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Imagine experiencing the best Christmas market where even Père Noël shops himself before crawling down chimneys all over the world to leave presents! Something I learned recently is that French children leave their shoes around the fire to be filled with toys and treats. I suppose this isn’t too different from our tradition of using a stocking to fill with toys; after all, they are both things you put on your feet. Legend has it, back before the washer/dryer machine was invented people would hang their stockings or leave their shoes by the fireplace to dry. Before toys, Santa was said to throw gold coins down the fireplace for nice children, and they would land in the stockings or shoes, creating the custom of leaving them out for gifts that we practice today. This week we are going outside into French society, the streets bustling with Christmas cheer! It's high time we mingle merrily with others seeking Festive French cheer, and the best place to do this is at one of France’s beautiful and famous Christmas Markets. Markets like these can be found all throughout France at the festive time of year, but the most well known is The Strasbourg Christmas markets, also known as the "Christkindelsmärik" in the native Alsatian language. The Strasbourg Christmas markets are the oldest in France, dating back to the 16th century. While the market has things you will find at any Christmas market across France, it boasts a unique feel of German/French influence. Strasbourg, now under the rule of France was under German rule until after World War 1, so a lot of the local architecture, customs, and foods are a blend of the two cultures, which can be summed up under the term 'Alsatian.' The markets are set in the Old Town part of the city, its dark wood market stalls sprinkled with snow and the whole place decorated with twinkling lights and Christmas trinkets. It is clear the enduring spirit of the market continues untouched by time – the whole place is the very picture of picturesque, old-timey beauty and cosiness. Imagine strolling through the markets, enjoying the sights and sounds of the holiday season, rugged up in scarves and jumpers. Carolers and live Christmas music echo cheerfully in the night, and the smells of traditional Alsatian Christmas treats entice you. Of course there are the normal offerings, including Vin Chaud, cheese and so on, but Strasbourg has a whole host of traditional foods that won’t be found outside of the region. Flammekueche, or tart tarte flambée is something of an Alsatian pizza, consisting of a thinly rolled dough base, and a thin layer of crème fraiche, onions and bacon. There is also Choucroute, a dish of sausage, sauerkraut and potato, quiche Lorraine, a classic dish native to the nearby town of Lorraine, Bredele the classic Alsatian Christmas cookie, and much more. Pictured above: Tarte flambée To add further to the delightful foods and atmosphere are the market stalls offering artisanal products made by local craftsmen and women, including Christmas decorations, toys, and other handmade gifts. A souvenir that far exceeds an I HEART PARIS T-shirt! Some extra thrills and activities include a visit with classic jolly Saint Nick who of course takes a seat each year at the market, ice-skating, and taking a horse-drawn carriage ride. I know I keep saying to imagine – but really imagine the wonder of experiencing the Christmas lights, music, and food while being transported by a horse! It sounds like something out of a dream. While Strasbourg is undoubtedly known for being the BEST Christmas Market - the best overall Christmas decorations are seen in Colmar, another city in the Alsace region with a notable Christmas Market. The Germanic architecture coupled with the charming decorations makes the town seem to leap from the pages of a fairytale. Lyon, yet another French city, further south, is known for its Fete des lumieres, a beautiful magical light show installed throughout the city that dates back to the 8th of December 1852 when residents celebrated the erection of a statue of the virgin Mary by placing coloured candles in their window frame. Today, ordinary fixtures of the city such as signs and streetlights are given new life through movement and light unlike that of their regular function. Spaces are transformed with light pieces - in 2019 floating sea creatures and seaweed lit from within created an underwater atmosphere at the Fete. Most memorable perhaps are the large scale moving light projections on the tall renaissance buildings of the city that transform the landscape into that of a beautiful, surreal dream. The festival runs for 4 days every year from the 8th to the 11th of December. Are you thinking longingly now of the warming festival and market traditions and foods of France? Perhaps you are wishing you were strolling the markets, hot beverage in hand, inspecting hand crafted ornaments and Alsatian delicacies, or enjoying the light shows of Lyon as they dance and scatter. If this is you, then you are in luck. France Travel Solutions are happy to take expressions of interest for those wanting a White Christmas in France next year. Whatever you seek, FTS can help you with crafting the perfect itinerary, down to the details – where to stay, what to eat, where to visit. If you want a voyage dedicated to visiting the most iconic Christmas experiences, markets, and festivals, or simply wish to experience France in its cold winter season, then please let us know. It is our wish to create the experiences that will keep you excited and looking forward to your French adventures in 2024 and beyond. Update: As of January 2024 we are pleased to announce our new French Christmas Winter Delights tour, packed full of Festive French experiences like those included in this blog post and many more! Find out more by clicking here. On se voit là-bas!

