The end of April on Cote d’Azur greeted us with sunshine, a light breeze, and the promise of a warm summer. What a wonderful way to celebrate a birthday in Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer! And what better way to start a two and a half month stay in France than on the Mediterranean coast.
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Rooted in Roman history, the city of Carcassonne charms its visitors with a hilltop medieval citadel and slow-cooked comfort food: cassoulet.
Continue reading “A day in Carcassonne: a hilltop citadel with a side of slow-cooked stew”
This double-distilled grape juice is not my thing but it was highly praised by writer Victor Hugo who proclaimed it was “the liquor of the Gods.” We borrowed our friend’s car and drove the short distance between Angouleme and Cognac and managed a short visit through town, sans a cognac tasting, which we reserved for savoring privately later.
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A trip to France wouldn’t be complete without exploring its many wine regions and options. Bordeaux is at the top of that list! Beyond its wines, the city offers ornate Baroque and Rococo 18th century buildings, Neoclassical and Gothic 19th century architecture, views of Garonne River which flows from Spain’s Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary in Bordeaux, botanical gardens, art museums, and of course many cafés.
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During our month and a half trip, we visited with friends, made new ones, shopped fabulous fresh markets, picked mushrooms, indulged in way too much cheese, moules marinières, and wine, and explored the sunny Mediterranean coast.
Our journey started in Angoulême, then took us to Bordeaux, Royan, Talmont-sur-Gironde, Mortagne-sur-Gironde, Brantôme, Saint-Émillion, Cognac, Carcassonne, Montpellier, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Caumont-sur-Durance, Gordes, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Saint-Remy-de-Provence, Baux-de-Provence, Arles and Salin de Giraud, Lyon, Bedoin & Foret Domaniale de Vantouret, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, La Ciotat, Antibes, Eze, Monte Carlo – Monaco, Menton, Nice, Cassis, and Marseille.
Continue reading “The Joy of Discovering France Beyond Paris”
