In Basque Country. The Basque region straddles the border between southwestern France and the mid-north of Spain, along the Bay of Biscay. As we set out on today's adventure Cindy began by telling us some of the history and culture of the Basque people. She described them as being an ancient and fiercely independent people whose existence can be traced back to the first century, B.C. She reported that many characteristics distinguish the Basque people from their French and Spanish "hosts," not limited to the obvious, being language and architecture, but including distinctive DNA traits. The Basques are not happy with the vagaries of history that have left them a conquered and divided nation. Separatist movements in the region have led to acts of terrorism and blood has been shed. The transition from France to Basque ... read more

Lourdes. Continuing westward on Friday morning, we entered the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains south of Toulouse, which mountains define the border between southwestern France and northeastern Spain. There were serious melts of snow in the mountains and the rivers flowing northward were in heavy spate. The Riviere Gave de Pau was in flood through Pau, to the west. The weather was quite cool and a misty rain was falling as we entered Lourdes, city of Sainte Bernadette. In 1858, a girl named Bernadette claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary – Our Lady of Lourdes - who directed her to a natural spring that arose in a small grotto at the foot of a hillside. This grotto and spring are said to possess miraculous healing powers and they are visited by millions of tourists and ... read more

Arles On this morning we headed west, retracing our route to Aix-en-Provence and from there on to Arles. The trip was about 250km and, for the most part featured tidy farmlands. The exception occurs where the Autoroute du Soleil cuts north through some fairly dramatic mountain geography just west of Coudoux. It then settles down again into farmland and I was surprised at how big a role mixed farming plays in this part of France. Arles lies along the Rhone River and dates back to the time of the Romans. Evidence of Roman habitation exists in a partially restored amphitheater and a coliseum which lie within a long stone's throw of each other. I was very keen on seeing the city because it was here that Van Gogh lived in 1888 and where he tried to ... read more

Monaco. Moving south, we hung a left near Aix-en-Provence, skirted Nice and arrived in the tiny Principality of Monaco. Monaco is famous for a host of reasons: it is a favorite of the mega-rich and famous and its crown princess was All American Sweetheart Grace Kelly. The Monaco Casino and Monaco Grand Prix are renown throughout the world. The Principality perches on the side of spectacular cliffs, reminiscent of Amalfi but less dramatic and more opulent. Its Mediterranean vistas are marvelous and, for those who like toys, its marinas harbour personal yachts that would qualify as ships. We went up to the Monaco Cathedral to pay respects to the tombs of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier III, and then wandered over to the Palace courtyard for views of the city and marinas. In the foreground, seating ... read more

Apr 22, 2013. Lyon. The city of Lyon lies at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone rivers. It was established by the Romans around 43 B.C. and has served as a trading and manufacturing centre, particularly in the silk industry, over the centuries. Today, as the two rivers converge they form a long, thin, pencil-shaped land mass connected on both sides by bridges – and you wouldn't believe the traffic congestion at rush hour. After a quick check-in we headed for the "old city" to meet a local guide for a walking tour. We learned that, as the silk industry prospered and matured over the years, the money, the factories and the populace eventually moved out of those cramped, medieval quarters over to newer zones where there was room for expansion. Thus, like many old ... read more