The past is a foreign country, as even people know who have not read “The Go-Between” (or seen the movie). But whereas the opening statement of L.P. Hartley’s novel refers to past habits and customs (“they do things differently there”), one can just as easily apply the phrase to the looks and the structures of…
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:…
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…
Serendipity is a wonderful thing. The dictionary defines it as “finding something good without looking for it”. The concept apparently has a long tradition in the history of science and discovery, but is – in my view – specifically useful as a strategy for exploring a new or even an already familiar place: instead of…
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…
Most of the parcs departemental in the south of France lie hidden in the back country. Off the top of my head, I can name only two that you are ever likely to see “accidentally“, passing through by car or by train, and these two could not be more different. The Esterel (with its red…
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,…
A few months ago, I was mulling over a Guide-Michelin-type of system for hikes and the criteria that such a system might apply to distinguish between one-star, two-star and three-star trails. At the time, I was exploring the idea of finding beauty and joy in (relatively) routine experiences. But the truth of the matter is…
Having walked into Monaco two weeks ago, today we will take you on another legendary French Riviera Walk: a stroll in Nice down the Promenade des Anglais from where it starts, once around the Baie des Anges past fancy bars and hotels, rows of palm trees and some of the best Mediterranean seascapes of the…
If you travel to the extreme southwest of France in bleak midwinter, the Pyrenees – whose distant peaks are distinctly visible throughout much of the region – provide something like a permanent tease. Shrouded in clouds and covered with snow, they are clearly not sending out any “come-and-visit-me“ signals, but at the same time they…
