our regions

The Gard's bridge

2006-02-26T17:23:00.000Z

2000 years ago over 1000 people worked for 5 years on the construction of the Gard's bridge. The objective was to bring water to the city of Nîmes via a 50km long aqueduct.Since then people have flocked to marvel at the work: walkers, hikers, lovers, poets, painters, tour groups, apprentice explorers, from the region and beyond...

A World Heritage siteToday, the site still attracts just as many visitors. The World Heritage monument stands in a natural environment of 165 hectares of Mediterranean countryside.The site has a story to tell and does so through animation and information for all.

This site is very enchanting and it's an interesting stroll when you are with your family!!! go on this bridge, it's very spectacular...

Back to hooome!

2006-02-20T10:38:00.000Z

Now I’m on holidays! :-)
After 6 hours in a train, I arrived in Nantes 4 days ago! I have got back my home, my family, and my friends! It’s a great pleasure and I have a lot of fun!
I have a lot of drinks (or dinners in restaurants...why not if I am invited!!) with my friends explaining what happened for each other since Christmas holidays! My family is also very important…because February is the month of our birthdays (me and my parents!) we organise a lunch with family…a good occasion to see everybody!
And...what a pleasure to regain rain showers all the day...so exotic compared with Aix!
But these holidays are SO brief! ONLY one week…! I haven’t got the time to take a rest, to see all my friends, to work (...mmm, very very difficult to work for exams...I never work during holidays: impossible mission!) So I know that I have to take advantage of all the moments!
Despite the time is so brief, I always spend good time during my holidays... :-)

Back to Biguglia...

2006-02-20T10:02:00.000Z

Now it's the holidays!!! I was arrived thursday, received by my family... a so good moment!!!
Since I run to see all the members of my family (in Corsica we are all cousins!!!) and my friends... But the true problem, it's to find a moment to study for an exam and more difficult fancy to do it!!! Why it's when we are in holidays that we have so exam?!!! You think that our full professor do it purposely...? I don't know but today I'm in holidays and I look to my family and my friends to spend a good moment...
It's so kind to be at home... Mummy cooking all I like and take good care of me... Sometimes I forget why I had left home...?
Biguglia is a burg surrounded by a lot... It was also the former capital city of Corsica (when? I don't know. I know it because it's on the guidepost...). It's mostly the burg where I had grown, gone at school, known my friends...(nostalgia...).
If you don't know Biguglia it's not grave... it's not a magic place like the others... but i'm here...

Island city

2006-02-13T15:40:00.000Z

Isle sur la Sorgue is one of those places in Provence that one has to see. This "island city" lies at the foot of the Vaucluse plateau in the plains of Comtat Venaissin.

Its colors are nature's green and the bright reflection of the water shining from the several canals running through its center. The river Sorgue surrounds the city as if to hug it. Walking along the canals you will notice how they run between the narrow ancient streets. There are little bridges to cross and great wheels to look at with mossy blades turning in the river. 1 kilometer from the city is the "partage des eaux" where the river splits in two and forms a small pond where plane trees and green foliage abound.

I did all my schooling at Isle sur Sorgue. It ‘s a wonderful space to study! We can accommodate a stroll on river bank and study…it’s also outstanding space for holiday and the secondhand goods dealer.

Enormous cliffs...

2006-02-13T15:30:00.000Z

Again a little of tourism… Promise after I stop!!! But I can’t forget this place… and you so, after visit it.
There are two Bonifacio, this which you visit and this which you see since the place which is under the cliffs…
In the first Bonifacio, you discover the typical hall… Indeed Bonifacio is a little burg and its houses are elevated, so the stairways are arduous. It’s a local sport (an other…)!!! Also you can discover the fortress constructed at the IXth century by Bonifacio a Tuscan count.
But if you want to visit it, don’t get dizzy!!! Bonifacio was built on cliffs…
The second sight of Bonifacio is more original and often in pictures… But if you continue on the road (I don't remember its name... so sorry!) after Bonifacio you can discover it since the beach, utmost estimate the height of the cliffs and see the perched house at the summit…
More Bonifacio offers a surprising sight of Sardinia!!!
Big programme...!!!
Good walk…

Come to Nantes and enjoy it!!!

2006-02-06T15:41:00.000Z

The "passage Pommeraye"Nantes is “my town” and I like it!! It is a pleasant town to live in because there is a lot of dynamism in. It is nowadays the 7th town of France.

