Collioure and the artist

Collioure has attracted artists since the beginning of the 20th century when it was “discovered” by a group known as the Fauve artists. They were attracted not only by the subject matter but by the quality of the light. Henri Matisse and Andre Derain established their base in Collioure and were soon followed by the […]

Top 10 reasons for visiting Lyon

Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, fly daily from my home city of Southampton to Lyon in France. Lyon is a city I have come to love and the fact that it is now connected by air without having to go through London and Paris means I will probably visit more often. Eurostar now have a […]

France by Train

On 1st May this year Eurostar launched a direct no-train-change service to Lyon, Avignon and Marseille from London. France will become even more accessible by high speed trains with out the changes at Lille or Paris. Even without the new service France was already very accessible by train using both the TGV and more regional […]

French Cities Quiz

How well do you know French cities? Which city sits on the banks of the Garonne? Where are Airbus Industries located? In which city would you find the Moulin Rouge? If you know the answers to any of these then try the French cities quiz below. How did you do? Which question did you find […]

Where in France

Here’s something to puzzle over. The photograph of this French city has been distorted into a “planet”. Can you identify the city? It is a view of the city often seen in photographs in guidebooks and brochures as it illustrates a particular characteristic of the city and one from which it gets its nickname. Can […]

Lyon between the Rivers Saone and Rhone

Lyon is a city I passed through several times either on the A6 Autoroute heading south or on a train heading towards the Mediterranean coast. I have used its airport as well when heading to other parts of Rhone-Alpes. Such contact with Lyon gave the false impression it was a city of dreariness and heavy […]