Fontaine Gardens of Nîmes: Rococo, the Romans and the Charms of Modernity
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Fontaine Gardens of Nîmes: Rococo, the Romans and the Charms of Modernity

Here is a strange thing: some neighbouring cities, although physically very close to each other, have a totally different look and feel. Take Nîmes and Arles, two close neighbours in the south of France. They share, inevitably, some characteristics, but it is the differences that stick out. Arles is the quintessential small town in Provence:…

The Holy Maries, the Flamingoes and the Wild Marshlands of the Camargue
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The Holy Maries, the Flamingoes and the Wild Marshlands of the Camargue

When I was a boy, my home town’s local TV station carried a French adventure series that was set in the wild marshlands of the Camargue. There were a lot of wild horses, water buffaloes and cool guys riding white steeds bareback through the spray, but other than that, I have no recollection of what…

The Ruins of Old Aspremont: Hiking Back In Time
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The Ruins of Old Aspremont: Hiking Back In Time

Whatever happened to Old Aspremont? It was all a very long time ago. Modern-day Aspremont – approx. 15 km to the north of Nice – is a picturesque and quiet little place, one of a dozen or so “perched villages” on the list of visitors’ recommendations issued by the Nice tourism office.  But there is…

An Intimate Peek From the Peak – View Monaco From the Mont des Mules
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An Intimate Peek From the Peak – View Monaco From the Mont des Mules

Among the peaks of the Riviera, the Mont des Mules enjoys a special place. Not because of its height: at 291 metres, it is little more than a pimple on the landscape. Its long and varied history  reaches back into pre-Roman times and includes the episode when, in 1909, the municipality of Beausoleil (to which…

Make Sure Your First Post-Covid 19 Walk Is A Full Success
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Make Sure Your First Post-Covid 19 Walk Is A Full Success

I told you it was going to be a sunny day. Which was no mere coincidence, of course. In fact, we let several days go by since the lockdown in our area had been lifted. Because there was no way we would let our first post-Covid 19 walk since what felt more like an imprisonment…

Nice for the Short of Time: Parc Castel-des-Deux-Rois
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Nice for the Short of Time: Parc Castel-des-Deux-Rois

Most of our Riviera walks are intended for “slow travellers” who do not want or need to pack as much as is humanly possible into a two-day trip. Who love walking for its own sake. Who appreciate the arts and architecture. Who travel either alone or in a group of like-minded adults. Today’s walk belongs…

Monaco Sculpture Trail: Public Art for the Huddled Masses
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Monaco Sculpture Trail: Public Art for the Huddled Masses

Here is one point that even the grumpiest visitor of Monaco must concede: the principality is not stingy with its wealth. It provides spotlessly clean and ultra-safe streets (with police officers at every other corner and a dense array of high-tech CCTV systems), while lifts and escalators help the tired huddled masses of visitors along…

Strolling Through Monaco From End to End
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Strolling Through Monaco From End to End

Some people find it fashionable to sneer at Monaco. There is nothing categorically wrong about sneering, I enjoy the occasional sneer as much as anybody, but for people who are travelling to see the world, it is the most counterproductive attitude you can imagine. After all, travelling is all about discoveries: about finding new things…