Weather Wednesday

Carried away on a breeze.

***  

Once again the Paris forecast is for highs around 35 - 36°C (or more) this coming week. Coastal areas in Brittany, Normandy, and the Charentes (Atlantic coast) are excellent choices to flee to, not that far, and, thanks to sea breezes and the moderating influence of the Atlantic, northern and western coasts typically stay 5 - 10°C+ cooler, especially right by the sea.

 

 Having spent much time in Brittany, here are my top picks for breezy escapes in the region, with most destinations accessible 2 - 4 hour direct or simple-connection high-speed trains (TGV). The beaches, towns, and activities make for relaxed coastal getaways with walks, seafood, and sightseeing. Or simply pack the laptop and get in some scenic teletravail (working remotely) between sea views and moules frites - now in season, especially Brittany’s famous rope-grown bouchot mussels, including those from the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel:

 

 Dinard & Surrounds. Visit Plage de l'Écluse (main beach with iconic huts) and coastal sentier (path) walks

Finistère West Coast (e.g. Brest, Crozon Peninsula, Pointe du Raz)

Saint-Malo and Emerald Coast (Côte d'Émeraude)

 Quiberon Peninsula (southern Brittany)

 Île de Batz or Ouessant (Ushant)

 Erquy or Cap Fréhel 

 

- Stick as close to the coast as possible for maximum breeze benefit

- Keep in mind that trains fill up in summer - check SNCF Connect soon. Consider a 1 - 2 week regional pass if doing multiple stops

 - Expect variable weather (possible showers), but milder than inland

- Pack layers, sunscreen, and rain gear 

- Head farther west like Brest (Brittany) for even more Atlantic moderation 

Enjoy. And maybe, see you there! - BPJ

***

JULY 23 - 26

Jazz Fesstival on banks of the Aulne

Chateauneuf-du-Faou - Finistère

Central Brittany

Info/Tickets 

   

JULY 26 - 30

Jazz at the Lighthouse 

 Phare de Baleine

Ile de Ré 

Info/Tickets 

 

Travel Tuesday

 

 

Beating the heat.

Above: hiking in the French Alps

 ***

 Reprint from "Some like it hot" 7/26/2019

Some tips for keeping your cool in Paris:

Sip water throughout the day (skip ice-cold and sugary drinks), take cool showers, avoid caffeine, heavy physical activity, and the métro. Uber and G7 taxis are your friends - they usually have AC. Get your errands and sightseeing done early while it’s still fresh out, stay out of direct sunlight, and if possible, nap during hottest hours (in other words, copy cats). More: libraries, parks, gardens, churches - search: air-conditioned spaces open to the public Paris. Come evening, treat yourself to a tall cool one.

 

Pro tips: The city’s many chocolate shops, larger movie theaters and supermarkets (Carrefour, Champion, G20, Franprix etc.) all have strong AC - sometimes so strong the cashiers are wearing sweaters. Keep shutters and windows closed during the day to block out the heat. Or, if you can, head to the mountains. - BPJ

 

***

Fans / ventilateurs
  Space air conditioners / climatiseurs available at:

Darty, Castorama, Conforama, BHV, Bricorama, Mr. Bricolage, Leroy Merlin, Lidl

 

Throwback Thursday

 

A visit to London.

 Above: picture-perfect Peggy Porschen's pretty pink pastry parlour

Belgravia

 

***

 

3 hours (or less) from Paris

Eurostar 

 

Saturday séjour

Up and out early to the village market. But first, coffee.

Easy day/weekend trips from Paris

May newsletter 

Throwback Thursday

 

Memories of Provence in summer.

 

Above: Bandol's morning market w/its cafés on the port

 

*** 

 

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

Paris - Marseille

(around 24 trains per day) 

 From Paris: high-speed TGV from Gare de Lyon; then TER regional train Marseille to Bandol

 

Throwback Thursday

 

Today's throwback is to Le Train Bleu, the elegant restaurant overlooking the tracks inside the Gare de Lyon, from where trains still depart daily for the sun-drenched South of France. If the gastronomy doesn't lure you in (be sure to order their tableside-prepped Crêpes Suzette flambéed with Grand Marnier for dessert), the breathtaking decor certainly will: 41 monumental paintings by renowned Belle Époque artists adorn the walls and soaring ceilings, depicting tempting Côte d'Azur destinations to whet the appetite for travel. - BPJ

 

Forgetful Friday

 

It would appear someone forgot something in a French coastal village.

