France Travel Guide

A Gourmet s Guide to Camping in France

By: Lorraine Waddell

With its combination of haute cuisine, great campsites and spectacular countryside, camping in France is the ideal choice for a food lover who enjoys the great outdoors as much as a three Michelin starred meal.

Few countries can boast a culinary tradition to compete with France, which is regarded as having the best chefs and finest cooking in the world. Numerous cities and towns in the country are famed for their local cuisine or the quality of their restaurants, so if you are a gourmet who is intent on camping in France, make sure you camp near to one of these gastronomic centres…

Paris

Paris, of course, is a great destination for lovers of good food and fine wine. Although the very best French restaurants are to be found in Lyon, years of immigration and multiculturalism have given Paris an unparalleled level of culinary diversity, and there are restaurants for all tastes in this city. Visit Paris for a flavour of everything French cuisine has to offer, then head out into countryside to sample the produce at its source.

Vannes

Brittany is well known for its unique culture, and this extends to its food as well. There are certain dishes that are unique to the region, and it is best to sample them locally. The charming market town of Vannes is the perfect place to try out traditional Breton cuisine, which includes the best crepes in France, a wide variety of seafood dishes and sweet pastries, and the famous Breton cider. The coastal landscape of Brittany also makes it an excellent place to go camping in France, and for a holiday that combines great food with a scenic location, it is hard to beat a visit to Brittany!

Roquefort

This village is located in the beautiful Ardeche region. Famous as the home of the blue cheese of the same name, Roquefort is naturally a great place for cheese lovers, especially because of the unique and traditional way in which the cheese is produced. If you come to Roquefort, don t miss out on a visit to the local caves where the cheeses are aged!

Dijon

It is most famous as the producer of the fiery and delicious Dijon mustard, and a visit to the city will be a chance to sample some unusual condiments (such as fruit flavoured mustard) at the traditional shops that are scattered throughout the city.

Camping in France near Dijon will also place you amidst the wine lands of the Burgundy region, allowing you to combine beautiful scenery, top quality cuisine and, of course, some of the very best wines in the country.

Lyon

If you go to just one place in France to sample the cuisine, make sure you go to Lyon. Renowned as the gastronomic capital of the country, it is home to the very best chefs and restaurants that France has to offer. The best way to experience the food here is a visit to one of the many bouchons; traditional restaurants which will serve you local wine and local cuisine.

Author Resource:-> Lorraine Waddell is the brand and advertising manager of Canvas Holidays, a leading European camping operator that provides the best selection of sites for camping in France (http://www.canvasholidays.co.uk/destinations/france-604-0.aspx).

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Paris France

By: Hannah Rollmaker

Paris was basically founded just in the end of the 3rd Century BC by a tribe who then settled and started to live in that particular region which during those days was called “Île de la Cité” (which now in the modern day is known as Paris). The name Paris is basically derived from the name of the people who discovered it and settled there called as “Parisii”.
Paris is the capital city of France nowadays and is one of the most populous cities of the country and world having population round about 2,203,817 (according to January 2006). Paris today is one of the world’s biggest and leading cultural and business centers and is also considered as one of the Europe’s biggest economies.

The most important thing about Paris is that out of the “Fortune Global 500” companies 38 of them are from the Paris region. And also it has the honor of hosting many international organizations, out of which one example is UNESCO.

If we take a look geographically then Paris is located in the north side of the (River Seine). Paris is basically divided into two parts, out of which one is the older part of Paris and the other is the smaller and comparatively so called as new Paris. But if we take a closer look at the geographical location of Paris then the whole of the city is mostly made up of flat surface. In total the covered area of whole of Paris is 33.6 square miles.

Looking at the climate, France does not receive much rainfall during the whole year. Temperatures remain moderate which means that it does not possess extreme summer or winters. If one wants to visit Paris than the best season is the spring season, in which you can really admire the natural it has to offer.

There is a lot of monuments and landmarks in Paris which act as the most important and attracting places for tourists. Among these monuments “Eifel Tower” has now become the symbol/representation of Paris. It was a temporary construction from “Gustav Eifel” in 1889 but it was not abolished and now it is considered as an icon of Paris and an endurable figure.
Economically, Paris is a strong city and contributes a lot in the total GDP of the world. Having a GDP of (731.3 billion US$) makes Paris region one of the biggest and strongest GDP’s of Europe.

Sports are also of major importance in Paris. As Paris also hosts the football seasons and world cups “Paris Saint German FC” is the highest ranked football club in whole of Paris. Paris also has its most popular basketball team named as ”Paris Basket Racing”, also in rugby union the team from Paris is called “Stade Français”. Tennis is also an important sport as “French Open” is highly ranked as a top level tennis tournament. The most liked stadium in Paris is the “Stade de France” which has the honor of holding the most important event of international football “World Cup 98” and recently the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE final against “Arsenal” and FC Barcelona” was held.

Author Resource:-> Discover your next hotel in Paris or select somewhere to stay from these Paris hotels: http://www.hotelsrgo.com/France/Paris.html

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Ancient Watermill….self catering holiday cottage in France, secluded, two bedrooms en suite

By: Tom Davies

Welcome to our Ancient Water Mill —- now a self catering holiday cottage.
This is one of a series ([serial]) of articles describing the history ([account| chronicle| story]) and surroundings ([milieu| purlieu| environment| area| region| environs]) of Le Moulin Chez Lord, France 23430

The Limousin region ([part| area]) of France was controlled by the English ([British]) military ([troops| soldiery]) in the year 1200 ([1250| 1275| 1300]) and the local ([regional]) commander of the garrison lived in a house alongside a bridge over the river Beraude. As he was a member of the English ([nobility| aristocracy| gentry]) the bridge became known as Le Pont de Chez Lord meaning literally ‘The Bridge (by) the House of the Lord’.