Welcome! As Christmas draws nearer and the days get hotter, I find my mind wandering to the Christmas season I experienced 4 years ago in Paris. I think I speak for many of us Australians when I say that while I love our traditions, there has always been a part of me that has yearned for the Christmases in movies! Long scarves, snowmen , snowball fights, blazing fireplaces, and cold weather in which it is rational to drink hot chocolate! My own tradition has always been to force down the hot beverage despite the sweltering heat. Christmas in Paris gave me the chance to experience the season in the way I’d always dreamed, and introduced me to a number of specifically French traditions I’d never heard of. To be perfectly honest, most of these revelations were food based – food and drink typical of the French Christmas season. Did you know that in France they have their big Christmas Feast on Christmas Eve night? Christmas day is reserved more for opening presents and relaxing than being the star of the show. Santa Claus, or Père Noël as he is known, still visits on the same night for Australian and French kids alike though! If you’re planning to head to France this Christmas, or are simply curious to know what’s on the menu, then stick around! GALERIE LAFAYETTES GOURMET CHRISTMAS TREATS Yesterday, we made a post about the festive experiences and famous decorations at the beautiful Galerie Lafayette in Paris. Anyone familiar with the Galerie will know its name to be synonymous with high-end, and its gourmet food department is no different. They recently released their Christmas line, a series of decadent chocolates and pastries from top chefs and chocolatiers such as Philippe Conticini and Jean-Paul Hévin. Every facet of these creations have clearly been created with the utmost care and attention to detail. In everything from the outer design to the flavors these pastries evoke the French Noel, and indeed hint at the other foods on our list! VIN CHAUD When I first tried Vin Chaud at the local Christmas market it blew my mind. I told all my friends about this new French drink I had discovered, feeling very worldly indeed, until I was humbled by one who explained to me that vin chaud was basically the French term for mulled wine. It translated to ‘hot wine,’ so perhaps I should have figured that out myself! Regardless, this hot, sweet, and spiced red wine based beverage is everywhere during French winter. Though the French are more likely to opt for Champagne on actual Christmas day, this drink is undeniably Christmassy. The Galerie lafayette treat named 'Bûche Foie Gras façon “vin chaud”,' by Dubernet contains the flavors of the iconic drink, a nod to its Christmas significance. FOIE GRAS TERRINE Foie Gras, duck liver, is often served before the main meal as part of the Apéro. Apéro is a light serving of snacks and drinks prior to the first course/main meal of the evening, and is a year round tradition in France. On Christmas Eve however it is particularly common to have Foie Gras with bread, or even on French gingerbread! It's commonly served at Christmas time with a fig or onion jam. DINDE (TURKEY) The turkey is a crucial part of French Christmas dinner. This dish is probably more familiar as something that we would also eat here in Australia. The French way is to stuff the Turkey with chestnuts, and then have typical sides such as roast potatoes and green beans, as well as more chestnuts. The French have quite the penchant towards working fragrant nuts into their meals and desserts, particularly almonds and pistachios, a theme recurring in the Galerie Lafayette Christmas deserts as seen before. PLATEAU DE FROMAGE (CHEESE COURSE) After the main course, it is typical to have an assortment of cheeses with either bread or a simple salad, before the dessert is served. This is actually done year round in many French households, but is certainly not neglected on Christmas! BUCHE DE NOEL A lot of the Galerie’s treats are designed after the Buche de Noel, otherwise known as the ‘Yule Log.’ We’ve probably all heard of this dessert, but in France this cake is a MUST HAVE. Its' name and appearance derive from the Germanic/Pagan tradition of burning a real yule log to invoke good luck and protection in the new year. Sources seem to differ regarding the date of this burning, whether it was Christmas Eve or the Winter Solstice, but today the chocolaty, spongey Yule log is enjoyed after Christmas Eve dinner. So there you have it! The Christmas foods of France - or at least those that defy our Australian way of celebrating Christmas. There are certainly more bits and pieces that pertain to the Christmas season of course - you cannot capture a whole countries festive spirit in 800 words. Let's take ourselves briefly through the Christmas Eve dinner, starting with the Apéro of champagne and foie gras with bread. Then would be served l’entrée, consisting of scallops, soup, or other hors d'oeuvre type dishes. The Foie gras Terrine could alternatively also be served at l’entrée if other snacks were chosen for Apéro. Next, is the main, featuring the turkey and traditional sides. This is followed by the third course, cheese and salad, before finally the dessert is served; the yule log is the star of course but may also be accompanied by truffles, cookies, or fruit. It's quite different to the typical hot Christmas day lunch I'm used to with ham, prawns and pavlova, and the whole family adorned with the small paper crowns we got from our Christmas crackers. That's what makes the experience of another type of Christmas all the more fun, and one I would recommend to everyone. It is such a delight to see the ways we all celebrate Christmas internationally! I can confirm without any doubt, that regardless of the differing traditions and foods, both the French Noel and Australian Christmas embody the festive spirit - and that's what it's all about!

