Sur la Route

Here's my recent article about a cruise along the Canal du Midi.

Why I Loved Piloting A Boat On France’s Canal Du Midi, And You Will Too Piloting a boat on France's Canal du Midi may sound like a challenge, but it is a surprisingly accessible and rewarding experience.

My article on Tangier, Morocco was published this week in Travel Awaits.
There's more on my website https://surlaroutekm.com/

https://www.travelawaits.com/2772750/tangier-morocco-best-things-to-do/

11 Amazing Experiences In Beautiful Tangier, Morocco Talk of Tangier conjures a sense of intrigue and the exotic — and there are plenty of amazing experiences in this city known for old ties to the underworld.

Patty and I know a lot about this town in Provence. Europe Up Close just published this article I wrote about L'Isle sur la Sorgue.

https://europeupclose.com/article/things-to-do-in-isle-sur-la-sorgue/

9 Ways To Spend Your Time in L'Isle Sur La Sorgue, Provence Tucked into the heart of Provence lies the antique shopper’s paradise, L’Isle sur la Sorgue. Here are the best things to do in town.

We enjoyed an 8-day bike trip through Puglia in the fall with another couple. I highly recommend this adventure. Here is an article that I wrote about our experience.

On Two-Wheels through Puglia, Italy - International Living The sight of four 60 something year old cyclists hovered over the handlebars as we travelled through Puglia in Italy, each offering an animated...

There is much history in the area around Lake Como. Its proximity to Switzerland made the area a prime route to the neutral country during WW2. Mussolini was captured at Donga, disguised as a German soldier. He was executed the next day nearby. The Alps through which Pino Lella assisted people escaping fascist Italy, described in Mark Sullivan's Beneath a Scarlet Sky, are not far.

The events of WW2 that took place in the area are chronicled at the Museo della Fine della Guerra Dongo. If interested in the topic, this is worth a visit.

We also were fortunate to be the lake Sunday when Varenna hosted an air show.

Lake Como, the largest of the Northern Italien Lakes, is a short drive from Milano. Switzerland and the ski resort of St. Moritz. .
We are fortunate to be spending some time in Menaggio, one of the villages dotting the shoreline.
Water taxis and ferries provide a scenic and relaxing way to visit the villages around the lake. There is a market in town today, then perhaps a trip across the lake to Varenna or Bellagio for lunch.

There are a number of street art galleries throughout the world. Here are some tips on visiting some interesting displays on buildings around the world.

Street Art: These Walls do Talk

https://surlaroutekm.com/street-art-these-walls-do-talk/

Street Art: These Walls do Talk

The Commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the DDay landings took place under blue skies today in Normandy. President Macron awarded the Legion d'Honneur to 5 American veterans.
Presidents Trump and Macron both addressed the crowd estimated to be 20,000.
Great event. Now hoping the bus back to the car, which we left on a country road, arrives soon.

The first town liberated after the allies landed in Normandy was Bayeux. The entire region is preparing to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the landings tomorrow.

We paid a visit to Bayeux yesterday. There's a well done museum on the battle, the Bayeux Tapestry chronicling William the Conqueror's victory at Hastings in 1066, and we found an Irish pub.

The town is crowded with visitors including many reenactors strolling about in uniforms from 1944. Here cathedral provides the backdrop for one of Bayeux's many decorations for the events.

Off to Arromanches and the Hillman Battery. Weather permitting, we will also attend a parachute drop. The same type planes that carried the original paratroopers are scheduled to leave England this afternoon. Parachutists in period attire will jump near the fields where they came from the sky in 1944.

Thinking of your retirement home in a foreign land? Here's my article in International Living on purchasing property in France.

Touring Bird is a resource for travelers. Two hundred additional cities and locales are now live. I contributed to the Tips as one of the local experts on Provence and Marseille. Here is a link to get you started on Touring Bird.

Photograph flocks of flamingos - Touring Bird The Camargue region of France is home to flocks of flamingos and wild horses that occupy the marshland near the Mediterranean. The paths in the Parc Ornithologique Pont du Gau allow for up-close photo opportunities with the flamingos in a natural habitat. Plentiful and photogenic, the birds stand in...

Our trip to Bordeaux this weekend coincided with the Gilets jaunes demonstration. It was raining and the museum I planned to visit was closed (due to the march), so I tagged along with the GJ for awhile.

The gendarmes were out in force, though not aggressive. They blocked the streets preventing the GJ from entering the center, commercial area of Bordeaux. Life went on in the cafes and shops while a helicopter hovered overhead. The demonstrators chanted as they walked along the streets of the city. I saw no violence, smelled no teargas nor did I see any weapons pointed.
The march seemed to fizzle around 6:30 at the Place de la Victoire. The marchers were standing around, with a few chanting. The press seemed to put their cameras away and the medical personnel had no patients. Time for a Saturday evening aperitif.

