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Monaco: another day, another country

We had rushed out of our hotel in Nice to make it to the station in time. In our haste we had left our passports in the room. I sat on the train for the 20 minute journey feeling annoyed with myself. Would I regret this? We were entering another country after all. Surely Monaco […]

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A night at Chez Papa, Paris

First it was the Asian guy. He was sitting at the table next to us when we arrived and had just polished off his plate of whatever it was. Although he’d done a good job there was enough left to see that it was probably a good choice. After exchanging greetings (it’s the done thing […]

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Paris through other people’s lenses: Photos of people taking photos

We spent yesterday walking the streets of Paris and visiting the famous spots we’ve had the pleasure to see many times before. Paris is choc-full of instantly recognisable monuments and symbols, and on a sunny day is a photographer’s dream. Add to the mix tens of thousands of tourists on any one day and you […]

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Crap travel diaries: a naive teenager in Paris

I’d had a bad day. And to top it off, here I was in a pastel pink Parisian hotel room, complete with a frilly lamp and that textured wallpaper that a previous generation had considered the height of interior design chic. There was no TV and no view from the dirty window. I was only […]

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The cardboard zoo: a glimpse of the future?

Imagine coming face to face with this creature? I was calmly munching on my baguette when I turned round and caught sight of this monster lurking in the bushes. Well, I was so shocked I almost dropped my delicious snack. When you’re in France for a day trip you should be prepared for almost anything. […]

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Lille: the perfect day trip from London

Planning a day trip from London? 90 minutes from the capital by train can take you to some interesting cities: Bristol, Southampton, Winchester, Canterbury, Stratford are just a few options. Until recently however, you would not have considered a French destination. All this changed with the introduction of the high speed line that takes the […]

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The beautiful walled city of St Malo

Having focussed much of our efforts of our trip to northern France on reaching Mont St Michel, I then looked at a map of the nearby area and wondered where we might take a drive. The city of St Malo appealed, not least when I took a look at its shape on Google Earth and […]

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Bayeux tapestry, and the world of teenage boredom

I went to visit the Bayeux tapestry when I was 15. Booooooring! I have a vague recollection of wandering through the darkened room in which it is hung, but I’m fairly sure my main aim was to get out into the sun as quickly as possible. What interest could an ancient wall-hanging possibly hold for […]

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In defence of French hospitality

In the UK we grow up with a love-hate relationship with our Gallic neighbours. We love to hate them, and tell countless jokes at their expense. I’m fairly sure it’s mutual. Travelling to Paris several times in my teenage years, the stereotype of the rude arrogant Frenchman was reinforced, as we were looked down upon […]

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