Exotic France

Marseille in the south of France is the country’s second largest city after Paris. Right on the Mediterranean coast it is one of France’s great historic cities.
An ancient city in the Bouches-du-Rhone ‘departement’ of Provence, Marseille is the largest French seaport and one of France’s great historic cities. It was functioning as a port even before Julius Casar conquered the Gauls.
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Normandy echoes the history of past struggles: the Norman Conquest woven into the tapestry at Bayeux, the perils of Jeanne d’Arc recorded in Rouen, the drama of the D-Day landings recorded along the Normandy beaches. The violence of its history is at odds with the ethereal landscapes that inspired Corot, Monet and Pissarro, a region to take it slow by boat, balloon or bicycle
An inspiring gateway to Normandy is Giverny, a village that would be sleeping still had it not captured the heart and imagination of Claude Monet. While the great painter’s pink farmhouse is charming and now a museum, Monte’s masterpiece was his garden, still complete with water lilies. Travelers following the route from here to Rouen can detour to Les Andelys, crowned by the fragmentary remains of Chateau Gaillard, a fortified castle built by Richard the Lion-Hearted in 1196 overlooking the River Seine
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