Advantages: beautiful architecture and atmosphere Disadvantages: why should it have any! well, kinda expensive to hang around
Le Mont Saint-Michel
The abbey at Mont Saint-Michel has been one of my dream-destinations to visit since, well, literary ages! This is how the story of my addiction started: Back in 1996 I have got a little pocket calendar with a beautiful cathedral on the front, I have fallen in love with it the moment I laid my eyes on it for the first time! However, the photo bore no description and even if I really did try, I was never able to find out what and where the place was....imagine my frustration as I'm a keen traveler and photographer! I've kept the little picture and every now and then it tortured my mind again. However, I have to say back then I had a strong suspection that it would be someplace in France as you can't iss the resemblance of French architecture. The redemption came in 2006 when my girlfriend told me we were going ...
Advantages: Richest Freak Show On The Planet Disadvantages: Gaudy, Tacky and Fake
Prelude
In August of this year I was lucky enough to spend a few weeks travelling Provence and the South Of France. Here is what I had written at the time of my Monte Carlo experience...
After spending the last few weeks travelling the south of france in a motorhome, i thought i would share some of my experiences with you lucky lot and not least because i recieved the credit card bill through the post today!
The journey into Monte Carlo is quite unimpressive, very industrial and stark contrast to the picturesque landscapes surrounding Monte Carlo. You get the first taste of its financial implications by the increased frequency of the tolls upon its approach. It seemed like there was a toll booth on the roads every 10 mins as opposed to the every couple of hours we had experienced around Provence.
We arrived at night, a bit ...
Advantages: architectural wonder Disadvantages: cost many human lives to build
The Canal du Midi, is a man dug canal, situated in the south of France, and joins the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean sea, via the Canal Garonne. The water sources which allow the canal to be constantly navigable, come from the Montagne Noire, (situated in the south west of the Massif Central, near Mazamet, in the Tarn area), by three lakes, and the Saint Ferréol dam. This technical challenge, first imagined in 1539, stayed a project on paper for almost a century, until 1636.
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It was Paul Riquet, an ingenious engineer, born in Béziers in 1604, who started the first portion of the Canal in 1636, under the reign of Louis XIV. The Saint Ferréol dam was built in 1667, and in 1680, the locks at Béziers, called "Les écluses de Fonseranne" were built. Pierre Paul Riquet died that year, and the very first navigation ...
