Château de Chambord

King François I built a huge Renaissance palace as his country getaway in the Loire Valley. From its humble origins as a hunting lodge, Château de Chambord became a symbol of the French king's power. Today the palace sits within the largest enclosed park in Europe, a forested domain that is home to deer and wild boar. Here's a peek inside the imposing château, from the double-helix staircase thought to have been inspired by Leonardo da Vinci to the carvings of the monarch's personal emblem, the salamander.

Château de Chambord

Mont Saint-Michel

One of the world's top pilgrimage sites is a small island off the coast of Normandy, France.  An important destination for Christians for over a thousand years, Mont Saint-Michel continues to draw throngs of visitors and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy

Bayeux Tapestry Museum

The town of Bayeux in Normandy, France is famous for an 11th century tapestry depicting the Norman conquest of England by William the Conquerer in 1066. The wall hanging consists of nine panels of linen cloth (measuring 70 meters  or 224 feet in total length) embroidered in ten different colours of wool thread. It was probably commissioned for a new cathedral in Bayeux and is now on display at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum.

Replica Detail from the Bayeux Tapestry

Palace & Park of Versailles

Chateau de Versailles, residence of the French monarchy for one hundred years, was created by Louis XIV, the Sun King. When revolution broke out in 1789, the court departed for the capital. This magnificent palace is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an easy day trip from Paris.

Versailles Palace Gates

Europe '81: Château de Versailles

September 20, 1981

I spent the last day of my first trip to Europe at Château de Versailles, the impressive French palace located twenty kilometres outside of Paris. Versailles was a luxurious royal residence until King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie-Antoinette, were forced out by an angry mob during the French Revolution. Today the Palace and Park of Versailles is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Château de Versailles (1981)

Europe '81: Schönbrunn Palace

September 10, 1981

My third day in Vienna began at Schönbrunn Palace, summer residence of the Habsburgs. The previous day I'd toured their winter residence, the Hofburg. According to the meagre notes in my trip diary the palace was beautiful and elaborate; the grounds lovely and spacious.

Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna (1981)

Sister Train to the Orient Express

I wish I could’ve been a passenger on the legendary Orient Express during the golden age of travel. The luxury train service made famous by Agatha Christie’s novel Murder on the Orient Express is once again traversing the countries of Europe but the fare is a little too expensive for me. I experienced the next best thing by booking a trip on her sister train, Belmond British Pullman.

Animals and Armour at the Tower of London

Tower Bridge is one of London’s most famous landmarks but it’s not as old as it appears. The bridge was built in the late 1800s and designed in keeping with its medieval neighbour, the Tower of London. I got a closer look at the bridge while crossing the River Thames to visit the Tower, the oldest of Her Majesty’s Historic Royal Palaces and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tower Bridge, London

From Cornwall to Dorset

Our weeklong tour of Cornwall, England was sweeping eastward again, passing through the counties of Devon and Dorset on our way back to London, but there was still much more to see. The day ahead promised a visit to a village with a history of smuggling, a working Benedictine abbey, and a popular seaside resort.

Polperro, Cornwall

Cruising the Thames to Greenwich

London is no longer a major port city but the River Thames still bustles with barges, yachts and sightseeing cruises. So it seemed only fitting that we take to the water for our journey to the World Heritage Site of Maritime Greenwich. 

The River Thames, London

Opera and Shakespeare in Verona

This week I’m back to my posts about Italy, picking up in the north as we journey from Lake Maggiore towards the Adriatic coast. At mid-day we stopped for lunch in  the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Verona, a city best known as the setting for Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet as well as its Roman ruins and summer opera festival.

The Verona Arena

Cinque Terre: the Five Lands

On the rugged northwest coast of Italy there are five small fishing villages: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. I love saying the names out loud – it makes me feel like I can speak Italian. (I really can’t.) Together these villages are known as the Cinque Terre, the Five Lands. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was once accessible only by sea and untouched by the modern world. Today the villages welcome visitors but retain their old world charm.

Porto Venere and the Gulf of Poets

A few years ago I fell in love with Villefranche-sur-Mer on the French Cote d’Azur. Nothing can match the beautiful scenery and casual ambience of a small seaside town. Now I’ve lost my heart to the charming village of Porto Venere on the Ligurian coast of Italy. This stretch of coastline is known as the Riviera di Levante, the coast of the rising sun.

Porto Venere on the Italian Riviera

The Tuscan Hill Town of San Gimignano

Thirty miles southwest of Florence in the rolling hills of Tuscany is San Gimignano, the Town of Fine Towers. Our visit to this UNESCO World Heritage Site was a pleasant break from the cultural overload of Florence and Rome. Only 14 of the town’s original 72 towers remain standing but they create a dramatic skyline. And while wandering the streets of this picturesque town I sampled award-winning gelato, a traditional Tuscan sausage and one of Italy’s oldest wines.

San Gimignano, the Town of Fine Towers

My Bucket List: Tower of Notre-Dame

Notre-Dame Cathedral is one of the major sights in Paris. It's listed as part of the 'Paris, Banks of the Seine' UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to Victor Hugo’s fictional hunchback, Quasimodo. It’s also a great example of gothic architecture with its flying buttresses, ribbed vaulting and pointed arches. When I discovered I could climb to the top of the cathedral’s tower, I added the experience to my bucket list. And this experience put both my stamina and my knees to the test.

Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris

Afternoon in Arles

Arles, July 2012 - This was the last day of our Burgundy and Provence river cruise with Avalon Waterways. We'd spent the morning in the French countryside touring an olive farm and the hilltop town of Les Baux de Provence. Following lunch on board ship our afternoon was dedicated to a walking tour of Arles.

Tour de la Cavalerie and Arles City Gate

Avignon and the Pont du Gard

Avignon, July 2012 - The Avalon Scenery sailed at night and we woke up in Avignon, the City of Popes. We'd finally arrived in Provence!

Avalon Scenery double-docked in Avignon

Lyon - Frescoes and Traboules

I heard the ship's engines start up about 5:00 a.m. - it was a very quiet rumble. We had a late breakfast (including a mimosa), bid farewell to the resident swans and the remainder of the morning was spent cruising the Saone River to Lyon, the third largest city in France after Paris and Marseille.

Swans on Saone River at Macon

Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath

London, May 2010 - We were in London, spending a couple of extra days before the start of our Contrasts of Europe train tour with Trafalgar Tours. Today we were taking a full day Evan Evans tour to three of the country's most popular sights: Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath.

A shuttle bus transferred us from our hotel to Victoria Station, where we boarded our tour bus and met our guide for the day, who was both knowledgeable and entertaining.

Windsor Royal Shopping