Join Us in France Travel Podcast

Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de Lapérouse: France's Greatest Explorer You've Never Heard Of

Annie Sargent talks with Elyse Rivin about Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de Lapérouse. He was born near Albi. He became one of France's greatest naval explorers. Louis X

Learning French Later in Life: A Couple's Avignon Immersion

Annie Sargent chats with Nan and Marty Deniston, two Americans who spent three whole months living in Avignon. They wanted more than a vacation. They wanted real French.

Louis Braille: The Blind French Teen Who Changed Reading Forever

Annie Sargent sits down with Elyse Rivin to tell the story of Louis Braille. He lost his sight at age three. He was completely blind by five. That didn't stop him. By his

Lyon Travel Guide: Secret Passageways and Food Specialties

Annie Sargent takes you to Lyon in this episode. She met with Mikayla Sibner, an American who's taught French in Lyon for years, and they walk you through the city togeth

Camille Claudel: Betrayed by Family, Locked Away for 30 Years

Camille Claudel trained alongside Auguste Rodin. She fell in love with him. She became a brilliant sculptor in her own right. Then her family locked her away. Listen to

How We Moved to Paris: Visa, Housing, and Healthcare

109-word iTunes description: Sacha Cohen and her husband spent two and a half years scouting France. They tried Rouen, Dijon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, and more. Then they ch

Catherine and Marie De Medici: Queen Mothers and Kingmakers

Two Italian banker's daughters married French kings. Both ended up ruling France. Annie Sargent sits down with Elyse Rivin to sort out Catherine de' Medici and Marie de'

An Art Retreat in a Medieval Burgundy Village, Episode 607

In episode 607, Annie Sargent talks with Julie Lynch, an Australian costume designer turned painter, about her week-long art retreat in Noyers, a tiny medieval village in

Eugène Delacroix: The Painter Critics Loved to Hate, Episode 606

Critics called his paintings smudges. He kept painting anyway. In this episode, Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin tell the story of Eugène Delacroix, the man behind Liberty L

Five Weeks Solo in Paris: 20 Museums and Hidden Gems, Episode 605

Five weeks solo in Paris. Twenty museums. Four monuments. And a whole lot of surprises. Annie Sargent chats with Larry Rosenblum to talk about his trip. Larry swims in th

Alexandre Dumas: Adventure, Scandal, and 100,000 Pages

Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin dig into the life of Alexandre Dumas Père — and it's a wild ride. His grandmother was a slave. His father was the French army's first non-wh

Puy du Fou, Arles Bullfighting, and Getting Pickpocketed in Paris

Cas McIntyre has visited France seven times and speaks French well enough to land in real trouble, and real fun. She joins Annie Sargent to swap stories that go beyond po

Vichy's Story and the Best of the Allier Department

Annie Sargent just got back from the Allier department, dead center of France, and almost nobody visits it. In this episode, she sits down with Elyse Rivin to talk about

What Your Paris Photos Are Missing (And How to Fix It)

Annie Sargent chats with Bob Soltys, a black-and-white street photographer who has spent decades capturing Paris. Bob shares what gear to actually bring, why night photog

Who Was Coco Chanel Really? Her Life Story, Unvarnished

This is episode 600 of Join Us in France — a milestone worth celebrating. Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin dig into the life of Coco Chanel. Born Gabrielle Chanel in rural

Getting a French Mortgage as Americans and Buying an Apartment in Nice Sight Unseen

Antoine and Annie Ksadzhikyan bought an apartment in Nice, France, without ever seeing it in person. They did it from Los Angeles, over FaceTime, and they have zero regre

Joan of Arc: The Real Woman Behind 20,000 Statues

Joan of Arc was not a shepherdess. She was a determined teenager who broke an arranged marriage, heard voices, and convinced a chain of noblemen to take her to the French

Road Tripping in Northern France: From Flander's Fields to Agincourt

Craig Anderson road-tripped northern France after a week in Belgium. He loved it, and you will too. Annie and Craig talk Dunkirk, Calais, Boulogne-sur-Mer, the Battle o

Viollet-le-Duc: The Self-Taught Architect Who Shaped France's Medieval Landmarks

Annie Sargent sits down with licensed tour guide Elyse Rivin to talk about Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc — the self-taught architect who left his mark on Notre-Dame, Car

23 Nights in Southern France Without a Car

Annie Sargent talks with Sally Schokman, an Australian solo traveler who spent 23 nights in southern France without a car. Sally took the train everywhere — Bordeaux, Tou