The Good Life France's podcast Janine Marsh & Olivier Jauffrit

Today we explore la bise! That’s French for the kiss, but not just any old kiss, this is the kiss of friendship that I am referring to, the tradition the French have of kissing on the cheek when they meet friends and family. One of the etiquette rules that confuses just about everyone new to France is kissing! Do you or don’t you kiss someone when you meet them? How many times do you kiss them? We’ll take a closer look at a French custom that's both a greeting and a symbol of social etiq...

In this episode we talk you through an A to Z of French words and phrases - some are quirky, some are beautiful and some are historic. These are phrases that pepper the everyday language and will help you sound French, especially as Oli, the French half of the podcast team will say them in French properly!The French love their own language and these roll-off-your-tongue French words and phrases showcase the beauty and sometimes the quirkiness of the French language from "attendre 107 ans" whi...

In today's episode we talk about some of the most well-known, classic, delicious foods of France that we know were made by accident but became total celebrities in their own right! Find out how two sisters running a small hotel created Tarte Tatin, and the strange legends of how their accidental apple tart became super famous. Discover how a British royal prince named a famous French dish created in error right under his nose! And we reveal how a young chef in awe of his famous chef boss inve...

In this episode, we explore the origins of an American icon. She is world famous. She’s very tall. And she’s French. She is known as the Statue of Liberty.The statue of Liberty is an iconic landmark and one of the most recognised symbols of the United States. But did you know that Lady Liberty is an immigrant? It’s true, she’s a French woman by birth who has made New York her home. (No wonder she’s so elegant.)She almost didn't go to America at all, Gustave Eiffel was involved in her design, ...

2024 is the 150th anniversary of Impressionism – an art movement which began in France, and one of the key figures of the movement was Claude Monet, one of the most celebrated artists of all time and a household name today. So today, we’re going to have a potted history of the artist, talk about his beautiful home and garden in Normandy, and discover what he was like as a person… This is a tale of dogged determination and self-belief, of overcoming the odds and challenging conventio...

In this petite podcast episode, we’re going to do a potted history of the Tour de France – the world’s most famous bike race and share some of the most fun and incredible facts. It has been called the greatest free show on earth and is watched by 3.5 billion people worldwide during its three weeks on television. Le Tour has spawned a thousand myths and legends and inspires passionate devotion and enthusiasm. As powerful a French icon as the Eiffel Tower and fresh morning croissants, this...