Voie Verte is French for GreenwayAcross France the state is developing a network of greenwaysmdashknown as les Voies Vertesmdashreserved for pedestrian and nonmotorized vehicle use. Irsquod cycled a few kilometers on a greenway in Burgundy last year and was eager to see what one in Upper Normandy would be like.I chose the greenway called The Valley of the Epte so named because it intertwi

Posted: September 27th, 2009 under Upper Normandy.
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A day in September 2009 at Gravelines France…

Posted: September 24th, 2009 under Normandy Videos.
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By Bus and by TrainThis day Tuesday was a travel day. I left the Hotel Chopin after breakfast and traveled by a single city busno transferdirectly to the Gare St.Lazare. From there I caught a train to Vernon about an hour away in Upper Normandy. A fellow passenger on the train who was coming from Paris to visit his family offered me a lift to the Avis car rental office saving me the long

Posted: September 23rd, 2009 under Upper Normandy.
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Well we have been home over a month now and have begun to edit our photos so far we are down by two thirds from 3000 to 1000 Don't worry we wouldn't post them all but we thought you might like to see a few. These are from our first days in France. July 1719 which we spent with our friends in Deauville and visiting the DDay beaches and American cemetery.

Posted: September 23rd, 2009 under Upper Normandy.
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La Cidrerie comprises of French Villas to rent in Normandy, France. La Cidrerie is a group of converted barns for rent built in the traditional stone of the region located near Granville. With secluded private gardens, yet only a few kilometres drive away from either the golden sandy beaches of Jullouville and Carolles. Visit

Posted: September 22nd, 2009 under Normandy Videos.
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A Bit of Practical InfoPublic restrooms that don't require admission to something else first can be scarce in Paris. In an emergency I've used those gray metal cylinders on the sidewalksmdashthe ones that automatically clean themselves after every customermdashbut I find them damp and a little scary and they aren't plentiful either. The conventional solution is to stop at a cafe then 1 or

Posted: September 21st, 2009 under Upper Normandy.
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A Hotel Down a PassageTouched down at Charles de Gaulle airport late this morning and got myself into the city by the Roissy Bus. My lodgingsmdashin the Hotel Chopinmdashare in the lower portion of the 9th district only a kilometer or so from the Opera Garnier where the bus drops its passengers before heading back to the airport.Hotel Chopin is a budget accommodation but it suits me just fin

Posted: September 21st, 2009 under Upper Normandy.
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1 Murder in the Bastille by Cara BlackSelected because I'm consuming mystery novels like MMs at the moment and this one takes place in Paris.Disposition While awaiting plane in Tallahassee airport dragged myself through first two pages spotchecked pages deeper in book to confirm no improvement in writing style jettisoned in ladies restroom before takeoff.2 NY Times Book Review f

Posted: September 21st, 2009 under Upper Normandy.
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It's Always Nice to See Other Americans in ParisI was welcomed to the Left Bank by the bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson who served as ambassador to France prior to his term as president of the new US. They say he spent much of his time here enjoying the sights socializing with the French elite and developing a close personal relationship with a member of his American staff. Seeing Jefferson th

Posted: September 21st, 2009 under Upper Normandy.
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Tour de Chev Blogday 1 Wednesday 16th SeptemberSo we finally set off up at the crack of dawn heading to France for some culture ancient monuments in Brittany Carnac and cave paintings in the Dordogne Lascaux but most mostly for some sun having been deprived of the same for the third summer in a row.The Mighty Chev was serviced cleaned and ready to head for a country where left hand drive

Posted: September 20th, 2009 under Lower Normandy.
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Departure Date minus 1.I've just started this blog and am unfamiliar with how it works. Anyway the idea is to record a holiday that Jane and I are taking in France. The mode of transport being the Big Bad Chev my Chevrolet Camaro the hero of the Big Drive Home in 2002 back to doing what it does best long distrance cruising.The plan is to take the ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre and stay the

Posted: September 19th, 2009 under Upper Normandy.
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Leaving Paris was not easy but nonetheless part of the plan. We had entered this marvelous city under the cover of clouds and rain and would leave it the same way. Fortunately for us all the days in between were warm and sunny. Our last hotel was directly across from the train station that would deliver us to our next destination. We boarded the nearly empty train which left promptly on time and

Posted: September 18th, 2009 under Lower Normandy.
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