Posts Tagged ‘medieval towns’
Cliffside splendor in Moustiers Sainte-Marie, France
This spectacular town of 700 residents, is perched dramatically among the cliffs of the Regional Park of the Verdon. Since 1981, it has been designated as one of the most beautiful villages of France (Les plus beaux villages de France). Although human settlement in the area dates back tens of thousands of years, it was…
Read MoreLavender & medieval charm in Simiane la Rotonde, Provence
I always love returning to France’s idyllic Provence region. On a family holiday two years ago, we enjoyed exploring the Haute Provence region, and stumbled upon the medieval town of Simiane la Rotonde. The location is perfect – surrounded by fields of lavender. Sadly, during our August visit, the blooms had long ago been harvested…
Read MoreModern medieval pilgrims at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France
Sadly, I wasn’t in this picturesque, medieval French town on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, but I loved observing all those lucky fellow travelers who were. I was in postcard-perfect Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on a family holiday to France’s Pays Basque, and I couldn’t miss out on visiting this pretty town along the pilgrimage to Galicia’s…
Read MoreMarket day in Forcalquier, France
We loved visiting the medieval town of Forcalquier in France’s Provence region on its bustling market day. Forcalquier is in eastern Provence, to the north of the larger town of Manosque. We visited on market day, which is a busy and bustling time for what must otherwise be a sleepy town. Forcalquier’s heyday was back in…
Read MoreBooks and more in Banon, France
We loved discovering this pretty, medieval town in the French region of Alpes de Haute Provence, in eastern Provence. We had already discovered western Provence’s Luberon Valley on an earlier trip, but on our visit last summer we based ourselves in the eastern town of Reillane and explored the nearby region. There are still plenty…
Read MoreBruges by bike
My younger son and I enjoyed a long weekend in Brussels earlier this month, and while there we had a great time visiting the medieval city of Bruges. A Belgian colleague had told me about a bike trail leading from Gent/Gand to Bruges – a 45-kilometer bike towpath trail along a canal. With the benefit…
Read MoreDiscovering the center of Italy – in Rieti
My twelve-year-old son has been running since he was seven. This year, he decided to change coaches and teams. Although he lives and trains in Rome, his competitive new team is from the northern Lazio town of Rieti. This is the northeastern tip of Lazio, extremely close to the regions of Umbria and Abruzzo. In…
Read MoreExploring Narni’s winding, medieval streets
This past summer, my track-and-field-addicted son attended a running camp in the Umbrian hill town of Narni – in central Italy. I’ve travelled a lot in Umbria, but it was my first time in this little village. Picking my son and dropping him off for his camp, I was quite envious he got to enjoy…
Read MoreAn evening stroll in Caserta vecchia
I recently traveled down to visit the spectacular Reggia di Caserta, just outside of Naples in Italy’s Campagna region. You can see my earlier post about the splendid gardens that surround the former Bourbon family palace. Following that visit and before the drive back, we decided to stop off for an evening stroll in Caserta…
Read MoreMedieval skylines & dramatic mountain views in Pacentro, Abruzzo
I was out in Abruzzo’s Majella National Park last weekend picking my older son up from his tennis camp – an idyllic, cooler environment to enjoy a week of tennis. On our drive back, we decided to stop off and explore the medieval town of Pacentro. I must admit, it’s the first time I’d ever…
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