Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, For love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)


J'avais bon Thanksgiving avec ma famille.
J'ai mangé la Turquie, la sauce, les patates, les pommes de terre, la salade, le grain, les haricots verts, le pain, et le dessert.

Palace of the Popes

The skyline of Avignon is a magnificent urban landscape.

The Palace of the Popes stands as the mighty symbol of the church’s influence throughout the western Christian world in the 14th century.Construction was started in 1335 and completed in less than twenty years under the leadership of two builder popes, Benedict XII and his successor Clement VI.The Popes’ Palace is the biggest Gothic palace in all of Europe (15,000 m2 of floor space, which is the equivalent of 4 Gothic cathedrals).The visitor can see over 20 rooms, scenes of historic events, in particular the pope’s private chambers and the frescoes painted by the Italian artist Matteo Giovannetti.

The Popes’ Palace also offers the visitor continuous cultural activities throughout the year. A major art exhibit is displayed in the Great Chapel during the summer, and the most prestigious performances of the Avignon Theater Festival, created by Jean Vilar in 1947, are given in the Honor Courtyard of the Popes’ Palace during the month of July.
The Popes’ Palace has welcomed more than 650,000 visitors. It is one of the most visited monuments in all of Franc

Le palais, qui est l'imbrication de deux bâtiments, le palais vieux de Benoît XII, véritable forteresse assise sur l'inexpugnable rocher des Doms, et le palais neuf de Clément VI, le plus fastueux des pontifes avignonnais, est non seulement le plus grand édifice gothique mais aussi celui où s'est exprimé dans toute sa plénitude le style du gothique international. Il est le fruit, pour sa construction et son ornementation, du travail conjoint des meilleurs architectes français, Pierre Peysson et Jean du Louvres, dit de Loubières, et des plus grands fresquistes de l'École de Sienne, Simone Martini et Matteo Giovanetti.

Le palais des papes, à Avignon, est la plus grande des constructions gothiques du Moyen Âge. À la fois forteresse et palais, la résidence pontificale fut pendant le XIVe siècle le siège de la chrétienté d'Occident. Six conclaves se sont tenus dans le palais d'Avignon qui aboutirent à l'élection de Benoît XII, en 1335; de Clément VI, en 1342 ; d'Innocent VI, en 1352 ; d'Urbain V, en 1362 ; de Grégoire XI, en 1370, et de Benoît XIII, en 1394.





Une production de théâtre lors du Festival d'Art dramatique devant le Palais des Papes à Avignon. Une foule cosmopolite venue de l'Europe entière se retrouve en Provence pendant l'été pour se régaler de l'atmosphère gaie et animée de ce festival.

Easy Walking Discovery Tours

8 and 10 days - short easy walks in the most beautiful places to discover highlights - charming and comfortable hotels with pool - gourmet dinners


An ideal mix of gentle walks, discoveries, relaxation ...and tasting local cuisine, wines and local products


An in-depth discovery of the different regions of France
Accommodation in charming and very comfortable 3 or 4-star hotels
Good food with gourmet dinners to enjoy all the local cooking savours and appreciate the chef's talent.
Some easy daily walks to keep fitness, enjoy charms and sightseeings of the region


Get some outstanding panoramas or discover interesting sights off the beaten track


A subtle blend of gentle walks, discovering, tasting...and rest time for ideal holidays


Quietness, rest and relaxation by a pool or in the shadow of hundred-year-old plane trees

Dentelles de Montmirail are the first heights of the Alps chain in the Rhone Valley. These short and steep mountains are covered with Mediterranean aromatic plans, or forested with pine and oaks woods on many of the slopes. The distinctive white rocky ridges tower above green vegetation and stand out against the blue sky. Rain and mistral wind have delicately carved the limestone of these tops that look like beautiful laces (Dentelles in French). Lovely and picturesque villages find refuge in these mountains, leaning back against cliffs or perching on the top of rocky spur (La Roque Alric, Le Barroux,Séguret…). Vine introduced by Romans grow on the first slopes and produce great wines : Beaumes les Venise, Vacqueyras and the well-known Gigondas whose name comes from latin and means joy or rejoicing… The vintages was already enjoying in those days !!

