Sion is the capital of Valais and quite striking as you approach it - it’s known for its stunning hilltop fortifications: the 13th-century **Tourbillon Castle ruins and the ***Basilique de Valère complex, with a basilica housing a playable organ over
Beaujolais is a French natural region, corresponding to a former barony, located north of Lyon, extending over the north of the Rhône department, the south of the Saône-et-Loire department, and the northeast of the Loire. I'm pushing a bit beyond the traditional boundaries, up to Tournus, as the themes
Paris is huge and grand, requires a lot of preparation, and deserves at least 4 days for your first visit. They say Paris is overhyped, but we continue to find it charming and exceeding our expectations - a wonderful city! Logistics:
Search for articles on Lucca and you’ll find a consistent theme - this is a gorgeous, lovely town to simply wander through and experience. Walk the walls! Check out the churches! Unlike many historic Italian destinations (like Florence), this is
The Puy-de-Dôme department is not on the beaten path, but it’s especially pretty and has a lot to do. We've made three trips - a first overnight to Clermont-Ferrand while driving to the Dordogne, a romantic weekend in Bagnols, and
My first trip, circa May 2005, was cold and wet: a spring downpour, around 40 degrees. My second trip, December 2024, felt like a repeat: a winter downpour, circa 35 degrees. It’s a pretty, compact city, very Baroque in taste,
A World Heritage Site because of its monastery, the **Abbey of Reichenau. Comprising three churches of long heritage, including St Georg at Oberzell which holds a cycle of Christ's miracles painted around 1000, the most important Ottonian wall painting to
The Ain is a French department, composed of several cultural and historical entities: primarily the Bressesavoyarde, the Dombes, the Bugey and the country of Gex. It’s not particularly well known or visited on an international scale, which is a shame
Autun is a low-key town, but almost two millennia ago (when it was known as Augustodunum) it was one of the most important cities in Roman Gaul, boasting 6km of ramparts, four monumental gates, two theatres, an amphitheatre and a
This was an ambitious driving vacation that we loved - starting in Madrid and then skirting the coastline down to Lisbon. Very diverse, packed with history, great food! Days 1 and 2: Madrid We hit the ground running - thankfully the city