Recent articles for The Times / Sunday Times
As a regular contributor to The Times and Sunday Times, I have been proud to dig out some unusual stories and be the first to report on certain subjects in the UK media. These include: A family travel piece about the Atlantic Riviera, on the Pays de la Loire coast. It featured a visit to […]
Eco-friendly Christmas in Strasbourg
Strasbourg is one of France’s most eco-friendly cities, but the efforts don’t stop with the arrival of the Christmas lights. The 2022 Marché de Noel in Strasbourg saw substantial efforts to make it as environmentally friendly as possible. Reporting for The Guardian, I interviewed key people in the city about those efforts and soaked up […]
The best autumn breaks in France
With travel picking up in autumn 2021, The Guardian asked me to select 20 ideas for autumn in France. It was a pleasure to tap into my many great experiences of autumn in France, as well as some of my favourite places to stay. Read them here While this was written for 2021, they’re not […]
Best stopovers en route south
“Where do you stop when you drive south?” is possibly the number one question I get asked… and it’s so good to have dozens of suggestions up my sleeve. Whether you want to just enjoy a bit of luxury and switch off at a beautiful boutique hotel, or have a more adventurous stay in a […]
30 best B&Bs in France
I love a chambres d’hotes – the French answer to a BnB gives you a chance to chat to the owners, get the inside track on what the best places to visit, best restaurants, and the history of an area. This made it a joy to put together my favourite 30 in France for The […]
50 best holidays in France
Some of my recent pieces for The Times’ travel section
Why there’s nothing to fear with absinthe
Absinthe tends to strike fear into the most hardened drinker, but a foray into its heartland in Eastern France and over the border in Switzerland proves its shady reputation is undeserved. My feature in National Geographic Traveller Food was a fascinating journey into the history and culture of the drink. Read the feature here […]
The curious Palais Ideal and The Vercors
The Palais Ideal in Hauterives, south of Lyon, is one of France’s most curious attractions. Built by postman, Le Facteur Cheval, in the late 19th and early 20th century, it made the start to a fascinating journey around this relatively unknown area of south-east France. For The Times, 3rd March 2018. Read the feature here […]
My first book! France, From the Source
Lonely Planet’s series of books, titled ‘From the Source’, explores the local cuisine in countries around the world, combining regional and traditional recipes with the stories behind them, and the people who cook them. [Read more about the series here] . Having explored so much of France’s food culture during my time at France Magazine, I was […]
The best French destinations for interiors shopping
So much of France remains undiscovered by the British and so when Homes & Gardens wanted a feature on the best ‘hidden’ destinations for their annual French special I was delighted to reveal some of my favourite places, each with a different USP. Knowing their audience love interiors, I chose destinations that are great for […]