Do you drive on French roads or autoroutes? Have you noticed road signs with words that don’t really mean much to you?
Most road signs are iconic and easily understood in any language, but every now and then the French will throw one at you and the meaning is really not very clear. Many of these road signs are temporary (with a yellow background and setup because of unusual circumstances.
Continue readingThe small city of Kayserberg is a must-see in the region. Located in the Kayserberg valley between the Vosges and the Alsatian plain, this medieval city with a population of 2,700 inhabitants is typical of the local architecture.
Continue readingAlsace is a famous region of Eastern France, having been a buffer between France and Germany for several centuries. As such, the region has a lot to offer about historical tourism. Interested in medieval architecture? Alsace abounds castles and old towns. Interested in World War One? Like during the previous war of 1870, France and Germany fought for almost every square kilometer of the land. Interested in the Second World War? It was the theater of bitter fighting between the Allies and Nazi Germany. But Alsace is also famous for its wine and vineyards, for its urban architecture, its vernacular languages, its cultural identity(ies) and its storks.
In May 2017, six history students made a trip to Alsace, visiting towns, castles and old battlefields. Here is a glimpse of what they visited.
Continue readingFort Douaumont is a symbol of the bloody battle of Verdun that took place from February 1916 to December of the same year during the First World War.
Verdun is a small city in the French North-East. Its location, in a valley close to the Belgian, Luxembourgian and German borders, makes the city an important strategic place. Furthermore, it is one of the passage points to cross the Meuse river. As such, Verdun has throughout history been a battlefield in the numerous conflicts opposing France to its neighbours.
Continue readingSummer holidays are here, so many of us are thinking about southern France. We all know about Cannes, Nice and of course Saint Tropez. So we’ve decided to go the other side and discover the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
Continue readingDiscover the canals and rivers with hotel barge and boat rental vacations with HotelsAfloat in France.
They offer a wide choice of destinations in all the French regions, with boats and barges for couples, families or groups of friends, from 2 to 22 people.
What a great summer we’ve had.
Most of the time has been spent in Burgundy, our only problem has been the lack of time to explore everything on the list we made.
I really enjoy Burgundy, however when visiting we all tend to privilege the vine yards and better known monuments.
And when doing so, we forget lesser known places such as the Morvan.
The Morvan is a very wonderful place to visit, full of legends and contrasts, there is even a town called Avallon. The granite and limestone hills climb over 900 metres above sea level, there are very large forests with a mixture of pine and oak.
With lakes and streams everywhere, swimming in the fresh water is a must.
We have included some photos of the market town Autun.
The “priority to the right” rule on the roads of France is complicated and misunderstood by many. In this article, we’ll try and explain some of the principles and “don’t forget” to help you whilst you are driving on the left-hand side of the French roads.
The simplest tip to remember and use is :
When you are driving and unsure, slow down, look to the right and if there is a vehicle coming towards you. GIVE WAY!
Every day in France, there are accidents relating to refusing the priority to the right “refus de priorité”, and in most cases, if you’ve refused the priority, then you’re at fault.
Although I’m not an insurance expert, as far as I know, if you refuse a priority, you’ll be the person held responsible for the accident.
This can also result in a fine of 135 €, a loss of 4 points, and 3 3-year suspension of your licence. Like it or not, the rule does make drivers slow down at any junction.
So let’s have a look at some examples of this very French rule…
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I didn’t mean to go there, it wasn’t my intention at all, and yet what better proof is there of the old adage, “Everything happens for a reason“? Perhaps it was a combination of driving on the right hand side of the road and driving in a right hand drive vehicle. Perhaps it was fate. Whatever the reason, I ended up in the Auvergne, a place I had never heard of before, and I never wanted to leave!
The Auvergne is in the centre of the Massif Central. Of course, being in the middle of France means that it has no coastline. Usually this would be enough to put me off a region but there is enough water in the form of clear blue lakes (lacs), many of which one can swim in, to satisfy my aquatic nature. It is made up of four départements: Puy de Dome, Haute Loire, Cantal and Allier. The capital city of the Auvergne is Clermont Ferrand.
Since first discovering the Auvergne, I have been back many times. Each time I discover something new which delights me as well as rediscovering old favourites. From the volcanic scenery of the Cantal and Puy-de-Dome départements to the plateaux and pine forested landscape of the Livradois-Forez area of the départements of Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dome, this ever-changing scenery is enough to capture anyone’s heart. One of France’s longest rivers gives its name to the Allier département; its source is in the Lozère and it continues to wind through many places including the Gorges de l’Allier in the Haute Loire before it reaches the Loire. west of Nevers.
