I am now a bit addicted to the grande randonnées, the long-distance trails known affectionately as the "GRs" that criss-cross and wind their way through France and along its land and sea borders. After finishing the GR20 in Corsica over the July 14 weekend, I could...
Six days before my 3Xth birthday, my trusted hiking buddy and I completed what may have been my greatest physical challenge yet (edging out the 2002 Boston Marathon only by the narrowest margin): the 90 or so mountainous kilometers of the southern GR 20 (long distance...
The Auvergne is right smack in the middle of France, a rural region of the country with vibrant green hills, fields of sunflowers and farms with the fattest cows I have ever seen, scattered among the mountains, craters and extinct volcanoes of the Massif Central. Le...
A Perfect Day Hike I am on a mission this summer to find more day trip options from Paris that do not require renting a car, and in particular, more hiking options. I head to Corsica to finish the GR20 long-distance trek just 10 days from now and I need all the...
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...
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...
