Guides
100 Walks in the French Alps (Hodder & Stoughton). A very good guide to hiking in the Alps, detailing which walks are appropriate for different abilities. James Bromwich The Roman Remains of Southern France (Routledge). The only comprehensive guide to the subject - detailed, well illustrated and approachable. In addition to accounts of the famous sites, it will lead you off the map to little-known discoveries. Glynn Christian Edible France (Grub Street; Interlink). A guide to food rather than restaurants: regional produce, local specialities, markets and best shops for buying goodies to bring back home. Cicerone Walking Guides (Cicerone, UK). Neat, durable guides, with detailed route descriptions. Titles include Tour of Mont Blanc; Chamonix-Mont Blanc; Tour of the Oisans (GR54); French Alps (GR5); The Way of Saint James (GR65); Tour of the Queyras; The Pyrenean Trail (GR10); Walks and Climbs in the Pyrenees . Robin G. Collomb Corsica Mountains (West Col, UK). Covers all the principal mountain peaks, with information on different approaches and ascents backed up with diagrams. Elizabeth David French Provincial Cooking (Penguin, UK). A classic cookery book, written in 1960 by the English expert on French food. The recipes are in fine prose rather than manual speak, with excellent detail and warnings about tricky processes or the need for particular skills; and they work, even with non-French ingredients. She makes the subject of kitchen equipment fascinating and beautifully describes the different regional cuisines. Mary Davis The Green Guide to France (Green Print, UK). Definitely not the Michelin, this is a resource guide to French national parks and wildlife reserves, veggie restaurants, communes and the like. Emplois d'Ete en France (published in France, distributed by Vacation Work, UK). Annual listings (in French) of thousands of summer jobs available in France. Footpaths of Europe Series (16 titles; Robertson McCarta, UK). Route guides to most areas of France including Corsica, covering the system of GR footpaths, illustrated with 1:50,000 colour survey maps. These are English versions of the Topoguides des Sentiers de Grande Randonnee (CNSGR, Paris), which are widely available in France and not hard to follow with a working knowledge of French. Mark Hampshell Live and Work in France (Vacation Work, UK, o/p). An invaluable guide for anyone considering residence or work in France; packed with ideas and advice on job hunting, bureaucracy, tax, health, etc. Haute-Savoie & Mont Blanc (Two Wheels, UK, o/p). The only English-language guide to mountain-biking, detailing fifty off-road routes of varying difficulty in that region. Louisa Jones Gardens of the French Riviera (Flammarion). The history and traditions of Riviera gardens accompanied by gorgeous photographs. W. Lippert Fleurs des Montagnes, Alpages et Forets (Miniguide Nathan Tout Terrain, Paris). Best palm-sized colour guide if you want something to pack away with your gear in the mountains. Carol Pineau & Maureen Kelly Working in France (AL Books, US, o/p). A practical guide, aimed at American readers, on how to get jobs in France, highlighting the cultural differences that affect job interviews and business practice generally. Kev Reynolds Walks and Climbs in the Pyrenees (Cicerone Press, UK). The classic English guide for walking in the Pyrenees. Georges Veron Haute Randonnee Pyrenees (Randonnees Pyreneennes, Paris; Gastons-West Col, o/p). East-to-west description of the High Level route across the Pyrenees.
Tour France On Line (Video + Stills)David Mundstock says "My recent film “Napoleon Slept Here” takes you all around France, beginning and ending in Paris, with Notre Dame Cathedral, the Pompidou Center, Eiffel Tower, Napoleon’s Tomb, Sainte-Chapelle’s stained glass & the City of Lights at night; plus Nimes with its Roman Arena and Temple, the walled city of Carcassonne, Lourdes, the Palace of Chenonceau, a peek at the Bayeux Tapestry, and much more.
This is a free, non-commercial, streaming video on the Windows Media Player. No ads and no strings attached. I sell absolutely nothing. All you need is a high speed internet connection.
The gallery of French still pictures can be viewed with any modem.
There are over 30 of my other amateur travel videos on-line. Visit Italy, England, Antarctica, Bali, Australia, China, Russia, Florida, Mayan Pyramids, Kenya, Hawaii, Greece, American National Parks, or Turkey; see elephants, whales, penguins, or polar bears.
The planet is yours, including my Home Page giant galaxy of still pictures.
To access both the videos and stills, please ask a search engine for:
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Your Tip for France
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