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Art, Italy, Photography, Travelling, Weekly Blogger Round-Up

Weekly Blogger Round-Up: A Florentine Pig – An Australian in Paris and Provence – Snapshots of Europe

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 I’m back from Lisbon (but there will still be more posts) so am resuming my weekly blogger round-up, beginning with a wonderful story about a Florentine pig from Margot from The Curious Rambler.  Next, Andrea from Rear View Mirror, is celebrating her second anniversary on the road with a wonderful photo giveaway that I’m sure you won’t want to miss. And to end up, The Good Life France tells us the story of an Australian from Queensland who finally saw her dream come true with a visit to Paris and Provence. Enjoy!

The Bronze Pig of Florence

by Margo Lestz from The Curious Rambler, who lives in Nice, France where she likes to bask in the sunshine, study the French language and blog

closeup-of-pigI’m back in Florence studying Italian and my courses seems to be going better this time. I’m not confusing Italian and French anymore (at least during the first week). We rented a beautiful little apartment in a 15th century palazzo which has painted ceilings, huge windows, and terracotta floors. Florence is full of these wonderful old buildings and it’s such a pleasure to stay in one of them.

While I’m in Florence, I thought I’d take a break from writing about France and write about some of the curiosities of this city. Hope you enjoy the story of the Bronze Pig. Read more

Snapshots of Europe

by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up her Paris apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local.

budapest-parliament-1-300x200It’s coming up to the two year anniversary of me handing in the keys to my Parisian apartment and hitting the road to travel full time. Two years of living out of suitcases, countless hotels, Airbnb apartments and one barely habitable hostel.

I’ve been fortunate to visit most of Europe’s capitals, wander quaint villages, swim in turquoise waters, go zip lining in a national park and hiking through gorges. I’ve found my way to the top of mountains and dipped my toes in glacial lakes. My hard drive is at capacity with sunset photos and even the occasional sunrise. Read more

Visit to Paris and Provence

Written by The Good Life France, an independent on-line magazine about France and all things French, covering all aspects of daily life including healthcare, finance, utilities, education, property and a whole lot more.

Les-Baux-de-Provence-CC-Carolyn-AnskyMany of us dream of visiting France, especially Paris, the most visited tourist destination in the world, and Provence, high on the wish list of places to visit for so many, we talk to a lady whose dream came true…

We meet Carolyn Ansky from Queensland, Australia who says “for years I played the Marianne Faithful song ‘At the age of 37… she realised she’d never been to Paris”. I felt that at the age of 54 it was now or never for me. Read more

Food, France, Italy, Sightseeing

Annecy Adventures – Tapenade – The Shores of Lake Como

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A little late this week, but here is this Wednesday’s Bloggers Round-up, with an all Australian cast. Jill from Gigi’s French Window takes us to the beautiful town of Annecy in the foothills of the French Alps; Phoebe from Lou Messugo, who lives in Provence, tells us all about tapenade; while Andrea from Rear View Mirror, brings us some stunning photos of Lake Como in Italy. Enjoy!

Annecy adventures / Les aventures d’Annecy

by Jill from Gigi’s French Window, French ponderings from an Australian who must have been French in another life

pretty annecyA few years back, I spent 3 seasons in Annecy, France…yep, that’s right,
3 seasons, but it only took 3 days to do it….:).

It’s a gorgeous, ancient city, near the Swiss Alps, that I just fell for.

We stayed in Hotel Au Faisan Dore… which was a pleasant surprise when it came to  space, after all the prior shoe boxes.  Oohhh  sooo warm, as well, which turned out to be a lifesaver! Read more

Tapenade – a Provençal classic

by Phoebe from Lou Messugo, a traveller, francophile, expat, mum and foodie now living in Roquefort les Pins where she runs a gîte after many years of travelling and living in Asia, Eastern Europe and Australia

olives__tapenadeWalk around any market in Provence or the Côte d’Azur and you will see stalls heaped with glistening olive pastes and tapenades, usually next to an enormous array of different olives and other pickles.

Tapenade is a typically southern dish made with olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil, chopped finely or blended together into a paste.  Its name comes from the Provençal word for capers, “tapenas“. Read more

The Shores of Lake Como

by Andrea from Rear View Mirror and Destination Europe, a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local

lake-como-1I should know better than to book a popular tourist destination for mid-summer. I find it hard to get a feel for a place when there are crowds and few locals around and I usually end up being disappointed. Bellagio, Varenna and Como in Italy are massively popular destinations in July and August. Of course they are popular with tourists for a reason, I get that. They are beautiful cities surrounded by imposing mountains on the shores of Lake Como. Personally I’d much rather visit in the off-season but on this occasion I was meeting friends from Australia which made all the difference. Read more

Flowers & gardens, French customs, Paris

Top 5 beautiful parks in Paris – Details at the Fete des Gardians – An Archipelago of Floating Gardens on the Banks of the Seine

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In this week’s bloggers round-up, fellow Aussie Andrea from Rear View Mirror shares five beautiful parks to visit in Paris, Heather Robinson from Lost in Arles brings us some stunning photos from the Fête des Guardians in Arles and Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris gives us an update on an archipelago of floating gardens soon to be opened on the banks of the Seine. Enjoy!

 Top 5 beautiful parks in Paris

by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local

paris-parks-26Spring has finally arrived in Europe and it’s currently rewarding us with gorgeous pink cherry blossoms, sweet-smelling wisteria and orange blossoms as well as beautiful spring flowering bulbs like tulips and hyacinths. It’s times like this I miss living in Paris and being able to visit my favourite French parks and gardens like the Jardin du Luxembourg.

