I never thought I could associate rainy skies and beautiful vistas, but Belle-ile-en-Mer, an island just 8 kilometers off the Brittany Coast of France is where you can. I call Brittany the ‘Ireland of France’ for its weather and coastline. Belle-île is located northwest of the city of Saint-Nazaire and to the southeast of Lorient. […]

The news broke the same day we arrived in France for the 2011 Holidays, “A Beautiful Christmas Present for the Shipyard at Saint-Nazaire.” Viking Ocean Cruises of Norway signed a contract to build two luxury cruise ships  at the Chantiers Atlantique in the city of 70,000 people near the mouth of the Loire River. These […]

There are few events like it in the world…a month of cycling races around one of the acknowledged most-beautiful countries in the World.  Even without the racing, it is a gorgeous month-long history lesson. Getting specific…why do we like it so much? Here are four very good reasons: Participation The common man participates, even the […]

Even if you’re not a fan of cycling, the Tour de France is a fascinating, grueling three-week, 3600 km. (2237 miles) long cycling event that takes in most of the country as it passes through both cities and countryside.  This year, Stage 3 of ‘Le Tour’ becomes personal as it passes only 3 km. (1.8 […]

We planned to spend the day in Belle-Île, but an invitation to have dinner at Jeanne’s brother’s home that evening made us rethink going north along the Brittany Coast .  Instead we planned a trip to Vendée, an area just south of Saint Nazaire and the mouth of the Loire River, closer to his home.  Vendée isn’t part of Brittany […]