Unfolded Globe

We always loved hiking. When we lived in Munich (DE), we had the opportunity to visit a new place each weekend, and hike in the Alps. Short after that, we traveled in South America (Patagonia), so when we finally moved in Nantes, it seemed obvious to us that we would keep this habit of constant discovering. Unfortunately, this region is not famous for its mountains! And we cannot always go so far that we reach a gorgeous landscape. So we investigated, and discovered that even non mountainous regions can have a lot to offer and are really worth discover by foot, out of the beaten tracks .   When? After work walks : to clear up your mind At the weather is so-so – weekends (for the reason that if we have a brilliant weather we often go further) When we are lazy to drive far Where? Look for your local hiking tracks. They most often follow rivers, cross fields, go around villages.  What to look for? Look up the local producers: our absolu...

Because being part of the crowd is not fun anymore. 'There must be an other solution to see the world famous sight but enjoy the view from an exclusive spot' we thought, looked at the map and found  Les Falaises de Champeaux that seemed ideal for what we imagined. 1, Pilgrims and early tourism of the Mt St Michel The history goes back as far as the 8th century, when the Bishop of Avranches founded an oratory, that developed into the famous sight of our days: the Mont Saint Michel.  In fact pilgrims had always flocked to the fortified abbey. Hotels and souvenir shops opened their gates for the visitors already during the Hundred Year’s War. The only decline of the mount was when it was transformed into a national prison in 1811. The Mont Saint Michel was among the first sites to be selected for the UNESCO World Heritage List. Since 1969 monks have started to move again to the island, preserving the original purpose of the sight. We could fill pages a...

Soon the summer is back and so is the crowd in our favourite romantic towns. Benefit of the last months before the holidays, be smart and visit the famous French historical cities out of the high season. We've been to Saint-Malo and Dinan. Dinan 1, Extraordinary location This gem is still hidden from the mass tourism. We found out about  Dinan thanks to an Instagram post and the town was immediately put on our Bucket list of Brittany.  163 km from Nantes, located by the Rance estuary, Dinan is a picturesque old town.  The river Rance forms a deep gulf between Dinan and the sea. The gulf is due to the marine flooding of a steep-sided valley which has been formed by tidal water. The historical city is both located down in the valley and up on the hill. This curious location would already  give us  a good reason to visit. Not to mention the old half timbered houses from 15C to 17C, the narrow, sloped, cobbled streets, the Tour de l’Horloge, th...