Le Moulin de Chez Lord which literally means ‘The Mill of the house of the Lord’ was built close by the house. It was needed ([required]) to make the flour /bread to feed the troops ([soldiery]) and also to mill ([prepare]) the oats for the horses. This was long before the arrival in Europe of the potato and bread was the main source of carbohydrate. The mill was still in use until the 1980s when it prepared animal ([cattle cow]) feed ([meal]) and is now a holiday cottage in the Limousin region ([area]) of central France.

Travelling ([venturing, going]) towards the East there is the Massive Central which is a mountainous area now famous ([well known]) for skiing in the winter and going west you find Limoges, very famous for its porcelain manufacture and further still the beautiful coastal town of La Rochelle a fishing ([holiday]) resort now also a center for tourism ([boating, yachting])

The ([This]) region known as the Limousin is a new one on the tourist map, it was for many years a French holiday area, however the secret is now out. It is an area of pasture ([grasslands| meadow]), hills and valleys with picturesque ([beautiful | charming)] hamlets nestled in the hillsides ([valleys]). The region ([area, neighborhood]) contains thousands ([hundreds, dozens]) of lakes ([rivers |streams]) in the valleys which make for spectacular views. Most outdoor ([rural)] sports ({activities)] are readily available.

This historic ([ancient]) watermill is 700 years old, and was constructed to supply flour for English troops ([military]) who were stationed ([garrisoned]) here ([in France]) to look after the English ([British]) wine interests around Bordeaux. The mill ([watermill]) is hidden ([nestled]) in the valley and includes 20 acres of pasture and woodland. It ([The mill]) is at the end of a long drive which ensures tranquility ([privacy])
The river Beraude and the mill stream almost surround the mill and just a few meters from the front door is a waterfall which was is the overspill for the mill pool. The river runs through the garden ([property]) and encloses a small island that is perfect for relaxing on very hot days as it always has a breeze ([wind]) off the river.

We also have parties and barbeques there on summer evenings ([afternoons])

The granary ([upstairs]) of the mill has now been converted to two double bedrooms en suite and the old ([mill]) workings downstairs to a living area with kitchen, lounge etc. There is a shaded patio area by the waterfall which is perfect for al fresco dining or for having a glass of wine in the long summer evenings.
Since we live in the center of a very historic region and in the most beautiful countryside we will explore the area in the future.

Author Resource:-> Visit——- Ancient Water mill — now Self Catering Holiday Cottage

The wonderful old mill is let during the summer to people who want a nice relaxing holiday. for more information visit our website, telephone 0033555643029 or email tomandjoan@wanadoo.fr

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5 Cathedrals to Visit in France

By: Lorraine Waddell

France is famous for its towering gothic cathedrals and considering that there are nearly 200 of these breathtaking buildings located throughout France, it can be hard deciding which are worth visiting while on your French camping holiday. Here is a list of our top five French cathedrals:

Notre Dame

If you are camping in France with your children, you may find yourself dragged round Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral for reasons other than the architecture. Thanks to Disney (and a little help from Victor Hugo), Notre Dame has gained popularity among kids because of the cast of friendly characters that frequent its bell tower. But if it takes Quasimodo and company to get your children begging to spend a day in Notre Dame on your French camping holidays, then it can’t be all bad.

Chartres

Chartres, located 50 miles from Paris, is believed to be one of the great achievements in the history of architecture. This is because the cathedral still looks exactly the same as it did on the day it was built. The fantastic stained glass windows are all originals and the cathedral is therefore perfectly preserved. If you take the day off from your French camping holiday you can see visitors here from all over the world, due to the international appeal of the tunic of the Blessed Virgin Mary, housed here since 876.

Bourges

On a French camping holiday you may also want to visit the unique gothic cathedral of Bourges. The cathedral is unique because, although gothic in design, it is horseshoe shaped. This feat was later copied by the cathedrals of Le Mans and Toledo. The great tower is a copy of one found in the Louvre and symbolises royal power, whilst the tympanum of the last judgement is one of its most valued possessions. It is possible to spend a couple of days around Bourges when camping in France as the town boasts five free entry museums with attractions to offer the whole family.

Albi

Albi Cathedral boasts the accolade of being the largest brick building in the world. This may be down to the fact that it was originally built as a fortress after the Albigensian Crusade. If you choose to visit the cathedral when camping in France, then chances are that you’ve come to visit the famous mural of ‘The Last Judgement’. This mural covers both sides of the rounded west wall of the nave and was painted during 1474 to 1484 by unknown Franco Flemish artists. Despite the fact that the artists remain unknown, it is still considered to be one of the most important works of the last century. The other murals in the church are equally fascinating and contain some haunting depictions of hell and the seven deadly sins.

Angers

On a French camping holiday in the Loire Valley, you should take some time to visit the unique tapestries located in Angers Cathedral. This cathedral is a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic architecture and was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. The famous tapestries were designed by Jean Bondol, based on an illuminated manuscript. Eleven of these manuscripts still hang on the cathedral walls, whilst hundreds of tapestries are stocked elsewhere in the cathedral.

Author Resource:-> Lorraine Waddell is the brand and advertising manager of Canvas Holidays, a leading European camping operator that provides the best selection of holidays (http://www.canvasholidays.co.uk/destinations/france-604-0.aspx) camping in France. With over 40 years of experience, Canvas offer superb camping

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