France

Cycling holidays · 26 April 2022

Travels with a Brompton

At about the time I was engaged on a series of long bike rides through France I met a man at a drinks party who had…

France · 10 May 2020

Golf and covid: the new abnormal

At least the lockdown spared us the torture of golf. Tasting an unfamiliar hint of serenity in the mixed salad of my mood, I can only…

France · 6 February 2020

On the George Sand trail

This morning’s Radio 4 Lord Bragg show about George Sand took me back to my first university year, when someone on my staircase had a sophisticated…

‘Me te se nous vous …. le la les ….. lui leur … y en!’ I found myself chanting along with Hugh Schofield yesterday morning during…

The future of the off-piste resort of La Grave is once again in doubt, as it has been for much of its forty year existence. The…

Sorry, I’ve moved this post to another page: see Brittany Tour

A new route to the French Alps – via le Petit Prince and the Magic Kingdom. I’m sure it’s not new, but it’s new to me…

France · 29 October 2015

Brittany at half term: le golf de Morbihan

Two weeks for half term in late October is a long haul for parents, especially those abandoned by their wives and daughters (in Venice for a…

I was provoked to go and see the film of Gemma Bovery – a long running Guardian strip cartoon from the 1990s that made fun of…

France · 20 August 2015

On the trail of Madame Bovary

Pig is on the 13 euro lunch menu at Le Bovary in the small village of Ry, near Rouen. Nothing fancy – museau vinaigrette (cheek), plat…

Austria · 6 February 2015

Not so sure about snowsure

“Any chance you can supply a picture?” Cue small earthquake in south west Oxfordshire. The filing system is comprehensively rummaged, turned upside down and shaken. Could…

France · 5 December 2014

French men are obsessed by wardrobes

Last week my daughter had to choose an article from The Times to analyse. She flicked through the newspaper on the way to school, reading out…

Cycling holidays · 3 August 2014

a reader writes

A reader – yes! – “just wondered if you might be able to offer some advice.” Well, I might. I enjoy displacement activity and responding to…

Daniel was not in bed, technically, when I poked my head round his door at eight, but at least he was in his room. It was…

Cycling holidays · 27 April 2014

In the Valley of the Kings

The English-language edition of the guide to the Loire à Vélo cycling trail reached me recently. I opened it with interest, having been surprised, when we…

Cycling holidays · 3 December 2013

Golf and cycling

In idle moments I have often googled golf and bicycle (or cycling). Almost nothing comes up, apart from a virtual debate about whether cycling is the…

France · 12 November 2013

Chamonix by train: transport update

From Lyon comes an important announcement from Anne Lambusson, regional directrice of the Reseau Ferré de France. ‘After studying many hypotheses’ concerning the reopening of the…

France · 1 October 2013

Ski hosting – no end to hostilities

Nov 7 update: Le Ski’s appeal deferred until May 2014 for further investigation, so the ban stands for the coming season. I’m up to here with…

Cycling holidays · 6 September 2013

The only way is ethics

Waiting for the article to appear is a difficult time, especially when you have gone to bed with a publication for the first time, as was…

On the strength of a Buy recommendation in the FT I am reading Laetitia Rutherford’s so far marvellous memoir, Our Hearts Hang From The Lemon Trees.…

Made my annual visit to the Dyfi Valley Bookshop in Machynlleth in case any of the 100-odd novels written by my great aunt Berta have fetched…

France · 20 July 2013

Annecy – deep fishing and steep skiing

As we gird ourselves for another great day for British sport, Chris Froome and the cricketers seem closer to their objectives than yeoman Westwood, whose protestations…

Any minute now, the Tour de France cyclists will be toiling over the Col de la Croix-Fry and passing the world’s most stereotypically delightful Alpine chalet-hotel,…

So … just a short stage today for our cyclist heroes: a mere 168km to Alpe d’Huez finishing with 30km of ascent in two bits, totalling…

@rosiesimpson writes rather a brilliant blog in the form – for the moment at least – of a wine guide to the Tour de France. I…

Cycling holidays · 17 July 2013

Crocophile years

As any fule kno, our world divides into two kinds of people: crocophiles and crocophobes. It is not a division down the middle, because the angry…

Cycling holidays · 5 July 2013

Watching the Tour de France, or not

“A big picnic, with a cycling race attached,” is how Nadia of @foothillsfrance describes the Tour de France, from the spectator’s point of view. In July…

Auberge Ferayola, Argentella, Corsica 00 33 4 95652525 www.ferayola.com I’ve moved this post to the hotel archive page

France · 6 April 2013

Les Grands Montets is fifty today

The Grands Montets is 50 years old today, and will be hosting a big party all day – bigger than usual, that is – with raffle…

France · 10 March 2013

PS: afterthoughts in Brittany

Road testing your own guide book can be quite spooky, especially in places you wrote about blind; that is to say, on the basis of exhaustive…

Last week a French court ruling against ski tour operator Le Ski (to be appealed) brought about the suspension of ski hosting by British tour operators…

On the day of the mother of battles at Twickenham, a delightful contribution to Radio 4’s From Our Own Correspondent about Notre Dame du Rugby, a…

France · 17 February 2013

Attention: chien méchant

Now that the weather has taken a turn for the better, the country roads around us are full of people on horses, bicycles and their feet,…

France · 12 January 2013

Bellecote, North Face. Never on Monday

News from La Plagne of a serious accident on the North Face of Bellecote is a reminder that as the weather changes, so does the primary…

The row between French ski schools and British tour operators about ski hosting/guiding/leading/instructing has gone on so long , it’s beginning to seem like the Hundred…