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FLEMISH NORD
Found near the Belgian border in northern France, Lille is connected via the Eurostar central to the London-Paris-Brussels triangle and was named a European Capital of Culture in 2004. Be sure to note the two adjacent train stations: Gare de Lille Flandres is nearest to the old town and Gare de Lille Europe is for high-speed Eurostar, Thalys, and TGV.
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Paris Explored
The Eiffel Tower: French Icon, Once Disputed, Now Cherished
Daybreak cast a hazy pastel backdrop beyond the trellised silhouette. Once viewed by Parisians as a blemish upon the skyline, this wrought-iron structure now proudly stands as France’s most celebrated icon. Our body clocks, not yet adjusted from Pacific Standard Time, woke us in the early morning darkness on the first day of our first…
Honoring Gothic Inspiration and Quality: Paris Notre Dame, the Masterpiece
Certain places throughout the world exude quality and inspire each of us to be the best version of ourselves. In Paris (and throughout France, for that matter) quality is the standard rather than the exception. At the heart of the city, rising over the banks of the Seine on the Île de la Cité, Notre…
Travel Guide: Northwestern Europe
As we watched the 2018 FIFA World Cup games, we prepared for a nearly month-long trip to Europe. The global game of football, soccer to Americans, was our theme. Aaron and I had wanted to take our two teenage boys to Europe for years. They began playing at a young age and continue to receive technical…
Exporing Touraine in the Loire Valley
The city of Tours and Château d’Artigny was a good starting point for our self-guided driving tour throughout the Loire Valley of France. Our day’s agenda took us through the region of Touraine, to Château de Chenonceau and Château d’Amboise. We first arrived at Chenonceau, one of the loveliest and most romantic of all the chateaux… From there, we headed off to the town of…
Chateau d’Artigny
Upon leaving Chartres, France, we headed off to Château d’Artigny near Montbazon, a few miles away from the city of Tours. Sitting along the Indre River in the heart of the Loire Valley, this near-replica of the 18th-century château at Champlâtreux was completed in 1928. We called it home for a few days while we took in the local sites. However, this…
Chartres Cathedral
In addition to enjoying rich cafés, fresh local cuisine, regional wine and chévre cheese, we set out to experience the home to some of the world’s greatest architecture… the Loire Valley. This fertile terrain is rich in scenic antiquity and France’s aristocratic past. Abundant with historical fortresses, chateaux and churches, high on my list of places to visit was the UNESCO World Heritage…
Paris: First Experience, A Dream Realized
I’ve always believed that travel is good for the mind and soul. It exposes us to culture, language, food and surroundings beyond the familiar setting of our everyday. On one such trip to France with my husband, I worked to capture the allure of this culture in photos as my eye could capture. Among the…
AMG Inspired 