France with Véro

25/04/2025

Les tulipes du Roi Soleil

Château de Versailles, avril 2025

19/04/2025

Bonjour.

So you think you know the king on that famous Parisian equestrian statue?

Think again.

What if I told you he gave the French one of their most beloved dishes?

The story is in the Comment section (and on the platform where you can subscribe for free to read all my new stories.)

Look at France like a native with Véro! 🙂

Joyeuses Pâques!
Happy Easter!

Véro

09/04/2025

Bonjour.

Expresso en terrasse on a sunny day.

What could be better?

Answer: Overhearing an interesting conversation at the table behind you. Especially when if it involves Marseille and les Parisiens!

The (bilingual) story is in the comment section below.

My French life.

Véro

06/04/2025

Bonjour.

If you'll listen to some foreigners on social media it's easy to get dehydrated in France.

Oh, the drama!

I disagree, and I tell you why in a new story shared in the comment section below.

I also teach you a new French word. But be careful: It has several meanings and can be misconstrued (*)

Véro



(*) "La gourde" can be a portable drinking device. It's also a dumb woman as in "Quelle gourde celle-là!”

02/04/2025

Bonjour.

La France loves "le Burger."

Et oui.

Ready for a new story and my weekly French tutorial?

Check out the Comment section below.

Belle journée !

Véro

23/03/2025

Bonjour.

- "I'll have what she's having. Wait. It's purple. WHAT is she having?"

- "Something with lavender, obviously."

Mauvaise pioche. Bad draw.

I am having refreshing mineral water and a dash of "sirop de violette" (violet syrup.)

Not only is it pretty and fragrant, it's also delicious. Have you tried it?

You can take the girl out of Toulouse, but you can't take Toulouse out of the girl.

I returned to my hometown recently on the way back from Marseille just in time to catch a fun annual festival dedicated to a Toulouse icon since the 19th century: "la violette." Wait until you see what they do with violets there!

A new virtual tour may have just hit the France with Vero channel today.

It's short and sweet, just like a pretty little flower I know.

Join me in Toulouse? (If you don't know how to get to the France with Vero video library then you've obviously just arrived here. Bienvenue!)

Véro

19/03/2025

Bonjour.

You speak French? Good for you!

The question is: Do you speak "Marseillais?" (Many Parisians don't.)

On a recent trip to Marseille I seized another teachable moment.

As I prepare to pre-launch my new French Immersion workshops in the Loire Valley (France with Vero students and patrons will hear the news first next week) I thought I'd share a new lesson you might find interesting.

Teachers (and French classes) come in many different forms, formats and locations.

Where to find the link?

On the platform where I do most of my writing these days (or at the usual places.)

Welcome to "le Parler Marseillais!"

Véro

15/03/2025

Bonjour.

Sometimes you just have to let a story take you by the hand and let it show the way.

I had a fun Parisian adventure earlier today as I was enjoying breakfast in a favorite corner of the Right Bank.

Couldn't wait to write about it and typed this up on the TGV on my way home in the Loire Valley.

Couldn't wait to hit "publish" after unpacking my suitcase.

La voilà. There it is. Hope you like it.

Like always, a "Like" or a "share" goes a long way. It makes me smile and helps me get the word out. Merci.

The story was published on the platform where I do most of my writing these days. By now, you should know where that is. If not, c'est dommage.

Qui m'aime me suive. Who's coming?

Bon weekend,

Véro

08/03/2025

Bonjour.

Last month while in Marseille, southern France I paid a visit to a local institution, a store like no other run by the same family for over 250 years.

Bienvenue à la “Maison Empereur.”

Is it a store, a museum, a place honoring French heritage and traditions?

It’s all of that and more.

Join me on an exclusive virtual tour (and a trip back in time) as we explore corners of this fascinating business tucked away in the heart of one of Marseille’s liveliest neighborhood, le quartier de Noailles.

Do you need some (affordable) escapism, or a session of "lèche-vitrine" (window shopping) this weekend? Follow the tour guide!

If you enjoy the tour, why not give me a “Like” or a comment? It means a lot to me (and the almighty algorithm that may decide to promote my content on YouTube.)

Thank you to France with Vero patrons, my co-producers, who help finance the stories I create and publish for all to enjoy.

The video link is in the Comment section below.

Véro

Merci Maison Empereur

04/03/2025

Bonjour,

Quoi? What on Earth are these photos????

Question: Remember our French lessons at the Monoprix?

They have resumed (on another platform.)

You may speak French but do you always catch subtleties of the language especially French idioms and other cultural references?

This is where I come in.

It's all about teachable moments!

Here's what I came up with (with Monoprix's help) earlier today. Hope you enjoy this mini-French lesson. Let me know if you do. Nothing worse than a quiet classroom. French lesson link in the comment section below.

By the way, I'll have exciting news to share soon about a new program I am launching later this year.

Four words for you: French immersion. Loire Valley.

Space will be limited. If you'd like to get the scoop first, reach out and ask to join the mailing list. Contact: [email protected]

Bonne semaine,

Véro

01/03/2025

Bonjour,

March 1, 2019 - March 1, 2025

Six years ago I returned to France, my homeland, after 23 years stateside.

