I have to admit, it feels quite surreal to live fairly close to Paris, and to visit whenever we want. So many people dream of visiting this iconic city, and get to experience it perhaps only once in their lifetime. We feel quite lucky and humbled to be able to visit pretty much whenever we... Continue Reading →
Anniversary Road Trip
Last week I took a break from writing about European destinations and shared memories of my favorite hikes, mostly on the west coast of the USA. You can find that post here. Today I’m back with more on Europe, this time San Sebastián, Spain and Bordeaux, France. theTravelsketcher and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary... Continue Reading →
Out and About in Normandie, Part Three
We are enjoying our time in Normandie, and continue to find interesting destinations not far from our home here. A few weeks ago I wrote about the ancient stones in Carnac; it turns out there are a few similar sites less than an hour from our home. This one is called Dolmen de la Table... Continue Reading →
Saint-Suliac, Brittany, France
Saint-Suliac, located in Brittany, is one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, an official designation given to approximately 100 villages in France in order to promote tourism in small towns. This charming hamlet located along the Rance River is named for a Welsh Monk who lived here in the 6th century, and is well... Continue Reading →
Château de Domfront, Normandie, France
Château de Domfront has a turbulent and interesting history that goes back many centuries. From what I was able to find out, it appears that the chateau was built by Henry I Beauclerc, and was standing in 1051 when it was assailed by William the Conquerer, Henry’s father. It passed through many hands during the... Continue Reading →
Saint Céneri le Gérei, France
In 1982 an association named "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France" was created to increase tourism in the French countryside. A village must have some specific cultural or historical significance in order to be considered for this distinction. Today, there are well over 100 of these villages in France, including six in Normandie. We visited... Continue Reading →
I Left My Passport in San Francisco
Last week, theTravelSketcher and I flew to San Francisco to submit applications to the French Embassy for long term stay visas. This has been a dream of ours for a long time; and those of you who are regular followers of our blogs know that we had intended to be settled in France by July... Continue Reading →
Travel Highlights of 2021
I’m so thankful for the vaccine which has allowed a little normalcy back into our lives. We were fully vaccinated by early April, and as a result, theTravelsketcher and I have taken a good number of trips this past year. Our first adventure was in April when we went to Eastern Washington to do some... Continue Reading →
Avoid the Crowds at Capitol Reef National Park!
Capitol Reef National Park is not one of the most popular of Utah’s Five, but it is every bit as gorgeous as Zion and Arches without the overwhelming crowds. When we told friends and family that we were going to Utah to visit national parks, everyone asked if we were going to Zion. Because of... Continue Reading →