Welcome everyone to our second blog post! As we approach the school holidays, we know travel will be on a lot of people’s minds, whether it be a short trip to see family over the festive season, a week on the coast, or even an international escapade! Of course, all of these events require different levels of packing and preparation. Packing for trips within Australia tends to be easy enough – there’s not much you can leave behind that you can’t find at your local shop wherever you go. Packing for international trips is a much more intimidating task, as certain things like medication, power plugs, and more simply won’t be available overseas, or at least not as easily. For those seeking to journey to France, or friends who join one of our tours, we have decided to compile a handy list of your French travel essentials. Let’s start! Allon-y! First of all, lets run quickly through the basics. These may seem obvious, but sometimes it’s the obvious that slips our mind! Luckily, these things can easily be sourced in France if forgotten, but its still nice to have the peace of mind in knowing you have everything you need! 5 x sets of underwear – both of our 2023 Tours are roughly 2 weeks of travel with opportunities to launder, so this amount follows the idea that you will only need to wash twice without ever being short, and avoiding overpacking. Socks! A couple lighter pairs for sneakers, and some thicker socks if you’re venturing over in the colder season – honestly even if you aren’t its better safe than sorry to have a cold-weather pair ready! Sneakers! It’s likely that you’ll be doing a lot of walking while exploring France, and so make sure to bring a couple pairs of hardy/comfortable shoes that you won’t mind getting a bit of wear. If you want to bring some nicer shoes, save them for an elegant dinner soiree! Raincoat – Raincoats are always handy if the weather turns. To save space, stores like Anaconda, or Target do great foldable raincoats that can be stored in your handbag. Backpack/Fanny Pack – You need something to store your day to day essentials – a backpack or handbag for adventuring is great. Fanny packs are another great option for ease of movement, and good for storing valuables close to you. Some models are designed to hide under your clothes for peace of mind. Lighter Jacket – one jacket for day to day use Compact Umbrella – always handy! Water bottle – optional and easily purchasable in France, but certainly a necessity once arrived. Sleep mask – Optional. These are great for the plane – though they tend to provide one on the flight, one of a nicer quality material bought in advance can make a big difference in sleep quality. Warm jacket – always good to have a parka or coat that is designed to keep you warm – there are great insulated parkas or thicker woolen coats depending on your activity list! Pyjamas – self explanatory! Unless you like to sleep in your normal clothes 😉 Depending on the time of year you may opt for PJ’s that are more summery or wintery as suits 5 Tops and 3 Bottoms – this is a good rule of thumb to equal 15 full outfits over the course of the trip by alternating pieces with each other. For ladies, if you’d like to bring a dress or two, count them as tops! Make sure that at least one of your bottom and tops are outdoor suitable, whether that be athleisure, tights, or running shorts with a T-shirt, it’s good to have a comfortable option for walking. Toiletry bag with products – this is optional, as you might find it just as easy to purchase the necessary hygiene products where you’re going – France has a lot of the same brands that we have here easily accessible in their supermarkets and pharmacies. A brief idea of what you might bring should you still wish to pack in advance might include Shampoo and conditioner (travel sized) Soap/body wash Face wash A Razor Moisturizer Deodorant Toothbrush Toothpaste Sunscreen Makeup removal wipes (if relevant) Lip balm Band-aids Hairbrush Contacts/Glasses (if relevant) Makeup necessities (If relevant) Hand Sanitizer Feminine Hygiene products (if relevant) Basic medicines paracetamol etc Next, lets look at important essentials, many of which can’t be replaced with ease, and are particularly important to remember! Passport – for obvious reasons 😊 Passport copy – if you can, getting a copy of your passport (and other important identification documents) signed by a JP and verified as a copy, means you can leave your passport and other valuable ID documents in the hotel. This way, if something happens to your copy, you can still rest easy. Other important forms of ID – Licence, student card etc … a lot of tourist sites in Paris and other cities require you to produce a form of ID or a copy to enter Prescription medication – If you require prescription medication for any reason, its best you see your doctor well in advance of your trip and discuss options for overseas travel. They will be able to help you with getting enough medicine for your trip. It can be difficult to fulfill scripts overseas as countries have different laws regarding medication – it’s much easier to simply have enough. Your phone – of course you will need your phone! Keeping in contact with your guide as well as those who you traveled with is integral, especially if you ever wish to venture off alone for a minute. We will be doing a post with information on French phone plans soon so sit tight! French currency/cards – Most banks have travel card options they can load with the foreign currency you need! Getting one of these organized, as well as some French cash for emergencies is good to do in advance. Make sure to keep things like this in a safe place. Power banks – This might not seem super important, but a power bank can save you from becoming lost in the city with no phone battery if you keep it in your backpack! When