It’s a town which has an important historical past. In fact, Nantes is the former capital of the Dukes of Brittany. If you come to Nantes, you can visit the castle called “Anne of Brittany”’s castle. You can’t be missed it! There is also a cathedral build in gothic style, so there is a contrast between its style and those of the castle.

Furthermore, try to see the beautiful commercial and ancient gallery called “the passage Pommeraye” because I think it really deserves the detour!

After visiting the castle and the cathedral, you can also walk away the town and discover its gardens. Nantes is renowned for its gardens and green spaces like the garden of plants, the garden of the 5 senses, the japonese styled garden of the Versailles island, the tropical greenhouse of Blottereau… All of them have their own charmed…

Then you can go to its museums for your culture…! The fine art museum is one of the most important in France. In addition, there is an exhibition in the castle where you can discover the story of the town. There is also the museum of Jules Verne, because he was born in Nantes.

After doing a little shopping, for example in the hype “Crébillon” street, you can finish by walking near the Loire or the Erdre : you have even some possibilities to have your dinner in a boat… You can also profit of the nights in Nantes, discovering some pubs...! Enjoy!

Sportive Corsica

2006-02-06T15:31:00.000Z

Corsica is ideal for sportsmen… Indeed Corsica offers plentiful sport fields : mountains to pedestrian excursions, climb or ski (yes, there are some ski stations…!!!) ; sea to water-ski, sailing or skin diving ; river to canoe, rafting, hydrospeed or kayak… so you can just take a walk even with a horse (imagine you on the beach at the sunset… is a sport?!!!)… so much possibilities!!!
But if you must do a sport in Corsica, just one… you must take a nap!!! This sport is the specialty of this island not because Corsican are some idler but because it’s so kind and it’s a true sport… Indeed when you take a nap, you must find a fresh emplacement, put on the good clothes (swimsuit or not?? That is the question!!!), take the good setting, and don’t forget to set out the sunscreen cream… so much things to do!!!
But be careful, remember : Corsican are not idler, they just know how spend the time with pleasure!!! I'm sure that you understand...

The village of my childhood

2006-02-06T14:56:00.000Z

I come from Cabrières d’Avignon. I would like present you my favourite village.

Located in the heart of the dry stone country, Cabrières d'Avignon is an extremely charming picturesque village, which has been able to maintain all of its authentic character. Take a walk down the village streets and you'll discover the tastefully restored, ancient, rustic dry stone houses.
In the neighboring countryside you can find numerous "bories", sort of ancient peasant's houses which, in the main date from the XVII° and XVIII° centuries. Some have been transformed into sumptuous country holiday homes.

Carnac and its famous menhirs!

2006-02-04T12:43:00.000Z

No, menhirs are not a heritage from Obelix!
Menhirs (and also dolmens, tumulus) were constructed between 4500 and 200 BC.
Standing stones is a tradition in Brittany. Dolmens, meaning long stones in Breton, were once used as collective sepulchres. The dolmens had a cultural purpose and were associated with funerary rites celebrating the passage from life to death.
From the Breton word meaning standing stones, menhirs are even more numerous and mysterious than the dolmens. Isolated or in groups, they may be arranged in a straight line, in alignment or in a circle. The spacing between the stones, their orientation and the outline they define was certainly of ritual or astronomic significance.
With almost 3000 standing stones spread over several sites, Carnac displays some of the greatest vestiges of megalithic art. Furthermore, the alignments at Carnac appear to indicate the positions of the sun throughout the year.

Megalithic southern...

2006-01-30T15:25:00.000Z

Southern of Corsica is rich in alignment of menhirs (about 400) and dolmens. Indeed, Filitosa (an other site classed by UNESCO!) is one of the most important site in the world. It offers an alignment of menhirs like the Palaggiu alignment where there are 258 monoliths… The characteristic of the menhir in the south of Corsica is that some of them have a human form, the face is sculpt in the stone… and other have a sword… But we don’t know if it was indigenous or invader…?!
Also, we can discover in Fontanaccia a big and preserved dolmen dated at 2nd millenary BC…
So after food, tourism, beach,… use your brain and discover an unsung part of Corsican history…!!!

