Category Archives: France

Cycling Through Normandy and Beyond…

Posted on 1 September 2022 by sheg4184

Life has been reduced to three suburbs over the past couple of months, and the winter glooms have given me no incentive to expand my horizons. But with a couple of free days up my sleeve to sort through piles … Continue reading →

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N’oubliez pas Paris

Posted on 11 May 2020 by sheg4184

Whenever I go to Paris, I arrive in a different season, stay in a different arrondissement. It means I get to know another part of the city each time I visit, but it also dislocates my usually infallible internal compass. … Continue reading →

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Wild Asparagus, Wild Strawberries

Posted on 9 July 2018 by sheg4184

‘England represented the safety and comfort of familiarity but France dared me with challenges and rewarded me with the thrill of new discoveries within myself.’ ~ Barbara Santich Remember what it is like to be a footloose student or a … Continue reading →

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Michelin Starred Magic

Posted on 16 May 2018 by sheg4184

At Le Château de Beaulieu in north-west France, local chef Marc Meurin is celebrating. It is the 20th anniversary of his restaurant’s second Michelin star. Meurin is largely self-taught, with almost fifty years of experience under his belt. In all … Continue reading →

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A Summer Picnic on the Loire

Posted on 24 March 2018 by sheg4184

Take the adventure, heed the call, now ere the irrevocable moment passes! ‘Tis but a banging of the door behind you, a blithesome step forward, and you are out of the old life and into the new! Then some day, … Continue reading →

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…and North Again

Posted on 22 September 2017 by sheg4184

From Menton, with its glimmering sea and glittering inhabitants, we drove east along the coast and straight into Italy, where the buildings instantly lost their glamour and polish. Manicured gardens became market gardens, pencil pines were exchanged for olive trees … Continue reading →

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Road Trip South…

Posted on 13 September 2017 by sheg4184

A clement, uneventful, Sunday drive out of Luxembourg, along a smooth motorway that crossed vast pastures, south to Dijon.  Here we found narrow, cobbled streets and half-timbered buildings, a handful of handsome churches and clusters of modern coffee shops that … Continue reading →

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Un Petit Peu de Paris

Posted on 15 February 2017 by sheg4184

Paris is only two hours from Luxembourg on the rocket-fuelled TGV. And as our apartment in Luxembourg is 5 minutes walk to the station, we planned to take the train to Paris last weekend. I just really fancied walking out … Continue reading →

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Lyon, Gastronomic Capital of France

Posted on 6 July 2016 by sheg4184

Lyon,  a city of churches and bridges, “trompe l’œil” and Roman ruins, sits cosily on the confluence of the Rhone and the Saone rivers in central France. Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is also a city renowned … Continue reading →

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“I can see clearly now…”

Posted on 11 June 2016 by sheg4184

Last weekend, in a bustling café on a boulevard in the south of France, I watched two trays of Aperol Spritz heading to neighbouring tables, where diners were keen to kick off with a little splash of sunshine before brunch. As … Continue reading →

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