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| July 4, 2008 |
France has big rivers and great bridges – the spectacular Viaduc de Millau on the A75 autoroute(12 Aveyron, Midi-Pyrenees) and the Pont de Normandie on the A29 autoroute between Le Havre and the Normandie coast (14 Calvados, Normandie) being great recent examples.
Almost simultaneously the birth of 2 other spectacular bridges is being celebrated – the medieval Pont Valentre in Cahors (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees) celebrates 700 years, whilst the latest Pont Gustave Flaubert (see picture) is due be opened in time for the Rouen Armada (4–5 July 2008).
Rouen’s latest crossing of the River Seine is in the heart of the city and will take the A154 autoroute from the nothwest (Dieppe) through the city to connect with the A13 Autoroute from Normandie to Paris.
Because is is a city centre site, and the Seine carries ocean-going ships (and was a Transatlantic Cruise ship terminal) there is not enough space to build a traditional high span bridge, so this will be the largest vertical lift bridge in the world. When high masted ships need to pass, both dual carriageways will be lifted by cable to allow the ship underneath. For such a massive task the structure seems remarkably elegant – each roadway is 18m wide and 120m long and weighs 1300 tonnes.
When opened in the next few weeks (early July 2008) the notorious congestion in the city centre will be eased considerably.
Meanwhile in Cahors the South West, the fortified medieval Pont Valentre celebrates its 700th anniversary – and this was open to road traffic until only a few years ago, But now the city will pay homage to its most distinctive landmark On 4th July 2008 there will be a banquet on the bridge itself prepared by some of the best chefs in the region – with music and dancing. From Wednesdays to Saturdays from 17 July 2008 to 9 Augusr 2008 the bridge will be lit up every night from 10.30pm for 2 hours with a sound and light show which promised to be spectacular.
There is a website about the bridge’s 700th anniversary which has been inviting photographers from around the world to show their images of the bridge in all its moods – www.lepontvalentrea700ans.com.
| May 2, 2008 | to | May 8, 2008 |
There are many ways of getting to Paris from London, but doing it by rowing boat is not the obvious one - but that’s what teams of rowers are doing starting on 2 May 2008 on the London 2 Paris Rowing Challenge. Leaving from Westminster Bridge in the centre of London at 11.00am and rowing down the Thames, then to Dover. From there they strike out diagonally towards Fecamp and Le Havre at the mouth of the Seine - in the process crossing the busiest stretch of water in the world - before heading into the calmer waters of the Seine to Rouen and on to Paris. But even on this stretch there are some big boats and less room to manoeuvre.
There are two teams of 10 rowers of all ages and both sexes, and they are going to tackle this fearsome ordeal which covers 420 miles and will probably take 6 days before arriving at the Pont d’Iena near the Eiffel Tower in central Paris sometime before 8th May 2008. One team is called Le FigaROW!
The most daunting part of the whole trip must be the lengthy English Channel crossing to Le Havre with the risks of heavy seas and merchant shipping. But Le Havre is only about half-way in terms of distance, a little deceptive as the Seine meanders in anything but a straight line after the Pont de Tancarville between Le Havre and Rouen. They will of course pass under 2 impressive bridges before reaching Paris - le Pont de Normandie which takes the A29 autoroute from the north to south banks of the Seine near its mouth; and the new vertical lift bridge - the Pont Gustave Flaubert in Rouen.
Clearly the Channel section will not offer much in the way of a spectator sport,but you may be able to catch sight of them on the Thames and Seine.
See London 2 Paris Rowing Challenge - but personally I think I’d go by Eurostar!
Velomagg in Montepellier (34 Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon) is another of the growing number of city bike hire schemes which have blossomed throughout France - and which potentially offer a different way of visiting many of France’s cities. It has also given employment to those creative people who dream up catchy logos and names for such schemes!
It all started in Paris with the Velib’ Scheme - an amalgam of Velo (cycle) and Liberte (free), which has been a tremendous success.
Vélib’ is a Self Service “bike hire” system available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Multi pick up and drop off location allows you to pick up your bike from one service point and drop off to another.
You need to subscribe, but for visitors there are 1-day and 7-day subscriptions and after the first 30 minutes you pay by the half-hour - e.g. a 90-minute hire will cost just €3 and you can pick up and drop off your bike at any of the hundreds of self-service stations across the city.
The Velib’ scheme has been based on a similar scheme VeloV in Lyon (69 Rhone, Rhone-Alpes) France’s second city. The combination of these eco-friendly and fitness focussed schemes is now spreading throughout France:-
VeloCite in Mulhouse (68 Haut-Rhin, Alsace) and Besancon (25 Doubs, Franche-Comté)
Vhello in Aix-en-Provence (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence)
Le Velo in Marseille (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence)
Velo in Toulouse (34 Haut Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees)
Nantes (44 Loire-Atlantique, Val de Loire)
Rouen (76 Seine Maritime, Normandy)
Bordeaux (33 Gironde, Aquitaine)
Velostan in Nancy (54 Meurthe et Moselle, Lorraine)
Velo+ in Orleans (45 Loiret, Centre)
Velomagg in Montpellier (34 Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon)
This is clearly a popular scheme, mainly aimed at local residents but may also offer a different way of seeing some of France’s major cities from a different perspective. However, I would recommend choosing a city with good cycle lanes and paths - you do get the impression that traffic in many of France’s cities is not very forgiving with errant cyclists - so do not try cycling around the rond-point of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris!!
