A daytrip or overnight from Paris into the Chevreuse Valley, including Chevreuse, the Chateau de Breteuil, the Chateau de Dampierre, the Hotel/Abbey of Vaux de Cernay, Rambouillet, and the Forest of Rambouillet.

…As I turned to walk up rue Saint Merri in the Beaubourg Quarter of Paris I was surprised to see that the entire wall of a 5-story building was covered with the image of a face of a man with a finger to its lips. The man was calling for quiet. He had Dali eyes.

Heading south in the Drome region of the Rhone Valley, the landscapes, agriculture and architecture of Provence gradually assert themselves. Even on frigid winter days we recognize glimpses of Provence in Valence, Grignan, Nyons — in town squares, lavender fields, truffle plantations, vineyards and olive orchards.

Menton, last stop on the French Riviera, has two major markers of creativity and sophistication, one gastronomic, one artistic: Mirazur, the outstanding restaurant of chef Mauro Colagreco, and the Jean Cocteau Museum, dedicated to a poet and artist who represents the artful high life along the coast.

Every year the National Archives of France selects events of historical significance to highlight as national commemorations on the occasion of a multiple of their centennial or semicentennial, providing insights into the French national identity.

In Provence, contributor Elizabeth Esris breaks through the picture-post card view of lavender and old stones and allows her imagination to take over while visiting the Abbey of Senanque in the region’s Vaucluse area.

A tour of some of France’s most lively of the Christmas markets: Alsace (Strasbourg, Colmar, Mulhouse), Champagne (Reims), Provence (Avignon, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence) and Paris.

The first high-speed train route in France that is not centered around Paris opened today (Dec. 11, 2011), quickening the connection between Burgundy and Alsace and making train travel throughout eastern France more seamless. Known [...]