Vous aimez la nature, les randonnées, le canoë, les baignades, le VTT, la pêche, les escalades, la spéléologie .......Vous aimez la France et particulièrement l'Ardèche.
A Labastide de Virac, beau village de caractère de plus où moins 200 habitants, situé à la frontière du Gard et à une dizaine de kilomètres de Vallon Pont d'Arc, près de la rivière Ardèche, dans un endroit tranquille avec vue imprenable sur les Cévennes, vous trouverez mon gîte.

Musée d'Orsay

All these adjectives apply to the Musée d'Orsay. It is sumptuous, spacious, modern and old at the same time. One marvels at this creative use of the patrimony of a great sity. The vast space of an unused railway station made into a grand museum of modern art. Nothing crowded, nothing rushed, plenty of air and light. And then! One is surrounded by the breathlessly famous and beautiful masterpieces that have defined what we call modern art today.

One of the world's most-visited museums, the Musee d'Orsay houses the largest collection of painting, sculpture, and decorative objects produced between 1848-1914, showcasing many of the most remarkable works of the early modern era.

The museum is located in the Saint-Germain des Pres neighborhood, between Quai Anatole France and Rue de Lille, and faces the Seine river on the left bank. The museum is also a five minute walk across the river from the Jardin des Tuileries.

L'histoire du musée, de son bâtiment, est peu banale. Situé au coeur de Paris, le long de la Seine, face au jardin des Tuileries, le musée a pris place dans l'ancienne gare d'Orsay, un édifice construit pour l'exposition universelle de 1900. Ainsi le bâtiment est, en quelque sorte, la première "oeuvre" des collections du musée d'Orsay qui présente l'art des quelques décennies qui s'écoulent entre 1848 et 1914.

The Musee d'Orsay is, hands-down, one of the world's richest and most exciting museums. Its permanent collection houses countless great works by masters of early modern art, including Matisse, Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and Rodin. The Musee d'Orsay also curates several major temporary exhibits throughout the year, as well as hosting not-to-be-missed special events. All of these reasons account for why the Musee d'Orsay is a Paris must-see attraction.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Bal au moulin de la Galette, Impressionism, 1876, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.

Walk over the bridge from the Louvre to the Musée d'Orsay-- and see the bridge between classical and modern art. Housing the world's most important collection of impressionist and post-impressionist painting, the Musée d'Orsay's light, airy rooms whir you through three floors of modern wonders, from Degas' ethereal dancers to Monet's water lilies, all the way to Gaugin's leafy jungles. Major works by Van Gogh, Delacroix, Manet, and others await you, too.

Parisian Cafés

The café in France is not just a place to have that morning pick me up necessary to launch another day at the office. It is your home away from home. It 's the place where friends and family can find you. Your quotidian café defines you as distinctively as the clothes you wear and the profession you ply.

Café de Flore sits on the corner of the Boulevard Saint-German and the Rue St. Benoit, in the VIe arrondissement of Paris, France. Historically, it has been famed for its intellectual clientele.
The classic Art Deco interior of all red seating, mahogany and mirrors has changed little since World War II.

Parisian cafes formed integral part of the culinary and social life of the inhabitants, for more than centuries. However, the concept of Parisian cafe is something more than a mere coffee shop. Paris cafes are normally accompanied with a full kitchenette, which provide the visitors with menus like any other restaurant. They specialize in serving full meals, snacks, a wide selection of sparkling and flavored wines.

C'est tres parisien. Le café fait partie de la vie française depuis le 17eme siecle. Au café, les gens découvraient de nouvelles idées et discutaient de nouveaux concepts en politique, en art et en philosophie. Au 20eme siecle, le nombre de cafés diminue. On passe plus de temps devant la télévision et on a moins de temps pour la vie de café.