France

Beyond The Shadow Of The Eiffel Tower

Hi there or as the French say Bon Jovi

As a child I spent a lot of time in France, in a small village in Gaul….. Not literally in France obviously, mentally inside the comic books of Asterix and it was always the number one destination that I wanted to visit and when I finally got the chance to explore the country, it did not disappoint.

With its romantic cities, picturesque countrysides, pretty women and pretty little historic villages, there’s not much to dislike about France but why does the city of Paris overshadow all that it has to offer?

They say that Parisians are arrogant and rude but I um… I’ve forgotten where I was going with this.

Paris! No doubt a beautiful city but the thought of Paris alone skews the perception of the country for all that it is. Travelling to France and only seeing Paris is like catching a frog and only eating its legs. Let’s look at some unique places to discover outside of the capital.

France and it’s many pretty cities all have many alluring thing to offer, palaces, intriguing museums, art and architecture, national parks and forests and of course food and wine.

Let’s go beyond the cities to the heart of the country to the charming countryside and look at some unforgettable sights and scenes.

Le Mont Saint-Michel

Let’s start with the truly unique Le Mont Saint-Michel, a sight to behold built upon a small island on the coast of Normandy. The village of Le Mount Saint-Michel features an impressive abbey atop its highest point. Walking to it you make your way up many a narrow cobblestone street, the view from the wall looking out to the coast is nothing compared to the vision of it when you first sight it from the land, an incredibly interesting place.

Unfortunate for the monstrosity that is the modern bridge leading up to it, whoever approved that should be brought before the guillotine or burnt at the stake like Joan Of Arc.

Carcassonne

Carcassonne, you may know the name from the popular board game which is unfairly dominated by those who have bothered to read the rules. Carcassonne is a fortified city in the South of France, it is very tourist centric and within the walls you will find many restaurants and shops, it won’t take long to explore with the walls but definitely worth a day.

Gorges Du Verdon

Gorges Du Verdon may be France’s most spectacular natural site, located in South East France near the city of Nice. As you drive into the Gorge along its winding roads that teeter the edge of cliffs and cut through mountains you will be awed by its incomprehensible awe!  The waters of the gorge are an inviting turquoise green, you won’t want to leave, life will seem a little dull outside of this pocket of beauty.

Giverny

Not too far from Paris you will find the small village of Giverny, which is where the painter Claude Monet lived in later life. Here his home and gardens still maintained and cared for till this day, a beautiful place to stop and smell the flowers and see the scenes in which he once painted.

(Monet develop cataracts in both of his eyes, it is said that following corrective surgery he could see colours on the ultraviolet spectrum making him both a brilliant artist and bullshit artist)

Gordes

Gordes a sight that you may have seen in pictures but unaware of its name. The village is set upon a hilltop in Provence in South East France. Narrow alleyways of cobblestones will lead you around this labyrinth, don’t forget to walk to the hillside to see the village for all that it is.

The region of Provence is also a quite the vision of lavender fields in bloom from June to August.

Annecy

Annecy in the South East of France close to the border of Switzerland is found at the edge of a picturesque lake by a mountain side, its beautiful old town is the main attraction that you should have in your sights, pastel coloured houses and beautiful arranged flowers line the canal that cuts directly through the old town.

Lake Annecy alone is worth the visit as the French Alps are all around, the highest point in Europe, Mt Blanc is only a short drive away and the Alps are spectacular every which way you look

Colmar

Colmar in The Alsatian region is a charming village right on the border of Germany and it’s Germanic influence can be seen in its architecture. If you like architecture, Colmar is where it’s at, an incredibly photographic village with much to offer and just up the road is Strasbourg similar in nature.

Pont du Gard

Pont du Gard was built around the time of baby Jesus, it is the remains of a long standing aqua-duct, it is just one of those sights that is unique and thought provoking, well worth the detour.

The French Riviera

The French Riviera on the Mediterranean coast of South East France is a stunning holiday destination for the rich, Vespas command the roads and beautiful French girls line the beaches. This colourful destination is best absorbed in the summer when the sun is at its hottest. Known for the likes of St Tropez, Cannes and Cassis.

Wine Country

Wine country, France is kind of famous for its many vineyards and wineries, not sure you knew that - you do now, Bordeaux, Champagne, Corsica all the ones that I can easily pronounce the list goes on. It’s well worth the time to explore these regions, even if you are not a wine enthusiast it’s always good to indulge in the finer things in life every once in a while.

This is just a taste of what lays beyond the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, with a long history like France it’s hard to drive through the country without wanting to stop every five minutes or so at a different village.

If you can’t be bothered making your way all the way there you can always just travel via a glass of wine and a piece of cheese! That’s how my mum does it - she has supported many, many French vineyards over the years by drinking a bottle a night, I didn’t even know she cared so much about the disenfranchised wine producers and the global effect of new markets destroying their livelihoods, but she clearly does

Au revoir

Daris Laurins.