WELCOME


The spectacular Miroir aux Oiseaux (bird mirror) in Martigues (page 52)


Bienvenue!


Salut, mes amis, and welcome to this distinctly water-themed issue of France Today. While the oft-(mis)quoted Coleridge line “Water, water, every where. Nor any drop to drink” is hardly, in the most literal sense, true of the land whose ancient sources provide thirsty visitors with refreshing bottles of Evian, Perrier, Badoit and Volvic, the fact remains that France is simply blessed in the aquatic department. With her household-name rivers and other meandering waterways both man-made and natural, a vast array of seaside vistas, quaint coves, bucolic canals and dramatic, wave-carved rocky shores, France’s attractions are eau-so endless – whether you wish to be on the water, in it, or gazing upon it in wonder.


So for this issue we invite you to don your


fl ip-fl ops or hiking boots for a paddle or promenade as we take in many spectacular locations: Brittany and Vendée are our two Great Destinations, coastal charmers both. The Seine, Paris’s beloved liquid lifeline, holds a personality and magnetism all of its own so why not plan a


WEBSITE EXTRAS We simply cannot fi t everything into the magazine. So for more unique travel features, city-break ideas, off-the-beaten-path getaways and an up-to-the- minute events calendar, head to our website: • www.francetoday.com


trip along it while taking in the sights? Then there are France’s many ‘Little Venices’ – towns and villages, some coastal, others inland, with their own picturesque waterways offering aesthetic nods to the Italian original. Boating breaks, such as those in the stunning paysages through which the ever-popular Canal du Midi snakes, provide superb slow escapism, while the architecturally-blessed ferry port of Le Havre makes for a much-underrated city break. Meanwhile, landlubbers can content themselves with some delicious bread recipes from the French master boulanger, Éric Kayser, and those with a thirst for the fi ner things will enjoy our look at Bordeaux’s most exceptional Grands Crus. Who needs water when you can sip some of the fi nest wines in the world? Alors, I wish you all bon voyage… et à la prochaine!


Justin Postlethwaite Editor


justin@francemedia.com letters@francetoday.com


LE PETIT JOURNAL We’re constantly adding fresh content to our weekly e-newsletter, Le Petit Journal. To subscribe, go to www.francetoday.com and click on Magazine > Free Newsletter. And if you already subscribe, why not pass the link on to a friend?


SOCIAL MEDIA Enjoy our inspiring pictures and fun snippets about France on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and join the conversation: • www.facebook.com/francetoday • www.twitter.com/francetoday • www.instagram.com/ francetodaymagazine


Feb/Mar 2023 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 3


IMAGE © SHUTTERSTOCK


SAVE


SUBSCRIBE AND


SEE PAGE 20


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148