Paris: Le Train Bleu

My first journey to the French Riviera was aboard a high-speed TGV train, from Paris in the north to the city of Nice on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The train departed from the Gare de Lyon railway station where I'd hoped to get a glimpse of Le Train Bleu, the station's posh belle époque restaurant. It didn't happen on that trip to France but I added 'dining at Le Train Bleu' to my travel bucket list.

Gare de Lyon, Paris

Paris: The Marais

My trip to France last month was a whirlwind of activity. I can't believe how much we saw and did in just two short weeks. Unfortunately, after a few busy days of touring, the entries in my journal dwindled to nothing. But I'm ready now to start documenting the journey while I can still remember the details. First stop: Paris.

Place des Vosges, Paris

Friday Reads: A Year at Hotel Gondola

A Year at Hotel Gondola by Nicky Pellegrino

Promenade du Paillon, Nice

There's a coastal river that runs from the Alpes-Maritimes through the French city of Nice. But you won't be able to see it at the point where the Old Town and the modern city meet. This river, the Paillon, now flows beneath a 12-hectare public park, the Promenade du Paillon.

Gardens of the Promenade du Paillon, Nice

7 Traditional British Foods

The traditional food favourites in Great Britain may not be as well regarded as those of its neighbour across the Channel but they're more down to earth than the haute cuisine of France. Think family meals, comfort food and sustenance for the hard working man.

The Neighbourhood London Pub

Day One in London

I’m back from England and what an amazing trip. We spent a week touring the charming villages and beautiful scenery of the West Country, plus another twelve days exploring the many sights in and near London. I took 4,000 pictures and there’s a lot to tell you so let's start from the beginning, in London.

The London Eye

My 5 Favourite Food Moments

I love to try different foods while visiting other counties. Even within individual European nations there can be so many different regional cuisines. It was a difficult task to narrow my choices down to only five, but here are some of my favourite food moments in France and Italy.

1.  Beef Bourguignon in Beaune, France

Home to grazing Charolais cattle and sun-drenched vineyards, the region of Burgundy was the ideal place to try the local specialty, Boeuf Bourguignon.

Boeuf Bourguignon, Beaune

Travel Theme: Fruit

I love to take pictures of food when I'm travelling so I shouldn't have been surprised by all the photos of fruit that I've collected. There's something very photogenic about a ripe, red strawberry or a fresh, fragrant lemon.

Strawberries in Tournus, France

"Z" is for Zucchini

I was intrigued the first time I saw zucchini in a European market (Cours Saleya in Nice). Next to the green vegetable so commonplace in North American kitchens was a smaller version sprouting a yellow bloom and I could only imagine how it would taste. 

Zucchini Blossoms at the Cours Saleya Market, Nice

"C" is for Cicchetti

In the Dorsoduro district of Venice there's a tiny wine bar with a very long name, Enoteca Cantine del Vino Gia Schiavi. Every day we walked past the window filled with plates of fresh cicchetti, traditional Venetian bar snacks similar to the tapas served in Spain. We dropped in several times to sample these snacks and soon began to call the bar 'our little cicchetti place'.

Assortment of Cicchetti

My Bucket List: Firenze

I’m very fortunate to have visited the historic city of Florence, not once but three times, and it took me this many tries to accomplish the items on my Bucket List. I saw great works of art at the renowned Uffizi Gallery; toured locations featured in Dan Brown’s novel Inferno; and sampled unique Tuscan cuisine. But no visit to Florence is ever long enough.

Skyline of Firenze, or Florence

Posh Capri Town

From Roman emperors to Grand Tour travellers and modern-day movie stars, the rich and powerful have vacationed for centuries on Capri, a small island off the Sorrentine coast of Italy. But Capri is also the name given to the larger of two towns on this rocky paradise, and it’s this town that is responsible for the island’s glitzy reputation.

The Isle of Capri, Italy

Naples and Campania

After two busy days spent exploring the great city of Rome, we travelled southward into the Campania region of Italy, the birthplace of pizza, Caruso and Sophia Loren. Before boarding a ferry to the next stop on our tour, the island of Capri, we visited the archeological site of Pompeii, the ancient Roman city destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Then we took a quick stroll through central Napoli, or Naples, the capital of Campania.

Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius

A Taste of Rome on Piazza Navona

The highlight of my visit to Rome last summer was dinner on Piazza Navona, one of the city's most popular squares. Located in Rome's centro storico, historic centre, the square takes its oblong shape and dimensions from the Stadium of Domitian which originally stood here.

My Bucket List: Tea at the Ritz

It's Thursday, and I'm starting a new series of weekly posts about the items from my bucket list that I've been able to experience so far. Sampling the culinary traditions of the countries I visit is one of my favourite travel pastimes and what could be more British than afternoon tea? The experience was a natural addition to my bucket list so when I visited London a few years ago, we did tea in grand style at the luxurious Ritz Hotel on Piccadilly.

The Ritz London

French Sweets

Fancy pastries. Gourmet chocolate. The colourful macaron.

France has long been associated with the finer things in life, whether it be fashion, wine or cuisine. On a visit to the city of Lyon, the capital of French gastronomy, I was eager to tour the food market where local chefs do their shopping, Les Halles Paul Bocuses. And the tempting array of tarts and cakes kept me busy taking photos. Unfortunately, I was so busy preserving the images that I neglected to sample the goods.

Displays of Tarts and Cakes at Les Halles Paul Bocuse, Lyon

Eze: Perched Village of the Côte d'Azur

High above the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea, wedged between the scenic coastline and the rugged Alpes-Maritimes, Eze Village is one of the perched villages of the Côte d'Azur. The medieval town is referred to as Eze Village to differentiate it from the beach resort, Eze Bord de Mer, 400 metres below it on the coast.

Eze Village

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

Monte Carlo

St. Remy de Provence, July 2012 - We boarded our motor coach this morning at 9:00 a.m. and reunited with our cruise director to say farewell to Provence. We were about to embark on the final leg of our journey with Avalon Waterways enroute to the French Riviera and the tiny principality of Monaco.

A couple of hours later, Mont St. Victoire rose in the distance as we approached the city of Aix-en Provence for a mid-day lunch stop.

Mont St. Victoire

St. Rémy de Provence

St. Rémy de Provence, July 2012 - We arrived in St. Rémy yesterday on the Provence extension to our Rhone River cruise with Avalon Waterways. Once again the weather promised to be hot -  35 Celsius by afternoon. Unlike my previous visit to Europe when my sun hat travelled around in my luggage, mon chapeau is being worn every day.