Where in France

My first trip to France was in 2007 and lasted nearly a year. I spent the summer in Montpellier, and later moved to Paris completing two semesters of college courses before leaving in 2008. It wasn’t until 2010 that I found my chance to move back to France; this time to Lorgues where I learned the difference between visiting and inhabiting those tiny Provançal villages. Finally, in August of 2011 I returned to Paris where I continue to live today.

Living in the different regions has provided me with wonderful opportunities to really get to know the country of France, especially its geographical differences, cultural diversity and regional cuisine. I’ve explored the perched villages of Provence, sunbathed along the Mediterranean, considered frog legs in the Loire, gotten lost on forgotten roads in Normandy, milked a cow in Brittany and wandered through the gilded streets of Nancy. Though Paris is by far the capital of my favorite cities in France, I’m so glad I’ve gotten to know this country proportionately better than my own.

Below is a list of the areas and cities I’ve visited since I first arrived in la belle France.

Le Grand Voyage (8 Weeks, 8 Regions)

Where I’ve Lived

Where I’ve Been

Around Paris

  • Giverny
  • Vaux-le-Vicomte
  • Fontainebleau
  • Versailles
  • Chartres
  • St Denis
  • La Défense
  • Chantilly

Champagne

  • Provins
  • Reims

Normandy

  • Caen
  • D Day Beaches
  • An itty bitty village along one of the D Day Beaches
  • Bayeux
  • Avranches
  • Pontorson
  • Mont St. Michel

Brittany

  • St. Malo

Alsace and Lorraine

  • Strasbourg
  • Villages along the Alsace Wine Route
  • Colmar
  • Nancy

The Loire Valley

Cities, Towns and Villages

The Châteaux

  • Chenonceau
  • Chambord
  • Le Lude
  • Blois
  • Amboise
  • Chaumont sur Loire
  • Villandry
  • Azay-le-Rideau
  • Chinon
  • Montsoreau
  • Château de Saché

Languedoc-Roussillon

  • Montpellier
  • St Guilhem le Désert
  • Pont du Gard

Provence (Vaucluse, Var and Alpes de Haute Provence)

  • Avignon
  • Arles
  • Aix en Provence
  • Le Tholonet
  • Marseille
  • Toulon
  • St Tropez
  • St Raphaël
  • Fréjus
  • Ste Maxime
  • Lac de Ste Croix
  • Gorges du Verdon
  • Castellane
  • Val d’Allos

Côte d’Azur (Les Alpes Maritimes and Monaco)

Where I Still Hope to Travel in France (the very very very Short List)

  • Lyon
  • Toulouse
  • The Medieval Chateaux in Dordogne and Quercy
  • The regions of Burgundy and Champagne
  • Lascaux Cave Paintings
  • Deeper exploration of most of the areas I’ve already been

Other Countries I’ve Traveled To

  • England
  • Austria
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Czech Republic
  • Albania
  • Switzerland
  • Japan

The Very Very Very Short List of Other Countries I Hope to Visit

  • Russia (St Petersburg)
  • Greece
  • Portugal
  • Germany (Berlin)
  • Re-visit Japan (Tokyo and Kyoto)

Although I have traveled to the places, wandered their streets, explored their secrets and savored their ambiance, I believe the true adventure of travel comes from exploring without a guide, after all there is so much more to see than I was able to in the short period of time I was there or that can possibly fit on the pages of book. While I welcome your questions about the places I’ve been, I’m not much help when it comes to recommending restaurants or places to stay. I will, however, recommend that you leave your guide books at home and enjoy the wonderful sense of adventure that comes with letting go of inhibitions.

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