The town of Blaye (33 Gironde, Nouvelle Aquitaine) on the right bank of the Gironde estuary is the centre of one of the key sub-appellations of Bordeaux wines - Blaye…
Every summer the town and Cathedral of Chartres is illuminated in a spectacular nightly free light show - and at the end of the season there is an extra special Festival of Lights.
In the summer Eurostar runs a direct service from London St Pancras to Avignon (84 Vaucluse, Provence PACA)!! Calling at Ashford International you can travel direct to Avignon without changing…
Amiens Cathedral all lit up!
More UK - France ferry competition this summer
Surrounded by 2 large national parks - the Normandie-Maine (Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine) and Perche (Parc Naturel Regional du Perche) Alencon is a great place to visit The town is…
Avignon (84 Vaucluse, Provence/PACA) holds its Christmas Market (Marché de Noël) in the Place d'Horloge (29 November - 29 December 2024) - see www.avignon-tourisme.com Then, on a December Saturday the…
The otherwise rather dour northern french city of Arras (62 Pas-de-Calais, Nord- Pas-de-Calais) opens a new Aquatic Centre called ACQUARENA The rather modern and flowing lines of this complex of…
Spring music festival in Bourges
A mere 800km of cycling along the Loire Valley
Reims Cathedral (51 Marne, Grand Est) is one of the great masterpieces of the Middle Ages. The façade is covered with statues and statuettes. Celebrations for the 800th birthday in…
La Fête de la Gastronomie 23 September 2023 (Festival of Gastronomy) is a nation-wide event across France celebrating French cuisine, now recognised by UNESCO as a part of the" Intangible…
Arles has strong connections to Vincent Van Gogh who spent 15 months of his most productive period in the town; There is a new museum dedicated to Van Gogh opened…
The town of Albi (81 Tarn et Garonne, Occitanie) holds its annual Carnival celebration from 23 February - 2 March 2025. Albi is perhaps best known for its pink brick…
Saumur (49 Maine et Loire, Pays de Loire) Where to stay English/French family-owned Gite and B&B (Chambres d'Hote) - Le Bellevue on a vineyard run by Sarah-Jane Beaumont and her…
Amiens Cathedral I have in the past been somewhat dismissive of the city of Amiens (80 Somme, Hauts de France) largely because an enforced winter stay in the city when…
The gothic cathedral of St Etienne at Bourges (18 Cher, Centre -Val de Loire ) is one of the most impressive in France, surrounded by the medieval streets of the…
The Somme evokes images of World War I and battlefields, but it has much more to offer. The magnificent Gothic cathedral at Amiens is well-worth seeing, although to my mind…
Le Havre (76 Seine-Maritime, Normandie) offers a variety of diversions over the Christmas season, the highlight of which is probably the Christmas Market in the square in front of Notre…
Dijon Christmas Market (Cote-d'Or, BFC) runs from 30 November - 24 December 2024Dijon's Christmas market at Place de la Libération and at the Place Darcy offers a village of stalls/chalets…