French Travel Blog

Looking for an unusual Christmas present ?

Looking for an unusual Christmas present? Forget the traditional clothes, perfumes or jewellery...what about offering an unforgettable experience to the people you love ? They've always wanted to go to France for a romantic journey or a family trip? Castles of the Loire Valley, blooming lavender in Provence, wine tasting in Burgundy or outside markets in quaint villages leave them dreamy? They're ready for a trip organized by France Just For You! Do not hesitate to contact us and we'll work on a travel plan based on your wishes and your budget...to have a Christmas present they won't forget...

Good to know about a balloon ride

Hot Air Balloon Ride in the Loire Valley

A hot air balloon ride is an amazing experience ! It is very peaceful and relaxing. From the balloon, you will discover many properties, gardens and landscapes you can't see from the ground. These are few tips we'd like to share with you : 1. Nobody can tell you in advance where you’ll land. It means that you can't be guaranteed to see this castle or this town. Depending on the winds, in 1 hour ride, you can travel over 5 miles or 12 miles. A car from the balloon company will follow the flight and pick you up at the arrival point to take you back to your car at the departure point. 2...

Burgundy is coming very soon !

Guillaume and I have been exploring Burgundy lately - La Bourgogne ! We have found some very nice and cozy Bed & Breakfasts in the heart of Burgundy: between Dijon and Beaune. Everybody imagines that Burgundy vineyards may be comparable to Bordeaux but it is wrong. The main vineyards of Burgundy are spread in one hillside of about 50 kilometers. So there's a lot to see and to taste, and very few driving. You can trust us, we have tested and tasted a lot...so you'll get the best experience Bouguignonne ! We hope you'll like what we are preparing for you. Emilie

Exploring the Loire River

The weather was perfect last week-end in the Loire Valley. Guillaume and I took the opportunity to go back along the Loire and explore it 2 different ways. We first took a gabarre tour at sunset. The gabarre used to be the big barge that were transporting all goods until the train was built. In the Loire river it used to be 300 gabarres a week, up and down the river. These boats would be pushed by the currents on their way to Nantes...and to come back, they would use a square sail navigating downwind. While touring, you can taste some local products such as Ste Maure goat cheese, Rillettes de...

We found Moulinsart!

While looking for new Bed & Breakfasts and activities in the Loire Valley around Chambord castle, we came upon the beautiful castle that you can see above on the picture. Since last year everybody heard about Tintin, the comics hero created by Hergé that Steven Spielberg made a movie about. The movie ends up in Captain Haddock’s castle, which Hergé is supposed to have created from Cheverny castle. Cheverny is another Loire Valley beautiful castle - close to Chambord castle - that you can visit, and even attend to the impressive feeding of the hounds pack. After discovering this castle -...

Easter week-end in Provence

April is a great month to enjoy Provence and the Riviera without the summer crowds. For Easter Monday we have been looking for the traditional chocolate eggs on the Ochre footpath of Roussillon. This charming hilltop village has been built over the biggest ochre deposit in the world ! Even if you cannot help thinking about Bryce Canyon, the ochre footpath meanders through a colorful canyon and "typically French" very old oaks. The longest loop is about a 35 to 40 minute walk...and you can treat yourself with a delicious ice cream watching at the very nice panorama on the Luberon. No matter...

How to sound like a French person

Not only does France have its secrets and hidden beauty, the French language is a journey in itself, where you can get lost even more easily as you try to solve its mysteries. Some examples of these mysteries come to my mind: 'X' or 'S' for plurals and names? For instance the famous Loire Valley “castles” is quite difficult to write correctly. Indeed, the French word “ château ” is written with a “^” (i.e. accent circonflexe ) on the first “a“, which is a reminder of the former “ s ” that used to exist in old French, where ...

Salmon with Goat Cheese, by Karine

This is an easy recipe and you shouldn't have any problems finding the ingredients. You can trust Karine, it is delicious! INGREDIENTS 1 pound of salmon fillet (without skin) 1 large yellow onion (diced) 1 red bell pepper (diced) 1/2 lemon juice 2 to 3 ounces of crumbled goat cheese (according to taste) a few leaves of fresh basil (chopped) - optional 4 ounces of sour cream 4 ounces of heavy whipping cream grated swiss cheese (sprinkle on top of the dish for the "gratin") PREPARATION Place all the ingredients in the same order as above in a medium-sized baking dish (ideally a square glass...

Vincent's Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Here we bring you Vincent's delicious Lemon Meringue Pie recipe! We didn't get a chance to take close-up pictures of Vincent's pie... it had already been devoured! Ingredients For 1 big pie or 6 individual servings: Pastry 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup butter water a pinch of salt. Cooking Instructions Cook the pastry covered with aluminium foil for 15 minutes at 350°F. To Make the Lemon Filling: In medium saucepan bring to a boil 2 cups of water + 2 tablespoons butter. Meanwhile, mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 1/5 sugar, 4 egg yolks, the zest...

Thank You to France Just For You supporters !

This brand new blog and website are the opportunity for us to thank all the people who have been supporting us since the beginning of France Just For You project. You made it happen and we are very thankful for the precious help! Thanks very much to the American dream team who has agreed to play the guinea pigs and answer to our market study and all questions about what they would like or dislike doing while in France. Thanks as well for your help in finding the name « France Just For You » ! Thank you Antoine for transforming a business idea into a legal company. Thank you to our relatives...

Florence's Orange Marmalade Recipe

This is my mother’s orange marmalade recipe and it has been improved over the years. This marmalade tastes sweet rather than bitter. It’s delicious to have on toast for breakfast. Ingredients For 7 to 9 jars of marmalade: 2.5 lbs of oranges (weigh the oranges with both ends cut off) 1 yellow lemon granulated sugar The preparation of this orange marmalade does not take too long, but it's spread across 3 days. Cooking instructions Day 1: Cut the entire oranges and the lemon into small pieces. (Do not peel the fruit) Add 7,5 cups of water. Let it rest for 24 hours. Day 2: On a preserving pan,...

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