Regions of France | A French Collection

Salies de Béarn – A Thermal Spa Town

Salies de Béarn - French Thermal Spa Town

Salies de Béarn is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France and is home to wonderful thermal spas. The name of the town even comes from its naturally saline water.

Recently I met Jo de Magneval online, a lifestyle documentary photographer and fairly new permanent resident of the beautiful town of Salies de Béarn. Jo agreed to share why she loves Salies de Béarn and her experiences of relocating her family from the UK and calling the town home. It's a perfect story to share this New Years as Jo, her French husband and children up and left the UK for France on, would you believe it, New Year's Eve.

I'm sure you'll love meeting Jo and reading more about this unique town. As a special treat we're also delighted to be able to showcase Jo's own photos of the region in this post. Jo has beautifully blended the splendour of the area with her family candidly enjoying their new life in France.

20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Paris in the Fall

Paris in the Fall

Paris in the Fall. Paris is always a good idea no matter what the season, but many of us have a favourite time, or season of the year, that speaks to us and pulls at our heart strings. What is it that draws us to Paris at a particular season?

Winter with cold days is perfect for sipping a warm drink in a café, or bundling up in cosy clothes and enjoying some of the famous sights with less tourists. Winter also has a certain calm charm about it, and I love that you can see the architecture of the buildings more clearly with the trees bare and exposed.

Île de Groix, Brittany – A Stunningly Wild Island

Île de Groix, Brittany

The region of Brittany is stunning and nothing is prettier than its islands. Île de Groix is a small picturesque island in this region and its 24 square kilometres are so lovely that it attracts lots of visitors and deserves a visit if you can add it to your itinerary. Over the last 12 months I've been visiting some of the islands in my region (Île de Batz, Île de Bréhat and Belle Île) and have fallen in love with everything about them.

The boat ride to each island is slightly different and each island has its own vibe. I can't believe just how fairytale sweet the homes on the islands are and the little swimming coves that are dotted around all the islands are divine. Today, I'm sharing what you need to know with stunning photos of Île de Groix, or as it's also known, the 'wild one'.

Paris Doors – The elegant doors of Paris

Paris Doors - The elegant doors of Paris

Can you imagine a Paris without its unique and stunning doors? I can't and I know plenty of other photographers wouldn't be able to either. Paris and her doors are a drawcard for professional photographers, amateurs and tourists and even the locals take snaps of pretty doors also. Any why not? Brightly and freshly painted, or cracking and peeling, polished large knockers or petite handles, they are part of the Parisian architecture that the city is famous for.

Medieval City of Carcassonne

Carcassonne - The Medieval City of Southwestern France

Where were you when...? A Carcassonne Memory.

Thanks to guest writer Linda Rowe for her post on Carcassonne which shows the incredible power of travel and the memories it creates. Now let's read on about her visit to Carcassonne, the medieval city of southwestern France and why Linda clearly remembers her visit to the ancient walled city.

Our initial view of the medieval town of Carcassonne

Long before we entered the medieval town of Carcassonne, the walls of the old town and the slate roofs of the turrets could be seen from quite a distance, given that it sits on a hilltop. Walking across the drawbridge we entered a 13th century world of towers ( 52 of them), turrets and cobblestones.

Paris Bistro Chairs – The Origin of the Bistro Chair

Le Bistro Chair of Paris

"When you spend as much time in cafés as I do, you begin to notice that the typique bistro chair is like a snowflake. They are alike, yet no two are the same" - Janice MacLeod, A Paris Year

I absolutely love this quote by Janice MacLeod, the author of two of my most favourites books about Paris, A Paris Year and Dear Paris. It perfectly describes the iconic Paris bistro chair that we all love, and that is as much a part of Paris as is the Eiffel Tower, fresh croissants and the Louvre. In this blog post we look at the origins of the Paris bistro chair, why we love them and the unspoken rules around what and what not to do when seating yourself at a Parisian bistro. And I've got a wonderful gallery of photos taken from my wanderings in Paris of the different styles of bistro chairs.

Maison de la Tour Eiffel in Pontrieux

Maison de la Tour Eiffel, Pontrieux

Pontrieux is a town nestled slightly inland from the coast of northern Brittany just north of Guingamp and is home to the well known Maison de la Tour Eiffel (a half timbered building in the centre of town). The town is so pretty with all its flower boxes, colourful bushes and historical buildings and I've written about it before (see posts below). This blog post however, is all about the half timbered houses including the 'Eiffel House' or otherwise called, Maison de la Tour Eiffel.

Librairie Jousseaume – Ancient Bookstore at Galerie Vivienne, Paris

Librairie Jousseaume the ancient bookstore at Galerie Vivienne, Paris

Librairie Jousseaume is an ancient bookstore in what is considered one of Paris' loveliest covered passageways, Galerie Vivienne. Galerie Vivienne was inaugurated in 1826 and with its neoclassical decor, mosaic floor and cupola it quickly became Paris' loveliest covered passageway. Located in the central 2nd arrondissement, the gallery is 176 metres long and just 3 metres wide and has been listed as a historical monument since 7 July 1974.

Librairie Jousseaume, Galerie Vivienne, Paris 1905

When the passageway first opened, the bookstore (librairie) was one of the original tenants. The name of the initial store was Librairie Petit-Siroux and you can still see this original name above the store's window. Librairie Jousseaume is in fact made up of two shops which face each other at the point where the covered passage changes direction.

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