ICI & LA NATURE PICTURES

France – Mediterranean Coast : Sunset over Le Grau du Roi – 30 photos.

Le Grau du Roi is located in Camargue along the Mediterranean coastline. This peaceful place is a former fishermen hamlet and developped in the 19th century as a sea resort thanks to the 18 km sandy beaches near the Natural Park of Camargue.     Ici & Là Nature : …

France – Monte-Carlo : the famous Corniche Road above the French Riviera – 30 photos.

Monte-Carlo , along the French Riviera, is a particular place where luxury and wealth occupy the whole space. The few acres of land are not large enough to cope with the increasing demand which lead to conquer the land from the Sea. This famous Corniche road was also in Hitchcok’s …

Southwestern France : Sunny Sunday in Bordeaux, Market Day along the Garonne River – 40 photos.

  What’s up on Sunday ? On Sunday morning in France it is “Market Day”. It is such a pleasure to stroll around colourful stallls..So here we go for a walk at the Open air Market along the quays of the Garonne River in the city of Bordeaux, which the French …

France : Paris in Summer along the Seine…. – 30 photos.

      In Summer and precisely in August Paris is not totally Paris : the Seine banks turn into a great sea resort where the Parisians can enjoy sunbathing. In August the city is less buzy and nearly “empty”as most of the Parisians are on holidays somewhere else in the …

Spain – Catalonia : Figueres , the town where Salvador Dali let out his first cry!….- 50 photos.

  Figueres in Catalonia , Spain, over the French border, is the city were Dali was born and grew up. It is impossible to forget it while strolling in the town… and this is also where the painter had built his renowned Museum . A few km further, along the Mediterranean shores the famous …

France – Provence : The hidden coves ( calanques ) of Cassis – 40 photos.

The coast from Cassis to Marseille is a protected paradise. This is the heart of the Provence, where Marcel Pagnol, Dumas, Lamartine and even Simone de Beauvoir wrote about these creeks and where many painters of all periods have been seduced by the colors and the unique year round sunlight …

France- Provence : Arles, the Roman, The Way and Vincent Van Gogh….. – 50 photos.

  Arles is a beautiful historic town in the South of France along the Rhone river. It dates back to the Roman period: major vestiges witness of that period .Buildings and Monuments are listed UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Roman amphitheater (the arena), the antique theater, Constantine Roman baths, the remains …

France- Provence : Aigues Mortes, an unreal medieval fortified city – 50 photos

  In Provence, more precisely in Camargue which is a unique environment, Aigues-Mortes is located 6 km from the Mediterranean Sea. It is on the Via Tolosana or Arles Route to Santiago de Compostela. This city has seen crusaders and templars as well as the Religion Wars, but is now …

France- Normandy D-Day : Sword Beach, Ouistreham and Pegasus Bridge…- 50 photos.

    The beaches of Normandy are the place where the Allied Forces Landing took place in WWII. More than 60 years after the D Day, the Normand Coast and its seaside resorts are nowadays peaceful but remain deeply rooted in the landscape as an important turning point of France History  Sword Beach …

France – D-Day Normandy : La Cambe, Garden of Peace – 30 photos.

  The desire for peace is stronger than ever before. Yet all hopes that people would learn from the terrors of war keep getting disappointed. The atrocities of war seem to fade. War graves are one of the few places where history is made visible. They truly are memorials of …

France – Way of St-James : The Arles Route – Saint-Guilhem le Désert – 50 photos.

In the heart of the Hérault Gorges, the medieval village of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is in a green setting along the meandering Verdus stream. Its houses are snuggled tightly together, with roof tiles, gemelled windows…Built around the Abbey of Gellone, the medieval village composes a unique, harmonious site in Languedoc. Saint Guilhem le Désert is classified …

South of France – Mediterranean Sea : Sète, departure point of the Canal du Midi – 40 photos

The Thau lagoon on the shores of the Mediterranean and along the Canal combines the pleasures of the beach to the charm of a tiny port. Marseillan has kept the authenticity “du Midi” and the locals still speak with this sunny accent that warms the hearts! These pictures have been …

South France – Pyrenees – On the Way : Lourdes – Saint-Jean-Pied de Port – 50 photos.

