A Pilgrimage of Artistic Discovery – Cézanne and Aix
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A Pilgrimage of Artistic Discovery – Cézanne and Aix

Last week, we discovered that the “Cézanne Walk” in the artist’s home town of Aix-en-Provence is not the perfect route to finding out more about his paintings. We shall be making up for that today, venturing a little out of town for a “pilgrimage of artistic discovery” to a place which is, more than anything…

The Paint and the Pedantry
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The Paint and the Pedantry

For many years, Aix-en-Provence had cornered the market for Picturesque Market Towns In Southern France. Easy-to-reach (just over an hour by train from Marseille) and pretty-to-look-at, it ticks all the important boxes for visitors. If you came from Northern Europe or North America and wanted to see a Typical Town In Provence, old men playing…

Saumur: A Fairy Tale Castle With a Cinderella CV of Its Own
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Saumur: A Fairy Tale Castle With a Cinderella CV of Its Own

This week’s walk is, at first glance, a carbon copy of last week’s: we take a walk along the Loire, … … see a beautiful castle … … and visit a historical little town that was built in its shadow. What’s more: the centrepiece of the walk is another river island in between the train…

Follow the Owl on a Walk Through Dijon
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Follow the Owl on a Walk Through Dijon

Dijon is not a one-bird town. Having introduced you last week to the Martin-Pecheur, the kingfisher who is occasionally spotted near the trail that has been named in his honour, we will tell you today about the other bird that is associated with the capital of Burgundy: the owl. In contrast to the Martin-Pecheur, however,…

Dijon’s Favourite Easy Hiking Trail
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Dijon’s Favourite Easy Hiking Trail

When in Dijon, do as the Dijonnais do. Which is why we – on our recent trip to the capital of Burgundy – followed the Sentier du Martin-Pecheur, advertised in the official literature as the favourite “easy hiking” route of the Dijonais. First of all, a clarification to avoid disappointment: the word “pecheur” in the…

The Lyon Trinity – Traboules, Trompe l’Oeil and Trails for Urban Hiking
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The Lyon Trinity – Traboules, Trompe l’Oeil and Trails for Urban Hiking

Some city destinations provide barely enough distraction for a single morning – you walk around, have lunch and find yourself walking down the same streets again in the afternoon. But there are those that only whet your appetite, making you want to come back for more, again and again. There is always something you have…

Strasbourg: A Walk Around the Ring of Water
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Strasbourg: A Walk Around the Ring of Water

Throughout history, few large cities in the world have managed without a navigable waterway, but there are some whose river or canal passes out of sight and out of town, through countryside or distant suburbs. (Milan is an example for this, as is – more surprisingly, perhaps – Vienna). This applies to Strasbourg as well,…