The capital of Brittany, Rennes is a picture-perfect gem that will richly reward a couple of days’ exploration. At a little over an hour and half by TGV from Paris, it’s the ideal starting point for a tour of Brittany.
Like many people familiar with the rugged coastal landscapes of Monet and other Impressionist painters, we had long been curious about this small island, 15 kms off the southern coast of Brittany. As its name suggests, Belle Île is certainly one of France’s most beautiful islands.
A fitting celebration of the designer’s life and work, this jewel of a museum was opened by the French Minister of Culture in October 2017. Housed in a beautiful Second Empire mansion, which was formerly the premises of his haute couture maison in the discreetly elegant 16th arrondissement, it is an enduring tribute to this legendary designer.
We recently discovered one of the gems of Paris that we had been meaning to visit for a very long time. Off the tourist beaten track in the north east of Paris in the 19th arr., the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is one of the largest outdoor spaces in the city.
As discussed in a recent blog, there are many exciting possibilities for exploring Paris and its regions if you’re armed with a Navigo travel pass. The 17th century masterpiece Vaux-le-Vicomte is just one of 100 châteaux about an hour or less from Paris, many of which are open to the public. A Navigo pass makes a visit to this magnificent château easy to achieve.
