If you have the time to spend an entire weekend exploring the Calanques National Park near the southern French port city of Marseilles, we recommend you take the Three Calanques Hike that we described last week. This is without a doubt one of the most glorious and rewarding walks anywhere on the coast of the…
A few months ago, I was mulling over a Guide-Michelin-type of system for hikes and the criteria that such a system might apply to distinguish between one-star, two-star and three-star trails. At the time, I was exploring the idea of finding beauty and joy in (relatively) routine experiences. But the truth of the matter is…
Every season in the hiking calendar has its special rewards, but also its specific problems. On the northern Mediterranean rim, at around this time of the year, winter with its forbiddingly short days is coming to a close and the mimosas – those harbingers of spring – brighten up the hillsides with their sparkling yellows….
Having walked into Monaco two weeks ago, today we will take you on another legendary French Riviera Walk: a stroll in Nice down the Promenade des Anglais from where it starts, once around the Baie des Anges past fancy bars and hotels, rows of palm trees and some of the best Mediterranean seascapes of the…
The Gorges du Loup are one of the outstanding nature reserves in the southeast of France. Unfortunately, they are also far away from the coast and difficult to reach. Which is why we have long ago placed them on the list of Things We Intend To Do One Day In The Future, somewhere between visiting…
Why Walk from Menton to Monaco? 1. You see a lot of stuff you don’t see from the bus From the bus, all you see is a blur. You get the general idea of the French Riviera: the sea, the sun (if there is any), the palm trees, but are you bound to miss all…
When I tell you that we visited a park last weekend to get away from midwinter blues, you will still have no idea of the type of thing that we saw and the type of experience that we had. Whether we had a pleasant but essentially low-octane stroll between flowerbeds, well-tendered lawns and playgrounds for…
Christmas cheers are fading, Christmas dinners have been cleared away, and most Christmas trees will soon be demobbed. But as soon as one annual ritual is over, it is already time for another one: we are entering the season of New Year resolutions. If you are still looking for a cheering splash of coulour, here…
You have some time to kill over the Christmas holidays? You feel you should go out for a walk – but cannot bring yourself to step into the cold rain, sleet or snow? Then here is a suggestion: just wander with your eyes over this page, stop here or there for a while if you…
The key difference between small cities and large cities resembles the difference between a single song and an album collection. Nice in the south of France is an excellent example for the single: attractive and catchy, but essentially a play on one motive or melody. Paris, conversely, unites a wide range of different themes: luxurious…