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Lonely Planet have recently released an updated version of their guide to Cycling France . The French tend to be much more velo-friendly than much of the rest of Europe, as evidenced by their passion for the Tour de France and numerous initiatives and investments to promote cycling for everyone – e.g. the number of dedicated cycle routes throughout the country.
There are ambitious schemes along much of the Loire Valley as part of a very long-distance cross-European cycle route (see www.loire-a-velo.fr); the construction of a tarmac route alongside the Canal du Nivernais from Auxerre to Clamecy and on to Decize; Canal du Midi, the numerous city cycle-hire schemes such as Velib in Paris; and the ease with which you can take a bicycle on many French train routes – see www.sncf.com

So the new guide might just tempt you to combine your trip with some cycling to improve your fitness and to enjoy the French landscape, sights and sounds at a more leisurely speed than that of the car.

Bien sûr, you know how beautiful France is. Well, consider this: it looks even lovelier when seen from two wheels. The soaring Alps…the château-dotted Loire?even surprisingly cycle-friendly Paris – no wonder cyclotouristes have been coming here since the 19th century.

Whether you want a gourmand’s tour through vineyard and farmland, or to conquer the principal climbs of the Tour de France in the High Alps, this guide gives you the best of France on two wheels.

Itineraries to suit all fitness levels

Elevation charts and detailed maps

Comprehensive listings for sleeping, eating and facilities along the way

Comprehensive coverage of Corsica

For more info see Cycling France (Lonely Planet Cycling Guide)

The Secret Life of France by Lucy Wadham is not the usual story of idiosyncratic locals and their strange French rural habits – in fact it is not really a story at all.

Lucy married a Frenchman, and was  fascinated by the different attitudes to life, sex, war, manners, TV, maternity and history which pervade the French. They clearly have an alternative world and local view, the roots of which she tries to describe and explain (often from personal experience) – but also with evidence from history and events. She describes how her own children grew up accepting many of these “foreign” attitudes.

Perhaps next time you see President Sarkozy or even retired President Chirac flirting with an attractive younger woman you might understand it better having read this book.

“The Secret Life of France challenges our preconceptions and debunks may of the myths – bleak and rosy – on which our view of France rests, Might we have something to learn from this most beguiling and infuriating neighbour?”

A new book is published on 11 June 2009 – a Guide to The Flea Markets of France by Sandy Price (“marche de puce”) :

A visit to a flea market can be the highlight of a trip to France: a lively encounter with everyday French culture, an exciting way to spend a few hours, and a chance to pick up a unique souvenir or add to a collection. The Flea Markets of France is the indispensable tool for getting the most out of your visit, whether you’re a first-time visitor or an experienced shopper. Conversational and comprehensive, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about exploring markets all over France. Descriptions of markets and their specialties, as well as practical advice on visiting them, is augmented by notes on regional items, tips on bargaining and collecting, a glossary of relevant French phrases, and a useful rating system which gives an overview of each market. Much more than a simple listing of French flea markets, Sandy Price’s warm suggestions of things to do nearby, places to eat, food specialties of the area, and local amenities are complemented by bits of history and cultural observations. Armed with this comprehensive guide, visitors to France will feel they are in good, reliable hands.

I remember a long hunt for an old-fashioned Ricard water bottle, which was eventually successful in the delightful town of l’Isle -sur-Sorgues in Provence – before it became famous as a mecca for antique dealers and hunters who arrive by the coachload. It also led  to discovering a few other gems in the midst of the piles of dross. A guide to where to find flea markets would have been useful.