In the early morning on March 1, 2019 I landed at Charles de Gaulle airport with a couple of suitcases. It was the first day of my new French life. I was in my 50s.

In the weeks that followed I moved into a 200sq-foot (19 sq meter) furnished apartment outside Vincennes. You may remember “the 7th Heaven.”

I was prepared for change and ready to re-invent myself as a professional tour guide, reunited with my homeland at long last.

I could not have anticipated all the upcoming upheavals. Like many I did my best to surf the wave without drowning in 2020 and 2021.

Happy to report I am still afloat 6 years later with a new life in my city of choice, Tours, Loire Valley, and a fulfilling career as a French language instructor and a tour guide.

Life is busy (too busy at times) but life is good all things considered.

You’ve cheered me on for years as “French Girl in Seattle” first and now as “France with Vero.” Thank you. I’ve worked hard at building this great community and couldn’t have done it without your help.

To you who take the time to comment and share my publications here and on other platforms, merci.

To you my French students, patrons and paid Substack subscribers who support my business, merci.

A lot less of this would be happening without you.

As touring season fast approaches and I prepare to switch hats for a few months (I have built quite the collection!) I hope we stay in touch and you continue to support my creative endeavors.

More adventures in la Belle France headed your way.

Véro

28/02/2025

Bonjour.

French cathedrals are not created equal.

Heureusement. Fortunately.

The story is in the comment section.

Véro

21/02/2025

Bonjour.

Tick-tock. In just a few weeks I will be returning to French roads to share more of la Belle France with North American travelers.

This will be my 5th season collaborating with Rick Steves' Europe. I couldn't have hoped for a better team to work with when I started touring in 2019, just a few months after relocating to France permanently.

The quality of a company can often be assessed in the time and resources they invest to train their teams (I would know, as a certified corporate trainer.) Rick Steves Europe is one of those companies.

Today is International Tour Guide Day and I reached out to some of my favorite France-based guides on Instagram. Many have become friends.

Thank you for the shout-out Rick Steves' Europe! I'll continue introducing travelers to the magnificent Loire Valley I call home.

What fun to see this great group photo captured during the Guide Workshop in Edmonds, WA last August!

See you out there on the road!

Véro

Great guides revolutionize travel experiences. In Istanbul, Lale spirits you away to lively back alleys and markets you’d never stumble upon alone. The charming châteaux of the Loire Valley become compelling characters in French history when visited with Veronique. In Veliko Tarnovo, Stefan introduces you to Bulgarian artisans keeping traditional culture alive with hand-crafted goods rather than knockoffs and knick-knacks. Without a great storyteller like Francesca at your side, the Roman Forum is just a pile of rocks.

At Rick Steves’ Europe, we proudly employ over 200 expert guides who have spent decades mastering the alchemy of transforming beautiful places and sensory experiences into cultural epiphanies and human connections. With a good guide, you never skip along the surface of a new city to come away with only pretty pictures; instead, you time travel and delve into new dimensions to emerge with fresh understandings and lifelong memories.

Today is International Tourist Guide Day, and we want to celebrate our guides and the vital work they do to connect cultures. So, if you’ve explored alongside a Rick Steves’ Europe guide—whether you adventured with them on a Rick Steves’ Europe tour or found them listed in the pages of our guidebooks—please share a magical moment they created for you in the comments below. We’ll then share these memories with our guides to encourage them to continue teaching about their cultures with energy and passion.

16/02/2025

Bonjour.

When in Provence, one has to learn about "pétanque."

Lucky for you I spent quality time at a Marseille institution earlier this week and immersed myself in the game so many play - and love - all over France.

There's a trick: This time I am sharing this new story (and photos!) with you in French.

Not to worry: I also typed up a free translation AND included an audio track so you may practice your pronunciation skills too.

Find this attractive package on the platform where I do most of my writing these days (Hint: It's not here.)

Not sure why you haven't subscribed to find my "Lettres de France" in your inbox yet? It's free. Next time, you might just miss out if I don't swing by here to let you know about it. Quel dommage!

The links below will take you where you need to go.

Like always help me get the word out by sharing with friends or leaving a comment.

Oh, and remember to greet Mademoiselle F***y if you see her!

Véro

09/02/2025

Bonjour.

I published a new “Lettre de France” today.

A funny thing happened when I stepped off the TGV at Gare Montparnasse on Friday. I took an unexpected trip to Normandy.

Who’s joining me?

Find the link in the comment section below.

Véro

08/02/2025

Bonjour.

Parisian urban adventures on a cold February day: Overview.

From the Left to the Right Bank and my old college neighborhood, le Marais.

Ah the life of the tourist in Paris (a tough job but someone's got to do it!)

Visiting local icons and old favorites, walking along familiar streets, catching an exhibit in its last week (much less crowded that way!,) sampling a delicious home-cooked meal at a surprisingly humble restaurant in a very touristy neighborhood, more walking along once familiar streets, and back to the Left Bank to catch a suburban train to my parents' home.

It was cold yet it was fun.

A bientôt, Paris: Southern France awaits. Off to "la province" (not to be confused with "la Provence") I go.

Véro

All photos (and captions:) France with Véro