About

Bonjour and Bienvenue!

My name is Philip Riggs, a geographer and accordion player who adores the geography of France. My passion pushed me to write about this incredible country.

For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with its food, culture, history, music, and language. As a youngster I gazed at maps for hours. I rejoiced when I found books about French in used bookstores. And in college I often locked myself in my dorm room all weekend watching French movies.

There has always been something about France that whisks my heart away to its romance and cafe life.

And now I want to share my passion with you…

You see, when I’m stuck in traffic I can’t stop remembering the freedom of walking through the streets of Paris. When I’m bored at work I savor sitting in a cafe watching all kinds of interesting people go by. And when I’m home I get a kick out of thinking about playing with the family in a French gîte.

In fact, I love experiencing France so much…

I ended up marrying a French woman!

My wife Nathalie is from Paris. We’re happily married and relish every chance we get to travel back to France. And it only gets richer now that we can take our three children.

Some of my fondest memories are…

• Watching the sun set over the ramparts of Carcassonne.
• Strolling along the Seine holding hands with my lovely wife.
• Eating breakfast on the second level of the Eiffel Tower with my wonderful daughter Lauren.
• Wandering through Notre Dame with my son Christopher hiding in cracks and crevices… looking up at the stained glass in awe.
• The whole family laughing our way through La Mer de Sable amusement park.

And it will only get better as the kids get older and we create lots of new memories. In fact, our next trip will be baby Julian’s first time to France. I can’t wait to see his excited eyes pop with the beauty and activity of Paris streets.

But there are lots of websites about France. What makes FrenchMusette.com unique?

First of all, you will notice a difference in the writing on this website compared to most other travel sites. I have tons of France guides, atlases, and books (I love the pictures). But they are all too often written like a Bart Simpson book report…

“France is a country of contrasts. Paris is a hub of activity, while the countryside enjoys a slower pace of life… blah, blah, blah… BORING! That’s every country in the world! Tell me something I would want to know, something that will make me want to go!

I write differently. That’s because I am a copywriter, not an English major. That means I write in a style that is designed to entertain and move readers with emotion to achieve a purpose. My purpose is that you will be transported to France in your imagination in such a way that you feel like you are there. No boring or high-falutin’ writing here. I’ll leave that to the travel snobs. Only dynamic, action-oriented writing that makes you savor every moment of reading.

Second, I have my PhD in Spatial Science. That means I love maps! And you will find a ton of them here. But not your ordinary, boring road maps that you see on every other travel website. No! I love maps that are both beautiful and so imaginative that they almost carry you to the locations you read about.

So pack your bags. Let’s jet to France!

Philip Riggs, PhD

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