“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity”
John Muir
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Changing of the Seasons
Autumn has come to the Loire. It may not be obvious yet. The days are still filled with sunshine, sometimes hot, and tourists still throng the shopping streets of Tours and Saumur. But the hints are there. For a start, the sale rails are full of summer clothes, bargains to be put away and forgotten…
Recent Posts
Auvergne
On paper, the last few days were a match made in heaven. Volcanoes set in a World Heritage Site. Check. Iconic cycling climbs. Check. Perfect summer weather. Check. Cheese? Oh yes. Auvergne didn’t disappoint. We can deal with the volcanoes and iconic cycling climbs in one. Auvergne is home to the Chaînes des Puys, a…
Bourgogne
Based on my vast experience of about half a dozen days in the region, mostly in transit, I have to say that Burgundy is one of my favourite regions of France. It’s hard to say exactly why. The countryside is a solid seven out of ten throughout. It is usually nice, occasionally drab, and rarely…
Fontainebleau
Family summer holiday is now in full swing. We’ve been staying for the last few days at Samoreau, one of a cluster of small towns and villages on the Seine near Fontainebleau. It’s about 45 minutes from here to Paris by train, and we’ve had a couple of fantastic days in the capital gently mocking…