Category Archives: France

The French Riviera

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Jean Nguyen

Funny how this region sees on average 300 days of sunshine per year, because we saw plenty of clouds and rain during our visit.  But even with the less than stellar weather, even with my California-spoiled eyes, and even with … Continue reading →

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Les Calanques

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Jean Nguyen

Just before reaching the notorious French Riviera, we spent time hiking in one of France’s relatively new national parks, Les Calanques.  According to Wikipedia, a calanque is a narrow, steep-walled inlet found along the Meditteranean coast.  Five calanques make up … Continue reading →

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Nimes

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Jean Nguyen

Nimes and its surrounding area has some of the best-preserved Roman sites in the world, including an arena, a temple, and a spectacular aqueduct. Due to its convenient location between Spain and The French Riviera, we made the detour to view … Continue reading →

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Carcassonne

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Jean Nguyen

The medieval, walled city of Carcassonne is exactly what comes to mind when you think of classic fairytales.  With its crenellations, cone-shaped roof tops, and spiky turrets, Carcassonne poses dramatically for the classic panoramic shot from a distance.  Films have … Continue reading →

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Bordeaux

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Jean Nguyen

Contrary to many people may think, I lack cultural and geographical knowledge of most parts of the world.  “You’ve never heard of Bordeaux?” Chris asked me.  Nope.  Perhaps that was why I enjoyed Bordeaux and its surroundings. Unlike Paris, this large city did … Continue reading →

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Tours

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Jean Nguyen

Rugged and striking Brittany might have dampened our quick stop in Tours, the staging area for the Loire Valley. This countryside valley was once the region where princes, dukes, and nobles erected chateau after chateau as their getaways, and as a … Continue reading →

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Brittany

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Jean Nguyen

“You have to make it to Brittany,” a friend told me. Even my relatives in Lille highly recommended it. So I did a little reading and off we went to the Atlantic coast! And to our convenience, the highlights of … Continue reading →

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Normandy

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Jean Nguyen

I remember watching Saving Private Ryan when I was a 13-year-old kid, unaware of the significance and meaning of D-Day, June 6, 1944, on the German-occupied French shores. I also never imagined that I would ever visit that same cemetery in … Continue reading →

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Paris, The Overrated City

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Jean Nguyen

I don’t know, maybe everyone hyped it up too much for me. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe spending time in Prague, Munich, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and London in the past 1.5 months prior to arriving to Paris spoiled the … Continue reading →

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Lille

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Jean Nguyen

With the city of Lille’s proximity to the Belgian border, I wouldn’t be surprised if the locals of Lille had a closer connection to Belgium than France. Either way, the stereotypical scenes of charming France awaited us for our first … Continue reading →

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