SAINT-MALO, FRANCE - Standing on the stonewall of this old town, the salty sea breezes are gentle and the warm sunshine highlights the sea’s multiple shades of blue as the surf comes ashore on the beach below.

CHAMONIX, FRANCE - There is a time in each multi-day hike when enough is enough. But, it’s not usually on the first day. I gaze down at my feet. Blisters extend horizontally like pale yellow water balloons from the sides of my big toes.

EZE, FRANCE - I’m grinding the gears of a 1956 Porsche 356 Speedster, transforming what should sound like the purr of a big randy cat into the anguished groans of a wounded grizzly as I haltingly navigate a stretch of French Riviera coastline.

SAMOËNS, FRANCE - A snowy Tuesday night and, as usual, it’s standing room only inside Covey’s, a small Irish pub deep in the heart of the French Alps. It’s quiz night. But this isn’t your typical après-ski crowd.

PARIS - France’s romantic capital is locked in a controversy these days over how couples express their love for each other.

PARIS - France’s capital is more than romance, fine food and fashion. Paris prides itself in welcoming and entertaining families, too. So you may not be settled in for a quiet evening with a glass of wine at the top of the Eiffel Tower, but you can discover a world of activities that are not only fun but will also raise your kids’ cultural awareness.

ARRAS, FRANCE - The crisp wind blowing through the forest thick with maple and pine trees makes us feel like we’re in Northern Ontario when in fact we’re driving through parkland in Northern France. This is sacred ground, given to Canada by the French government in recognition of our country’s role in the battle of Vimy Ridge, a World War I fight that defined Canada as a nation, but at great cost.

PARIS – Visit Paris’ Left Bank and you’ll expect to see iconic names like Café de Flore, Les Deux Magots and Brasserie Lipp. Monickers such as The Moose, The Great Canadian Pub and (on nearby Ile St. Louis) The Beaver, however, may seem a bit out of place.

ST. TROPEZ, FRANCE – The lazy old dog resting outside the shop selling lavender products refused to move when the tourist tried to gain entrance. “Mon Dieu,” said the saleslady from within. “Zee dog has no manners.

VERSAILLES, FRANCE – Okay, so why did it take the French so long to revolt if this revolting monument to decadence is an example of what the royals of the day were spending the people’s money on.