Bastille Day is much like Independence Day in the United States - It is the celebration of a new form of government. Bastille Day symbolizes the overthrow of the old monarchy and the beginning of the French republic. The Bastille The Bastille was built in 1382 and was originally used to defend the east side of Paris from attack. The Bastille had walls more than 80 feet high and was surrounded by a moat. Hundreds of years later, the French monarchy converted The Bastille into a prison to lock up people who didn’t agree with their decisions. People were jailed by arbi...

The 2010 Tour de France is the 97th Tour de France. It sta?ted with ?n 8 ?m prolog?e in Rotterdam on 3 July, the f?rst start ?n the Netherlands since 1996, and ends on th? Champs-lyses in Paris on 25 July. The first thre? stages pass through the Netherlands and Belgium on routes des?gned t? re?licate some features of the ?pring classic?, including seven cobblestone ?ectors totalling 13.2 ?m, the longe?t d?stance ?f cobbl?stones in the Tour s?nce 1983, ?n stage 3. There are six mount?in stages, three of them with mountain finishes, and ?n th? 100th anniversary year of their first inclusi...

Well there are ‘N’ no. reason for UK citizens to invest in french property. As the economic situation is getting favorable week by week it is right time to invest. France provides a stable political climate, a beneficial market to invest, round the year tourist locations and huge returns on investment in both resale and rental properties. Moreover UK and France share the double tax treaty which allows the person to pay tax only once on his earnings. Some of the favorable reasons for buying property in France are • The Property prices in France are relatively low when compared to mos...

France is a wonderful country to visit with every single region having its own distinct look and feel and I think only Italy in Europe can come close to France for the wonderful cuisine. Again the food in France differs from town to town with each centre seemingly having its own speciality dish, this washed down with some of the best and most affordable wine in the world makes for a truly great experience. The French prize themselves quite rightly on their food and wine so its rare to find anywhere below a very good standard from the humble to tobac to the Michelin rated restaurant. I have ...

Green Vacations in Paris Ecotourism has become more popular with tourists as there is a heightened awareness regarding our environment and its condition. Even while on your Paris vacations, you can still find ways to help fight global warming. For example, you can take public transport or shuttles to go to your hotels after disembarking from your plane; with this, you help in reducing carbon emissions while you also save some money you may have otherwise spent on more expensive taxis or rental cars. Stay at certified green hotels that have environmentally friendly standards and practic...

The Tour De France is not only the most famous cycle race in the world, but one of the best known and most gruelling races of any kind. This year marked the 93rd race, running for 23 days across 20 different stages making a total race distance of 3,657 kilometres across France before finally finishing in Paris at the Champs-Elysees on Sunday 23rd July. Starting in Strasbourg the race managed to cross most of France, with 9 flat, 4 medium mountain, 5 mountain and 2 individual time trial stages, before reaching its climactic conclusion in Paris: the Tour De France is a truly punishing even...

Avignon is a territory located in southeastern France. The city is also known for its Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes), where several popes and antipopes lived from the early 14th to early 15th centuries. Avignon has a Mediterranean climate which is characterized by dry summers and cool, damp winters. Important Places in Avignon Notre Dame des Doms is the cathedral which is a Romanesque building that was mainly built during 12th century. Its most prominent feature is the gilded statue of the Virgin which surmounts the western tower. This cathedral houses the Mausoleum of Pope ...

Did you know France has a Grand Canyon? While not as "grand"(BIG)as Colorado's, the "Grand Canyon du Verdon" is definitely a "Treasure of France" to experience. Let's Saddle Up! OK - first the facts n' figures stuff. It's 700 m. deep, 21 kms. long, and varies between 6 to 10 m. at the bottom to 200 to 1500 at the rim. At the Western end, you'll tumble onto the storybook village of Moustiers St. Marie - Famous for it's "Faience."(Hand decorated pottery.) Like it's American cousin, the French Grand Canyon is a dry, dusty(and HOT!) piece o' ...

As the end of the school year approaches, you may be thinking about how you could reward your students for all their hard work - and why not choose a break to Disneyland Paris? One way is to organise a school trip that will leave them with some lasting memories - and maybe teach them something as well. If you need some inspiration or help with your school trip then get in touch with a school travel service. You will be able to draw on the experience of others to make sure that you get a break that's perfectly tailored to you and your students' needs. For a short break to Eu...

French windows, French beans, French grey, French horns, French knots and French polish. These are just a few of the things we assume are French. However through the power of the internet, we are in a lucky position to purchase genuine French articles. France has always been known as the country of "love" (ask any Frenchman!). In fact "romance" is nearer the truth. This is because the Romance language is spoken in the south east of France, in the old province of Provence. Provence is a district of France east of the lower river Rhone, originally a Roman province, being the first to be...