Provence forever at the foot of Sainte-Victoire – Meanderings through France n° 203
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Provence shelters a small valley stretching at the foot of the Sainte-Victoire Mountain. It’s called Vallée de l’Arc. Its...
Amboise, Royal city and Leonardo da Vinci’s last home – Meanderings through France n° 202
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny French king François I undoubtedly is the symbol of French Renaissance and during his reign he built and transformed...
Feed your body and soul in Conques – Meanderings through France n° 201
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Conques is a superb village east of Cahors and Bergerac in southwest France. Set in a remote semi-mountainous region,...
Celebrating Leonardo and Chambord 500th anniversary – Meanderings through France n° 200
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Once again Chambord was in the spotlight to celebrate the 500th anniversary of its foundation. Works began on September...
Sweet Indian summer in Nantes – Meanderings through France n° 199
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny According to opinion polls Nantes is one of French people favourite towns where they would love to live. Ideally...
Steve’s Sojourns – Allier France
Nine times out of ten if you took a map of France and stuck a pin in what you thought was the exact centre of the country you would...
A festive “grape harvest day” in Cheverny – Meanderings through France n° 197
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny For the ninth consecutive year winegrowers and winemakers of the Cheverny DOC organize a wine festival on Saturday 7...
Fort La Latte, Brittany’s most visited castle – Meanderings through France n° 196
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny Fort La Latte is an ancient medieval fortress built on top of a pink sandstone cliff overlooking the Channel, a...
Marmande, from Richard the Lion Heart to an iconic tomato – Meanderings through France n° 194
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny When asked about Marmande every French person will think and answer “tomato”! This tomato variety is the true emblem...
Blois, much better than a history book for a glimpse of French Royals’ life – Meanderings through France n° 193
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny Blois is only a two-hour drive from Paris and an ideal starting point to explore the Loire Valley and...
Obernai, all of Alsace in a single village – Meanderings through France n° 188
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny At only 25 km south of Strasbourg on the “Alsace wine road” Obernai is a concentrate of the Alsatian...
Bordeaux, an appealing town between vineyards and ocean – Meanderings through France n° 192
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny In less than 25 years Bordeaux has been going through huge works of renovation and innovation, turning this old...
How about taking part in the day-to-day life of Alsatian winemakers? – Meanderings through Francece n° 191
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny All summer and autumn long Alsatian winemakers organize an amazing great number of events during which tourists are invited...
The “Lot”, a bewitching French department (Part three) – Meanderings through France n° 187
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny Today is our last getaway in the Lot area. It will take us to Saint-Céré a charming little town...
The “Lot”, a bewitching French department (Part two) – Meanderings through France n° 186
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny After last week discovery of Rocamadour and the L’Ouysse Valley let’s go back to beautiful Lot and wander along...
The “Lot”, a bewitching French department (Part one) – Meanderings through France n° 185
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Located in southwest France the Lot is a land of contrast with a particularly rich and diverse natural and...
Throughout the year Rodez celebrates “Soulages’ century” – Meanderings through France n° 183
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Pierre Soulages, the French most distinguished contemporary artist still alive, was born on 24 December 1919. To celebrate this...
Lovely springtime in Chantilly – Meanderings through France n° 182
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny Spring is back and it feels good to get out in the countryside and enjoy nature’s rebirth. Being only...
Ségala, a land of contrasts – Meanderings through France n° 180
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Set at the foot of the Massif Central in between Rodez and Albi the Ségala has been a tough...
“Pech Merle cave”, an authentic prehistoric treasure – Meanderings through France n° 179
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Pech Merle cave is part of a group of 13 adorned caves in Southwest France in the Lot Valley. 29,000...
John’s Journeys: Bubbly and Battlefields
John Burke visits Champagne province That heady drink, Champagne, is synonymous with Gallic stylishness, something that can be appreciated by visiting cellars in either Rheims or Epernay, even during...
Adagio jazz up breakfast in all its Aparthotels – Meanderings through France n° 178
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny In recent years we all have become aware of the importance of a healthy breakfast in our daily routine. Whether...
“Le Fouquet’s”, a symbol of French glamour since 1899 – Meanderings through France n° 177
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny For over a century “Le Fouquet’s” has attracted handsome, rich and famous people. Is it for its unique location...
Early spring in Cannes, going beyond the clichés – Meanderings through France n° 176
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny Since 1946 in early May Cannes becomes the world’s film capital for a crazy fortnight. During the Film Festival,...
A genuine Parisian mood at “La Clef Champs-Elysées”- Meanderings through France n° 175
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny The Champs-Elysées district probably is the most glamorous one in Paris, one with “the most beautiful avenue of the world”,...
A journey to the centre of earth at the Pit of Padirac – Meanderings through France n° 171
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny If exploring the Pit of Padirac won’t quite take you to the centre of the earth, it will however...
The brand new Club Med Les Arcs Panorama opens in the French Alps – Meanderings through France n° 170
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny The opening of a new Club Med resort always is a great event in the world of top-level all-inclusive family...
Six of our best great meals of 2018 – Meanderings through France n° 169
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny All through the past year we have had the opportunity to dine in many restaurants in France and abroad....
Christmas’ enchantment in Vaux-le-Vicomte Chateau – Meanderings through France n° 166
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny In France the 17th century is known as the “Grand Siècle”, the Grand Century. Louis XIV and his court developed...
“Tuber Melano Sporum” Queen of Provence – Meanderings through France n° 165
By Annick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny Once again on 17 November 2018 the most important truffle market in all Europe opened in Richerenches. It was...
Unforgiveable! Britain’s Horrific Treatment of Chinese Labourers During World War 1.
How the Chinese helped the British and French to win the War, but were treated like Slaves. A hundred years ago the Great War ended and Memorial ceremonies have...
November 1918-November 2018: places to visit on Remembrance Day – Meanderings through France n° 162
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny Near and distant in the same time, WW1still is a vivid memory for most European families who still remember...
Refreshing DS7 displays distinctive Gallic charm
IAIN ROBERTSON As if to prove that national pride can be demonstrated in its products, reports Iain Robertson, the DS7, produced by Parisian PSA Group, avoids the “haw-he-haw” and...
Full immersion in art at “La Piscine” in northern France – Meanderings through France n° 161
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny In French “piscine” means swimming pool and since 2001 “La Piscine” is one of France most original museums. This public...
JOHN’S JOURNEYS: A taste of Burgundy
John Burke visits France’s golden slope. The most celebrated of French wines originate in five districts strung out for almost 240 kilometers between Chablis and Lyons. This romantic...
Celebrating 135 years of Coco Chanel
Chanel symbolized by the intertwined Cs of the company’s logo is still one of the worlds most notable, fashionable and most luxurious fashion houses. On the 19th August 1883...
#Brazil, much more than a football lovers’ country! – World Meanderings (n°65)
By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny Without any doubt Brazil is not a next-door country for European travellers. Brazil is so large and has much...
JOHN’S JOURNEYS: THE GLORY OF FRANCE.II
John Burke continues westward along the Loire As chronicled in my previous article, most of the leading châteaux de la Loire are treasure-houses of paintings, ceramics and furniture...
Ecology has High Status in Montreuil sur Mer.
The steadfast little town of Montreuil sur Mer is situated just a little south along the coastline from Calais. This settlement has always taken pride in its support of...
Book Reviews
IAIN ROBERTSON Digging into the latest book releases, Iain Robertson enthuses over a pair of enthralling tomes from the marvellous Porter Press stable, a Le Mans retrospective from...