I’ve never met a garden in Paris I didn’t like but here are my top 5 parks when it comes to spring flower displays. Read more

Details at La Fete des Gardians

by Heather Robinson from Lost in Arles, an American writer and photographer living in Arles who offers us meanderings through all that makes life in a small town in Provence worth while

arlesHow I am entranced by the swish of silk and shine of satins at the Fête des Gardians, held each year on the First of May in Arles. The women sway like tender reeds under the weight of their finery while the men clench their jaws as they guide their horses through the maddening crowds. We all gather and pull to catch glimpses of a past and present mingling, sighing wishes just for a little bit of better, a mist of more mystery. Our everyday garb says much of the times we are in–of uncertainty, of fatigue. So how wonderful to get lost in this particular dream. Read more

An Archipelago of Floating Gardens on the Banks of the Seine

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

port_du_gros-caillou-jardin_flottant“Paris is the most beautiful city in the world, n’est–ce pas?”, announced the driver of bus number 62 as he eased to a stop behind the rush hour traffic on Pont Mirabeau. Pointing towards the Eiffel Tower in the distance, he let out a long sigh that was clearly audible over the public announcement system. Like a group of jet-lagged tourists visiting Paris for the first time, all of the passengers automatically swiveled their heads in unison to admire the sweeping view of their city. It is stunning. I can’t fault Parisians for being so proud. And thanks to Mayor Delanoë’s plan to “reclaim one of the most beautiful urban and river landscapes in the world”, the cityscape is about to become even more remarkable. Read more

Italy, Loire Valley, Mushrooms, Sightseeing, Travelling

Tips for visiting Venice during Acqua Alta (“high waters”) – Fungi Foray in the Foret de Loches – Toll Booth vs Vignette

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This Wednesday’s blogger round-up starts with Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, giving us tips for visiting Venice during the high waters that regularly flood the city (I’ll let you discover her other posts on the same subject); Susan from Days on the Claise shares a more scientific approach to mushroom collecting while Andrea from Rear View Mirror gives an excellent rundown on motorway tolls in the different countries of Europe.

Tips for visiting Venice during Acqua Alta (“high waters”)

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

Now that my feet are dry and I have access to a reliable internet connection, I’ve thought of a couple of tips in case you’re ever on holiday in Venice during acqua alta (“high waters”).

Fashion: Whether you’re a hairstylist working in a flooded salon or a couple of hipsters, Wellies are a must-have item when water from the Adriatic Sea flows into the streets of Venice. This new trend has reportedly spread to France because alert fashionistas spotted a large number of people wearing rubber boots as they disembarked from an EasyJet flight arriving at Paris Orly Airport late last night. Read more

Fungi Foray in the Forêt de Loches

by Days on the Claise, an Australian living in the south of the Loire Valley, writing about restoring an old house and the area and its history

This is Part II of an account of an outing to the Foret de Loches by the Association de botanique et mycologie de Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine. Part I is here.

According to Jean-Pierre, we may be in for a very good fungi season. In the autumn following a hard winter or a prolonged period of dry, the mushrooms are often abundant. Since we have had both this year, perhaps we should expect to be overwhelmed by fungal fecundity! Read more

 

Toll Booth vs Vignette

by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local.

If you plan on driving on major highways around Europe be prepared for the added cost that often comes with it. Many countries charge a toll for their use and this is either paid at a toll booth or with a vignette/sticker which you stick on your windscreen.

Toll Booths

Toll booths are surprisingly quick to pass through, provided you aren’t driving during peak time like when the August summer holidays are on. There are a few options when it comes to which lane to choose:

  • Manual – Paying the booth attendant directly is usually the slowest alternative but if you want to pay by cash or if you’re worried about using your foreign credit card this is the way to go. These lanes are usually marked with the image of a man leaning out of the toll booth Read more

 

Germany, Paris, Travelling

Which Travel Money Card is best? – Getting to and from the Paris Airports – Road Trip Paris to Berlin

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On this week’s list are two very pratical posts for those who will be travelling to France shortly. Holidays to Europe looks at the question of the best travel money card to take with you while Abby from Paris Weekender explains the best way to get to and from the different airpots in Paris. And, on a very different subject, Andrea from Rear View Mirror (who is also the author of Destination Europe) and taken to living the life of a nomad, describes a road trip to Berlin.

Which Travel Money Card is best?

by Holidays to Europe, an Australian based business passionate about sharing their European travel expertise and helping travellers to experience the holiday in Europe they have always dreamed of.

I’ve written previously about the various ways of accessing your spending money whilst overseas but after my most recent trip to Europe and a report by CANSTAR, I thought it timely to provide some more information about travel money cards. Read more.

Getting to and from the Paris Airports

by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living in Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town

Unfortunately there is no perfect way of getting to and from the Paris airports, but below are my suggestions.  Note that for the Air France bus (Car Air France) to and from Charles de Gaulle and Orly you can now purchase tickets online, and doing so will save you 10%. Read more

Road Trip Paris to Berlin

by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local.

Driving directly from Paris to Berlin would normally take around 10 hours but there are so many fantastic places worth visiting along the way that you can make a great one to two week road trip out of it or even more if you prefer to travel slowly. I took around 15 days for the trip and stopped in seven cities between Paris and Berlin. The road trip looked like this:

Paris – Trier – Bacharach – Heidelberg – Schwabisch Hall – Nuremberg – Leipzig – Dresden – Berlin. Read more

 

 

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