Inevitably there are some urban myths developing - such as the fact that there are always plenty of bikes at the bottom of the Butte de Montmartre, but none at the top - for obvious reasons. And you can get caught out in busy locations if you cannot find an empty slot in which to return your bike!
| July 5, 2008 | to | July 14, 2008 |
With boats, ships and other vessels gracing 7 kilometres of quays in Rouen (76 Seine-Maritime, Normandy) this summer, the Armada festival promises to be one of the highlights of the summer. As a precursor to this year’s Tall Ships Race this maritime festival will have music, racing, food, dancing and seafood to entertain and maybe enlighten from 5th-14th July 2008.
On July 4th 2008, sailing ships from all over the world will sail up the river Seine to gather in Rouen for the biggest International nautical event. They will be passing the biggest rising bridge ever built: the ‘Pont Gustave Flaubert’, the new entrance to the Armada in Rouen.
Rouen, the Capital of Normandy will, once again, be under the spotlight when the Armada begins on July 4th 2008. The ships will sail up the river Seine under the newly constructed “Pont Gustave Flaubert”, the world’s largest vertical lift bridge, and then moor in the very heart of the city for the 10 day event. The Rouen Armada is now on of the largest International nautical festivals.
For more information on the Armada see www.armada.org
When the Pont Gustave Flaubert opens in late Spring 2008 it will be the highest vertical lift bridge in the world. It will enable traffic from the North West on the A150 autoroute to connect to the A13 autoroute to the south without having to go through the city centre - for more on this region and our customised Google Map CLICK HERE
The Seine remains an important shipping route linking Le Havre with Paris.
For more info on Rouen see www.rouentourisme.com
Most French autoroutes between major towns and cities are toll motorways, which whilst often offering fast and uncrowded dual-carriageways, can nevertheless add significantly to the cost of a trip through France - e.g over €90 (over £60) on a one-way trip from Calais to Nice (1226km of motorway driving about 760 miles).
However there are significant sections of autoroute which are toll free - most often these are around major towns and Cities (Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon etc).
In the North, the A16 is toll-free from Boulogne (J29) to the Belgian border (J36) via Calais and Dunkerque. The A25 from Dunkerque (J20) to Lille is free, so you can reach Lille from the main Channel ports without paying a toll!. Also all routes from Lille to the Belgian border.
The following autoroutes are toll free (as at September 2007)
A16 (part of the Autoroute des Estuaires (estuaries)) from Boulogne-sur-Mer (J29) to the Belgian border(J36)
A20 (L’Occitane) from Vierzon (J6 junction with A71) to Brive-la-Gaillarde (J53) via Chateauroux, Argenton and Limoges
A25 from Dunkerque (J20 with A16) to Lille
A28 from Abbeville (J1) to Rouen (J14)
A30/A31 (Autoroute de la Vallée de la Fensch) from Thionville (J1) to Toul (J12) via Metz and Nancy
A38 from Dijon (J33) to Pouilly-sur-Auxois (J24 and the junction with the A6)
A63 (Autoroute de la Cote Basque) from Bordeaux to Bellin-Bellet (J20)
A64 (la Pyreneenne) from St Martory (J20) to Muret (J25)
A68 (la Tarnaise) from Monastruc (J3 NE of Toulouse) to Albi (J11) via Gaillac
A75 (la Meridienne) from Clermont-Ferrand (J15) to Pezenas (J59) (except for the Millau Bridge) via Issoire
A77 (Autoroute de l’Arbre (trees)) from Pouilly (J26) to Nevers (J37)
A84 from Caen (J46) to Rennes (J25) via Avranches
The number of budget airline routes to France from the UK is continuing to grow, as is the number of French destinations - no longer restricted to the major cities. This really does open up some of the less well-known parts of France.
The list below shows the extent of the coverage - and this excludes flights to Paris which are available from most local airports. Some flights are seasonal, so please check with the airline for timetables and availability.
| Destination | From | airline |
An innovative project has been launched which links 2 attractive regions either side of the channel through their respective abundance of gardens to visit. French gardens are often interesting to visit, especially as some aim to create what they think of as a “jardin anglais” - usually with lawns and “cottage garden” deatures, whilst others, particularly in the grounds of stately homes and chateaux, can be very formal.
Normandy clearly has a wealth of gardens open to the public - “The parks and gardens of Normandy, whether botanical, landscape or historic have become important points of reference. Connoisseurs as well as novices will be enthralled by the wealth of different species as well as the beauty of the individual sites. You will find 40 sites, all members of the association, which have been selected not only for their beauty but also for their hospitality. Visitors can discover a wide range of surroundings and secret walks which change daily according to the weather, plant cycle and with a little help from man.”
They range includes the famous Monet gardens at Giverny (27 Eure, Haut-Normandie) near the Seine, the magnificently named Jardins de Bellevue at Beaumont le Hareng (the herring?) (76 Seine-Maritime, Normandie) which houses 2 national collections and Agapanthe (”a contemporary garden, burgeoning with plants, takes the form of a series of sharply contrasting intimate spaces ; a botanical walk which also pays tribute to man-made structures, artistically blending the mineral and vegetable kingdoms.”) at Grigneuseville (76 Seine-Maritime, Normandie); and as far west as the Jardin des Plantes at Coutances (50 Manche, Normandie). There are also the gardens at Chateau Champ de Bataille (Castle Battlefield?) at Le Neubourg (27 Eure, Normandie)
Just check for opening times, especially out of season.
You’ll find a useful website which has details of all the Sussex and Normandy gardens in the scheme at www.gardensnormandysussex.com/
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Also see our calendar of events in France
Keywords: Gardens, Jardins, Normandy,Normandie,France
