Join Us in France Travel Podcast

Knights Templar have a romanticized and exotic imagery attached to them. But reality is different from the lore that surrounds them. Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin talk about it in this episode of the podcast. The movie by Ridley Scott The Kingdom of Heaven [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0320661/] is a great example of a romanticized version of the Knights Templar. But is is based on real people and things could have happened the way he showed it in this excellent movie. The events happened so long ago we have to fill in a lot of stories. What is for sure is that Knights Templar were a reflection of their times and what was happening in French culture at the time. Let's talk about their amazing rise and precipitous fall. This episode features my frequent guest Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website [https://toulouseguidedwalks.com/] and you can also support her on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/elysart]. Discussed in this episode: * Who Were the Knights Templar in Reality? * A Brief Recap of the History of the Knights Templar * The Knights Templars Were Warriors First * Les Commanderies in France * The Downfall of the Knights Templar Full show notes [https://joinusinfrance.com/333] for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/333 Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/JoinUs] | Boutique [https://joinusinfrance.com/boutique/] | Newletter [https://joinusinfrance.com/newsletter/] | Booking [https://www.booking.com/index.html?aid=954523]

Today Annie Sargent brings you a conversation with Eva Jorgensen about the Paris Saint-Ouen flea market. It is one of the biggest, most famous flea market in the world. This flea market gets almost 5 million visitors a year which is impressive because it’s only open 3 days a week! In this episode of the podcast, we talk about vintage clothes shopping, antiques, and wonderful old items you could bring back in your suitcase. It's really about the thrill of the hunt, and the wonderful surprises you might find at the Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen. Eva is the author of Paris by Design [https://amzn.to/3tcISJN] 10 Pro Tips About the Paris Saint-Ouen Flea Market 1. Go on a Monday if you'd like to see it on a quiet day. 2. Fridays: Supposedly the flea market is ONLY open on Friday mornings for dealers. Eva went on a Friday morning and nobody asked if she was a dealer (she's not). So, if you can only go on a Friday, it's also a possibility, but only in the morning. 3. It's best to AVOID the Porte de Clignancourt metro stop, even though that's the way Google Maps will tell you to go. If you go that way you'll run into the giant highway and all the people who setup on the sidewalk and sell junk and trinkets. Generally, Annie avoids any metro stations called "porte de" around Paris as explained in Episode 194 about Dicey Paris neighborhoods [https://joinusinfrance.com/episode/dicey-paris-neighborhoods-episode-194/] . 4. You'll have a better experience going to the Garibaldi metro station on line 13. You cross the street and go through the garden on the side of the church (called Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire-Saint-Ouen, it's big, you can't miss it) and you'll exit the garden at rue des Rosiers (93400) turn right and walk 1 kilometer. You'll enter at the back of the Paris Saint-Ouen Flea Market. 5. Part of Saint-Ouen is definitely sketchy, but if you take this way to the market, you'll walk through a quiet residential neighborhood. Eva walked there by herself and felt totally safe going that way, whereas she didn't enjoy going via the Porte de Clignancourt station. See map below. 6. If you arrive at the Paris Saint-Ouen Flea Market via the Garibaldi metro station, you'll get to the Marché Paul Bert first. One way to make sure you don't miss it is to tell your favorite map app on your phone to take you to a restaurant called Ma Cocotte. 7. Stick to the market itself, it is completely safe. 8. At lunch time notice how several vendors will eat together around a folding table and maybe play some cards or something. It adds to the friendly atmosphere. 9. At the Paul Bert café don't miss the chocolat chaud à l'ancienne (hot chocolate), Eva also likes the classic bistro lunch like croque-madame with a side salad. 10. Le Comptoir des Puces is a little hideaway place inside of Marché Serpette, a great place for a break. The official page [https://www.pucesdeparissaintouen.com/en/marches-et-rues/] for the Paris Saint-Ouen flea market in English. The episode page [https://joinusinfrance.com/332] for this episode is here: https://joinusinfrance.com/332 Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/JoinUs] | Boutique [https://joinusinfrance.com/boutique/] | Newletter [https://joinusinfrance.com/newsletter/] | PayPal [https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=DZH33MEG57G9L&source=url] |Booking [https://www.booking.com/index.html?aid=954523]

