Category Archives: France
Fashion Shopping in France…
The major towns in France all have small boutiques and individual shops in its town centres with pedestrian walkways. These are very attractive and can be fun to visit even if you don’t buy anything. The large supermarkets, hypermarts, furniture stores and DIY hardware stores are located on the outskirts of town as they are not as aesthetically appealing but a good place for bulk shopping at reasonable prices. It is of course more interesting to visit the town centres where you can find souvenir shops alongisde delicatessens and patisseries. Markets are also a good place to visit for handmade regional goods.
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Planning Your France Trip…
The weather conditions in France can vary greatly from one region to another. With its 26 different regions, this translates to the opportunity to experience a myriad of climates from Continental to Oceanic, from Semi Continental to Mediterranean and Alpine.
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(Image Credit: stevecadman)
More Information on France…
France is a nation of contrast. For several years, it was defined by differences between the urban and industrial north and the rural south, between the chic capital and the less sophisticated provincial cities and between the intellectual elite and the largely agricultural workforce. However in recent times, while this is still true to a certain extent, a lot has changed and the contrasts are not as clearly visible. The agricultural industry plays a less important role nowadays and industrial and high-tech centres have sprung up around the country. However despite the blurring of the edges of the French identity, France remains a splendid and individualist country that has much to offer visitors.
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List of Things to Do in France…
In addition to its historical attractions and fine opportunities for wining and dining, France has much to offer the visitor in terms of sporting opportunities, shopping, nightlife and festivals. The list of things to do is extensive and diverse and there is definitely something for everyone, no matter what your interest is.
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Enjoying the French Cuisine…
Food plays a major role in France and the French take it very seriously. In the big cities, you’ll have a wide choice of where to eat from gourmet restaurants to large family-style brasseries or more intimate bistros, cafes or wine bars, creperies and street stalls. Priced menus are posted outside all restaurants and it is actually a legal requirement for cafes to list their prices prominently. Note taht the same drink will be cheaper if you stand at the counter than if you sit at a table and expect a full lunch to last a couple of hours and an evening meal even longer.
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Simply the Best of France…
The Loire Valley’s Chateaux
(Image Credit: geoff livingston)
The finest of the French chateaux is the Loire Valley. The chateau is not just a caslte or palace, it is an elegant country residence with tall, shuttered windows overlooking sweeps of rolling parkland, although some can be run-down and tired-looking keeps, Gothic castles that are simply sublime or even enchanting Renaissance mansions. The finest chateaux are captivating noble treasures set in vast acres of hunting foresst. Owners of these chateaux offer tours and even a chance for you to live in the premises to give you a first-hand personal experience of the patrician past of France. In Anjou, the chateau de Brissac is one such place where the four-poster beds are originals from the 17th century. There are several national monuments to see here. The Chambord is a fascinating sight with its hundreds of chimneys and Fontainebleu which used to house the Mona Lisa once in its royal bathroom. These are juts some of the stunning must-sees for a sense of the noble culture of the past.
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Splendid France Travel…
With its astonishing variety of landscapes, France has long, high dunes on the Atlantic Coast, craggy coves in Brittany, vineyards in Burgundy, steep gorges in the Tarn Valley and beautiful beaches in the Cote d’Azur. The largest country in Western Europe, France is surrounded by the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea and the majestic mountain ranges of the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Jura. In the Northwest country of Brittany and Normandy, the gentle green countryside dotted with fields of black-and-white cows and colourful fishing ports along the coast is beautiful and a popular place to visit.
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