Living in France or on holiday in France – some ideas on where to go
Whether you are planning on living in France on a permanent basis or just enjoy skipping across the Channel for regular holidays in France, you are sure to want to get out and about to discover other parts of this diverse country. From the snow-capped French Alps or wild Pyrenees to the rugged seascapes of Brittany, and from the stylish French Riviera, via the legendary restaurants of Lyons to the quaint pastures of Normandy, pretty much every acre of France is worth exploring. Here are just a few suggestions to whet your appetite.
Where British and French history converge: Normandy
Normandy has a proud and independent history and was one of the major powers of medieval Europe. Colonized by the Vikings, it was home to William the Conqueror whose great Norman aristocratic line remains prominent in Britain today. This historic event is commemorated in the region´s most popular attraction, the marvellous Bayeux Tapestry. It was here, too, in Rouen that Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, and at the chic seaside resort of Deauville that Coco Chanel started a fashion renaissance. The province is, however, probably best known for the Normandy landings of 1944 when Britain and America began their liberation of France and Europe from Nazi Germany.Today Normandy is overwhelmingly agricultural and produces a superb gastronomy based on dairy foods, apples and seafood. Although fighting in WWII destroyed many of the great medieval towns, a few treasures remain and make a trip to Normandy worthwhile.
View from the top: the French Alps
The deep valleys and soaring snow-covered peaks of the French Alps rise up in dramatic splendour, delighting walkers and climbers in summer and offering a challenge to skiers and snowboarders in the winter months.
These beautiful peaks are actually the most popular year-round resorts in the world, attracting not just the outdoors and sports lover but also visitors who like to spend their holidays in France discovering historical and elegant towns such as Chambery, Annecy, Evian-les-Bains and a cluster of select thermal spa resorts. Tucked into the French Alps, these towns have taken relaxation to a new level, almost insisting that creature comforts and beauty and spa treatments are given priority over canal or lakeside strolls or gazing at the always magnificent mountain backdrop.
Glamour and sin: French Riviera
It is hard to imagine that the quintessential glamorous French Riviera resort of Cannes was for centuries a simple, sleepy fishing village whose only visitors were monks and wealthy pilgrims. All this changed in 1834 when the British aristocracy turned it into a popular up-market resort in which to while away their summer holidays in France.
These days, the rich and famous are drawn to Cannes for its annual Film Festival, but the town is busy all year, frequented by business travellers off-season and besieged by tourists in the summer, when the long sandy beaches, glitzy nightclubs, chic shops and the famous promenade are abuzz with beautiful people flaunting the latest designer wear. Despite the pretensions and over-development of the French Riviera’s capital, Cannes still has plenty of charm and good cheer.
Neighbouring St Tropez, on the other hand, has long held the reputation of being the ´black sheep´ of the French Riviera resort towns, where anything goes, the more sinful the better. Sexy starlets were flaunting themselves topless here back in the 1930s, long before the beautiful people dared disrobe elsewhere, and St Tropez´ reputation as a kinky carnival town still attracts some distinctly bohemian types to its fabulous beaches. Behind the rows of yachts fronting the terraced cafes of the waterfront are some narrow, picturesque streets full of shops.
The kingdom of good taste: Lyon
While it may be the country’s second city in terms of commercial clout, Lyon reigns as the undisputed gastronomic capital of France. Lyonnaise cuisine is considered the very best there is, and its banner is carried by a clutch of 3-star Michelin restaurants and the traditional bouchons. The latter are humble restaurants with quaint interiors serving local pork dishes. And it’s not just the eating which if fine in Lyon. The wine is excellent too. Both Beaujolais and Côtes du Rhône wines are produced in the region.
Away from the table, Lyon has plenty of other diversions to amuse everyone who decides on a holiday in France’s tasteful city. Some 2000 years of history have left their mark, with two distinct historical quarters: the Old Town, which has a preserved Roman amphitheatre, tells Lyon’s story until medieval times while La Croix-Rousse was once home to French silk industry. In addition to these treats, Lyon has a thriving arts scene, a fine opera house, outstanding museums and some of the best upmarket shopping – especially for fashion – outside the capital.
And now for something completely different: Basque Country
France´s three Basque provinces are in the southwestern corner of the country, near the Spanish border, and are steeped in folklore and ancient customs. Unlike their Spanish counterparts, the French Basques do not harbour radical separatist views, but they do cling to their identity, their local unique languages and traditional way of life, offering an interesting diversion for tourists who visit the area. Men can still be seen in the traditional costume of a beret and cummerbund, all towns and villages have concrete courts for playing pelota, and bull fighting is a popular spectator sport. Most visitors to the region base their holidays in France’s Atlantic coast resorts Biarritz and St-Jean-de-Luz, and make time to explore the Basque capital, Bayonne. Hikers and nature lovers are drawn to the grand Pyrenees Mountains to fish for fat trout, wander the trails, dunk in warm mineral pools, marvel at the glaciers or climb challenging peaks.
Paris: too beautiful for a capital city
It is impossible not to fall in love with Paris. The city´s people are stylish and flirtatious, its architecture seductive, its restaurants and nightlife devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and its streets are scattered with dreams.
There is no ´best time´ to visit Paris. Summer holidays in France’s capital are spent lazing on the banks of the Seine, sipping coffee at a pavement café, or idling in one of the city´s many gardens or forests. On autumn afternoons a brisk walk through the Parc du Champ de Mars to the Champs Elysées is accompanied with a carpet of leaves crunching underfoot. Winter nights see ice-skating on the outdoor rink at the Hotel de Ville, and in spring the nose is tickled with the subtle scents of flowering gardens.
No matter where you are staying or living in France, Paris is different to it. There is an otherworldliness to this city, where beauty and elegance are favoured over purpose and practicality. Centuries of urban development appear to have been mastered by a single hand with a strong sense of balance, contrast and aesthetics. The views from the Eiffel Tower or Sacré Coeur reveal hundreds of iconic Parisian attractions for the snapshot visitor, but the best way to enjoy a holiday in France’s beautiful capital is to tuck your map back in your pocket and allow yourself to get lost on its streets and avenues, and discover it for yourself.
