Archive for 'France'

Where to stay in Paris: Hotel Le Five
Posted on 25. Apr, 2013 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
Upon my most recent visit to Paris I was lucky enough to be invited by Hotel Le Five to experience one of their famous “scintillating canopy” rooms, I didn’t hesitate for long. My experience with the Elegancia Group had always been outstanding, and I couldn’t wait to find out if this hotel would top the [...]
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Is Cassis the best village in France?
Posted on 15. Apr, 2013 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
If I were to ask the following question “What makes a village irresistible?”, what would be your answer? Chances are, it would include good food, friendly locals, a beautiful setting and a little je ne sais quoi about the atmosphere. What more could you want? And as it turns out, when I decided to visit [...]
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The Sainte-Chapelle of Paris - in Photos
Posted on 01. Apr, 2013 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
The Sainte-Chapelle had been a long standing item on my Paris to-do list, but for some reason, I’d never got around to it. I had deemed Notre-Dame and Sacré-Coeur more worthy of my attention - the former for its free entry, and the latter for the views. It wasn’t until my most recent trip to [...]
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25 Odd, Touristy and Free Things To Do In Paris
Posted on 18. Mar, 2013 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
Travel is but one of the few expenses that will make you both richer and poorer at the same time. But what if I told you there was a way to avoid the monthly bank statement heart attack? Paris, unlike the rest of its equivalent counterparts, is actually fairly easy to visit on a tight budget, [...]
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Things I’m Doing Wrong As An Expat In France
Posted on 13. Mar, 2013 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
Anniversaries, whatever the kind, are always a good time to sit back and reflect, reassess the choices we’ve made. What other purpose would they serve, other than be a perfect excuse to buy cake? And as my two year expaniversary (yes, I just made that up) in France approaches, I can’t help but look back [...]
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Musée du Louvre: When The Museum Itself Is a Work of Art
Posted on 25. Feb, 2013 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
Forget Venus de Milo. Forget the Winged Victory. Hell, forget Mona Lisa. The real star here is the museum. Well, duh? I hear you. What I mean is the actual museum. The pavilions, the moldings, the ceilings, the statues on the outside walls. The abundant use of gold and intricate carving, in an all-around architectural exuberance that only Kings [...]
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The gorgeous Normandy cliffs in Étretat
Posted on 21. Jan, 2013 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
You know those gorgeous cliffs in Northern France everyone raves about? The ones I added on my bucket list ages ago but never had the courage to drive all the way up there to actually see them? Well, this summer, I did just that. I drove to Normandy, and finally saw these wonders of nature, [...]
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J’aime la Provence, a photo essay
Posted on 16. Jan, 2013 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
I think I may have found a new favorite place in France, guys. It’s Provence. How original, right? I’m only the 450,204th person in the world to say that. But after visiting the vast majority of the country, I can honestly say that Provence has something special about it, that just makes you want to [...]
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13 Other Interesting Facts About France
Posted on 11. Jan, 2013 by Marie.
You guys remember my controversial “10 Little Known Facts About France“? It had quite a few people talking. To this day, it’s still one of my most popular posts every month, even though I wrote it over a year ago. Since then, I’ve traveled all around Europe, yes, but I also spent a fair amount [...]
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Lyon’s Most Colorful Event - Fête des Lumières
Posted on 07. Jan, 2013 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
I’d heard about the Fête des Lumières from several French friends throughout the year - according to them, it was a must-see that I wouldn’t regret traveling 2.5 hours to get to. Good enough, I said. I never need an excuse to attend a great festival anyway! Cue December 8th, 2012. Wearing just about every layer [...]
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Tips for visiting the Mont Saint-Michel
Posted on 28. Nov, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
I already wrote about how the Mont Saint-Michel was usually the kind of place you dream about, or read about - but never actually set foot there. But one of the advantage of being an expat in France is how easy it is to drive to the other side of the country, i.e. Normandy, during [...]
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The Chateau d’If, France - In Photos
Posted on 19. Nov, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
If there’s one thing you must do in Marseille, it’s to get out of Marseille. I wasn’t a big fan of the city, despite its many Marseille hotels that would fit a tight budget. I would consider staying in Marseille only to explore villages and islands around it - not the actual city! One of the [...]
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The majestic, monumental, magnificent Mont Saint-Michel
Posted on 14. Nov, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
To me, the Mont-Saint-Michel was the kind of place that you read about in history books, that you see on television. You know, the kind of place you hear so much about but somehow seem unattainable, if only in dreams? But since I’m such a big fan of roadtrips, I decided that the annual French [...]
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The Millau Viaduct, France - In Photos
Posted on 05. Nov, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
Pretty impressive, right? The Millau Viaduct is not just any impressive bridge - it’s the highest one in the world, standing proud at 270 meters, with the highest mast at 343 meters. Meaning that it’s even taller than the Eiffel Tower! Crossing the mighty Tarn river, it was completed in just over three years at [...]
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Visiting the Monet Gardens in Giverny
Posted on 31. Oct, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
During my research on the Normandy roadtrip I was planning, I was searching for interesting things to do between Paris and the coast, in order to give my pilot some well-deserved rest. That’s when I clicked - aren’t the famous Monet gardens in the area? I was really excited to visit what is perhaps the [...]