On the way of St-James by the Piemont route also called the Pyrenean Route. All the European routes to Santiago de Compostela converge in the Pyrenees. These  footpaths are however only part of the 4,500  km of maintained and waymarked paths offered to the hiker, including the 1,000 km of long-distance …

South-West France : Bordeaux City -A walk at Port of the Moon – 50 photos.

Everyone or so knows the name of Bordeaux because of the prestigious wine Grands Crus but who knows that this wealthy city is one of the favourite cities and was even ranked on top of the list among the French people thanks to its quality of life and its beauty. The wine capital …

French Riviera : Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, the secret ” Côte d’ Azur “- 40 photos.

Located between Menton and Monaco protected from the Northern wind by the Mount Agel which is 1145 m high, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, enjoys a very mild climate which generates a lush vegetation. From prehistory to the Romans, from Lombard Kings to Belle Epoque artists, they have all succumbed to the charm of …

French Riviera : Sainte-Agnes, the highest coastal village in Europe – 30 photos.

  Sainte-Agnes is a hilltop village overlooking the Mediterraean Sea, a few kilometres inland from the coastal towns of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and Menton.The French border with Italy is very close. It is claimed to be the highest coastal village in Europe, 800 m above the sea…. Sainte-Agnes is also classified as one …

France – Brittany : Near Roscoff, walk on the coastal path GR34 – 30 photos.

Brittany is a region of France with a strong identity. The Bretons (British) are Celts, they have preserved their own language still taught at school, (even if it is not really used), they have their own traditions with an incredible number of tiny fishing ports, sandy coves, granite houses and …

France : Provence Walks – Sunset on Cassis Harbour …..- 50 photos.

Cassis is a little fishermen port on the Mediterranean shores, a few 30 km East of Marseille, nestled in a preserved environment between the Calanques of Marseille and the Cape Canaille. The road leading to the small city is already an immersion in Provence among the vineyards and the pine forest …

France – Mediterranean Coast : Pointe Courte on the banks of the Thau Lagoon

France – Mediterranean Coast : Pointe Courte France – Cycling along the Canal du Midi from Sète to Carcassonne http://www.icietlanature.com Walk & Bike in France On the banks of the Thau Lagoon “Etang de Thau”, a total mess of wooden poles, fishing gear, traps and nets drying under the sun. It …

France – Bordeaux Vineyards : Old Castles, Windmills and medieval towers – 40 photos.

France – Biking tours around Bordeaux . Located near Bordeaux the castle of Roquetaillade has been owned by the same family since 1306 ! The History of this place dates back to the Prehistoric times because at that time there were troglodytes houses. Then Charlemagne built the first timber fortifications in the 9th …

France – Nice County : Sospel ! Authenticity and charm, 12 miles from the French Riviera ! – 50 photos .

      Natural and authentic,  Sospel is located at the entrance of the Mercantour National Park of the Southern Alps, not far from the famous French Riviera.Yet this is  another world. A 13th century fortified toll bridge (one of the last in Europe) and a veeeryy peaceful village on …

France – Corrèze : Turenne, a charming medieval city – Follow the guide ! Moo ooo- 50 photos

  Turenne is located on top of the limestone Martel Causse, and in a hilly region cut through by the green Dordogne and Vézère rivers. This is Limousin region and the Correze department bordering the most famous Lot and Dordogne department. It cuts a fine figure with the remains of the castle …

France – Provence Alps : The Spectacular Hillside Village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie – 50 photos.

