Whenever I think of Picardy I think of the song “Roses of Picardy” and will break into song - singing the chorus only as these are the most famous of its lyrics (you will have guessed that I don’t know the rest of the lyrics!). You really wouldn’t want to hear me I assure you but it’s a lovely song all the same.
The sun-drenched Mediterranean island of Corsica, our region of the month, is a fantastic holiday destination that gave me a whole new taste of France. This, if you like, is France on the edge – a small yet intense area of rugged traditions and landscapes to match, of glorious seascapes and mountains, sweeping beaches and hilltop villages that feel untouched by time.
French Connections has been awarded first prize and the Gold Medal in the prestigious Expat Star Awards 2013, recognising the Top 10 Websites For Expats in France. Organized by MyCurrencyTransfer.com, the award recognises the fact that that we add the most real value for our users.
The aim of the awards is to celebrate the most original, content rich, inspiring, informational, educational and engaging websites in the expat community.
We are delighted to be recognised for the quality and depth of content on the French Connections site, as our aim is always to be useful to anyone living in France or dreaming of doing so.
We’re all familiar with the crossings on the English Channel between the UK and France, either by Eurotunnel or ferry. But have you ever thought of making the ferry experience part of your holiday? I recently had the opportunity to do just this, travelling from Marseille to the wonderful French Mediterranean island of Corsica, a distance of approximately 330 kms. Whether you are looking to spend your full holiday on the island or just a part of it, it is well worth experiencing the overnight SNCM Ferry to reach Corsica.
In the Spring issue of the famous TV programme’s mag, the owners of La Chouette in Tarn, a gorgeous FC holiday rental, tell their story – and it’s out just in time for this weekend’s A Place in the Sun Live exhibition at Olympia, 12th-14th April. So you can buy the magazine, read the story and get two free tickets for the show!
Read more: Our owners star in C4’s A Place in the Sun magazine
Just off the south of France lies the island of Corsica or as it is sometimes called, the ile de beauté, meaning beautiful island. As the name suggests, it is strikingly beautiful with its forests of green oaks, chestnuts and pine, glittering bays, and bone white beaches along 1000km of coastline.
Corsica has been shaped by a hotchpotch of cultures from the ancient Greeks to Genoese settlers and the cultural melting pot can still be felt at work today. The heart and soul of Corsica is to be found in its mountains which are shrouded with shrubs, trees and unruly scrubland or maquis. This is where you will find the wild herbs which flavour the island's cheeses and charcuterie.
If you’ve ever driven the main autoroute through central France, you may, like me, have looked across at the distinctive emerald volcanic hills that roll across the Massif Central and thought, ’I’d love to see those some time’. Now is your perfect chance to plan a visit, as the Puy-de-Dôme, home to the biggest extinct volcano, is our region of the month.
Read more: In dramatic Puy-de-Dôme, discover volcanoes, lentils and an outdoor paradise