The Good Life France podcast

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, and Joseph Pulitzer, of Pulitzer Prize fame, was instrumental in her standing tall, her index dinger is more than 8 feet long...
Find out the fascinating French history, facts and legends about the Statue of Liberty.

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In this episode we talk about the most famous French female singer of all time. A woman whose voice inspires more than 50 years after her death. It is of course Edith Piaf, who remains in the hearts of the people of France and continues to sell huge amounts of recordings worldwide.

It is a rags to riches tale, born in the street, working the streets and finally becoming the darling of France, a legendary performer, rich beyond her wildest dreams with Marlene Dietrich as a bridesmaid at her wedding.

Edith Piaf’s life burned bright, but short, it’s claimed her last words were “every bloody thing you do in this life, you have to pay for...” We explore her incredible life, her music and her legacy.

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In this episode we explore some of the things that are unique in French culture, charming, funny or perhaps just a little odd. A chicken beauty contest, people making pig noises, dogs in restaurants and dipping bread in coffee, plus more weird and wonderful very French things!

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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 etiquette, the history of la bise, the world’s first and so far only kissing festival in the south of France, top tips for how to get la bise right and why it doesn’t matter if you don’t!
Plus we’ll save you from yourself if you’re a hugger – never hug in France, only la bise, and everyone will live happily ever after!
Pucker up and dive into the fascinating world of the friendly French peck!

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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 conventions.
We'll share fascinating facts, anedcotes about Monet and how he went from being a teenager called Oscar, selling charcoal caricatures for a few pennies to one of the highest paid artists in his lifetime

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