Lyon’s most unique feature is its intricate system of passageways. Over 300 taboules, or secret passages, run through apartment blocks into sunny courtyards and dark alleyways and underground. Some date from Roman times, but most were constructed by silk weavers in the 19th century to transport the delicate material in inclement weather. They ended up […]
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Chapelle Notre-Dame de Beauvoir, Moustiers Sainte-Marie, France
You will see this 14th-century Romanesque and Gothic chapel from all points in Moustiers Sainte-Marie since it is perched on a rock 830 meters above the town. It sits on the site of an AD 470 temple. To visit, you must climb up the stone stairway, past 14 stations of the cross and a waterfall. […]
Moustiers Sainte-Marie, France
Moustiers Sainte-Marie is located at the entrance of the Gorges du Verdon and is a good base from which to explore the area. With a few restaurants and hotels, it’s by far the most populated town in the region. The village is tucked between two limestone cliffs with an aqueduct at the base. Moustier is […]
Lyon, France
France’s third-largest city feels like a combination of a lesser (of course!) Paris and an Eastern European city like Prague. Two rivers flow through the city, which contributes to the slightly schizophrenic feel. The easternmost river, La Rhône, is lined neatly with grand, classic buildings while the westernmost river, La Saône, is flanked by the […]
Gorges du Verdon, Haute Provence, France
We were so excited to see Gorge du Verdon, known as Europe’s Grand Canyon (I have not seen the U.S. canyon, but I was prepared to be impressed). As luck would have it, we hit this area during a rainy spell. We’d had big hiking plans, so we spent a day glancing hopefully at the […]
Provençal Roadside
We were sad to leave the coast, but Provence’s interior roads offered a few treasures. I felt like I was in a science-fiction movie when I saw these fascinating rock formations lining the highway. While standing in one spot by the side of the road, I saw these two churches.
Antibes, France
Antibes is another seaside town that started off as a fishing and trading center, only to turn into a resort area in the 19th century when wealthy Europeans began building summer homes. 16th-century ramparts surround the town. We caught the Marché Provençal on place Masséna in the old town. Among the slew of artists and […]
Along the Côte d’Azur, France
After we left Marseille, we drove south then traveled east along the coast. Since we visited Nice and Monaco last year, we only drove as far east as Antibes then cut up to the Gorge du Verdon. We knew the drive would be picturesque, but this route has back-to-back jaw-dropping views! The Côte d’Azur is […]
St Tropez, France
So this is what all the fuss is about! I expected to be underwhelmed with St. Tropez, but was instead seduced by the charming fishing village-turned-luxe resort town. Artists were the first outsiders to flock to sunny St Tropez. Signac, Matisse and Bonnard all cherished the unique light and churned out a number of masterpieces. […]
Cannes, France
I expected Cannes to be tacky, full of aging, bronzed billionaires toting tiny dogs. While there was a certain element of that, there was also a lot of natural beauty all around. The sea was as arresting as I’d anticipated, and the swath of sand along the shoreline was pristine. The city is quite hilly, […]