The Avignon Festival

2006-01-30T15:00:00.000Z

The mission of the Festival is to show-case French and foreign contemporary drama and dance creations and stage performances in general - about forty productions each year - to an ever-growing audience (around 100,000). There are about twenty, rather unusual, performance venues in Avignon and nearby the city including cloisters, churches, the famous Pope's Palace, an old stone quarry and school halls.
Each year the Festival changes its programme which, since 2004, has been determined with an associate artist. It is largely composed of productions which, when the Festival's artistic director selects them, have never been performed in front of an audience before. In fact, many of them are first seen on stage in public at the Festival.

The Avignon festival is very famous. If you are in Provence in July go to the festival it’s so interesting and funny.

Legends in Brittany

2006-01-23T16:43:00.000Z

The Brocéliande woods: In Brittany, there are a lot of celtic and Breton legends which sustain the dreams of a lot of people. I will give you some examples…
For instance, Brocéliande is the mythical name for the existing forest of Paimpont. This forest is the source of many celtic legends. So you can heard about Merlin the Enchanter, friend and advisor to the young Arthur, who was a privileged guest in Brocéliande. This also refers to the Round Table and the quest for the Holy Grail in the Brittany woods!
But there aren’t only beautiful legends in these woods… In fact you can meet druids, lutins or korrigans… Be careful with the “Ankou”: in Brittany, the devil is often likened to an imp. Bretons do not refer to him as Satan or Lucifer, or even as the Devil or Mephistopheles. He makes his home in rocks and mills or under bridges, and traces of his antics can be found anywhere. He plays rotten tricks and casts evil spells and is often associated with hell. Due to his evil presence, the hand of the Eternal God is particularly powerful in this region. As a consequence, Brittany is very religious, with a culture which has respect for the dead, the saints, the presence of ghosts, the call of lost souls… Brrrr!!

Magic place...

2006-01-23T15:45:00.000Z

In Corsica we have a place which is a natural properties inscribed on the World Heritage List of the UNESCO : Cape Girolata, Cape Porto, Scandola Nature Reserve and the Piana Calanches. It’s a beautiful place which give you a singular picture in red. Indeed the rock is red!!! Moreover, the vegetation is an example of Corsican scrubland.
If you can, you must take the boat for discover the bottom of the sea and its fishes!!!
It’s a good place for romantic rendezvous : sea, sun, nature and restaurant…!!! And most of all, at the close of day, you can together see the rock with hole shaped as a heart… So romantic!!!

So sorry...!

2006-01-23T15:03:00.000Z

Sorry for this silence...!
Because of the IRA’s examination, Christmas holidays and January testing (which were very difficult!!!) we didn’t have time for our blog…
Now we decide to be more regular to help you discover our regions…
Soon you can discover our new “articles” !!!

There is also a lot going on in Brittany!

2005-11-25T17:22:00.000Z

Some passes : one to the "Festival du Bout du Monde" near Brest, and another one to the "Festival of the Vieilles Charrues - the Old Ploughs" right in the heart of Brittany.
If you like music and festivals like me, be sure you will find what you like !!!
Brittany is renowned for its music festivals, most of all during the Summer… It is said that this is the area in France where there are the most festivals…
You don’t know the Vieilles Charrues ???! Come to Britanny in July and you will see how much people, young or not, appreciate music, camping, pints of beer and « breton crepes » (pancakes) with Nutella or only with sugar !!! Everybody can find the music that they like, rock, reggae, world music…
But of course, there are also festivals with traditional breton music, as the Interceltic festival of Lorient where you can hear the traditional instruments like breton bagpipes, for instance. Moreover, you can’t avoid going to a fest noz, a traditional breton party where you can enjoy the traditional dances !!!
Don’t hesitate to come to Brittany and you will see that Bretons are very welcoming and festive !!

Corsican noise

2005-11-25T17:03:00.000Z

If you go to Corsica you can't avoid traditional corsican music and its singers with their hands on their ears!!!
The famous band "I Muvrini" (the little mouflons) goes on tour in Corsica each year, you can miss it.
But, once you have heard some of it, you have to go and listen to traditional music in churches. This is an unforgettable experience! You can do it for the Saint Marie, on August 15th, a very important day for all corsicans. Indeed the "anthem" of Corsica is a sacred song consecrated to her.

