer months. Weather preference is important when deciding on the region and time of year to visit. *luggage tips for road-trips and safety I usually work out 1. what region I am going to be in and simultaneously 2. ascertain what sort of transport will be required for 3. the amount of participants and their capacities. I don't lock in anything until these three things are clearly sorted! Each thing can impact the other. After the transport and region is sorted I divide the planning into 3 separate sections: 1. accommodation 2. activities 3. the boring but essential stuff (including but not limited to - check your passport is valid and has at least 6 months left on it after your return from your trip/ check visa requirements/ insurance/ finance including currency cards or banking/ medical check ups before travel and plan medication requirements) But mainly the most important thing is to plan ahead to allow time for the magic to happen. Without good prior planning the travel experience can be very stressful, but conversely with an itinerary that is too tightly planned with a rushed and full schedule, the possibility for magical moments will be severely diminished. Allow space in the itinerary for spontaneity. Immerse in SLOW TRAVEL! ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 11 months
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57:36

A new chapter in the story of Notre Dame Paris

Ma belle amie Claudine Hemingway has so much knowledge of the history of Paris, she also lives just a few minutes walk from Notre Dame, so it was fascinating to chat with her about all the goings-on for the opening of the iconic cathedral in December. In this petit papotage we discussed the cathedral's renovation, the before & after differences, how to plan your visit to the newly opened Notre Dame as well as the impact on Paris and the world of being able to again access such an important place for people of faith as well as lovers of history, architecture and France in general. The new Loulabelle's FrancoFiles 2025 Diary mentioned in this episode can be accessed via the following link: https://loulabellesfrancofiles.com/shop/ ** Louise Prichard is the host of the Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast. ** Other Loulabelle's links: FrancoFile Fix on YouTube Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Spotify Playlist Loulabelle's FrancoFiles Instagram Loulabelle's FrancoFiles website
Travel and places 1 year
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51:29
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