On this episode of the podcast, Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin discuss Avignon and all the things you should not miss there. Of course, we love the palace, the bridge, the festival and the gastronomy. Should you put it on your list? Let's talk about it! This episode features my frequent guest Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website [https://toulouseguidedwalks.com/] and you can also support her on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/elysart]. Full show notes [https://joinusinfrance.com/331] for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/331 Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/JoinUs] | Boutique [https://joinusinfrance.com/boutique/] | Newletter [https://joinusinfrance.com/newsletter/] | Booking [https://www.booking.com/index.html?aid=954523]

In this episode of the podcast Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin discuss the pros and cons of Airbnb for people who visit France. The apartment rental giant is facing more and more scrutiny because it has disrupted the travel market and now rents more rooms than several hotel chains combined. This episode features my frequent guest Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website [https://toulouseguidedwalks.com/] and you can also support her on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/elysart]. Even if you think it's great that the hotel industry is facing increased competition there are some things you need to think about before booking an Airbnb in France: * Neighbors getting fed up with ever-changing occupants. * Owners canceling a few days before you're due to arrive. * Local residents being priced out of the rental market. * Apartments with hidden flaws. * Owners taking a long time when there is a problem. Having said that, there are times when Airbnb is the best option. This is true for visitors who have special dietary needs and will cook for themselves. The same goes for groups who need more bedrooms. We're not anti Airbnb but we think there are better options, especially in France. Get the Real Local Flavor France is littered with Maisons d'hôte aka Bed and Breakfast. They are all over the country and there are even some in central Paris! There is no better way to meet locals. The question is how do you find such accommodations without searching for days? Booking.com [https://www.booking.com/index.html?aid=954523] makes that easy! We also love the Gites de France [https://www.gites-de-france.com/en] site and the properties they list. A Gite is a furnished apartment or house you can rent for a few days or a few months. There are none in Paris, but they are literally everywhere else in France. If you're driving around the French countryside and would love to stay in a French chateau, you MUST check out the Relais et Chateaux [https://www.relaischateaux.com/us/]. Some of them are surprisingly affordable! There are some in Paris as well. The Plum Guide is like Airbnb but they visit the apartment before listing it so you're sure to have a well-appointed place. Home Stay and Holiday Homes are also possibilities. Annie uses a website called MindMyHouse [https://www.mindmyhouse.com/] which is great for longer trips when she wants her dogs and cat pampered at home. Full show notes [https://joinusinfrance.com/330] for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/330 Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/JoinUs] | Boutique [https://joinusinfrance.com/boutique/] | Newletter [https://joinusinfrance.com/newsletter/] | Booking [https://www.booking.com/index.html?aid=954523]

On today's episode of the podcast Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin talk about bastides in the southwest of France. What do tour guides mean when they tell you that a place is a Bastide? Why is that important? There are a lot of bastides in the southwest of France. For this episode we use the example of Castelnau de Montmiral a charming village in the Tarn. But bastides were a small revolution at the heart of the Middle Ages and Elyse will explain that they sprung up #joinusinfrance #podcast Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/JoinUs] | Boutique [https://joinusinfrance.com/boutique/] | Newletter [https://joinusinfrance.com/newsletter/] This episode features my frequent guest Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website [https://toulouseguidedwalks.com/] and you can also support her on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/elysart]. Useful Links * Wikiloc [https://fr.wikiloc.com/] * Visorando [https://www.visorando.com/] * Les Musicales de Montmiral [https://www.estivalesdemontmiral.com/] Related Episodes * Cordes-sur-Ciel, Episode 88 [https://joinusinfrance.com/episode/cordes-sur-ciel-episode-88/] * Sorèze and Revel, Great Day Trips from Toulouse, Episode 156 [https://joinusinfrance.com/episode/soreze-and-revel-great-day-trips-from-toulouse-episode-156/] * Mirepoix, Episode 81 [https://joinusinfrance.com/episode/mirepoix-episode-81/] Full show notes [https://joinusinfrance.com/329] for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/329