The same friend who introduced me to cycling by Lac d’Orient has also recently introduced me to a wonderful organization, Une main tendue vers le Pérou (A Helping Hand for Peru). Une main tendue vers le Pérou is a non-profit that supports specific local organizations...
Despite the new bike bus and taxi lanes around Paris and the convenience of the Velib’ bike rental system, I am still a bit nervous to ride a bike in Paris. I will cycle in Paris once in a while, but I had almost forgotten that the experience can be enjoyable and...
Determined to take advantage of this beautiful weather and do some hiking on Sunday, but preferring not to rent a car or travel too far, some friends and I headed for the Parc naturel régional de la Haute Vallée de Chevreuse (oof, that’s a mouthful). It’s only about...
With less than six weeks to go before embarking on the second leg of our Corsica hike, I have posted the itinerary for part 1 of our hike under Longer Trip Itineraries. Corsica is a magical place, close to Paris and yet curiously exotic. For fervent hikers, the GR20...
You can’t forget any essentials because there may not be any stores where you are going, but you certainly don’t want to bring more than just the necessaries, because you’ll have to carry everything on your back all day, every day. So how do you pack for a hiking...
I spent this past weekend with friends in a small village near the town of Vimoutiers in the region of Pays d'Auge, Normandy. It was a relaxing weekend of sleeping in, cooking in and basking in the sun as it played peek-a-boo with us through the frolicking clouds. ...
This book has been my bible ever since I discovered it, shortly after my arrival in France. This association has united 155 villages in France that have been named the most beautiful villages (i.e. max 2,000 people) in France (including 2 in Corsica and 1 in...
Three years ago, the day before embarking on what turned out to be a 14-hour road trip to southern Germany via Switzerland, I made an impulse purchase: I bought a GPS. This would seem a logical purchase, except I don’t own a car! Who needs a GPS if they don’t own a...