The city of Clermont Ferrand, the economic and cultural centre of the Massif Central, is also well worth a visit as it has not only the many shopping, cafés, bars and restaurants which you would expect of any French city but the Auvergne’s capital is also filled with architectural treasures: most notably the gothic style Cathedrale Notre-Dame, which is built out of black lava, and the Basilique Notre Dame du Port, which was built in the 1100s.
Just as one visit could never be enough to see all that the region of the Auvergne has to offer, so one article can never be enough to describe all that there is to discover. For me, the lacs are probably the most appealing feature: most notably Lac Pavin and Le Gour de Tazenat.
Lac Pavin, which has a wonderful circular walk around its perimeter and water which changes colour as you view it from different perspectives as well as changing with each season, is the deepest lac in the Auvergne and is surrounded by magnificent scenery. This crater lac was formed by a huge volcanic explosion. Visiting Lac Pavin is like stepping into another world as there is often snow on the surrounding Monts d’Auvergne, even when it is warm enough to eat outside in a lower part of the Auvergne. The town of Besse and the ski resort of Super Besse have a distinct Alpine feel.
My other favourite is Le Gour de Tazenat with its forested banks. My children prefer this lake as not only can they swim in it but they can also use their rubber dinghy. Again the surrounding scenery is magnificent.
Apart from water, my other main priorities on holiday are food and drink and the company of friends. As with any French region, there are many specialities. Amongst my lunchtime favourites is a salade Auvergnate comprising a variety of salads, sometimes walnuts, and the melt in your mouth Bleu d’Auvergne cheese or La Fourme d’Ambert which is a milder blue cheese with an almost nutty flavour. Other notable cheeses are St Nectaire (the children’s favourite) and le Cantal. Auvergne wines are little known outside of the region and I hear that no Appellation Contrôlée (AOC) wines are produced there although several VDQS wines (Vin délimité de qualité supérieure) are. Something for us to explore further during our next visit!
No matter what time of year I have visited the Auvergne, there is always something worth visiting. When we last visited during the summer, I thought I already knew what there was on offer but suddenly we stumbled upon a garlic festival in a small town near Clermont Ferrand. We spent a large part of the day browsing the many stalls, not only of garlic but also many other local specialities, and watching the people go by from the terraces of the cafes. I bought a selection of different varieties of garlic and the children, of course, bought beach towels which could have come from any market in any country in the world!
My overriding recollection of the Auvergne, and what takes me back time after time, is that of fresh, clean air; cool, clear waters; the most amazingly friendly and hospitable people and an overwhelming sensation of peace.
The wines of Burgundy are very well known and appreciated throughout the world.
The next time you are in the Beaune, Nuits Saint Georges or Dijon, take the opportunity to discover all secrets which are in a real bottle of wine.
I would recommend the talent and enthusiasm of Mr Max Renau. He offers a unique insight and voyage through the Côte d’Or vineyards, sharing everything he knows with you.
Max took us on a tour at the beginning of June this year. Meeting us at our hotel in Dijon, with a warm greeting we climbed aboard the mini-bus and Max took us on an incredible voyage in to the heart of the Burgundian wine culture.
With a charming French accent, we were guided out of Dijon to encounter the first vineyards at Marsannay and soon arrived at the impressive Clos de Vougeot, home to La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. As Max explained the dates and story of the Abbey we began to understand the historical importance of the magnificent construction.
Max then guided us to the frontier between the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune in the domain of Clos des Langres. A mansion house built in the middle of a walled vineyard.
We drove through the charming village of Aloxe Corton and up to the famous Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru and then down to the red Pinot Noir Pernand Vergelesses. In the middle of the fields, Max explained the finest details about growing grapes and all the different stages throughout the year which are necessary to produce a wine harvest.
Our guide and now friend then drives us a few miles south of Beaune, through Pommard to the quiet village of Volany. He had promised us the most delicious Coq-au-vin (Chicken in red wine sauce). After the glasses of wine we had already tasted, stomachs were ready to savor some traditional French cuisine.
We entered the “Cellier Volnaysien”, which is a vaulted stone walled wine cellar that has been converted in to a restaurant. Max introduced us to the lady of the house Nathalie Pont, a tall and elegant French lady. We didn’t even have to use the menus as Max’s mouth watering description of the dishes left us no choice but to follow his suggestions. What a Meal !
During the meal we were able to pry into Max’s knowledge and asked many questions, the answers were always there and with some surprises, he was always ready to remove or change our prejudgments.
With our full and calm stomachs we continued to Mersault and then Chassagne Montrachet. This was to be the highlight of the tour. We were taken into a private house and a huge cellar to be introduced to Laurent. Here we tasted the finest white Chardonnay wines I have had the chance to drink.
I will not give you any more information about wine grower in Chassagne Montrachet, as I want this secret to remain so and be sure that some wine remains the next time we visit.
The clock told us that it was time to leave Max, but the hours had flown by to quickly, we still wanted more from him.
