Posts Tagged ‘France’
Three A-list towns in Provence: Avignon, Arles, and Aix
Provence’s interior has so many lovely hill towns, and stunning nature, that visitors are forgiven for not wanting to jeopardize a tranquil holiday with the hustle and bustle of larger towns. Yet the following three towns make the A-list of any planned visit to Provence – there’s simply no excuse not to visit Avignon, Arles, and…
Read MoreSee the world’s biggest medieval brick cathedral – in Albi, France
Ever see National Lampoon’s Vacation, where Chevy Chase’s character enthusiastically drives his family hundreds of miles out of their way on their cross-country vacation to see the world’s second largest ball of twine? I felt a kindred spirit when I was bumping along on a bus with my family – the milk-delivery bus, apparently, since…
Read MoreNot just mustard in Dijon, France
Okay, perhaps Dijon’s biggest name recognition comes form those jars of tasty, spicy mustard, but there are lots more reasons to go to this charming city, southeast of Paris, in France’s Bourgogne region. A few summers ago, we stopped off at Dijon as we were driving to our holiday in Brittany. Needless to say, we…
Read MoreShopping in Les Halles market, Toulouse
One of the (many) pleasures of traveling in France is wandering the stalls at the local markets. I’ve already written about some of my favorite markets in France – in the stunning mountain town of Annecy and the Cours Saleya market of the Riviera coastal city of Nice. If you’re travelling in France, always make time…
Read MoreStep back to the Middle Ages in Toulouse’s Musée de Augustins
I had a great time exploring the pretty southwestern French city of Toulouse with my family at the end of November. I already posted about the great, outdoor Christmas market we enjoyed. I’ve also posted about the day trip we made to Albi, to see the impressive Toulouse-Lautrec Museum. Another highlight to our visit was…
Read MoreAdmire Albi’s impressive Toulouse-Lautrec Museum
A few weeks ago, on a trip to southwestern France, my family and I spent a day in the beautiful, medieval town of Albi. Among the town’s many points of interest – its thousand-year-old bridge spanning the Tarn River, the largest medieval brick church in the world – Albi is known to art lovers as…
Read MoreThe Christmas Market in Toulouse, France
I’m a big fan of northern European Christmas markets, with the sparkling white snow, the fairytale forms of the wooden market stalls, the tempting smell of gingerbread, and steaming hot Gluehwein to keep me warm. But lately, I’ve been discovering the Christmas markets in more southern climes. I already wrote about the Christmas market in…
Read MoreThe beauty of France’s rugged Gorges du Verdon
Until my family and I visited Provence’s Gorges du Verdon (Verdon Canyons), we had no idea that these were the largest gorges in Europe. We associated Provence’s interior with idyllic hilltowns, rolling landscapes and beautiful coastlines, but we knew nothing about this stunning, rugged landscape to be found right in central Provence. Since we wanted a…
Read MoreFrom the ramparts of Les Baux de Provence, France
Provence is most certainly one of my (many) favorite corners of Europe. If you are visiting the region, you should try to set aside some time to visit the suggestive ruins of Les Baux de Provence. A visit to this site makes it clear why this was selected as a defensive position – visitors have…
Read MoreSearching for King Arthur: Art, nature and legends in Brittany’s interior
France’s coasts in Brittany are – justifiably – extremely popular with tourists. Yet Brittany also boasts an interesting interior, replete with beautiful churches and castles, charming towns and landscapes and locations from Arthurian legend; nevertheless, most tourists never make it here. On a two-week trip to Brittany, we chose to base ourselves in Brittany’s interior…
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