About Beyond Paris, An Insider’s Guide to Rural France
Entertaining and insightful, Find Your France is a feast for Francophiles keen to learn more about the diversity, richness and challenges of rural France. Inspired by other château rescuers from the original British Channel 4 series, Escape to the Château DIY, Sophie Duncan takes you on a tour of France via the castles and their communities.
This informative and humorous autobiographical memoir will open your eyes to the charming, puzzling and wonderful-to-know idiosyncrasies of France’s provinces.
After 22 years renovating her own late mediaeval castle near Carcassonne, Sophie takes to the road and visits some of France’s most famous countryside locations — and lesser-known gems including the Dordogne, Loire valley, Mayenne, the Somme, Côte-d’Or and much more.
Find your France shows why the history of France still matters, and how to find what will suit you best today. It bursts with invaluable tips on how to survive and distinguish the pro’s and con’s of the very different ways of rural life.
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Author Bio:
Sophie Duncan was born in Dublin. Her family settled in London when she was a young child which remained home until 1997 when she moved to France as a newly-wed with her English husband.
For 22 years Sophie immersed herself in renovating a 16th century château, running the family holiday business and learning French. On the side she raised her son and five litters of standard poodles.
In 2016 the château was included in Channel 4’s Escape to the Chateau DIY .
The experience inspired her discovery of the regions and departments the other ‘Châteaunauts’ had been drawn to. Her experience of the deep south west, beyond Carcassonne leads her exploration into the pros and cons of rural France.
Sophie is founder of Oxford History Tours, creating specialist historic tours of Oxford, UK, for both locals and travellers from across the world.
Sophie has an honours degree in art and art history from Oxford Brookes.