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Architectural Details

Châteaudun – Explorations of the Town and Château

Châteaudun slept quietly after lunch on the Sunday afternoon we arrived to visit the Château. As you can see the streets were deserted. We had just come from church in Bonneval where the street was filled with people chatting with one another and/or standing in line at the boulangerie for baguettes for the noon meal. Here, ...

Candes-St-Martin and her Collegiate Church of St-Martin

We were lured to Candes-St-Martin and her Collegiate Church of St-Martin when we planned our trip because this village is listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France, les plus beaux villages de France. Like neighboring Montsoreau, Candes-St-Martin and her Collegiate Church of St-Martin perches on the banks of the ...

boîtes à sable

Boîtes à Sable are another Vestige from the Past

When I discovered that there were so few boîtes à sable  (boxes with sand) remaining in Paris, I had to find them……. Or at least one of them! These boîtes à sable are remnants of Paris’ past, dating from the nineteenth century. Beautiful cast iron boxes, boîtes,  were used at one time to hold the sand, sable, ...

turquant

Exploring Turquant and its Trodglodyte Dwellings

Read my story in French » We visited Turquant in the Loire Valley on the recommendation of the tourist information office in Montsoreau . We were told they had a very good troglodyte restaurant. As it turns out they have more than one troglodyte style restaurant plus a large quantity of trodglodyte artisanal shops and ...

art nouveau

Art Nouveau Style in the 10th

Finding Art Nouveau style architecture in Paris is one of my favorite past-times.  Just a short stroll from Gare du Nord, I found some lovely Art Nouveau style buildings in the 10th arrondissement. So even if you are short on time, you can experience this very special aspect of Paris. Probably the most well-known Art ...

cirque dhiver

Cirque d’Hiver

Approaching the Cirque d’Hiver (Winter Circus) after dark is a breath-taking experience!  The building dates to 1852 and is the world’s oldest circus building still in use.  It was built so that the Cirque d’Été (Summer Circus) which took place every summer under a canvas tent in Paris would have a winter home. If ...

Stravinsky Fountain

Stravinsky Fountain in Paris Exceeds His Gold Star on the Walk of Fame

Read my story in French » He may have a star on the Hollywood walk of Fame, but if you’ve ever seen the Stravinsky Fountain in Paris, you know that this monument to Igor Stravinsky is much more impressive than a brass star in the sidewalk! However, if you’re in Los Angeles, you can find Stravinsky’s star at 6340 ...