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 …
When the rain had finally stopped, we visited 2 cities in the beautiful Alsace, the region at the border to Germany, first the very picturesque Colmar and later the much bigger Strasbourg with its very impressive cathedral. Colmar has a very well preserved old town with crooked timber-framed houses, little squares and alleys with lovely …
What beauties are these! Especially the Bugatti collection of the Schlumpf brothers was impressive. We really enjoyed the visit to the museum in Mulhouse, but now we will visit some lovely towns of the Alsace – more on our next post, guaranteed without cars 😉
The very rainy weather made us look for another museum, and we found one with cars! The Collection Schlumpf in Mulhouse was the perfect location to spend at least half a day inside. The collection of the Schlumpf brothers begins 1936 with the purchase of a Bugatti, a real competition car, from the prestigious Alsatian car manufacturer. …
