french travel blog – French Travel Books – France, Paris, Provence & French Food & Wine

Lavender in Provence – Where to find the best views

Viewing the lavender in the fields below the village of Banon in Provence France

I appreciate that there are many people for whom a visit to Provence must be made in the lavender season as it is crucial to their experience of the region. My wife Niamh is one of those people. Our old friend the village of Banon is a good starting point for a lavender tour. Around the village are some magnificent lavender fields and a climb to the church at the top of the village will reveal them in all their stupendous glory. If you briefly go out of the village on the D950 in the direction of Forcalquier you can turn off to go down one of the minor roads on your left, experiencing driving as if through a lavender field. There are some glorious photo opportunities. After that you can then go back through Banon and take the D950 in the opposite direction to Revest du Bion

D-Day Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery in Normandy

On the anniversary of D-Day these are my thoughts from a poignant visit to the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach. This is taken from my book – OFF THE AUTOROUTE The cemetery is poignant especially because of being situated where these young men fell. I hope you enjoy this recollection We look forward to theContinue reading “D-Day Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery in Normandy”

A trip to the French restored treasure of Carcassonne

Pointed turret towers and ancient stone walls around a city

This chapter is taken from my first French travel book ‘First Time we Saw Paris’ and appears also in the compilation ‘Off the Autoroute’. We also had the opportunity one day in our first week in France to visit the cité of Carcassonne. My only recollection prior to visiting this medieval, heavily restored fortress citéContinue reading “A trip to the French restored treasure of Carcassonne”

TRAVEL BLOG More NEW Stories Please Enjoy these short memoirs and more

My passion is writing about travel and particularly French travel. I have traveled extensively in France and wine and food has always featured on my travels and now in my books. My friends always await our return from France with the latest new finds from the vineyards and I was more than happy to keepContinue reading “TRAVEL BLOG More NEW Stories Please Enjoy these short memoirs and more”

NEW FRENCH TRAVEL BOOK OUT NOW – D-Day and the American Cemetery near Omaha Beach

alt="New French Travel Guide Book Off the Autoroute"

Please enjoy this excerpt from my New Book – these are my thoughts from a poignant visit to the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach. It is poignant especially because of being situated where these young men fell. I hope you enjoy this recollection but sadly we still today are filling places like this as youngContinue reading “NEW FRENCH TRAVEL BOOK OUT NOW – D-Day and the American Cemetery near Omaha Beach”

TRAVEL BLOG More NEW Stories Please Enjoy these short memoirs and more

D-Day and the American Cemetery near Omaha Beach

On the anniversary of D-Day these are my thoughts from a poignant visit to the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach. It is poignant especially because of being situated where these young men fell. I hope you enjoy this recollection but sadly we still today are filling places like this as young lives are destroyed inContinue reading “D-Day and the American Cemetery near Omaha Beach”