Trier, Germany

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For Christmas cheer we went to Trier A dark cloud and rain followed in train Oh dear, oh dear – what have we done? A wet, grey Trier can’t be much fun!

Once in town we wandered around – And as if by magic right there and then The Weihnachtsmarkt, came into sight Attracting us with its shimmering light

Misletoe, holly, Glühwein-to make us jolly And carol singing to round-off the day The Christmas spirit has now reappeared And may the holiday season begin!

Xmas time at Trier - a truly magical experience

Weihnachtsmarkt

Porta Nigra

Porta Nigra

Hauptmarkt - old houses

Trier, Treves for the English, a name that evokes a Roman past, stands for a picturesque city on the Mosel River.

Boasts an imposing Roman city gate, the oldest one north of the Alps, named later Porta Nigra due to the darkened colour of its stone. Other Roman remains include baths, amphitheatre, the huge Constantine basilica, Trier cathedral, parts of the town wall, in short plenty to excite any Roman enthusiast, or any tourist in fact! From the curious old tread wheel cranes (one Gothic from 15^th century, the other Baroque, from 18^th century), to the lovely Hauptmarkt, deemed as one of the finest squares in Germany, a walk round town is almost like a walk back in time.

St nicholas

COAST - Deauville - "The Kingdom of Elegance"

This time it wasn't Queen Victoria in search of yet another watering place, but the half brother of Napoleon III, Duke de Morny, who during a stay in Normandy, in neighbouring Trouville, came up with the idea to create there a "Kingdom of Elegance". The new resort, Deauville, sprouted along the sandy beaches between 1860-1864 and had immediate success. All of Paris flocked to see it. It became an inspiration to many an artist and notably Coco Chanel, who opened one of her first boutiques here. Deauville was immortalised in the 60s classic “Un homme et une femme” and the haunting theme music is forever associated with the place.

Port de plaisance

A Great Egret (White Heron) on the beach of Deauville, 16/10/2011

Normandy Barrière Hotel

Casino Barrière de Deauville

THE ALPS -Tignes

Mont Blanc from La Tovière

Tignes from Croix de Lognan

Col de la Croix des Frêtes

L'Aiguille Percée

Edelweiss, edelweiss
Small and white
Clean and bright

Lac du Chevril

Barrage de Tignes

THE ALPS - Lac d'Emosson

Only 19 km from Chamonix/Mont Blanc, on the Franco-Swiss border, the truly spectacular Lake Emosson is well worth the visit. At 1961 m above sea level, you can admire and even walk along the dam of the reservoir itself.

The Funicular of Châtelard
The 2 cars run on the steepest slope in the world - 87% - almost perpendicular!

The little panoramic train
follows the hillside and offers magnificent views of the Mont Blanc range

The minifunic
connects the terminal of the panoramic train to the Lake Emosson

Barrage d'Emosson
(Emosson Dam)

Barrage d'Emosson
(Emosson Dam)

Lac du Vieux Emosson

SUMMER IN THE ALPS

THE ALPS, Fer-à-cheval

The Alps, Taninges - Praz de Lys - Sommand

Taninges

Taninges

Praz de Lys

Sommand

Sommand

L'Abbaye de Fontevraud, Val de Loire, France

It started as the utopian dream of one man who was well ahead of his times; Robert d’Arbrissel was a famous preacher and set out to found the ideal city – a religious establishment uniting five very different monasteries: one for the nuns, one for the monks, one for the lepers, one for the sick and finally one for the fallen women...The year is 1099! At the head of this large community Robert d’Abrissel placed a woman.  As we can imagine such a dream was not to last long; it quickly became victim of its own success, attracting Royal patronage and becoming a fashionable retreat for repudiated queens and princesses. After the French Revolution from a Royal sanctuary it was converted into a dismal prison and remained such until 1963 (the last prisoners left as late as 1985!). Now it has been restored to its former glory.

The  Plantagenet  tombs - polychrome recumbent figures of Henri II, King of England and Queen Eleanor, his wife; Richard Lionheart, their son and Isabelle of Angoulême, one of their daughters-in-law (wife of John Lackland).

COAST - Cherbourg, Normandy, France

The largest town in the Cotentin peninsula is Cherbourg on the north coast, a major cross-channel port 

Jantje arrives at Cherbourg
http://www.sailing-jantje.nl/en/






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Cherbourg Marina

    










Cherbourg Marina at sunset

 

 

La Cité de la Mer



La Cité de la Mer








 



La Cité de la Mer - Titanic




 






 

 

COAST - the Cotentin peninsula, Normandy France

The Cotentin peninsula, also known as the Cherbourg peninsula forming part of the north-western coast of France, projects north - westwards into the English Channel

Barfleur

Pointe de Barfleur



Pointe de Barfleur Gatteville




Cap Lévy



Cap de la Hague - Phare de Goury

Provins, France

Provins is not situated in Provence, but is a provincial town at an easy distance from Paris. This small,  one-time important town has kept intact its medieval appearance and uses it to its advantage, while  hosting its Medieval Fairs, very popular with the tourists.

 UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.