Welcome to Oliver’s France!
Peek behind the tourist curtains . . .
After a long residence in France, it was time to return home, yet I was leaving part of my heart behind. France had become my second home (and I felt a little bit French!) I’d been there for a total of 13 years (with a few back and forths.) The last thing I did as I left France was write the book, Magical Paris: Over 100 Things to Do Across Paris. I’d lived in the City of Lights for 5 of my total years and loved it. But I wanted to write the book that I wished I’d had to explore Paris . . . all of Paris, not just the tourist spots.
At Oliver’s France, my desire is to share the stunning variety, beauty, history, and culture of France with you. Oliver’s France will give you ideas, insider tips, and even French language tools.
I’m happy to share places I think you’ll enjoy, as well as practical pointers to make your travels go smoothly. You’ll be able to peek behind the tourist curtain and sample the local ways.
You’ll read about places you’ve heard about as well as some new destinations you haven’t. When you subscribe to Oliver’s France, your inbox won’t be flooded. I respect your time and interest, so you’ll receive just 2 posts per month. They’ll be worth your time! (You can also find OF on Facebook and Pinterest!)
Since writing Magical Paris, I’ve also written A French Garden: The Loire Valley, and Real French for Travelers, which is also available in an online course.
And who is Oliver? The name for this website was inspired by my favorite little guy, Oliver.
No More Fat Travel Books
Oliver’s France travel guides. What you need for your trip, not what you DON’T need. You need tips that will make your life easier, off-tourist-grid ideas, special pleasures an insider would know. What you don’t need? The entire history of France. Every single architectural detail of every church and historical building. You don’t have time for that when you really want to absorb the culture and have experiences you’ll always remember.
Learning some French will make your trip better.
Oliver’s France provides resources for learning travel French. Even if you only want to know polite expressions and greetings, that will be an immense help as you travel. Being a polite and friendly traveler will bring your trip up a huge notch. (You may even make some lifelong friends in France!) At the least, you’ll have better interactions with everyone. Find here:
A free online mini-course of polite expressions and greetings. Because it’s video, you’ll learn and be able to practice the correct pronunciation (the hardest part!)
The book, Real French for Travelers. This book has been taught in college classes and in recreational centers. Concise, clear, handy . . . and light to take along for relevant vocabulary. It’s also available in a complete online course that takes you from zero to past tense.
