Cooking and culture with our host Elizabeth in Paris

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You may already recognise Elizabeth. When the photos of her shoot came back we thought she had such a friendly face that we just had to put her on our homepage. When I spoke to Elizabeth about this blog post, I realised that she has such a deep and warm understanding of what it is that makes a homestay special and that this is what comes across in her photos. Elizabeth lives with her husband in the Parisian suburb of Bois de Vincennes. Both she and her husband are architects and interior designers and they are passionate about design and about making their home a space that reflects their personalities. They share their home with their two teenage children.

Elizabeth is Canadian born Chinese and she says that her own experiences of travel and emigration greatly enrich her experience of being a host. She has a particular affinity for hosting students and those moving to Paris as she knows first-hand what the experience is like and wants to help them settle in. Although their home is only fifteen minutes by train to the centre of the city, the seclusion of their homestay means guests can fully immerse themselves in French culture and actively improve their language skills.

close up of photos in Elizabeth's home

I asked her what a guest can expect from a homestay with her family and why she enjoys hosting so much.

Tell us about hosting: what is it you like about the experience?

We are a fun artistic family who speak 3 different languages, travelled around the world and have appreciation of and interest about other cultures. Having a foreign guest stay at our home exposes our teenage children to understanding the importance of learning other languages and appreciating different cultures.

We particularly like to host young travellers or students because we understand their needs. I find it challenging helping our young guests adapt to a new culture and language which is different from theirs. A complete immersion in the French language and culture.

Tell us a bit about your area, what do you like most about where you live?

We love our neighbourhood because we have the best of both worlds: we’re located near the Bois de Vincennes, a safe, family friendly neighbourhood located east of Paris. There’s fast transportation to city centre in just 15 minutes but we are still surrounded by greens, traditional architecture and historical monuments like the Chateau de Vincennes. There’s a warm French feeling to our neighbourhood with real outdoor markets, cafes, bakeries and fun community events. The Bois de Vincennes itself is also a perfect place for jogging, biking and horse-riding.

Elizabeth relaxing in her colourful garden

What's your favourite thing about Paris?

Paris has a certain magical flair and vibrant ambiance like no other city: sitting at an outdoor café and watching the Parisian walk, walking and getting lost on one of the cobblestone streets! Having a glass of wine and cheese. Eating patisseries!

What's something great about Paris that only a local would know?

Where to shop and eat good traditional French cuisine. Typical slang phrases that can never be translated to other languages. The what to do’s and the what not to do’s! These are things that all take time but that you will come to learn as your spend time in the city.

shots of Elizabeth's kitchen in Paris

France is a country that is known the world over for its cooking. What are the dishes or restaurants that you recommend to your guests when they come and stay?

We love to eat and I love to show off my eccentric gourmet skills. I am picky and select quality products and take pride in preparing delicious meals such as roasted home range chicken with sea salt and garlic sautéed potatoes, veggie quiches, homemade pasta and breads, crème caramel and mousse au chocolate! We especially like guests who are keen and open to try all my meals.

In the past 6 years, we have had many requests from Chinese and Japanese guests who want to celebrate Christmas and New Year in our home with our family.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of becoming a host?

Be patient, open minded, understanding and sociable.

Elizabeth cooking in her kitchen

What would you like to add to your guests experience in the future?

I would love to start up a cooking class for my guest. I have been asked by many of my guests if I could offer cooking classes! Some of my guests studied at the famous Cordon Bleu cooking school so I started to think about how my own cookery skills could make their homestay experience all the more memorable and enriching. I would also like to provide private tours of Paris to help my guests settle in and really make the most of this beautiful city.


We liked Elizabeth so much we even put her on our homepage! Check our her profile or browse our listings for other homestays in Paris.

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