Rediscovering France Through Generations: A Personal Journey of Family and Culture

I have been taking my children to France for as long as I can remember. I mean that quite literally. There are photographs of me carrying an infant through the streets of Paris — pausing on a bridge over the Seine, pointing at something in the distance that only I could name — and I remember thinking: even at this age, this matters. Even now, something is landing. That baby is now 27. And France still matters to both of us.

Growing up between the UK and France gave me a relationship with this country that is equal parts personal and professional. France is in my bones — the light, the rhythm of a market morning, the particular quiet of a Provençal village at midday. And yet every time I return with family, I see it fresh. Through their eyes, it becomes new again.

Early Years: Wonder in Paris

When my children were very small, Paris was about wonder. The sheer scale of the Eiffel Tower, the sparkle of the river, the impossibly good pastries. I remember my youngest deciding, quite seriously, that croissants in France tasted completely different to anything at home. She was right. They do.

Those early trips were filled with moments of discovery that felt magical. Watching my children’s eyes widen at the sight of street artists, hearing their laughter echo along cobblestone streets, and sharing simple meals in bustling cafés created memories that still warm my heart. Paris was a playground of curiosity and delight for them.

Growing Up: Trips That Evolve

As they grew older, the trip evolved with them — and it surprised me, every time, in the best possible way. When my son was 17, he saw Paris through a lens I never anticipated: through a popular video game at the time. He recognized the rooftops. He could name the architecture, place the landmarks, trace the streets as though he’d walked them before — because in a way, he had.

I was genuinely taken aback by how much he had absorbed from a video game, and quietly delighted. While I won’t condone the violence of the game, I was secretly impressed with the knowledge my son possessed on the French Revolution and the key players involved. That trip, we ducked into small World War II boutiques tucked into side streets, turned over medals, and listened to the histories behind them.

A Day in Normandy: History That Moves You

And then we took the day trip to Normandy. I had braced myself for sadness. What I found instead was something far more powerful — poignant, beautiful, and utterly extraordinary.

Standing in the American cemetery, my children began reading the names on the headstones. They found men from our own state. They noticed how young some of them were. Nobody told them to be moved. They simply were. That is what France does. It makes history impossible to ignore, and somehow does it without heaviness — with grace, and with light.

Teenagers Finding Calm in History and Culture

I have noticed, too, that teenagers become somehow less agitated in France. I think it is because they find themselves surrounded by so much history that it both excites and calms them at the same time.

For my two girls, it was the vintage shops and the markets — finding affordable, beautiful dresses that felt uniquely Parisian, things they couldn’t find anywhere else. It was sitting in a café and realising, somewhere between the café au lait and the people-watching, that their phones were no longer on the table. Not put away under duress. Simply forgotten. They were present. They were in the moment. And they were happy.

The South of France: A Different Kind of Magic

And then there is the South of France, which is another kind of magic entirely. The countryside, the lavender, the unhurried pace of a morning coffee in a village square — these things do something to a family. The screens go away. The conversations slow down and go deeper.

My children have always been at their most themselves in the South of France, and I think it is because the place itself gives everyone permission to simply be. A villa with a pool, within walking distance of a village — this, in my experience, is one of the finest things you can give a family. The children swim. The adults breathe. And at some point in the late afternoon, everyone ends up at the same table, sun-warmed and unhurried, sharing food and laughing at nothing in particular.

That is the real France. And that is what I want for every family.

WHY BOOK WITH VIE DE LUXE TRAVEL

Every detail arranged — flights, hotels, villa, transfers, restaurant reservations, and tickets — with family-first planning and 15 years of firsthand European expertise. I’ve lived in France, hold dual French and US citizenship, and have travelled with my three children from 3 months old to 26. I know this country from the inside, at every age and every stage.

You travel. I take care of everything else.

I would love to bring this itinerary to life for your family. Please reply or book a call — July fills quickly and I don’t want you to miss out on the perfect villa.

With warmth,

Christina Monk

Founder & Luxury Travel Consultant - My consultations are free

Vie de Luxe Travel