Amongst the flea markets feature are Annecy (74 Hautre-Savoie), Antibes (06 Alpes-Maritimes), Arles (13 Bouches-du-Rhone), Avignon (84 Vaucluse), Bordeaux(33 Gironde), Belfort(90 Terrotoire de Belfort), Cannes(06 Alpes-Maritimes), Carpentras(84 Vaucluse), Grenoble(38 Isere), l’Isle-sur-Sorgues(84 Vaucluse), Lyon (69 Rhone), Menton(06 Alpes-Maritimes), Montpellier(34 Herault), Nantes (44 Loire-Atlantique), Nice(06 Alpes-Maritimes) , Orleans(42 Loiret), Paris (75 Ile de France), Rouen(76 Seine-Maritime), Strasbourg (67 Bas-Rhin), Toulouse (32 Haute-Garonne), Tours(37 Indre-et-Loire) – and many more.

For more info see a Guide to The Flea Markets of France

If you are looking for a delightful way of exploring deepest France then cycling has to be an attractive and cheap option. Throughout France there is a network of “Green Routes” (voies vertes) which can offer tranquil, flat(tish) pathways and minor roads which are ideal for walking and cycling etc and give you an opportunity to explore the depths of the French landscape and countryside away from the tyranny of the motor car. There is a national website with details of all the Voies Vertes at www.voies-vertes.info/ with a helpful location map (albeit in French). One route (of many) which looks interesting is the route from Beziers to Portiragnes-Plage in the Languedoc which runs for 15km alongside the Canal du Midi.
There is a good and well-illustrated guide (in French)La France des voies vertes : Cyclistes,

In English there is always the Lonley Planet Guide Cycling France (Cycling Guide)(new edition published July 2009) “Here’s a sampling: in Paris you can take the bike paths along the Seine or all the way to Monet’s gardens in Giverny. The Loire Valley offers intimate excursions by sandstone villages, magnificent chateaux and scenic waterways. Take the tiny, winding roads of Provence to see perched villages and spectacular panoramas of the Cote d’Azur, or dip into Champagne for the terraced vineyards of Dom Perignon. For those up to the challenge, there’s the dramatic volcanic landscape of the Massif Central, with its steep climbs and sweeping descents. The Guide includes a chapter on the island of Corsica with its rugged coastal scenery and prehistoric sites.”

As a great fan of Paris, I’m always on the look-out for new suggestions to help discover the essential heart of the city – I tend to avoid the crowds of tourists and despite many visits to the city, there are still some top landmarks which I have yet to visit! It is a great city for walking, and that is what I find most interesting, especially in some of the less overtly glamorous parts of the city.
So I was delighted to find another guidebook which will inspire further discovery of the nooks and crannies of Paris – Quiet Corners of Paris: Unexpected Hideaways, Secret Courtyards, Hidden Gardens

“Yes, noisy, bustling Paris has its quiet corners, and this attractive book describes them in loving detail. Most of the places mentioned here are out of doors and open to the public. The places range from museum courtyards and royal gardens to 15th Century cloisters and tiny passageways to the back streets and lanes of the various neighborhoods. Some famous sites are here (Luxembourg Gardens) but so are unknown treasures such as the Irish Cultural Center, housed in a townhouse used by the Irish Catholic collegiate community since 1775, or Paris’ lesser-known islands. And few places are as quiet as the city’s evocative cemeteries.” -The Chicago Tribune

Even if you can’t get there in the near future, it represents an interesting read which will doubtless set you planning your next trip.

Featured at the France Show was a fascinating display of images sponsored by the London College of Communication – University of the Arts London and Maison de la France representing the 22 French cities – which encouraged young photographers from the UK to take photos of French cities from a different perspective.

In April 2008, 22 students from the Photographic department were welcomed each in one of the 22 participating cities. The participants ranged in age between 20 and 35 years old, as well as originating from 15 different countries. Each student was given an “emotional passport” to express their own talent and sense and to capture the daily life of France. Their only requirement: let the dreams and emotions of the people and places be the guide!

The venues include Aix-en-Provence, Amiens, Angers, Avignon, Bordeaux, Dijon, Grenoble, Le Havre, Lille, Marseille, Metz, Montpellier, Mulhouse, Nancy, Nantes, Nice, Nimes, Reims. Rennes, Rouen, Toulouse and Versailles.

For more info see www.franceemotion.com/