Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for france
Bubbles in Grenoble
By Linda Tancs
Located in southeastern France, Grenoble is prized for its winter sports, especially skiing, considering that it sits in the middle of three mountain ranges. Not up to seeing the city via a downhill run? Spherical cable cars called “Les Bulles” (the bubbles) connect the town to the summit of La Bastille hill, named for the fortress on its slopes built to defend France against its great Alpine rival of the early 1800s, the Duchy of Savoy.
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Europe’s Tallest Sand Dune
By Linda Tancs
On a clear day you can see forever (or at least as far as the Pyrenees) from Europe’s largest mound of sand. Located on the western coast of France in the Arcachon Bay area outside Bordeaux, the Dune du Pilat (derived from pilhar, meaning “mound”) is a behemoth boasting 60 million cubed meters of sand—350 feet high and two miles long. Dare to master the summit? They’ve built 154 steps into it for that purpose.
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The Cradle of Whipped Cream
By Linda Tancs
It’s hard to imagine an extravagant French estate as “the cradle of whipped cream.” Yet that’s exactly the distinction enjoyed by Château de Chantilly, where crème was whipped up in the 17th century (invented, that is) by a headwaiter for the master of the house, le Grand Condé. You might fancy an association with the lace of the same name, popularized by a song released in 1958. And, indeed, lace was produced in Chantilly in the 1600s. The château is better known, though, for its porcelain production in the 1700s. Just 25 minutes from Paris, Chantilly is France’s horse capital, where daily dressage shows delight visitors.
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An Underwater Nature Path
By Linda Tancs
Port Cros is a small, charming island in the French Riviera. In fact, the entire island is a national park (the smallest in France), affording nature lovers ample opportunity to discover its flora and fauna. There are 602 land species of flora, 500 algae species, 144 bird species, 180 fish species and some endemic tenants like the Tyrrhenian painted frog. Its unspoiled, pristine nature gives rise to one of its most unique attractions: an underwater marked nature path. Beginning at Plage de la Palud, the trail takes about 30 minutes to complete. Thanks to a prohibition on mooring at the beach to protect the underwater species, you’ll be assured remarkable views.
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Romancing the Tome
By Linda Tancs
Romantics flock to Paris because it’s widely regarded as the city of love. But it’s just as tantalizing for book lovers. Selling books since 1826, Librairie Jousseaume at Galerie Vivienne will have you yielding to the pages of texts both ancient and modern on topics as varied as history, literature, travel, poetry, comic books, theater and music. As French historian Jean-Jacques Ampère put it, “Books make eras and nations, just as eras and nations make books.”
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A Prehistoric Masterpiece Unveiled in France
By Linda Tancs
Discovered in 1994 in the Ardèche department of southern France, the Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc cave contains the earliest known and best preserved figurative cave paintings in the world depicting Upper Paleolithic life. Its 36,000-year-old paintings cover not only the typical herbivores dominating Paleolithic life but also stunning images of bears, panthers, lions and other predatory animals–424 animals and 14 species in all. This prehistoric masterpiece would be lost to public viewing (in consideration of the need for preservation) were it not for the replica cave constructed less than five miles from the original site. The official opening is on Saturday, 25 April.
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Visiting Nancy
By Linda Tancs
Who would think that a deposed Polish king would contribute much to 18th century European architecture in northeastern France? Well, that’s what you’ll find in Nancy, a historic French city. Thanks to an uprising in the 1700s, Nancy and its environs (formerly the Duchy of Upper Lorraine) were granted to Stanisław Leszczyński, former King of Poland. The new duke built Stanislas Square to honor his son-in-law Louis XV of France. Befitting its royal connection, the square boasts immense classical façades laden with wrought-iron railings embellished with gold. City Hall, the Grand Hotel and the opera house complete the panorama of what is considered to be one of the most beautiful royal squares in Europe. Nancy is 90 minutes by high-speed TGV train direct from Gare de l’Est in Paris.
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Herrings and Scallops
By Linda Tancs
Something fishy is going on this weekend in Dieppe, the French seaside resort: the locals are celebrating the fishing trade that defines this northern town. Held annually every November, Foire aux Harengs promises a vast array of streetside barbecues celebrating herring. Scallops figure prominently, too, considering that this French port was the first to introduce them. Now in its 45th year, the event takes place at Quai Henri IV.
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Lock to Lock in Burgundy
By Linda Tancs
Called Le Canal de Bourgogne by the French, the Burgundy Canal in central eastern France traverses the Yonne and the Cote d’Or for more 120 miles, winding from lock to lock through small towns, villages and valleys. The vineyards of Burgundy are an obvious attraction, as is the city of Dijon (of mustard fame). But don’t miss the beautiful, relaxing grounds of Fontenay Abbey, one of the oldest Cistercian monasteries in Europe. Founded in 1118 by Saint Bernard, the Romanesque-style complex boasts a remarkably preserved church, dormitory, cloister, council room, monks room, heating room, dovecote and chapel. The old abbey gate sports a hole for the dog of the monk-porter. Its fountains and gardens are world class, but the venue is perhaps best known as a locale in the 1990 movie, Cyrano de Bergerac.
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The Largest Theatre in Paris
By Linda Tancs
Grand Rex is the largest theatre in Paris and one of the largest in Europe. Boasting the city’s largest screen, the cinema’s outsized lines and Art Deco-style dome are out of sync with the hotels, bars and pubs along rue Poissonniere but nevertheless befitting a shrine to Parisian cinema. Inaugurated in 1932, the Ministry of Culture has decreed it a national monument. Discover its legend through an interactive, 50- minute long audio guided tour.
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