Journeys

The Calanques

June 07, 2022: Cassis. We turned the final corner of the hot, dusty, Calanques hike. We found the “hidden beach”. Though beautiful, it was already crowded and overrun!

Carcassonne

June 07, 2022: Carcassonne. Madam Carcas threw a fatted pig over the La Cité battlement to burst at the feet of the besieging enemy. Dispirited, they withdrew.

Lourdes

May 13, 2022: Lourdes. In 1858, the Virgin Mary appeared a young peasant girl at Lourdes. Each year, 5 million pilgrims seek healing from the waters of the grotto.

Honfleur

May 11, 2022: Honfleur. Honfleur’s old port is a living impressionist painting, with colorful fishermen’s houses reflecting in the basin.

Calvados

May 13, 2022: Calvados. Calvados, famous for its apple brandy, is a coastal part of Normandy. It contains most of the D-Day sights… and wonderful cideries!

July 14, 2022: Bastille Day. The 14th of July is celebrated in grand fashion in Paris, with military parades, fireworks, and an all-night party. This is the French National Celebration, also known as Bastille Day, akin to the USA’s 4th of July.

Andorra

June 3, 2022: Andorra. Jean and I added Andorra, another European micro-state, to our “been there” list. The tiny country, population 80,000, has an area of only 181 square miles.

Giverny

May 11, 2022: Giverny. Claude Monet’s gardens in Giverny inspired his painting for more than forty years. “My Garden is my most beautiful masterpiece” he said. We visited his home and garden in May, and found it inspiring as well.

Village of Martyrs

May 23, 2022: Oradour-sur-Glade. Oradour-sur-Glane, Village of Martyrs, ranks among the most tragic places we have visited. On June 10, 1944, just four days after the D-Day invasion at Normandy, Nazis killed everyone in the village – 642 men, women, and children.

The Swiss Trip (Summary)

June – July 2022: Switzerland. At long last, we took the Swiss Trip! When I retired in March 2020, hiking in Switzerland was near the top of my bucket list, behind only Greece. We arrived in mid-June in 2022.