Pays de la Loire

  Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud, near the Vienne River in the Loire Valley, is the largest abbey in France. Built in the early 12th century and restored in recent years, it’s now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I go to the great abbey, in the village of Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, to pay my respects to one of …

Rich with history, the Northwest Region of France’s unique culture and landscape bear the markings of centuries of struggles, triumphs, and glories. Rolling hillsides are accentuated by flowing rivers and rocky cliffs. Towering cathedrals and elegant chateaux are this region’s jewels of the past. This region holds the smaller regions of Brittany (Bretagne), Normandy and …