A Visit to Cadeques, Spain The fall issue of Vacation Rental Travels magazine included this article (page 60) about Cadeques, once the home of Salvador DaliRead More

Here is my article in this month's Links & Libations

Links & Libations November 2018 Issue Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. Easily share your publications and get them in front of Issuu’s millions of monthly readers. Title: Links & Libations November 2018 Issue, Author: Excited Minds Media, Na...

The Saturday market was bustling in Aix-en-Provence. University students, lovers of Cézanne tracing his footsteps joined locals from the town and surrounding area crowding the narrow streets.

Following the devastation of the plague in 1720, which claimed the lives of 100,000 people in Provence, statues were placed on many street corners in the city. Aixois would stop for a quick prayer of thanks for having been delivered from the catastrophe as they passed.

After two weeks on the Canal Brest à Nantes in Brittany, we turned in the boat and said au revoir to our good friends and travel buddies John Sweeney and Kathy Holom.

We stumbled upon a celebration in Redon where we met the train. The 40th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights coincided with the dedication of the new train station. This brought out the bagpipes and free OJ and croissants for the mayor's address.

The famous photo of John Carlos and Tommy Smith at the '68 Olympics, heads bowed and fi**ed gloves raised from the podium, was prominently featured. A short track was drawn in the street and we all took a lap in the continuous relay, including Patty in her air cast. Thereafter we took to the podium for the medal ceremony and photos.

French cities of all sizes organize events with regularity. It is always fun to happen upon them and be invited to join in.

Tomorrow the boat is due at the base in St Martin after two weeks on the Canal Nantes à Brest and the Oust River. We've never owned a boat. Experience as a sailor is not required. You travel at your own pace. Stop where you wish and stay for lunch or a few days. It's been a relaxing trip via a mode of travel I highly recommend.

Today we took a diversion from our river cruise. We rented a car from the grocery store chain Super U and drove one hour to visit Carnac. This city on the Atlantic coast boasts some of the largest fields of megaliths in the world.
The Carnac alignments were erected around 6000 years ago. Legends abound as to the origin. Celtic temples or Roman legionaires turned to stone are two old theories. An interesting and unique place to visit.
Lulu à la Plage served fresh fish along the beach.

After spending the weekend in La Gacilly, we are back on the river Oust.

Yves Rocher was born in La Gacilly and the cosmetic empire he founded has a grand presence in this village. The tour was well done. Yves' products are plant based and he was an environmentalist from the start.

There is little traffic on the river, thus no competition for moorings. We've adopted a liesurly pace with a flexible itinerary. We docked at a remote campground last night, which provided for great stargazing. Heading upriver after a light lunch.

We began our boat trip in Brittany, stocking the boat with provisions. We borrowed a Super U grocery cart to get our provisions back to the hotel for the cab ride to the base.

We're on the Oust River for 14 days. Starting out by spending a few days in La Gacilly a village known for its artisans which is currently hosting a photography exhibition throughout.

Great weather, great start.

https://vacationrentaltravels.com/2018-03/VRT-2018-03.pdf

On page 8 is my article about the Canal de Briare - one of the oldest canals in the world.

We attended the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery this morning. An estimated 6,000 people gathered at this remote place, about an hour from Paris. One Hundred years ago, the Battle of Belleau Wood raged in the fields and woods surrounding this now peaceful place.

The Franco-American friendship dating back to Lafayette was on full display. The people of this region, which was devastated in WW I, are incredibly gracious and quick to express their fondness for Americans.

This and twenty-five other cemeteries around the world are maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission. If you ever have the opportunity, these memorials to those who gave their lives in service to their country are worth a detour to visit.

www.abmc.gov

A busy week touring, taking photos and gathering information for some upcoming articles. Golfing in Provence - Visit to an Olivier - and a winery/gite.
Heading out on Wednesday with a stop planned for Beaune. Will then visit the Champagne region and attend Memorial Day ceremonies at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery before flying to Indy

Our most recent touring guests - longtime friends from BGD - are on the train to Paris after a week in Provence. They walked the villages of the Luberon, cruised the Mediterranean at Cassis and had a picnic at the Pont du Gard. The Carrieres de Lumières at Les Baux de Provence and the markets were also hits - with time to relax along the river at Isle sur la Sorgue. They picked a great week to visit the south of France, living in the apartments we arranged for them. Patty and I enjoyed their visit, the opportunity to share our days and to show them to the sites of the region.