A little tourism

2005-11-25T17:00:00.000Z

Pictures of Roussillon:

Roussillon is a village set in the heart of the most important deposits of ochre in the world. A truly enchanting place, the combinations of oxydes have give the ochres a multitude of magical colours and hues, which are to be found everywhere, in the views, the façades of the houses… Not to be missed: the pathway of the ochres which is signposted and cared for. It will lead you to the Chaussée des Géants (The Giants’ Causeway) in the midst of the chimneys and to a succession of grandiose sites sculpted over time by water, wind and man.

Concerning Oppède-le-Vieux, it is a magnificent perched village, Oppède is particular in the sense that it is composed of two villages which have succeeded one another as the main town in the area over the course of time. The village as it is currently, down in the valley, was founded around 1900. Not to be missed: the ancient village, the castle ruins, the 12th century church, the Collegiate church, the ancient washhouses, the houses dating back to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

"Ils ont des chapeaux ronds, vive les Bretons!"

2005-11-25T16:56:00.000Z

Another particularity of Brittany is the Breton flag. It’s so particular that I have pinned up in my flat !
The current Breton flag is better known under the patronym of « GWENN HA DU », which means white and black. It was drawn in 1925 by Morvan Marchal.
The fields of hermines located on the top left recalls to our memory that before becoming a region, Brittany was formerly a duchy. Indeed the hermine was far long centuries, the symbol of the dukes of Brittany.
The white and black bands, on the other hand, represent the old dioceses of the area. Four white bands for Lower Brittany, where there were the dioceses of Léon, Treguier, Cornouailles and Vannes ; and five black bands to represent those of Higher Brittany which are named Nantes, Rennes, Saint Malo, Saint Brieuc and Dol.

Have a surfeit in Corsica

2005-11-25T16:37:00.000Z

In Corsica you can also do some surfeiting!
Indeed typical courses are based on chestnut flour like : Pulenta, fritter or custard tart...
And also and above of all cooked meats : coppa, prisutu, lonzu, figatellu,... with these you can drink corsican wines (there are some AOC)!!!
Like we say "O paglia o fenu, basta che u corpu sia pienu " (Whether it is with straw or hay, the most important is that your body feels full).
Don't go to Brittany for have a surfeit, go to Corsica!!!

A million dollar perched village

2005-11-25T16:35:00.000Z

Some pictures of Gordes:

Gordes is a perched village between Apt and Avignon, overlooked by its towering fortress-castle and its church.
As you meander through the narrow paved streets, you will be enchanted by the discoveries you will make around every corner: vaulted entries, ancient doorways, stone fountains, commanding views over the valley and the Luberon hills.
Try to do the following : a tour of the castle (which houses the Pol Mara Museum), the village of "bories" (listed as an historical monument in 1977- the origins of these bories (drystone huts) date back to the Bronze age, the most recent having been discovered in the 18th century.)

Breton surfeits

2005-11-25T16:32:00.000Z

A typical dish : crepe accompanied with a bowl of cider...
To go to Brittany means to participate in a typical breton cooking ! For instance, you have to use salted butter when you are cooking!
Moreover, you can drink "chouchen", but be careful with it !!! The best known is probably the « crepes », the « far breton » or the « Kouing Amman » a cake only made with butter, so be careful with the calorics !
With the crepes, I advise you to drink several bowles of cider, it’s delicious !
Finally, if you want to enjoy the sea, a lot of fishermen can offer you sea fresh products (oysters, mills, crayfishs…). "Bon appetit"!

Dangerous Corsica

2005-11-25T16:27:00.000Z

For people who want a traditional picture of Corsica : go to see the burgs! Go in burgs isn't easy. You must brave mountain roads and wild boars!!! Once you get to a burg, you must brave villagers who speak Corsican language, except if you get to arrive when they are taking a nap… It’s not only a tradition from the south of France!!!
The burg is an authentic haven… You will find freshness when in plain it’s the heat wave…
I myself am from a burg situated in a part of Corsica called Castagniccia or the chestnut region : Castellare di Casinca. I know that my burg is not the most beautiful (if you know it!)… So if you want to see typical burgs of this region, you must go to Penta di Casinca or Loreto. In these burgs all houses, and streets are in stone and you can meet typical Corsicans like women dressed in black (they are in mourning…)
Have a good trip and be careful, there are wild boars, cows or donkeys on the roads!!!

