Across the Normandy Countryside to Vimy
We start our drive out of France, our longest stay in one country since Australia, by heading to Dieppe (pronounced, we learned last night, as “deep” in Kiwi) and onwards towards the beaches of Normandy and ultimately Vimy. A...
The Long History of Le Mont-St-Michel
Mont St Michel's ramparts and fortifications resisted the English assaults 3 times during the 100 Years War, but today they succumb to the thousands of tourists who assault Le Mount Saint Michel and storm the many stairs to the...
Wander the Ardèche With Us!
Oh, the beautiful Ardèche region of France: its wild and rugged character and climbing, winding roads leading the nature lover into the secluded backcountry of the rolling, curving, cliff-hugging Gorges de l’Ardèche where...
The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: France’s Best Kept Secret
France’s sun-dappled southern regions have long been a favorite with both locals and tourists alike. Provence is perhaps too popular: most travelers journey only as far as Avignon; further north, Lyon becomes a food...
A Gentle and Insignificant Paris Rain.
We decide to split today. No, not what you think, but pretty close. dEven in the beautiful city of Paris, there are bound to be days of travel fatigue. A Typical Paris Day I decide to spend some time on my own today and head out...
The 9 Best Travel Experiences Around the World
The world we live in is so small, yet so vast at the same time. We don’t need more than a day or two to reach almost any destination on the planet, yet we rarely venture far beyond the boundaries of our own comfort zone. The...
Extended Travel Weariness: from the followsummer archives
I stumbled upon this blog entry from August 2004 as I was going through some files here on followsummer. So interesting to note and remember our feelings of a year full of travel, and with only three and a half months left in...
Spend Christmas in Paris
Ahhh. Une Christmas vacation à Paris is sheer bliss. No crowds, no line ups; just the pure joy of living as Parisians do. Watching as they go about their Christmas and daily shopping, while an ex-pat, student or secretive tourist...
Arriving on the Normandy Beaches
On June 6, 1944, Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy to open the way to Germany from the West. Victory in the Normandy campaign would come at a terrible cost. The Canadians suffered the most casualties of any division...
A Pilgrimage to Chartres
The sun finally shines today as we sadly say goodbye to the city that we love so much. We both agree on our fondness for Paris and actually talk about re-routing our trip and staying here. Alas, it is not to be. Paris is...
The Day Before All Souls
It is the day before All Souls Day, and it seems appropriate today that we join friends and family as they visit the graves of their loved ones, for we will visit a couple of the many WWI cemeteries that dot this part of the...
Alsace: Take it In
A bright mix of German, French and Swiss cultures, the troubled past of Alsace History, located on the banks of the Upper Rhine and neighboring Germany and Switzerland, has been heavily influenced by historical decisions,...
Touring France and Germany with These Two Books
“Despite everything, Ruby had loved living in Europe. She loved having history envelop her as she strolled the streets; she loved the French word ‘flaneur’ – to amble along or to hang around. It applied here...
Paris Guide: Things to See, Do and Eat
Paris has charmed everyone with its vibrant streets, high art, superb cuisine and astonishing architecture. The only City of Lights exudes authenticity, romance, and style that no one can resist. Whether you’re strolling along...
Provence Beckons!
Traffic on the A9 is light as we head out to Orange, home of the family that includes St. Guilhem, the Dutch royal family, and William of Orange, the King of England. Orange is also home to the only Roman Amphitheater in Europe...
Half-Timbered Rouen: Jeanne d’Arc’s Garden
The days continue grey and autumnal. It is this way as we head out onto the autoroute for our drive to Rouen, and it stays the same until we arrive in the city of the famous St Joan of Arc a couple of hours later. Down the Avenue...
South of France Treasures You Must Visit
The south of France features prominently in many people’s daydreams of heaven on earth, and deservedly so. Those who haven’t yet seen this perfection, dream of going, and those who have, can’t wait to go back. If you’re thinking...
Marché de Mulhouse: Food, Cheese, and Alsatian Wine.
What better way to start a sunny, crisp Alsatian Saturday morning in Mulhouse than with a little shopping? And shopping is at the Marché du Canal Couvert de Mulhouse the largest public market in North East France. Clothing, meat,...
La Route Causses et Vallées de l’Hérault
We decided to take today a little easier and do some local driving, hitting some of the neighbouring hamlets and following ancient routes and highways that traverse the windswept hills and valleys called La Route Causses et...
A Final Drive Through the Loire Valley: Onto Avranches
Around the corner from our hotel is the Tours Cathedral, and we visit it this morning before we head off on our drive to Normandie with our final destination of Avranches. The cathedral is Gothic in style, flying buttresses and...