By Jim Cassidy ITWPA Member “This is not a reproduction, it is a work of art,” proclaimed the then president of France, Francois Hollande, after officially opening The International Cave Painting Centre at Lascaux early in December of last year. For four years and at a cost of 60 million euro (approximately $66 million), a team of specialists had been hard at work … [Read more...] about 20,000-year-old French Cave Paintings Get a 21st Century Makeover
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Strasbourg – The European Capital of Christmas
By Jim Cassidy ITWPA Member There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of Christmas markets held across Europe every year. But there is one city in France that claims to be the Capitale de Noel. Strasbourg, in the northeast of the country, sits close to the German border, and certainly has the pedigree. It’s been holding special festive markets since 1570, making it … [Read more...] about Strasbourg – The European Capital of Christmas
Glamping with the Owls
By James (Jim) Cassidy ITWPA Member It’s hard to imagine you’re spending the night in a tent, albeit a pretty upmarket tent. This Mongolian-style yurt nestles among the trees on top of a hillside in southwestern France. One thing about glamping, as it’s called, means you don’t need to rough it anymore. Remember those sleepless nights lying on a rickety camp bed -- or … [Read more...] about Glamping with the Owls
A Michelin Memory of Provence
By Susan Payton ITWPA Member A crispy baguette. Fresh, creamy goat cheese. While these were all we could afford when backpacking through France in our 20s, we still clamored for them 15 years later when visiting France, even though we were no longer broke college students. And yet, on a recent trip to Provence, my husband and I wanted something more, something … [Read more...] about A Michelin Memory of Provence
Beethoven and Bach in the Hinterland of France
By Richard Alexander ITWPA Member The ancient Abbey of Saint Robert sits 3,500 feet above sea level in La Chaise Dieu, a tiny village in southwestern France. Deep in the vast Livradois forest, it’s a colossal stone structure in one of France’s wildest, least-populated regions -- a surprising setting for the major international festival of classical music staged there every … [Read more...] about Beethoven and Bach in the Hinterland of France