 

Next newsletter

Easy trips from Paris

 

Mocha Monday

 A café crème, a pot of tea, a drizzly morning, a quiet port. 

 

Paris - La Rochelle +

3 hours (or less) from Paris

  

Flashback Friday

Festive feasting in the English countryside.

 Above: roasted wild pheasants; savory stuffing; fresh (apple-raisin-orange-zest) cranberry chutney; creative salads; homemade tartes

Below: chestnuts for the stuffing; a chai-obsessed chicken; glorious sunrise on a country road 

 

 

 

 

3 hours (or less) from Paris

Eurostar

 

London

 

***

 

Years ago, living in London and invited by friends to the Cotswolds, I was surprised to discover that in the modern English countryside game birds regularly appear on tables ready to carve, and some say are more abundant than ever. These birds, trussed with rosemary, roasted til golden, skin crackling, have earned their place in the kitchen. The majority of pheasants and partridges survive the season to breed wild. Hedgerows are planted and managed specifically for them, cover crops of kale and quinoa stretch for miles and predators are legally controlled. The result: on a good estate you’ll see thirty or forty pheasants strutting along a single lane at dusk, tails flashing, while coveys of partridges whirl up from the stubble like brown fireworks. Soon the birds are plucked, seasoned simply with sea salt, cracked pepper, butter, rosemary or thyme sprigs and laid breast-up on the rack. Glasses are filled with good red wine or a local cider, and the company - cheeks flushed from laughter and gathering chestnuts - falls upon the feast with the honest hunger that only a day in the cold can give. Welcome to the enchanting rhythm of the countryside. - BPJ

 

 

Next newsletter

An English country Thanksgiving

 

Sit-down Saturday

 

 

Looking back to warmer days.

 

île de Ré

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

 

Window Wednesday

 

 

Tudor England, frozen in time from a pub window in an English country village.

 

3 hours (or less) from Paris

Eurostar

 

London 

  

Travel Tuesday

Looking back: a view that never gets old.

(click to enlarge)

  

3 hours (or less) from Paris

Fly/Drive 

Cadaqués, Spain

 

Mocha Monday

 

 

Hot coffee in the heart of Strasbourg's Old Town on a brisk morning.

 

PARIS - STRASBOURG

 3 hours (or less) from Paris

 ***

AI evaluations: Focus On Paris

"FocusOnParis.com is more than a photo blog—it’s a slow-burn love letter to the city, delivered in squares and captions that feel like whispered secrets...." - See About page for more

 

 

Throwback Thursday

 

 A "living statue" street performer at La Rochelle's Vieux Port (Old Port) defies gravity.

Brittany / Normandy / Poitou-Charentes

 3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

 

Throwback Thursday - Black Forest #3

 

 

So good it deserved a post of its own.

 

 Above: fizzy cocktail of freshly-squeezed orange juice, Cointreau, Schweppes topped w/vanilla ice cream and house Schlag at a cozy Gasthaus restaurant, good enough to be a dessert, to share

 

PARIS - STRASBOURG

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

Recommended: train/drive 

Train (1-hr 45 min) + car rental at station (45-min drive into Black Forest region)

Salat Saturday - Black Forest #2

 

 

 

Not just Kartoffelsalat.

 

 *** 

The Forêt Noire, sharing the border with France's Alsace region, is not all hiking, Schnaps fountains in the woods, vineyards, and half-timbered hamlets. With pop-up market stalls everywhere touting colorful seasonal vegetables from surrounding farms, we knew that wholesome meals couldn't be far. But on this trip we were especially on the lookout for Salate.

Living in Paris spoiled by a great variety of beautiful salads in restaurants and even modest cafés, we didn't suspect that if we veered off the beaten German potato-wurst-red cabbage-salads trail, exciting creations would be waiting to be discovered. On menus - and it wasn't obvious unless we asked - leafy giant Salate bursting with nuts, fresh herbs and fruits, piled high and tossed with light hazelnut oil vinaigrettes, quietly kept their distance from the Schnitzel and Schweinshaxen on the facing page. A "chicken salad" turned out to be an entire skinless breast poached in broth then served sliced atop a vibrant mix of at least ten different crisp veggies and fruits.

Returning to Paris inspired, we made a beeline for our local markets, ready to craft our own salads and bring some of that Black Forest magic to our Montmartre table. - BPJ

October newsletter

Below: French village in Alsace

 

PARIS - STRASBOURG

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

Recommended: train/drive 

Train (1-hr 45 min) + car rental at station (45-min drive into Black Forest region)

Wein Wednesday - Black Forest

 

Gemütlichkeit among the vines.

