The first view of Carcassonne comes from the highway. Just a flash of walls and towers off to the side, it is enough to make me incredibly excited, and I know at once that this is going to be a very good day. We park the car and walk slowly up the hill toward one…
Bordeaux is a city known for its culture. Eighteenth century architectural gems line the boulevards. Museums abound. Wine and tapas are ubiquitous, and everywhere you look, you can find the Bordelaise out enjoying these simple aspects of life here. But there is one place unlike all the others. Across the river Garonne, just a short…
"I'm headed to Andorra!" I told my friends in Europe. "Oh, you're going skiing," they would respond. Well, no, I wasn't. (I have, in fact, never been skiing - though it's on my bucket list at some point so please don't yell at me.) "Then you must be going for the duty-free shopping," they would…
Camp des Milles isn’t exactly the image one has in mind of southern France. A former tile factory just minutes from the center of Aix-en-Provence, the complex was requisitioned by the French government during World War Two, first to house those suspected of fascist sympathies and later, after the fall of France, as a depot…
Marseille is France's second largest city, its most important economically throughout history, and perhaps also its most misunderstood. It has a reputation for being gritty, working-class, and unsafe. The history drew me here, and I fell in love with the city. Don't miss the rest of our content on Marseille and the surrounding area by…
February is nearly upon us, and with the changing of the month, my time in Marseille is drawing to a close. Up next: the wine capital of France - and the city voted most livable in the country - Bordeaux. However, as with my itinerary here in the south, I won't be confined to just…
When I announced that I would be spending a month in the Southern French city of Marseille, it was met with some disbelief and bewilderment. "But Marseille is dangerous," some said. "Marseille is dirty," cried others. As my month here comes to an end, I can safely and confidently share that I made the right…
In 1305, Pope Clement V, under pressure from King Phillipe IV of France, refused to move to Rome and instead established his court at Avignon, where he purchased the city and its surroundings from the Provençal ruler. This began the only period of popes ruling from outside Rome, and led to decades of competing popes.…
Marseille is not a city of incredible sights. There are few monuments to its glory, present or past; only a couple of "must-visit" locations exist to tantalize tourists. No, this is not a city of sights. Marseille is, however, a city of sounds, of the calls of seabirds and the melodious tones of French in…
From the moment my train from Marseille arrived in Monaco, I was transported. New buildings (or old but incredibly well upkept) were each more stunning than the last. Manicured gardens filled with public art projects lined the wide boulevards along a waterfront vista rivaling any in the world. Palatial homes, expensive cars, yachts filling the…