I (Hannah) lived in Paris a couple of years ago, a day out could quickly drain my battery and without my power bank I would have been stranded many times. Power adapter – This is a must have for your charging needs – charging your phone, camera batteries, power bank, etc is much easier to do when you can actually use the French outlets! These are purchasable in most airports and online. You may find something like it in a French tech store like FNAC, but its better to have one already. Lastly, lets look at the fun little extras that will make your trip more merry! A Camera! – This is optional, but a good quality camera can often capture experiences and places in a way that even the impressive iPhones can’t! Brands like Nikon and Canon have some fairly inexpensive beginner cameras that offer great quality photos, or to mix things up, even a polaroid camera could be a fun and artsy way to capture France. A lightweight book – for the quiet moments before bed or while driving between stunning locations, it’s always a good idea to have something to read – or alternatively you could bring a Kindle if you have one. Headphones – If you aren’t a big reader, then headphones for listening to music or podcasts could be your alternative for relaxation. If you enjoy books, just not the visual aspect, the app Audible allows you to download and listen to stories narrated aloud. (Not sponsored, a fan of the app!) A beret! – a fun nod to French culture, a nice beret would be a fun accessory! Here’s a picture of Maud rocking hers in Paris :D There we have it! If you’re traveling next year on one of our tours, this list will hopefully be a helpful guide for you. Remember to try not to over pack – you may need that extra space for a little French shopping! Of course should a little become a lot, I’ve known people to send back boxes full of purchases as they go, but that can become dreadfully expensive – it’s better to conserve space if you can. If you have plans to ski or do other specific activities, this list may need some tailoring, but it’s a great base outline for your voyage Français. Merci and à bientôt!

Written by Hannah Noye Did you know that the French flag changed colors in 2020? For those shaking their head no, take some comfort in knowing that you are not alone. In fact, many French natives didn’t even know that their flag had changed! Though this might sound outrageous (how could a country not recognize their own flag changing?) the change was not a big one. The flag, internationally known for its red white and blue tricolour bands, was only altered in the deepening of its blue from a light blue to a navy blue. This is not so much a ‘change’ as a ‘change back.’ Prior to 1976, the navy was the standard blue of the flag, and had been since the late 1700’s.It was Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, the French president from 1974 to 1981 who initiated the original change, to enforce a more cohesive appearance when the flag of the European Union and the French flag were presented together.The EU used the lighter blue shade ‘Marian Blue,’ which is the shade that many of us have grown up associating with the French flag. It might seem strange to bother with such a minute change nearly 50 years after the initial transition. Some have viewed the move away from the European shade as representative of a stance against the EU by Macron, but this has been quickly dispelled as ridiculous. Euronews quoted Arnaud Jolens, head director of the Élysée Palace in stating, "The President of the Republic (Emmanuel Macron) has chosen for the tricolour flags that adorn the Élysée Palace the navy blue that evokes the imagination of the Volunteers of Year II, the Poilus of 1914 and the Compagnons de la Libération of Free France.” The groups this statement references are all those who served France to maintain its liberation since the French Revolution. We all know the French Revolution right? In short, it was a period in which the French people overthrew the monarchy and put in place a completely changed societal order. The old feudal system, and Ancien Régime had long enforced a system in which those of higher social and financial standing held great power and influence, while the poverty stricken ‘peasants’ of the time were unable to escape their position as a result of the Kings autocratic rule and tendency to tax the poor rather than the rich. The rise of a middle class, the ‘bourgeoisie,’ and the increasing education of the lower class led to the people of France seeking equality of the people; hence the revolution! Prior to the revolution’s commencement in 1789, the royal standard flag of France was a white background dotted with fleur-de-lys to represent the dominant royal power. In 1790, the flag was changed to a tricolour representing the changed values of a France led by the people, though it wasn’t until 1794 that the tricolour settled into the order of NAVY blue, white, and red. So there it is! The actual reason for the change is far more tied to the independent spirit and history of France. Liberté, égalite, fraternité; freedom, equality, and brotherhood, the tenets of France a re-echoed in this small shift back to navy blue. Though Macron has not issued any overarching order for this change, and the old flag is still present in France today, you’ll notice that France Travel Solutions has embraced the navy. Remaining intertwined with the authentic French spirit, the zest, courage, and pursuit of the best is incredibly important, and is the energy we hope to enrich our travelers with. It is, after all, the incredible choices of those hundred of years ago that has created the iconic and internationally recognizable French culture and character we all know so well. We hope to see you join us soon to see the reinstated navy of the drapeau français in France itself!