Beaulieu-sur-Mer: A Secret Hideaway on the Riviera
“They dined at the new Beach Casino at Monte Carlo… much later they swam in Beaulieu in a roofless cavern of white moonlight formed by a circlet of pale boulders about a cup of phosphorescent water, facing Monaco...
The French Riviera in Winter
Those who winter in the South of France sojourn in the shadow of greats. The blazing winter sun tempted 19th-century celebrity to the Côte d’Azur: royalty, nobility, artists, authors. Just as café follows déjeuner, the merely wealthy followed the fabulously...
5 Fascinating Roman Sites in France
Le Mans: Painted city
Naturally, when the name of Le Mans is mentioned, one immediately thinks of the world-famous 24-hour endurance race or iconic images of Steve McQueen in his Gulf Oil overalls. And while the event...
48 hours in Champagne
More than just bubbly…
Just two and a half hours’ drive from Calais, and under an hour out of Paris by TGV train, the Champagne region is ideal for a weekend getaway. How would you spend...
Travel to Undiscovered France: 10 Secret French Islands
Even without taking its overseas territories into account, France has a number of interesting islands that are well worth venturing out to. Tristan Rutherford sets sail…
Parisian Island: Île aux Cygnes
Imagine a graceful tree-lined alley planted in the middle of...
Two Exquisite Day Trips from Paris: Van Gogh, Horses, and Moats
In September 2016, I will take my 20th trip to the City of Light! Will I ever tire of visiting this magnificent city of art, history and culture? I don’t think so!
Visiting Géricault’s Raft of...
Dordogne Travels: The Lure of Périgord
La Dordogne: an ancient realm where dark rivers sweep under limestone cliffs and medieval hilltop villages emerge from lush dense forest; where a cornucopia of local produce has created a rich and abundant gastronomic heritage; where the extraordinary legacy of...
An Insider’s Guide to Gascony
Twenty years ago Gascony wasn’t on many people’s must-visit lists, but it’s now being lauded as France’s new Bordeaux and foodie paradise by Condé Nast Traveler and CNN. Bordered on the west by the Atlantic ocean, the south...
5 Favourite Port Towns in France
Sète: A taste of the real Med
Situated on the southern French coast between Montpellier and Béziers, Sète is a busy, bustling, working port in an unusual geographic setting. It resides on and around a single hill,...
Saffron in France: Red Gold in the Lot
Saffron, a spice more expensive than gold, was once grown widely in France and exported in great quantities. Last century, after countries like India and Iran took over the trade and phylloxera had hit, hardly any saffron...