Beloved Provence

2005-11-25T16:26:00.000Z

I love Provence because this region is warm, with its stone villages and villagers. According to me, Provence is the ideal region to take your holidays.
If you are fond of rural architecture you will be spoilt for choice in the Luberon, where almost countless villages and hamlets were been built, centuries ago, on the numerous hills which characterise the region. Dating back in the Middle Ages, many of the villages, such as Gordes, Ménerbes, Oppède-le-Vieux were built on hilltops ; often dramatically perched atop narrow strips of land, they command superb views over the area.

Untamed Brittany

2005-11-25T16:22:00.000Z

You can see the "Pointe du Raz" and "Cape Fréhel" :

Brittany is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and the Channel to North. So according to a lot of bretons, there is a lot of beautiful scenery near the sea with all the cliffs like those of Etretat, the « pointe du Raz », « Cape Fréhel »...
There are also the Mounts of Arrhees which are at the center of the area, and you can hike there if you want !
Moreover, you can explore a lot of seaside resorts, but if you come from Aix (or the « South », because in Aix my friends consider that I come from « the North » whereas I come from the « West » of France… !) maybe you will have some difficulty in bathing in the Ocean, because it is sometimes a little cold !!
Be brave!

Corsican attitude

2005-11-25T16:09:00.000Z

Just because I think it’s the most lovely place in Corsica, I want to introduce you : Saint-Florent, a beautiful port of pleasure.
To the north west, Saint-Florent is a small burg which in summer changes into a port of pleasure like Saint-Tropez. Indeed, on the honour bank, there are yachts from Italy, Great Britain or French ports, for instance. If you are lucky you can perceive some French celebrities. But it’s true that if you want to see a lot of them, you must go to the south of Corsica to places like Porto-Vecchio or Ajaccio.
So at Saint-Florent, there are good places to listen to music and particularly to eat sea products!
To cut a long story short (that is what I prefer), there are the most beautiful beaches, but to reach these you must go by boat or have a four-wheel drive! These beaches are like these of the Pacific Islands : they are roundlagoons!!! Take pictures of them and tell to yours friends that you were in the Caribbean!!!
I forget the multiple souvenir shops, but that is not the most interesting part…

Provence euphoria

2005-11-25T15:59:00.000Z

In Provence, there is often great weather.
The cooking is original and so good.
Not to mention the regional drink : the « pastis ». Be careful : don’t drink too much of it when the sun is shining on the mountaintop !
So after the aperitif, we can show you around in the village of "Bories", in the scrubland of Luberon, to Roussillon with its red ochre and to conclude at the Popes’ palace in Avignon.
If you want to visit Provence, send me a message, I will so happy to help you discover my region.

Anne-Laure and the South

2005-11-25T15:56:00.000Z

I love Nantes, of course, but Aix en Provence is so beautiful too!
There is an important controversy concerning whether Nantes belongs or not to Brittany. Personnally, this controversy doesn’t disturb me ! I like Brittany and I like Nantes ! This is not very important for me…
The most important thing is what you have in your heart !
I come to Aix for my studies, and it is sure that I miss my region, but I also like Provence because of its differenecs ! I agree that it’s not easy to support the football club of Marseille, but it’s OK !!!
I only go to Nantes during the holidays, and when I’m there, it’s a true pleasure for me to see my town, my region, my friends and so on.

Aurélie and "farniente"

2005-11-25T15:38:00.000Z

I'm Aurélie (another one!! this first name was fashion in the 80's...) from Corsica and I'm not idle!
I'm 22 and I'm studying in Aix en Provence because I wanted to discover another French area and I wasn't able to study in Corsica.

Anne-Laure and Mam goz

2005-11-25T15:19:00.000Z

I’m Anne-Laure and I come from Nantes.
I was born there, but my grand-parents are true bretons!!
I love Brittany, it's one of the beautiful areas in France (according to me) where you can meet the very famous "bigoudènes"!

Aurélie and the cicadas

2005-11-25T13:21:00.000Z

Provence is the region of sun and cicadas.
I’m Aurelie and I’m a native of Vaucluse department, more precisely in Cabrières d’Avignon, near Gordes, Rousillon, Oppède-le-Vieux : all villages in the Luberon.
Today I’m 23 and I'm studying at Aix en Provence.
I have remained in Provence for study because I love this region and I would like to work there. That’s why I am preparing a competitive examination in order to work in the local governments. However, I know that all the other french areas are attractive and so beautiful but I don’t want to leaveProvence ! I have my family and my memories in the South.
If you want to have good memories, come to Provence !!