Rochefort: Ships, Shipyards and Seafarers
As a former naval and shipbuilding town once surrounded by marshland, Rochefort can’t stake a claim to quaint streets, charming strolls or photogenic vistas. But nearly a hundred years after the closing of its naval shipyard, the town has played its historical cards in such a way as to make this an attention-grabbing, off-circuit destination.
Sylvie Deschamps, France’s Master Artist of Gold Embroidery
An interview with Sylvie Deschamps, France's Master Artist of gold embroidery and director of the Bégonia d'Or workshop in Rochefort, an upriver port town in western France. Includes demonstration video.
The Begonia Conservatory: Without Rochefort There Would Be No Begonias
The town of Rochefort in western France, best known for its historic naval dockyard, is home to Europe’s most important collection of begonias, which is to be expected given that there would be no begonias (or magnolias or fuchsias) were it not for Rochefort. An explanation and a visit.
In Search of the Sweet Life in Marseille’s Panier District
If you’ve never heard of the French TV series Plus belle la vie (Life’s so sweet), France’s longest-running TV series, then Wendy Dubreuil’s article will help you tune into some contemporary French pop culture while also offering a glimpse of the Panier district of Marseille. The Panier largely inspired the fictional Mistral district whose lives, loves, rumors, politics and crime are depicted in the series.
Auberge des Templiers: Where the Relais & Châteaux Dream Began
Today’s Relais & Châteaux spans the globe from A(rgentina) to Z(ambia), with 544 resort/restaurant “members.” Of course, all this glamor had to start somewhere and “somewhere” turns out to be roughly 80 miles south of Paris, between Burgundy and the Loire Valley, at a quiet, family-run inn called the Auberge des Templiers.
Loire Valley: Where There’s a Château There’s a Garden Waiting to Be Discovered
The chateaux of the Loire Valley each tell a story, many stories in fact, mostly told in limestone and slate. But not all of its stories are written in stone. Some are also told in vegetation (gardens, parks, woods and forests) and water (rivers, streams, canals and basins).
Camille Claudel’s Great-Niece Shines Light on the Sculptor’s Life and Work
The Camille Claudel Museum in Nogent sur Seine, 65 miles southeast of Paris, not only brings the sculptor out of the shadows of her Auguste Rodin, it also shines light on Claudel’s work as a talented and innovative sculptor in her own right. An interview of Camille Claudel’s great-niece, Reine-Marie Paris, by Janet Hulstrand.
D-Day Revisited: The Airborne Museum’s Disturbing Glorification of Ronald Reagan
Two films are shown at the Airborne Museum in Sainte Mere Eglise, Normandy. One of them is among the better introductory films to a visit to the Landing Zone. The other, a film glorifying Ronald Reagan, is undoubtedly the worst. An editorial explaining why the latter should be taken down.
Art and Exhibitions in France, the 2017 Summer Selection
A rich variety of art shows and other exhibitions await travelers exploring France this summer. Corinne LaBalme has selected for France Revisited some of the most notable of these.