The small town of Clisson sits about 17 kilometers to the southeast of Nantes, in the department of Loire-Atlantique. It's technically part of Brittany, but with a very different feel. "Tuscany in Brittany" reads the Office of Tourism website. The historic center of...
Along the quai in the 13th arrondissement (across from the Bibliothèque François Mitterrand), you will see the entrance to the Piscine Joséphine Baker, a 25 x 10 meter swimming pool floating in the River Seine. The pool is open year-round but it's a particular joy in...
Last month I became an oyster harvester. OK, maybe not quite. But I donned some waders and worked the oyster beds for about 15 minutes, enough to realize what back-breaking work it is! Au Rythme des marées is now offering a 2 ½ hour boat trip with oyster cultivator...
Every Saturday evening from the start of May to early October, the 17th century château of Vaux-le-Vicomte invites visitors to tour the château's gardens by the light of approximately 2,000 candles. The ticket (€19.50 for adults) also includes a self-guided visit of...
Last month, I was invited by Mon Beau Paris to experience their street art polaroid tour of the Marais. I did not have any particular prior interest in street art, let alone knowledge of the subject. But this lack of a background in it actually made me more intrigued...
You still have a few more weeks to catch the fantastic Édith Piaf exhibit at the Bibliothèque Nationale-François Mitterrand in the 13th arrondissement. I explored the exhibit last week and was very impressed. The exhibit was full of interesting anecdotes, histories,...
Every summer since 2002, Paris closes off sections of its quais to traffic and transforms the riverbank along the Seine into "Paris Beach". Paris Plage started up again this weekend (July 19th) and will run through August 17th. Paris Plage runs roughly from the Louvre...
France has an amazing network of walking and hiking trails in every corner of the country. Map from FFRandonnée's site (scroll to bottom of this page for a zoomable map) These trails range from short circuits to multi-week hikes. The trails are extremely well-marked...
There has been a lot of talk recently about Paris's new "Dean & DeLuca" gourmet food market, La Maison Plisson. So I decided I should stop by and check it out! La Maison Plisson is a restaurant and a food store, offering fresh produce, baked goods, cheese,...
Last fall, I shared the news that I have embarked on a new project, hiking the 1,000-or-so mile coastline of Brittany. The first weekend in November, I hiked the first three days of the GR34, starting in Vitré, just east of Rennes, passing through Fougères, and...
