Corsica Adventures
We called this trip the "Francathalon", because we were pretty exhausted until we got to relax on the sailboat. Michèle and the boys kept us busy! As a bonus, we were so close to [...]
Mont Saint-Michel Abbey
Now that we slogged through the sandy hike to Mont Saint-Michel, we spent the next day hiking up the interior. Mont Saint-Michel started as a monastery (monks only) in the 7th century, became an abbey in [...]
Pilgrim’s Walk in Mont Saint-Michel
During the Middle Ages, pilgrims had to walk their way to Mont Saint-Michel during extreme low tide. It was considered very dangerous. Back then, people who planned to go to Mont Saint-Michel first made out a [...]
Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery
On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Eisenhower called the operation a [...]
La Hague Coastal Trail
We hiked a piece of the Grande Randonnée which runs through the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain. It runs for thousands of miles, like the Pacific Crest Trail.
Étretat Cliffs and Claude Monet
We hiked a windy trail for miles along the Étretat cliffs, in the northwest of Normandy, near the English Channel. This was a favorite location of Impressionist painter Claude Monet. He moved to several locations [...]
Rouen and Honfleur, France
We started our Country Walkers tour in Rouen, along the Siene river, and worked our way to Honfleur, a picturesque seaside town. We hiked, and they moved our bags from hotel to hotel. Nice! [...]
The Gardens of Villandry
The Château de Villandry was the last great castle built during the Renaissance period. Acres of geometric box hedges surround carefully tended fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers.
Chenonceau Castle in the Loire Valley
This French castle has it all - an ambitious mistress, a vengeful wife, and a king killed in a jousting tournament (by a spear in his eye). King Henry II gave control of Chenonceau to his mistress [...]
Château Clos Lucé and da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was an Italian polymath and Renaissance man. An artist, engineer, architect and scientist, he prolifically sketched designs that weren't constructed or even feasible in his lifetime. He fled political strife in [...]
Troisgros in Roanne, France
Troisgros is a Michelin 3 star, the highest honor a restaurant can achieve. They've had 3 stars since 1968, making them an unprecedented success. Many gourmets consider Troisgros to be the finest restaurant in [...]
