Insights into the French way of life and European travels by an Australian living in the Loire Valley
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Stay in our beautiful 400-year old Renaissance house in the Loire Valley. Click on Gîte Loire Valley above. Accommodates 2 to 4 adults. 3-night minimum stay.Live like a local and improve your French!
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- Rosemary Kneipp on Weekly Blogger Round-Up: July & August in France – Wines from the French Riviera – Cruising on the Canal du Rhône
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Category Archives: Sightseeing
The Akubra Saviour
We’ve just arrived in Malta for a week of sun and exploring. It is 1°C when we leave Blois at 5.20 am and 15°C when we arrive in Valetta at 1 pm. After checking out our rental apartment, Marina View, … Continue reading
Cycling in Slovenia – our power bikes pass the test!
We’re in Malibor in the north of Slovenia, a country known for its hills. We ask for a bike map from the tourist office and study it. In Malibor, there are cycle paths everywhere so we assume that outside the … Continue reading
Discovering Canal Saint Martin in Paris
We’ve come to Paris for a long week-end to celebrate a friend’s 60th birthday, organised by her daughter as a surprise. As usual, we’ve fitted in a few medical appointments, as there is a severe lack of specialists in Blois, … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Architecture, Cycling, France, Home exchange, Paris, Sightseeing
Tagged bastille market, canal saint martin district, le bataclan, velib
9 Comments
First Day in NYC – Ground Zero, Statue of Liberty & Times Square
We are in New York. The last time I was here was in 1979. For Jean Michel, it’s the first time. We are visiting my two grown-up children, Leonardo and Black Cat, who live and work in NYC. We have … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Sightseeing, Travel photos, United States
Tagged bryant park, ground zero, one world trade center, statue of liberty
4 Comments
Secret Blois #2 – Wars Wounds and Fountains
At the end of Secret Blois #1, I left you in Place Louis XII, the most animated part of Blois and home to a twice-weekly fresh produce market. You may have noticed a certain uniformity in the buildings around you. … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Blois, History, Sightseeing
Tagged secret blois, walking tour of blois, what to see in blois
4 Comments
Cycling along the Loir – Vendôme to Lavardin: troglydytes and murals
Before I begin, just a little note to say that I really am talking about the Loir and not its cousin, the Loire River. We’ve been to Lavardin before – on a cold winter’s day in December last year during … Continue reading
Troyes – A Taste of Late Mediaeval France
We are on our way back to Blois from our cycling holiday in Germany and are looking for a stopover in France. There is nothing interesting midway but Troyes is about 3/5 of the way which is fine. We book … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Architecture, Cycling, France, Sightseeing
Tagged cycling in troyes, rood-screen Saint-Madeliene's troyes, troyes
7 Comments
Cycling along the Romantic Road in Bavaria #8 – Tauberbishofsheim to Creglingen
After a refreshing sleep in our sccond hotel room in Tauberbishofsheim and Spiegel ei for breakfast, we are ready to go. We’re on our bikes by 9.45 am and it’s already 17°C and expected to get to 22°C in the afternoon. … Continue reading
Cycling along the Romantic Road in Bavaria #7 – Würzburg
We’re on our way to Würzburg, at the northern tip of the Romantic Road, known for its wine and the former residence of the Würzburg prince-bishops, Unesco world cultural heritage site and one of the most important baroque palaces in … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Architecture, Cycling, Germany, Sightseeing, Travelling
Tagged cycling along the Romantic road, Würzburg
11 Comments
Cycling on the Romantic Road in Bavaria #3 Peiting to Diessen
We set out early at 10.15 am on Sunday and see several locals in their Bavarian traditional clothing. We go to the front of the church hoping to see more of them but we’re too late! Today we are cycling … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Cycling, Germany, Sightseeing, Travelling
Tagged cycling on the Romantic road, cycling to Diessen, peiting
13 Comments