Tag Archives: central France

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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Where to stay in Salers: Hotel Saluces
Posted on 25. Aug, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
If only all towns were as cute as Salers, and all hotels were as amazing as Hotel Saluces, then travel would never be a bad surprise. The setting is hard to beat - a medieval village, perfectly kept medieval burg in the middle of Cantal, boasting incredible architecture and breathtaking scenery. Yes, the overload of superlatives [...]
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Where to stay in Cantal: Hotel Beau Site Garabit
Posted on 24. Aug, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
When I was on my trip with Atout France through Cantal, I was particularly looking forward to seeing the famous Viaduc de Garabit up close. I’d seen it countless times driving up the A75, but it was always in the distance. And well, you can’t get much closer to it than at Hotel Beau Site [...]
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Where to stay in Cantal: Auberge de Concasty
Posted on 02. Aug, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
During my recent trip in Cantal, I had the chance to stay at the beautiful Auberge de Concasty in Boisset. Just as I am not a big fan of hostels, I was never a big fan of B&Bs either. I am NOT a ray of sunshine in the morning, and can barely put two sentences [...]
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Exploring Tours, the Loire Valley Capital
Posted on 30. Apr, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
Tours was only supposed to be a dinner and a nap, initially. A brief stopover on my way to explore more gorgeous Loire Valley Castles. But as I made my way into the city after visiting Azay-le-Rideau, I quickly realized that despite putting all my resources in planning a realistic and interesting roadtrip focused on [...]
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Monday’s Postcard: Clermont-Ferrand, France
Posted on 06. Feb, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
With the slightly freezing weather Europe is going through right now comes the usual joys of winter: snow, ice, windchill, wet socks and teeth clatter. And Auvergne is no exception! There has been snow in Clermont-Ferrand for about a week now, and the Canadian in me could not be more thrilled (although I wish I [...]
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Clermont-Ferrand’s Famous Film Festival
Posted on 01. Feb, 2012 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
When I learned that I moving to Clermont-Ferrand, one of the first things I checked is the cultural scene - I love myself a good festival! I was pleasantly surprised to learn that every January, the city is host to the most important short film festival in the world, Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival. The festival is [...]
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Driving Through Parc des Cévennes
Posted on 23. Nov, 2011 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
When it comes to outstanding natural sights (among other things), France is pretty high on the list of amazing places. Whether you opt for the dramatic Mediteranean coast or the volcanoes of Auvergne, there’s something for everyone, including Parc des Cévennes. It only became popular a few years ago after the construction of the A75 highway, [...]
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Challenging My Willpower at the Chocolate Festival of Clermont-Ferrand
Posted on 09. Nov, 2011 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
While Clermont-Ferrand is usually not very high on any traveler’s bucket list (unless you’re an avid trekker), living in the city is far from boring. There is always something going on, whether it’s the famous Short Film Festival or the Jazz en Tête festival. But the event that definitely got my attention a while ago is the Chocolate Festival [...]
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Hiking Volcanoes in Auvergne: My Experience
Posted on 17. Sep, 2011 by Marie-Eve Vallieres.
Hiking a volcano wasn’t exactly part of my French tourism plan. Somehow my mind and body never got along very well, and anything that involves just the slightest amount of coordination is more often than not a very bad idea. Being outdoors and staying active, I enjoy - making a fool of myself by landing [...]