Our navigation was so nice to take us through this amazing aqueduct, which was built between 1841 and 1847. It is the largest stone aqueduct in the world with 83m height. But finally we reached Les Baux de Provence, which not only has a castle and a lovely village below it, but also is the …
On the way to the Verdon gorge, we came through another fascinating gorge: Gorges de l’Esteron just before Saint-Auban, where we stopped for the night. The next morning we continued, heading to the D71 or Corniche Sublime, which goes along the southern side of the gorge. The gorge is about 25 km long and was formed …
Before we tackled the mountains, we made a brief stop at Cuneo, a lovely city with a special bridge and a historic centre of beautiful houses with arcades, that you can walk along the shops protected from sun, rain and snow. We were quite sure that the Col de Tende, an important pass to France, …
Camembert is a dreamy little village with no big cheese factory in sight. There is a museum about the history of Camembert cheese, which included a visit to a production site and a tasting at the shop. Camembert was first made in 1791 by Marie Harel, following advice from a priest who came from Brie, therefore the …
Mont-Saint-Michel at the coast of Normandy for sure is a must see for many. We were happy we made it here during our short Normandy trip together with our son. The weather cooperated and we already had a great view of the little hill in the sea from afar. We had parked at a camper …
We had heard about the tapestry of Bayeux and were curious to see it personally, therefore a stop at this lovely town was a must. Bayeux is also known as the first major town secured by the Allies during Operation Overlord. Charles de Gaulle made two famous speeches in this town, the first one in 1944, just a few days …
We came to Normandy, to get a better insight of what happened here, when the Allies came to free Europe in 1944. There are numerous places which commemorate the invasion of Normandy, from monuments and cemeteries to museums and sites like the beaches of the landing. We started with the Mémorial de Caen, a center …
We came to the Vimy ridge, because it is an important part of our European history, where Canadian troops fought during WWI. The Canadians are guarding this piece of land now, to never forget the men they lost in this war. The Battle of Vimy Ridge began on Easter morning 1917. Amid sleet, mud and …
Our last stop in France was at Metz, which has a rich 3,000-year long history, having variously been a Celtic oppidum (a fortified Iron Age settlement) an important Gallo-Roman city, the Merovingian capital of Austrasia, the birthplace of the Carolingian dynasty, a cradle of the Gregorian chant, and one of the oldest republics in Europe. The city has been steeped in Romance culture, but has also been strongly influenced by Germanic culture due to its location …
We first visited Bitche with its large citadel, which had been constructed by Vauban on the site of an old castle after the capture of Bitche by the French in 1624. The fortress is noted for its resistance during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Bitche is near the Maginot Line, into which the citadel was later integrated. While driving …
