Festa del Redentore, Venice

The third weekend in July is a very special occasion on the Venetian calendar. This is when Festa del Redentore, the Feast of the Redeemer, celebrates the end of a devastating plague that killed 25% of the population of Venice. I first read about the festival in Rosanna Chiofalo's debut novel, Bella Fortuna.

Redentore Church, Venice

Evening in Villefranche-sur-Mer

French Riviera towns such as Cannes and Monte Carlo are known for their glitz and glamour but an evening in the town of Villefranche-sur-Mer is delightfully laid-back. And as the sun begins to set and the air cools down, the visitor's thoughts ultimately turn to dinner.

Quai Amiral Courbet, Villefranche-sur-Mer

Riviera Fireworks

Paris, May 2010 - We had just spent three days in Paris on Trafalgar's Contrasts of Europe train tour through England, France and Italy. Our trip to the French Riviera began at the Gare de Lyon, where we boarded the TGV Mediterranee high speed train to Nice. The six-hour journey took us through rolling hills dotted with charming farmhouses and grazing cattle.

The French Countryside