Northern France Holiday Road Trip from Paris to Loire Valley & Normandy After spending 3 wonderful days in Paris, we set off on a four day Northern France holiday to experience some of the beautiful countryside of central and northern France. We rented a car at Gare du Nord in Paris and headed south to the Loire Valley. After exploring some beautiful chateaux in the Loire Valley. Then, ... Read Full Article
3 Days in Paris Itinerary for First Time Visitors
3 Days in Paris Itinerary - The Perfect Paris Itinerary for First Time Visitors As we walked hand in hand along the Seine River at 10 at night, the Eiffel Tower erupted in a dazzling display of light and music. The darkness had just fallen on Paris and the twinkling light show was the perfect ending to our first night in the City of Lights. As we took pictures, dodged bicycles, and ignored the ... Read Full Article
Following the Footsteps of Cezanne in Aix en Provence
Paul Cézanne was devoted to his hometown of Aix-en-Provence, in southern France, and it's easy to see why. More than a hundred years after the great artist's time, it's still a lovely, livable city. “When you're born here,” Cézanne said, “nothing else is good enough.” He was fascinated by the light of Provence and painted the region's landscapes over and over—some 60 versions of Mt. St. Victoire ... Read Full Article
Food Travel – Mastering the Art of French Eating on a Barge Cruise
Food Travel for Pros French Cooking on a Barge Cruise Are you a foodie? I am too. Some of my food travel vacations are based solely on the iconic foods and drinks that I can find in a certain country or region. For some people, food is simply a way to put energy into their bodies, but for me, it is a way to relate to people, their culture, and even their history. There is so much you can learn ... Read Full Article
Boating in France – Ultimate Guide, Tips, and Experiences
Boating in France - Ultimate Guide, Tips, and Experiences to plan the perfect Boating Holidays in France Boating in France - How we got started A number of people have asked us how we came to be boating on the canals and rivers of Europe. Here is the short version: In 1970 we visited Amsterdam. There I saw the live-aboard canal barges, and said to myself ”That looks like a really ... Read Full Article
Saorge: The Prettiest Little French Town You Never Heard Of
Saorge: The Prettiest Little French Town You Never Heard OfUp a road that winds back and forth across the French and Italian border, through the Piedmont mountains, just over an hour from Nice, lies Saorge - a beautiful French village. SAORGE RESEMBLES TIBET WITH ITS CASCADING VILLAGEYou see, if the word gets out about the magical village of Saorge, that very magic will be threatened. Then its ... Read Full Article
Paris Hotels with Views of the Eiffel Tower
Best Paris Hotels with Views of the Eiffel Tower Hotels in Paris with View of the Eiffel Tower Famous French writer Guy de Maupassant ate lunch at the Eiffel Tower's restaurant each day for years during the late 1800's—not because of its beauty, but because it was the only place in Paris where he could enjoy his meal without looking at the tower. For many years, Parisians saw ... Read Full Article
Exploring the Tastiest UNESCO Site in the World: Champagne Region in France
Champagne Region in France - The Tastiest UNESCO Site in the World The Champagne region in France is arguably one of the best-tasting UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. In July, I was invited by European Waterways on board the Panache, a barge cruise on the Marne river and canal, right through the heart of the Champagne in France. You can read more about my first barge cruise in France ... Read Full Article
Barge Cruises in France – The Perfect Luxury Vacation
Luxury Barge Cruises in France Have you been thinking about exploring Europe by ship and are you looking for a luxurious experience that you will never forget? Then I have something for you: How about barge cruises in France? I was recently invited by European Waterways to join them on a barge cruise in the Champagne region in France, and it was my favorite cruise experience so far. We were ... Read Full Article
Rochefort France – A Maritime Town With a Lot of History and Charm
Rochefort France – More Than a Picture-Perfect Town It never fails to surprise me, that an apparently sleepy, provincial town like Rochefort France with only approx. 26.000 inhabitants can harbor such a great variety of history, monuments, art and even eccentricity. From the surrender of Napoleon in 1815 to launching ships and being the hometown of Pierre Loti, one of France’s most famous and ... Read Full Article