Moustiers Sainte Marie has been listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France since 1981 . The village walls, the church, the chapels, the aqueduct, the fountains,  the pastel colours of the tiles create a homogenous architectural whole. The place naturally generates respect. Provence- Verdon-French Riviera : Self guided …

France – Brittany : Cancale – Biking along the Emerald Coast – 40 photos.

  Cancale is considered as the jewel of the Emerald Coast just in front of the Saint Michel Mount Bay. This place has a great sailing tradition. The fishermen used to leave their city during 7 months to join Terre Neuve and come back with their boats filled with cod. …

Happy and Peaceful New Year for every one.

France – Provence Coast : La Ciotat, a charming tiny port – 30 photos.

La Ciotat is typical fishermen port behind the calanques and the Cap Canaille, not far from Cassis but with a complete different atmosphere, less turistic and attractive than its neighbour but nonetheless authentic and pleasant. In this town  the Cinema  is born with the Brothers Lumière and the film called “the train …

France – Alps : Verdon Gorges, Castellane… You’ll be swept off your feet ! – 50 photos.

        …. Castellane is located  in Haute-Provence. This is the gateway to the Gorges du Verdon, a rich cultural and natural heritage at the junction between the Route Napoléon and the Lavender Roads, an immersion into the Verdon National Park. The gorges du Verdon is considered as the deepest canyon in Europe.Stretching over …

France – Corrèze : Curemonte , a stunning medieval village… Walk back in time ! – 30 photos….

    In the Corrèze department( Dordogne area ), the green countryside is dotted with plenty of medieval villages some of them clasified among “the most Beautiful villages of France”. A medieval village with three castles and three churches, Curemonte was inhabited by the French writer Colette during the Second …

France – French Riviera : La Turbie – Monaco – 40 photos.

France – French Riviera : La Turbie – Monaco La Turbie is a French town of Provence overlooking Monaco Walking trip on the French Riviera all year long  Like a balcony over the sea, 1150 m above the Mediterranean, the little town floats in the blue sky dominated by the 35 …

France – French Riviera : The Gulf of Saint-Tropez- 40 photos.

    Gassin…. Gassin is situated in the middle of the Saint Tropez peninsula, perched high up on a rock and less than 4km. from the sea. The village has kept its old winding streets and ancient houses. Its location is really quite exceptional overlooking vineyards, woods and the gulf …

France – Provence : A spectacular walk on the Cap Canaille – 40 photos

On the East side of the village and harbor of Cassis near Marseille, Cap Canaille forms a huge stone rampart. The cliffs of this mountain are the highest sea cliffs in France. Their highlight is the Great Head with its sheer drop of 394m. ( Read more ) The  Cap Canaille …

France – Burgundy Vineyards : Biking around Meursault, the land of great white wines – 25 photos

  Famous wines of Côte d’Or and one of the most varied and finest cuisines of France are the first things you think of when hearing “Burgundy”. Additionally a tour of Burgundy lives from the ideal combination of stunning countryside and splendid treasures of art.( Read more ) France-Burgundy : Cycling throught …

France – Burgundy Vineyards : Chablis, a great appelation – 30 photos.

  The village of Chablis, Northwestern Burgundy, has given its name to one of the most famous French white wines. Chablis is made with Chardonnay, a grape that grows easily in the region. Monks from the Abbey of Pontigny were the first to plant Chardonnay grapes here on the slopes surrounding the …

France – Basque Country : La Bastide Clairence , the old blacksmith shop – 40 photos

La Bastide Clairence is located in Southwestern France, Basque Country. “Bastida de Clarenza” was founded in 1314 by Louis I King of Navarre and future King of France because he needed an outlet onto the sea. It still bears the marks of the different peoples and religions that came here as …

France- Provence Alps : Verdon Gorge, the Grand Canyon of Europe – 50 photos.

The Verdon Gorge, in south-eastern France (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), is a river canyon often considered to be one of Europe’s most beautiful. It is about 25 kilometres long and up to 700 metres deep. It was formed by the Verdon River, which name means the water is green, turquoise-green colour due to the …