The Shame and Fortune of Vichy, Former Capital of France
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The Shame and Fortune of Vichy, Former Capital of France

When we talk about “storied“ towns and cities, the kind of story that we have in mind involves palace intrigues and poisonous plots, riots and revolutions, blood and fury: Troy, Jerusalem, Rome. Not all municipal histories, however, unfold on such an epic scale. There is a no less interesting category of shorter and sharper morality…

The Two Gardens of Clermont-Ferrand
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The Two Gardens of Clermont-Ferrand

This is the time for New Year resolutions, and here is ours: to dedicate more time to provincial France, the vast spaces between capital and coastal areas (vast by European standards, that is: France has a smaller surface area than the US state of Texas). Where the US have their flyover states, France has its…

Christmas Markets in the French Riviera
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Christmas Markets in the French Riviera

Palm trees, beaches, speedboats: these are the things the Riviera does well. Christmas, not  so much. That does not mean that the people over here ever give up trying, but that they do so, with mixed results. Take, for example, Christmas Markets. In the Friench Riviera, any such event always has that unmistakable air of…

Esterel – The Red Rocks of the Riviera
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Esterel – The Red Rocks of the Riviera

People like to travel because we are all looking for something that lifts life fleetingly above the level of repetitive routines and rhythms: something that takes us beyond the drumbeat of everyday life. We search for the hardest possible break from daily routines that our budgets and time schedules allow: for new sceneries and experiences,…

Nice Views and a Walk on the Wild Side
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Nice Views and a Walk on the Wild Side

Savannah, jungle, farmland: most landscapes on Planet Earth fall into one of these categories. They are quite frequently separated by dozens or even hundreds of kilometres But on Mont Vinaigrier in the outskirts of Nice, you can visit all three of them within a couple of hours: arranged in a neat vertical stack and sprinkled…

Vauban’s Citadel: The Great White Whale of Besançon
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Vauban’s Citadel: The Great White Whale of Besançon

How do you stand with military architecture? I mean: fortresses, fortifications and the way in which they have been constructed through history: how much does this interest you? Not all that much? All right, then that makes two of us already. It is not the naturally most fascinating topic on earth, is it? Personally, however,…

Besançon – Between Paris and the Bayou
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Besançon – Between Paris and the Bayou

Unusual travel suggestions are missions from God. You may be familiar with this quote (it comes from Kurt Vonnegut). But the Easy Hikers have always gone one further: rather than waiting for someone to make such an unusual suggestion, we actively search for pretexts to go to places where one would not normally go. Because…

The Good and the Ugly of a River Walk Along the Var
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The Good and the Ugly of a River Walk Along the Var

River walks are popular, and it is easy to understand why. There is always a variety of scenic motives on show (inland and water landscapes). Villages, boats and other elements of river (bank) traffic provide a constant stream of entertainment. Plus you can concentrate on the sights because the trails are always easy to follow….