Festival de la Chaise-Dieu
Musical Tourism in the Auvergne
Finding a place of space and solace in France in August is no mean feat, especially one with a world-class classical music festival, one of the finest abbeys in France, great countryside and good-value, available accommodation. Oh, and decent, well-priced … Read More
France Wins the World Cup
Allez les Bleus!
A few weeks ago, when I realized that I would be in Paris on the day of the World Cup soccer final, as an England fan I began to harbor totally unrealistic dreams of being there for a France-England final. … Read More
Abbaye Royale de L’Epau
The Queen’s Abbey Repurposed
The Cistercian Abbaye Royale de l’Épau was founded in the 13th century to ensure the salvation of its founder, the Spanish-born Berengaria of Navarre, queen consort of England (although she never set foot in the country while actually queen) as the wife of … Read More
Soulages: A Retrospective
Freeing the Light
When a friend heard that I was going to see a retrospective of the work of Pierre Soulages at the Fondation Gianadda in Martigny, Switzerland, she said, “But it’s all just black, isn’t it?” Well, no. First of all, Soulages has used … Read More
Parc des Oiseaux
Winging It in the Ain
The splendors of France are well known throughout the world: châteaux, vineyards, gorgeous scenery ranging from mountains to seashore, etc., but I doubt if many foreigners know about one treasure, the Parc des Oiseaux (Bird Park), one of the largest … Read More
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