*** 

Ahead of Montmartre's own Fête des Vendanges that begins next week - and to avoid Oktoberfest madness - as an apéritif we decided to head to Germany's Schwarzwald (Black Forest) to savor regional wines (including seasonal Federweisser*) and local dishes, hike through forests and vineyards (ran into "Schnaps fountains" on trails and organized "Schnaps hikes"!) while getting in a bit of Gemütlichkeit surrounded by flower-draped Fachwerkhäuser, half-timbered houses. - BPJ

October newsletter

 

Below: market day in Offenburg; memorable last night w/German beer, Riesling-laced Swiss fondue, local charcuteries including Black Forest ham - and the ultimate Schwarzwald experience, Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte in the heart of the Schwarzwald!

 

 

 

 

 

(click to enlarge) 

 

PARIS - STRASBOURG

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

Recommended: train/drive 

Train (1-hr 45 min) + car rental at station (45-min drive into Black Forest region)

 

 

* Federweisser a.k.a. Neuer Wein are late September's lightly fermented, fizzy young wines made from freshly harvested grapes. Often served w/savory Zwiebelkuchen (onion tart) or Krapfen (a jam-filled fritter), their innocent lightness can conceal an unexpected punch.

 

Throwback Thursday

 

 

The call of the sea.

 

 Above: evening and night walks in serene coastal villages

Below: sunsets and silhouettes

***

Brittany / Normandy / Poitou-Charentes

 3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

 

There’s nothing quite like trading Paris' crowded boulevards for a few days of a rejuvenating seaside escapade. As autumn’s crisp embrace settles over the city, the call of the sea and windswept freedom of France's enchanting North Atlantic seashores beckon. Temperatures dip to invigorating levels. Coastlines unfold rugged cliffs kissed by frothy waves, quaint harbors glow under Golden Hour light, and beaches stretch toward the horizon.

 Unlike those once secret coastal destinations that have become overrun by post-Covid throngs emboldened by Instagram selfies, there are still retreats that remain unspoiled by the clamor of travel influencers in designer flip-flops and cheeseburger-seeking TikTokers waiting to be discovered.

There’s a special alchemy in joining locals gathering at sunset over apéros and oysters and watching the sky change from lavender to amber. These moments, steeped in laughter and the warmth of shared stories, are what pull us back again and again. - BPJ  

***

Main points of arrival by train from Paris (+ car rental upon arrival) for quicker seaside village access:

 Brittany
Saint-Malo and Brest for their respective coastal regions (north-east and west)
Farther: Rennes

Normandy
Caen and Le Havre generally faster to access most seaside villages due to their proximity to the coast
Farther: Rouen

Poitou-Charentes / renamed Nouvelle-Aquitaine
La Rochelle for quick seaside village access due to its coastal proximity
Farther: Rochefort, Poitiers, Niort

 

 

Seaside Sunday

 La Rochelle's imposing Porte de la Grosse Horloge dates to the12th-century.

 

Paris - La Rochelle

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

Next week:

Seaside escapade*

 

 

* Escapade in French: emphasizes a carefree, spontaneous trip or adventure, with a lighter, often positive tone

Escapade in English: usually suggests a mischievous, reckless, or potentially disapproved-of act, with a broader application beyond just travel

Sunset Sunday

A private corner, a Greek island, a seaside village.

 

 3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

 PARIS - ATHENS

 

Direct flights daily + boats at Piraeus Port 

 

***

 

Greek cuisine blends that magic fusion of tasty and good-for-you, making it hard to beat. A cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, it’s both delicious and healthy due to its emphasis on fresh, whole ingredients and balanced flavors. Centered around olive oil, vegetables, legumes, fish, and lean meats, true Greek meals - not those greasy street-style foods touted in foreign countries - are known to provide loads of heart-healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants that reduce inflammation and promote longevity. Dishes like grilled octopus, lamb, tzatziki, Greek salads, and lentil soups bursting with vibrant herbs and spices - dill, oregano, garlic - create satisfying savory profiles. A moderate inclusion of dairy, mostly feta and yogurt, adds protein and probiotics, while whole grains like barley ensure sustained energy. They know how to put a meal together and the combo of nutrient-dense foods and bold, fresh flavors, as we, and many others have discovered, makes "eating Greek" a pure delight in every way. - BPJ

 

Recipes + photos in September newsletter, out next week