Walking at the Lac du Guerledan
It was overcast but not raining – time to walk! We parked outside the Church in Caurel and set off on an 8km circular walk – signposted and on the ordnance survey maps.
A rainy day in central Brittany
It was Sunday and the first day at St Gilles Vieux Marché – time to explore! It was also chilly and wet. However I was prepared – thermal vest, jersey, warm trousers, and padded coat (and umbrella).
Travelling from Fougeres to St Gilles Vieux Marche
You can drive from Fougères to the small hamlet of St Gilles Vieux Marché, 160 kms, in two hours, or you can take 200 kms and most of the day …
Two days in Fougeres
Fougères is a good place to unwind before embarking on a holiday, or as a stop on the road north, or south. The Castle is extraordinary – hugely powerful and showing the changes in warfare and defense over 200-300 years. And … Continued
The Castle of Fougeres
The Castle of Fougères is an extraordinary sight, standing on a mound in a bend of the Nançon River and jutting out from the side of the walled, Mediaeval town. You can look down on the castle from the public gardens … Continued
Chateau de la Ballue, Brittany
Travelling from St Malo to Fougères can be quick – down the motorway at 70mph and forty minutes later you are there. Alternatively you can potter down the side roads and linger along the 84 kms between the two…
Early morning in St Malo
There are several ways in which one can travel to France – plane, train, and ferry. I enjoy the slow transition from frenetic everyday life in the UK to travelling in France which is offered by the cross-channel ferries. In … Continued
The Palaces in Florence
Renaissance Florence was politically and economically extraordinarily powerful and the ruling élite built suitably grand homes for themselves in the centre of the City. The Strozzi Palace was built in the 15C for Filippo Strozzi the Elder, a political rival to … Continued
The Piazza della Signoria, Florence
The Piazza della Signoria is dominated by the 14C Palazzo Vecchio, the Town Hall of Florence. The building became ‘The Old Palace’ when the Medicis moved into the Pitti Palace across the river. The Piazza is spectacular at night!