Blogs from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France, Europe - page 4

Today we are going to Avignon, a city that is known as being the City of the Popes. In the 14th century Pope Clement V and his offsiders fled from Rome and established the Palais Des Papes, and between 1309 to 1377, the 7 French born popes invested huge sums of money building and decorating the Palace, in order for them to live in the manner to which they had become accustomed. That last bit is not necessarily a fact, but rather is just moi’s thinly disguised attempt at a social opinion. The town is encircled by 4.3 kilometres of preserved stone ramparts, and is considered to be the jewel in the crown of the region of Provence. Before we talk the short drive to enjoy all that Avignon has to offer, Tim and I will ... read more

We were up, showered, packed, and sitting at a table in the Rue de Moulin, opposite the 1850 open air town market building , by 8.30. The village of Levignac seems to be undergoing somewhat of a renaissance of its own. It is only a 30 minute drive from Toulouse and this village is a perfect blend of commuting and quiet old world charm. A doer upper from the 18th Century will set you back about 150k€. Many of the houses in our street were undergoing refurbishment while still maintaining the period features such as heavy aged beams and lintels, and stone corbels supporting them. Rickety weathered window shutters, barely hanging, seemed to be compulsory, and might be heritage listed, as no work had been done on them. The French country side is changing as we ... read more

TOUR 3 – La France – WED, 06 JUL 2022 – “Day 12: FRENCH RIVIERA - FRENCH RIVIERA Free day. (B); ENHANCE YOUR FREE TIME on the French Riviera with an excursion to Saint-Paul de Vence. This and many more options throughout your tour are available for purchase with MyGlobus. Get local maps and tips for free time on your GlobusGO mobile app.” Uncle Larry’s Note: Uncle Larry hit it big and took Monte Carlo for 15.30 Euros, about $15.00.... read more

TOUR 3 – La France – MON, 04 JUL 2022 – “Day 10: CARCASSONNE–AIX-EN-PROVENCE - CARCASSONNE Walking tour by the ancient battlements; AIX-EN-PROVENCE Orientation walk along Cours Mirabeau and free time to explore. (B); 186 mi / 300 km”... read more

I was tired when I arrived yesterday and I could not find the shop to store my suitcase. Travel tip: do not use website Nannybag because you have to pay for the days ahead of time, and in this case in Toulon, the shop was several streets away from the train station where apparently no one knew the street or shop. There is a heat wave in France and that’s the wrong time to be searching the streets of Toulon for an obscure site. There is a sign in front of the station pointing to a tourist office, but I never found it, even today when I had more time and less stress. Yesterday I gave up and took a taxi to my destination. Travel tip: if the train station is too small to have its ... read more