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Samantha David - connexionfrance

Samantha David

Regular contributor - The Connexion

Journalist and novelist, Samantha David has lived in France for nearly 40 years and still relishes French culture and lifestyle.

samantha.david@connexionfrance.com

World War One exhibition reveals how pets provided comfort in the French trenches

Photographs, diaries and stories illustrate how dogs and cats supported soldiers in the Great War

October 20, 2026

Pick-your-own fruit and vegetables near Paris

Visit La Cueillette de Nolongues near Coulommiers for pick-your-own fruit and vegetables from May to October, including pumpkins and apples

October 12, 2026

A view of a man cutting a mushroom from the ground

How to enjoy mushroom-hunting season in France

Exploring the joys and dangers of foraging mushrooms, and benefits of joining a mycology club

October 03, 2026

October reading recommendations: three books about France in English

Discover three books set in France, from a romance and a Paris mystery to Provence food memoirs

September 29, 2026

Angoulême: Back to old time car racing glamour

English-speaking volunteers are sought for Angoulême’s Circuit des Remparts, where rare Lorraine-Dietrich cars star this month

September 19, 2026

France’s Nutri-Score makes a farce of healthy eating

The system was introduced in 2017 to help shoppers improve their diets

September 18, 2026

Meet the producers: Bulldog Bacon and Bangers in the Gers

British-style bacon, sausages, pork pies and Scotch eggs, with delivery across mainland France

September 14, 2026

Young woman reading a book at a traditional Parisian outdoor café

September reading recommendations: books about France in English

Enjoy books about the Riviera during wartime, life in Provence and a practical guide to French slang

September 07, 2026

10 presidential facts ahead of France's 2027 election

Find out more about the president's role, from nuclear powers to also being the world's only elected monarch

August 26, 2026

La rentrée: 12 points to understand French schools

From food to bullying - some things may surprise you about the education system in France

August 25, 2026

Meet the Aude producer behind artisan balsamic vinegar Granhota

Laurent Faure also produces flavoured vinegars at Granhota in Coursan. Visitors can tour the vinaigrerie, taste the products and buy direct

August 13, 2026

Why many old French houses stay cool without air conditioning

Columnist Samantha David considers the advantages of traditional homes

August 03, 2026

UK and French hot air balloon championships come to Lot-et-Garonne

Find out about flights, spectator events, ticket prices and the solar eclipse balloon show

August 02, 2026

My experience of getting a pacemaker in France

Andy Hughes, 63, moved to France in 2003

August 01, 2026

A man wearing a hat lies in a hammock in a leafy garden in Provence.

August reading recommendations: books about France in English

Paris food and wine inspiration, feel-good French fiction and a charming children’s language book

July 31, 2026

Smiling woman seated on a sofa holding a brown dog indoors.

How we started an animal shelter in Dordogne

Former psychiatric nurse Sharon Lee-Chappelle wanted to do more than volunteer

July 18, 2026

Explore France the Robert Louis Stevenson way... and not just by donkey

Follow in the footsteps of the famous Scottish author from Brussels to Paris along rivers and canals

July 16, 2026

How climate change is helping yuzu lemons grow in south-west France

Discover how two Landes farmers produce yuzu fruit, jams and syrups for customers across France and Belgium

July 09, 2026

July reading recommendations: three books about France in English

Our pick includes some romantic Paris fiction and a gripping wartime art theft novel

July 03, 2026

Stone gate in front of a traditional house with a garden and blue sky.

What do French buyers actually want in an old farmhouse?

Columnist Samantha David prepares to sell her home

June 27, 2026

France’s speed cameras are infuriating – and that’s why they keep getting vandalised

Columnist Samantha David says the devices seem designed to catch drivers out

June 04, 2026

Three reading recommendations: books about France in English

Enjoy these English books about France featuring Paris in 1968, a Brittany-based crime and Nazi-looted art

June 01, 2026

The problem of neighbours feeding your cat in France – and why it happens

Spoiling someone else’s pet is better than abandoning their own, says columnist Samantha David

May 05, 2026