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

St Paul de Vence a beautiful French perched village

St Paul de Vence is felt by many to be the loveliest of the perched villages in the south of France. Perhaps, but I do love Bonnieux! St Paul de Vence, an attractive, compact village became a magnet for artists and art lovers in the 1920’s, when a group of impressionist painters rediscovered this sleeping neglected village.Continue reading “St Paul de Vence a beautiful French perched village”

Cordes Sur Ciel and a whole Lot of rain

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

This excerpt is from my French travel book – OFF THE AUTOROUTE, the fifth in my Series of French travel memoirs. Please enjoy on Amazon including Kindle Unlimited. It will take you on a tour of France from Calais to the South and back through Brittany and Normandy. It is time to move on, andContinue reading “Cordes Sur Ciel and a whole Lot of rain”

Normandy – First Impressions of Touring France

Alt="photo of Honfleur harbour Normandy on a rainy day"

The dawn chorus was just thinking about making an appearance when we started our approach to the ferry terminal at Portsmouth. It was then that I realized why my mouth had gone so dry and my hands were shaking. I had not got the faintest idea of how to proceed to the ferry and an embarrassed fear set in. Where on earth do I go – what lane do I take?

Paris the 7th Arrondissement – or life beyond Rue Cler

Alt="Looking across the Place de la Concorde to the Eiffel Tower Paris France"

This chapter is from my book A DREAM OF PARIS available on Amazon At the outset I have to make it clear that some of my best friends are American, as indeed are a good number of my wife Niamh’s extended family – the Irish get everywhere. However it seems to me that even youContinue reading “Paris the 7th Arrondissement – or life beyond Rue Cler”

The Angels Share – Wine Tasting in Beaune France

The domain of Maison Champy is a wine producer located by the old walls in Beaune Burgundy

Burgundy – The Angels Share Our stay in Beaune as the centre point of our introduction to Burgundy was at the Hôtel Henry II Rue du Faubourg Saint-Nicolas, 21200 Beaune and a fine place to stay it proved to be. Beaune centre was a short stroll away and this would become a town that notContinue reading “The Angels Share – Wine Tasting in Beaune France”

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

Waiting for lunch in a quiet moment in Mougins France

Waiting for lunch customers at a lovely French cafe. An atmospheric scene in a quiet street in Mougins France. Mougins is close to the perfume town of Grasse. The small village boasts several fine restaurants and is a lovely relaxing place to enjoy a long lunch and sleep it of by the fountain in theContinue reading “Waiting for lunch in a quiet moment in Mougins France”

Paris Restaurant Cafe and location photography

A few shots taken over the last few years. Paris always draws you back – CLICK ON PHOTO FOR FULL VIEW

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”

Hôtel Restaurant les Templiers and photography of Collioure France

Alt="On the small island in Collioure Harbour is Chapelle Saint Vincent"

On this mild clear evening the sun is going down, the scene is enlightened by the lights of the harbour front cafés and bars and the spot lights focused on Collioure’s church, Notre-Dame-des-Anges, a former converted lighthouse. Behind the church is the small Chapelle Saint Vincent on a rocky outcrop. There is of course inContinue reading “Hôtel Restaurant les Templiers and photography of Collioure France”